Nothing is the same as we once knew it. I remember a common-sense world where outcomes were generally predictable, where the good was exalted and evil was shunned, where crime was punished—Where boys were boys and girls were girls.
But nothing is the same anymore and I wonder when exactly we stepped into this new reality when did that which was black is now seen as white?
Today we have new vocabulary, words which some of us over 50 years of age can’t quite wrap our heads around. Our logic doesn’t work anymore either. When it is unusually cold in part of the world, it is claimed that this is the result of climate change. I find it interesting how global warming became climate change! Could it be that too many of us pointed out the illogical theory that too much ice and snow came about by the earth heating up?
Now boy babies can choose to be girl babies because they feel feminine at three years old. My six-year old daughter used to put makeup and ribbons on my two-year old son, but they were just playing and I never took them anywhere to decide if the boy was actually a girl. It was child’s play, nothing more.
In universities racial proportionality is the determining factor for those who attend, not intelligence, acumen or hard work! Football stars don’t have to show up to Economics or Basic Algebra more than once or twice in a semester and they still graduate at the end of the term.
We hear across the mainstream media that Jews are guilty of genocide for exerting efforts to defend their country and their personal right to exist. This generation doesn’t even know the meaning of the word genocide. But what do I know? The meanings of words have changed, so get used to it!
So maybe it is better to sit back and wait for this generation to destroy itself? Unfortunately, many of us have children or grandchildren that are caught up in the new mentality. What to do about it? Is there anything? Shall we all beg a ride on a UFO for a few light-years with the promise to return when the earth is in balance? The way it looks, a good balance is not going to happen, at least not in our lifetime, unless people do something about it, and soon! How? That is the difficult part!
So if the solution of leaving the planet is not feasible, then how do we deal with it? Do we go out and fight? Re-educate the woke crowd? Do we wrap ourselves in a surreal world—put on rainbow glasses and just pretend we are back in the 60s? Or worse yet, shall we all like lemmings go jump off a cliff?
I must contend that some rethinking is going to be necessary. We have a choice, accept that which we cannot change and stop complaining. Or a better way in my mind is to get out and do something about it—whether or not it is easy or possible. It seems improbable, but is anyone trying? There are some. And can we somehow get on board with those who are fighting it? Is crying out on social media enough? How about talking to real people? And what if they will not listen to us? Do we have enough confidence to keep pushing when people tell us we are wrong? Would a civil war put things right?
Upheaval–that is what has always changed the world. None are alive today that remember the attitudes that were prevalent when the first airplane came on the scene. 200 years ago the use of electricity was unknown, but it was developed and eventually made the world functional as it is today with extensive communication networks across the globe. Wireless mobile phones long ago all but replaced wall phones. Are cell phones indispensable? Communication as we know it is impossible without them. Some of these things show progress as we look back at them. But and the question looms large: what progress, what is the trade off? Though we can’t live without them, did they, somehow replace values that were attached to simple things and simple times? Were times more meaningful when you walked a few blocks to buy a quart of milk at a friendly corner store than charging up your electric car to drive across town to a super Walmart? Has anything been lost?
A logical mind will as good in these things for the most part, but there are other things. How do we value virtual reality—does it change anything? Does it make us see things that do not exist? And what about gender–can women really become men? Is it a crime to kill murderers? Is social media the new education system? Does fake news impact us and steer us where we are only automatons doing the will of whoever has the loudest voice? Does 2 plus 2 even add up to 4 anymore? What is real and what is not real? Does a person have the right to judge his own physical health and refuse medicine that he does not want?
So, are we guilty of misjudging this generation? Is there anything that shows progress now? Is there anything solid to base reality on? Are there no absolutes—things that do not change over time or things that will continue to hold their value for the future? We need to know what is real, what will stand the test of time and what needs to be incinerated. And of course as we begin to burn their books, so to speak, may we not destroy everything! Clearly it is time to think clearly and to place responsible, intelligent and wise people at the helm of the world’s future!
Thank G-d for those who fight for the right, the logical, and the true. Thank G-d for those who hold principles of justice in this chaotic world. Kudos to them and may those of us who listen and support them not give up hope. They may well bring a golden age where peace reigns and a Messiah can lead his people to better things! Will we roll up our sleeves and be a part? Or will we sit back and wring our hands as we watch the world careening off course towards oblivion?
The sun is shining today. All is quiet and the hills are alive with birds singing and roosters crowing. The scene stands in stark contrast to our reality here in Israel. We hear, as it were, the drums of war day and night.
But what is reality in a world gone mad?–where wokeness, global warming, and defense of terrorism sways the scepter? I look at the news on my phone and get depressed. The world is upside down with every crazy imaginable idea. But as I look out my window towards the calm of Lake Kinneret, it seems that the message is that we must embrace the moment, especially when we can do nothing about the crazy world outside. Is this realistic? Perhaps not, but is it a better way to live? At times like this, can anyone be damaged by too much optimism? Maybe, maybe not. Realism? Where should we focus our energies at this time? Are we tuned into the sounds of war or something else?
I see birds flying as usual, chickens running around, street cats lolling in the sun, unafraid except for when our big shepherd dog gets too close. And I realize that my life is only promised for today—that when I cannot change things, it is better to embrace the good that still exists–Turn away from the dark hand that threatens to destroy.
The Bible tells an interesting story of the prophet Elisha when the Syrians came to capture him. They surrounded the town where he lived. His servant was trembling in fear because of the vast number of the enemy which surrounded the city.
“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:15-17
I ask myself if the prophet actually saw the horses and chariots or if his faith took hold of his Elohim (G-d) and trusted, clinging to that reality.Maybe he asked for this miracle for his servant whose faith (Emunah) was lacking? I think so. It is not normal for anyone to see the armies of Heaven coming to fight for us, but if we have enough faith, it is as if we can see them. And now when we hear jet engines flying low over us, the rumble of tanks and the fire of artillery, do we see the Armies of Hashem at the battle front? Do we then decide to trust and cling to our Creator, or does this send us running for the bomb shelter, or packing up to leave for another country?
So, face those nagging doubts that arise and tell yourself: “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them!”
If you have ever meandered around in the town center of Katzrin at night perhaps to eat a bite at a Shawarma or Falafel shop, you may have seen dozens of swallows perched near the ceiling in one of the dark hallways.
Katzrin, a small town located in the Golan Heights of Israel is a favored tourist spot, still shown on Google Maps as outside of the green line that Google is willing to accept as Israel. But Israelis know it belongs to them and not to Syria, since Israel reclaimed this land in the bloody Six-Day War of 1967.
But I am not writing about that war. We are in another war called “Al Aqsa Flood” by Hamas and “Swords of Iron” by Israel—a war that started with a most horrible massacre. But let us step back even farther and look at what is happening behind the blood stained curtain. This is not all about the current war, though it certainly plays into it. It is about brothers and sisters coming together just as Jacob’s 12 sons came together after his death, put away differences and became one people. But let’s get back to the story!
On October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorists and many radical Palestinian Muslims, though technically classified as civilians broke through Gaza’s border fence and entered the Nova music festival and surrounding villages, killing and raping at random, burning and beheading babies and adults alike. At the same time many of them entered by air in para-gliders, which appeared as giant blood sucking mosquitoes as they filled the dawn sky.
That fated Shabbat, found many religious Israelis attending synagogues, completely disconnected from the news. In several towns, there were soldiers who passed by and alerted some synagogues as to what was happening, and the congregants increased their fervor in prayer with deepened emotion and passionate pleas to the Almighty who alone can save Israel from her enemies.
As I said, this is not about the horrors of war, though that may be the pressure that brought about what has happened since. The swallows in the picture represent the togetherness, the solidarity of togetherness that many Israelis and Jews are feeling around the world.
Soldiers in the field come in from a day of battle, arm in arm, the secular with the religious and feel a camaraderie that few have felt in the recent past. We are one people. And that is what is important here. Not that God is not important. Not that one’s observance is not important—but there is an overriding value that has been missing and is now coming into view. That of brotherly unity and the service of one’s fellow man and especially the right to claim the land of our ancestors. The importance of winning this war against evil is partly to reestablish the Jewish right to exist. And the war is being fought for the good of humanity. This is not just about the Jewish people. It is about good versus evil, hatred versus love, a good God versus an evil god. We fight on for the honor of the name of our God and the place of righteousness in the world. We fight for meaning in our own existence. And YHVH, the Eternal, the Most High, the Creator of the World is supporting this war and when all seems lost, He will come alongside and do things that other wars have not seen. But first we must learn unity. Though it seems to have little to do with God, it virtually has everything to do with Him. We must heal the breach before He can come to us. Love your fellow as yourself. And when we do so, a body will be formed, just as we see written by the prophet Ezekiel:
Eze 37:7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them. 9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.'” 10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.”
At this time in the war we see other elements trying to disrupt the unity. We see left-wing factions presenting their pressure to undo our current government. Can we allow this? Would this not be our undoing at this time? Doesn’t the enemy know about weakening us? and perhaps these ones are and were involved in inciting the ones who called for division in our land! This is a time to stand together and not back down. And for the sake of the soldiers, for the elderly, for the young people, for the children and for those who volunteer to support our soldiers, we must not give in to these demons who divide the nation and who were involved in weakening us in the very beginning, pre-October 7. Military people in charge were asleep at the switch. Why? Many ask this question, but when we look at the political scenario during the last year we see division in our people.
So what do the swallows represent? There they are, night after night, clinging to shredded electric wires draped along the ceiling in a dark hallway of the town shops, protected from the chaos of wind and storm. They are almost touching each other. They are there every night and they stand for something. No, the halls are not nicely painted or decorated. The ceiling is peeling, the wires are bare in places, loose ends hang in different places. It is not about luxury, fame or status, and they don’t care! It is about being together—sharing safety in each other’s company; standing together against the elements as one of a common creation. Can we learn something here? Can we see the foreshadowing in the Parsha that we read week after week?
If you ever come to Katzrin, please hang out with us in the evening in the town center! Check out the lighted fountains and venture down the dark hallways behind the shops to see the swallows. They seem to be a symbol of what we must stand for. And we are indeed getting there—are we not?
Ariella
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La semana pasada sucedió algo impensable. Un parlamentario turco maldijo a Israel, sufrió un ataque cardíaco instantáneo y murió en el hospital. (enlace) ¿Coincidencia? Tal vez tal vez no. Me lo pregunto, especialmente a la luz de la creciente aceptación del odio contra Israel. ¿Es posible que el Todopoderoso tenga voz y voto sobre aquellos que odian Su Tierra y Su Pueblo? ¡Les digo que Él tendrá más que decir! ¡Él va a tener un día de campo! Y¿Qué pasará después?
Hay algunos textos en la Biblia que señalan las consecuencias de bendecir y maldecir a Israel, y para aquellos que creen que detrás de Su palabra está el cumplimiento del Pacto de Dios, es algo temible darse cuenta de lo que sucederá cuando Él actúe. Ante el llamado de Abram en Génesis 12, El Shaddai hizo una promesa:
Gén 12:3 “Bendeciré a los que te bendigan, y maldeciré a los que te maldigan; Y en ti serán benditas todas las familias de la tierra.”
Cuando Balaam fue contratado para maldecir a Israel, en realidad intentó hacerlo varias veces y no pudo sacar ninguna palabra de maldición de su boca. Afirmó que Dios no le permitía maldecir a Israel. Y las palabras de profecía que pronunció fueron algunas de las cosas más hermosas jamás dichas sobre el pueblo de Israel. Mira esta parte de su discurso:
Números 24:5-9 ¡Cuán hermosas son tus tiendas, oh Jacob! ¡Tus moradas, oh Israel! 6 Como valles que se extienden, como huertos junto a los ríos, como áloes plantados por Jehová, como cedros junto a las aguas. 7 Él derramará agua de sus cántaros, y su descendencia será en muchas aguas. Su rey será más alto que Agag, y su reino será enaltecido. 8 “Dios lo saca de Egipto; tiene fuerza como un toro salvaje; consumirá las naciones, sus enemigos; quebrará sus huesos y los traspasará con sus flechas. 9 “Se inclina, se acuesta como un león ; Y como al león, ¿quién lo despertará?’ “Bendito el que os bendiga, y maldito el que os maldiga.”
¿Hemos olvidado que YHVH siempre cumple Su Palabra?
¡Durante tanto tiempo el Pueblo de la Promesa ha sido debilitado por las naciones, masacrado, oprimido, maldecido, y ahora, cuando regresamos a nuestra patria, somos presionados por las naciones para que lo abandonemos todo y nos dejemos aniquilar! Ahora tenemos cerca del 50 por ciento de los judíos del mundo viviendo en Israel. ¡Las naciones no tienen derecho a continuar con su humillación burlona hacia nosotros! Si Israel se pone de pie y no aguanta más, ¿se unirá el Dios Poderoso del Universo? ¡Con seguridad! ¿Y cuando nos quedemos sin dinero para comprar armas?
La semana pasada, un importante líder de los terroristas, Hamás, fue asesinado y en su casa se encontró el equivalente a 1,4 millones de dólares estadounidenses (ver enlace). ¿Quizás eso nos ayude con suministros para la guerra? ¡Y qué pasa con los montones de armas que el enemigo abandona al rendirse! Esto puede parecer un pez pequeño a la luz de lo que el Cielo podría hacer, ¡pero déjame decir algo! ¡El cielo ni siquiera ha comenzado! E Israel tiene todos los motivos para burlarse de las naciones que intentan detenerlo. En un momento similar de la historia, cuando Asiria lo amenazaba, el profeta Isaías dijo:
Isaías 37:22-23 “Esta es la palabra que YHVH ha hablado acerca de él (el Rey de Asiria): “La virgen hija de Sion te ha menospreciado, te ha escarnecido; ¡La hija de Jerusalén ha meneado la cabeza a vuestras espaldas! 23 “¿A quién has vituperado y blasfemado? ¿Contra quién has alzado tu voz y alzado tus ojos en alto? Contra el Santo de Israel”.
Y en los Salmos:
Sal 2:1-5 ¿Por qué se amotinan las naciones, y los pueblos traman cosas vanas? 2 Los reyes de la tierra se levantan, y los gobernantes consultan juntos contra YHVH y contra su ungido, diciendo: 3 “Que Rompamos sus ataduras y desechemos de nosotros sus cuerdas. :”
¡Y esto apenas ha comenzado a suceder! ¡Que Israel se levante bajo la luz brillante del gran poder de su Dios que no abandona Su Pacto! Porque ha dicho acerca de su pueblo Israel:
Jer 31:35-37 “Así dice YHVH, Quien da el sol para alumbrar de día, Las ordenanzas de la luna y de las estrellas para alumbramiento de noche, Quien agita el mar, Y rugen sus olas (YHVH de los ejércitos es Su nombre): 36 “Si esas ordenanzas se apartan de delante de mí, dice YHVH, entonces también la descendencia de Israel dejará de ser una nación delante de mí para siempre.” 37 Así dice YHVH: “Si los cielos arriba se pueden medir, y los cimientos de la tierra explorada debajo, también desecharé toda la descendencia de Israel por todo lo que han hecho, dice YHVH.”
Multitudes de amantes sinceros de Israel en todas las naciones del mundo están orando por la salvación de Israel de las manos de Hamás y de todos sus afiliados que incluso ahora avanzan para destruirnos por todos lados. Creo que esas oraciones están siendo respondidas de manera decisiva. ! ¡Que la tierra se abra y se trague a los que nos comen vivos! ¡Oh sí, y que nuestros ojos se abran para ver la Mano Poderosa que lucha junto a nuestros soldados!
¡Esperando el cumplimiento de nuestro Pacto Guardando a Dios!
Ariella
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This past week something unthinkable happened. A Turkish MP cursed Israel, had an instant heart attack and died in the hospital. (link) Coincidence? Maybe…Maybe not. I wonder, especially in the light of the ongoing woke acceptance of anti-Israel hate mongering. Is it possible that the Almighty is having a say about those who hate His Land and His People? I tell you, He is going to have more than a say! He is going to have a Field Day!
What will happen next?
There are a few texts in the Bible that point out consequences of blessing and cursing Israel, and for those who believe that a Covenant keeping God stands behind His word, it is a fearsome thing to realize what will happen when He takes action. At the call of Abram in Genesis 12 El Shaddai made a promise:
Gen 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When Balaam was hired to curse Israel, he actually tried to do so several times and could not get any cursing words out of his mouth. He claimed that God was not allowing him to curse Israel. And the words of prophecy that he poured forth were some of the most beautiful things ever said about the people of Israel. Check out this part of his speech:
Num 24:5-9 ” How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! 6 Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens by the riverside, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters. 7 He shall pour water from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters. “His king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones And pierce them with his arrows. 9 ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ “Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.”
Have we forgotten that Hashem keeps His Word? For so long the People of the Promise have been weakened by the nations, slaughtered, oppressed, cursed, and now when we return to our homeland, we are pressured by the nations to give it all up and let ourselves be annihilated! We have now close to 50 per cent of the world’s Jews living in Israel. The nations have no right to continue their mocking humiliation of us! If Israel stands up and won’t take it any longer, will the Mighty God of the Universe come alongside? For sure! And when we run out of money to buy weapons?
This past week a Senior Hamas terrorist was killed and in his house was found the equivalent of 1.4 million US Dollars (see link). Maybe that will help us with supplies for the war? And what about the piles of weapons the enemy is abandoning as they surrender! This may seem like small fish in light of what Heaven could do, but let me say something! Heaven hasn’t even started! And Israel has every reason to thumb their nose at the nations that try to stop them. At a similar time in history when threatened by Assyria, the prophet Isaiah said:
Isa 37:22-23 “this is the word which YHVH has spoken concerning him (the King of Assyria): “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind your back! 23 “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.”
And in Psalms:
Psa 2:1-5 “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the YHVH and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; YHVH shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:”
And this has only just begun to happen! May Israel arise under the shining light of the mighty power of her God who does not forsake His Covenant! For He has said regarding His People Israel:
Jer 31:35-37 “Thus says YHVH, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (YHVH of hosts is His name): 36 “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says YHVH, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.” 37 Thus says YHVH: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says YHVH.”
Multitudes of sincere lovers of Israel in every nation on the globe are praying for the salvation of Israel from the hands of Hamas and all the affiliates who even now move forward to destroy us from every side, I believe those prayers are even now being answered decisively! May the ground open and swallow up those who would eat us alive! Oh yes, and may our eyes be opened to see the Mighty Hand that is fighting along with our soldiers!
Awaiting the fulfillment of our Covenant Keeping God!
Ariella
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I stand on the edge of a cliff, looking across a wide and deep chasm. On the other side is nothing I can recognize. As the fog settles, I see a faint outline of an almost invisible bridge, stretching out before me. I cannot see how it attaches to the other side and the bridge appears rickety and as fragile as glass. To step out would be certain doom, or so it seems. But stay where I am? Behind me an earthquake shakes up rocks that are falling on all that I remember of security. My past stands ready to be buried and the only way out is through, but who among us can find the courage to step out? I want to run back, I want to go to the remembered comfort of home and family, but it is not there…It is quickly fading from view. But I hear the whine of a siren calling me to go back. It will be good, she says, you can still find the old life in the old country, but the news tells another story—a story that none of us knows, a story of the end. All we knew before is going going, gone. True there is a semblance of normalcy as the riots increase and the unrest breaks out and antisemitism is everywhere. Could I find peace on a plot of land in a small house and garden back somewhere I once called “home”—a place I used to know? And for how long? Nothing is the same, nowhere!
I raise my eyes and stretch my foot precariously to test the solidity of the bridge before me. Where is this path leading? What will I find on the other side? I can see a path there. When I glance back, I know there is no return. I am afraid. What does the future hold? Bombs shake not too distant towns and I see the smoke billow at the end of the bridge. To stay where I am is to not cross over. Crossing over is what our first father Abraham did, going out to a country he did not know. And, yes, I did follow the path to here. I have made that first step, but the only way to move forward is to close the door on the siren voice that bids return to nothingness. As I swing around, I see a doorway to the past behind me and I reach to close it’s squeaky door, I turn the rusty key in the lock. I take that key now and hold it up to consider what I am doing for a second. Maybe I have lost my mind, but no! I toss the key into the canyon. One two three, 10…12…21, ping! it hits a rock. It really is a long way down and there is no retrieving it now. As for me, I realize that I feel better having made a choice, now there is no option for return and as I look at the bridge before me, it now appears solid with a strong railing on each side. And so I step out, never to return.
This is the way of life, there is always risk but each person must come to this decisive moment if there is to be growth. The way ahead seems uncertain, but the step forward brings confidence. To some, I say, “come to Israel while you still can!” Cross over! Make aliyah! I know it is hard to leave a life once known for comfort and predictability, no matter the risk of staying. Dreams can keep you there and the voice of the siren is assuring.
I can’t promise you will be wealthy or even comfortable at first if you come, you may have hardship, you will face great challenges, but you will be free. And you will find a way.
El profeta Ezequiel habla de una guerra horrible donde muchas naciones atacan a Israel. Ha habido varios intentos de destruir el Estado de Israel desde que se convirtió en nación. Esta profecía retrata un poco más de lo que hemos visto hasta ahora. Habla del fin de los tiempos y varios aspectos de la guerra actual parecen coincidir. ¡Veremos lo siguiente!
Ezequiel 38:14-16: “Por tanto, hijo de hombre, profetiza y di a Gog: Así dice el Señor DIOS; En aquel día, cuando mi pueblo de Israel habite seguro, ¿no lo sabrás? Subirás desde tu lugar, desde el lejano norte, tú y muchos pueblos contigo, todos ellos a caballo, una gran compañía y un ejército poderoso. Subirás contra mi pueblo Israel como una nube para cubrir la tierra. Será en los últimos días”.
¡La confusión y la ansiedad oprimen nuestras almas a medida que el juego de la guerra cambia cada pocas horas y nos vemos obligados a ceder ante la presión que las naciones imponen implacablemente sobre nosotros! Muchos luchan por encontrar un ancla de esperanza a la que aferrarse en esta lucha. Mientras luchamos por mantener la cordura, tomemos un pequeño desvío: un breve estudio que compare los detalles de la actual guerra de Hamás contra Israel, con esta profecía de Ezequiel. Quizás algo de esto encaje con la imagen. Pero para entenderlo, necesitamos algunas definiciones de la Biblia, de mapas antiguos y otras profecías sobre Gog y Magog.
Génesis 10 es la primera mención de Magog como hijo de Japeth, hijo de Noé. Sus hijos se enumeran aquí:
Génesis 10:2 “Los hijos de Jafet; Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javán, Tubal, Mesec y Tiras”.
Los hijos de Japeth se asentaron en diferentes regiones geográficas las cuales se muestran en el siguiente mapa bíblico. Incluyen lugares como Turquía e Irán, Irak, Armenia, la punta de Rusia, Grecia e Italia. Muchos de estos lugares son países que en la antigüedad e incluso en la actualidad han preocupado a Israel. A continuación se muestra un mapa donde se identifican las áreas en donde se asentaron los hijos de Noé. Los hijos se convirtieron en tribus y luego en naciones. Japeth y sus hijos figuran en la profecía. El desafío es localizarlos con sus nombres modernos.
Hay tres lugares en el Tanakh donde se menciona a Magog:
Ezequiel 38:2 “Hijo de hombre, vuelve tu rostro hacia Gog, tierra de Magog, príncipe principal de Mesec y Tubal, y profetiza contra él”.
Números 24:5-7: “¡Cuán hermosas son tus tiendas, oh Jacob, tus moradas, oh Israel! 6 Como valles se extienden, como jardines junto al río, como áloes que plantó Jehová, y como cedros junto a las aguas. 7 Derramará el agua de sus cántaros, y su descendencia será en muchas aguas, y su rey será más alto que Agag (Magog), y su reino será exaltado”.
Números 24:7 usa la palabra hebrea מֵֽאֲגַג magag, que se traduce “de Agag”. Y aunque es cierto que el prefijo mem “מֵֽ” antes de una palabra significa “de”, la palabra real puede ser escrita sin el prefijo. Si es correcto, entonces con las tres letras que siguen a mem, אֲגַג (agag) se leería correctamente “de” Agag. Sin embargo, debido a la ubicación de la palabra en la profecía de Balaam sobre Israel en
Números, creo que la interpretación se ha aplicado erróneamente a la historia del rey Agag y el correspondiente descenso de Amalec, cuando en realidad puede estar hablando de un futuro levantamiento de Israel sobre Magog. Ahora bien, ¿por qué se escribe Magag sin la letra hebrea de O? Miremos más de cerca el hebreo. A la palabra מֵֽאֲגַג le podría faltar el jolem vav “וֹ” que aparece en Génesis 10 y más tarde en Ezequiel, donde se traduce Magog מָּגוֹג. El hecho de que falte la letra vav entre las dos consonantes es común en el uso hebreo, ya que la o El sonido se puede significar sin vav colocando un punto vocal antes de la siguiente letra, que estaría entre los dos gimmels (גַג -gg), para aquellos que saben hebreo bíblico, esto es común.
Según Wikipedia (fuente), “La Septuaginta de Números 24:7 dice “Gog” en lugar de “Agag”. Pero ¿cómo ayudaría eso a la historia? Mostraría que el rey de Israel se elevará más alto que Magog en el último día. Esto no se refiere principalmente a los descendientes de Amalec que no descienden de Japeth, y de este rey, aún no sabemos quién es. La mayoría cree que es el Mashíaj. O quizás los dirigentes israelíes en ese momento. Esto va bien con lo que dice Ezequiel 38:2 אֶרֶץ הַמָּגוֹג –la tierra de Magog.
Además, en la historia de la captura de Agag, el rey de Amalec (1 Sam 15), el momento no es el mismo: no sería el mismo Agag en la profecía de Balaam. La profecía cubrió la historia de Israel hasta el fin de los tiempos. De ahí mi afirmación de que la palabra magag debería haberse escrito מָּגוֹג Magog en Números 24.
La última referencia a Magog está en Ezequiel 39, a lo largo del capítulo:
Eze 39:-6 “Y enviaré fuego sobre Magog y sobre los que habitan descuidadamente en las islas, y sabrán que yo soy Jehová”.
¿Quién es Gog? “El príncipe principal de Mesac y Tubal”. Algunos comentaristas presentan a Rusia como Gog y a Magog como China. Según el mapa, Magog está al norte de Israel, entre el Mar Negro y el Mar Caspio. Mesec parece ser la Turquía moderna. Es muy posible que Rusia sea la cabeza de la serpiente en esta batalla (o, como se le llama bíblicamente, “el príncipe principal”), pero China no parece ser Magog.
El capítulo 38 de Ezequiel es la descripción más extensa de lo que sucede con Gog y Magog con respecto a Israel en “los últimos días”. Puede parecer un poco largo, pero hay mucha información que parece encajar con lo que está pasando en el mundo. ¡Veamos! Iré comentando según encuentre cosas que encajen.
Eze 38:1-23: 1 Y vino a mí palabra de Jehová, diciendo: 2 Hijo de hombre, vuelve tu rostro hacia Gog, tierra de Magog, príncipe principal de Mesec y Tubal, y profetiza contra él,
Según nuestro mapa (arriba), Mesac y Tubal se encuentran en la actual Turquía. También aquí hay una cita de Wikipedia:
La mayoría de los libros de referencia, siguiendo a Flavio Josefo, identifican a Tubal en la época de Ezequiel como un área que ahora se encuentra en Turquía. (Fuente)
Entonces, ¿quién sería Gog, el príncipe principal de Magog? ¿Irán? ¿O es Rusia quien habilita a Irán y a todos estos países?
3. Y di: Así dice el Señor DIOS; He aquí, yo estoy contra ti, oh Gog, príncipe principal de Mesec y de Tubal: 4 y te haré volver atrás, y pondré garfios en tus quijadas, y te sacaré a ti y a todo tu ejército, caballos y gente de a caballo, a todos, de ellos vestidos con toda clase de armas, un gran grupo con broqueles y escudos, todos ellos empuñando espadas: 5 Persia, Etiopía y Libia con ellos; todos ellos con escudo y yelmo: 6 Gomer y todas sus tropas; la casa de Togarma de las regiones del norte, y todas sus tropas, y mucho pueblo contigo. 7 Prepárate y prepárate para ti y para toda tu compañía que está reunida contigo, y sé tu guardia para ellos.
8. Después de muchos días serás visitada: en los postreros años vendrás a la tierra salvada de la espada y reunida de muchos pueblos, contra los montes de Israel, que siempre han sido desiertos; pero son sacados de las naciones, y habitarán seguros todos ellos.
Las siguientes frases de que se menciona arriba parecen hablar de esta guerra:
En los últimos años, la tierra salvada de la espada, reunida de muchos pueblos, Israel siempre ha sido desolada. La reunión ha surgido de entre las naciones y es un tiempo en que los de Israel habitarán seguros.
Vemos a los judíos regresar en masa a Israel. “De los 15,2 millones de judíos que hay en el mundo, el 47% reside en Israel”. (Haga clic en Biblioteca virtual judía). Esto se ha convertido en una realidad para el pueblo judío en los años transcurridos desde el Holocausto. Las ciudades (sin muros) en su mayor parte han sido seguras para vivir. Quizás por eso no ha habido en Israel el grado de vigilancia que debería haber. (Mantenga este pensamiento cuando veamos el versículo 11.)
9 Tú (Gog, Magog) ascenderás y vendrás como tormenta, serás como nube para cubrir la tierra,
¿En qué medida se presenta gran parte de la guerra? ¿Desde el aire? Cohetes, misiles, parapentes vienen en el cielo, a veces como una nube que cubre la tierra.
“…tú, y todas tus tropas, y mucho pueblo contigo. 10 Así dice el Señor DIOS; También sucederá que en el mismo tiempo vendrán cosas a tu mente, y tendrás un mal pensamiento: 11 Y dirás: Subiré a la tierra de las aldeas no amuralladas; Iré a los que están en reposo, a los que habitan seguros, todos los que habitan sin muros, y sin cerrojos ni puertas,
La mayoría de las ciudades y pueblos de Israel no tienen puertas ni muros, y las ventanas no tienen rejas en muchos lugares. Nos hemos sentido contentos y seguros en nuestras viviendas, tal como lo describe el profeta.
12 “Para tomar botín y tomar presa (secuestro); para volver tu mano sobre los lugares desolados que ahora están habitados, y sobre los pueblos que están reunidos de las naciones (otra vez, la reunión de los exiliados de muchas naciones) que han adquirido ganado y bienes, que habitan en medio de la tierra”.
13 Seba, y Dedán, y los mercaderes de Tarsis, con todos sus cachorros de leoncillo, te dirán: ¿Has venido a tomar botín? ¿Has reunido tu compañía para tomar presa? ¿Para llevarte plata y oro, para llevarte ganados y bienes, para tomar un gran botín?
14 Por tanto, hijo de hombre, profetiza y di a Gog: Así dice el Señor DIOS; En aquel día, cuando mi pueblo de Israel habite seguro, ¿no lo sabrás?
15 Y vendrás de tu lugar, de las partes del norte, tú y mucho pueblo contigo, todos ellos a caballo (transporte militar), una gran compañía y un ejército poderoso; 16 y subirás contra mi pueblo de Israel, como nube para cubrir la tierra; será en los postreros días, y te traeré contra mi tierra, para que las naciones me conozcan, cuando sea santificado en ti, oh Gog, delante de sus ojos. Te traeré contra mi tierra”: Gog claramente está liderando el ataque desde el Norte. Sin embargo, ¿es el Dios de Israel quien lidera el ataque porque el versículo dice “Te traeré contra mi tierra”, y afirma que el propósito es que el Eterno sea “santificado en ti, oh Gog”?
Santificar en hebreo significa apartar, limpiar o santificar. Entonces, ¿cómo es santificado el Dios de Israel a través de Gog? Hay una referencia a esta santificación del Dios de Israel en el ejemplo de Nadab y Abiú en Levítico:
Levítico 10:1-3 “Y Nadab y Abiú, hijos de Aarón, tomaron cada uno de ellos su incensario, y pusieron en ellos fuego, y pusieron sobre ellos incienso, y ofrecieron un fuego extraño delante de Jehová, lo cual él no les mandó. Y salió fuego de parte de Jehová, que los devoró, y murieron delante de Jehová. Entonces Moisés dijo a Aarón: Esto es lo que habló Jehová, diciendo: Seré santificado en los que se acercan a mí, y delante de todo el pueblo seré glorificado. Y Aarón guardó silencio”.
En este caso, la muerte de Nadab y Abiú limpió el campamento de la locura de desobedecer las instrucciones directas de Hashem con respecto al servicio del tabernáculo. El Eterno fue glorificado (¿podríamos decir que quedó claro a través de la muerte de estos hijos de Aarón, que Dios quiere decir lo que dice?) Y en el caso de que Gog fuera destruido ante todas las naciones, creo que es el mismo contexto. No te metas con Su Tierra ni con Su pueblo que está apartado para la Santidad: los hijos de Jacob.
En los últimos versículos del capítulo 38, el acto final: el Dios de Israel se levanta enojado para destruir a Gog y Magog. Terremotos, fuego, azufre, sangre, granizo, lluvias torrenciales, montañas caen y los enemigos se volverán unos contra otros. Esto magnificará y santificará al Eterno YHVH. ¿Cómo? ¡Limpiando el campamento de los malvados!
17 “Así dice YHVH Elohim; ¿Eres tú aquel de quien hablé en otro tiempo por medio de mis siervos los profetas de Israel, que profetizaron en aquellos días, por muchos años, que yo te traería contra ellos? 18 Y sucederá que en el mismo tiempo, cuando Gog venga contra la tierra de Israel, dice YHVH Elohim, mi ira subirá a mi rostro. 19 Porque en mi celo y en el fuego de mi ira he hablado: Ciertamente en aquel día habrá gran estremecimiento en la tierra de Israel; 20 De modo que los peces del mar, las aves del cielo, las bestias del campo, y todos los reptiles que se arrastran sobre la tierra, y todos los hombres que están sobre la faz de la tierra, temblarán ante mi presencia, y los montes serán derribados, y los escarpados se derrumbarán, y todo muro caerá a tierra.
21 Y llamaré espada contra él en todos mis montes, dice el Señor DIOS: la espada de cada uno será contra su hermano. 22 Y litigaré contra él (Gog y Magog) con pestilencia y con sangre; y haré llover sobre él, y sobre sus tropas, y sobre el pueblo que está con él, una lluvia torrencial, y granizo grande, fuego y azufre. 23 Así me engrandeceré y me santificaré; y seré conocido a los ojos de muchas naciones, y sabrán que yo soy YHVH.
Una mirada más cercana a Gog:
Ezequiel dice que Gog es el príncipe principal de Mesac y Tubal, hijos de Japeth. Gog no puede ser una nación árabe porque los árabes originalmente vinieron de Sem (y tal vez mezclados con Cam), no de Japet. Tanto Ismael como Esaú eran de Sem. Entonces, ¿quién sería hoy el “príncipe principal o líder de los turcos (la zona de la antigua Magog)? Mesac y Tubal, cuando se estudian los mapas antiguos, se encuentran en Turquía. ¿Podría ser que Gog sea Irán? ¿Quién financia e inspira sus misiones militares? Irán patrocina organizaciones terroristas, incluidas Hezbollah y Hamas. ¿Pero quién dirige Irán? ¿Es Rusia? ¿Y es Irán siquiera una posibilidad cuando miramos los mapas? En realidad, sí, Irán alguna vez fue Persia y la ubicación está en el área de Japeth. Pero ese sería Magog ya que Magog era hijo de Japeth y se estableció allí. Y Gog que recordamos es del extremo norte, Gog también significa techo en hebreo, lo que significa la cima del mundo.
Y hablando de los turcos:
“Casi todos los historiadores otomanos del siglo XV afirmaron que la dinastía otomana surgió de Japeth, el hijo de Noé. Japeth fue generalmente considerado como el antepasado de los turcos en la historiografía musulmana. Por eso los historiadores otomanos aceptaron a Japeth como su antepasado, aunque los descendientes de Japeth eran menos respetados que los de Sem, de quien se originaron los Profetas”. Para fuente (clic): Jstage
Según otro mapa bíblico antiguo (haga clic aquí), y el que se muestra arriba, Gomer (hijo de Jafet), Tubal, Madai, todos están asentados cerca de las montañas del Cáucaso (Siria e Irak), Turquía y el área cercana al Mar Negro y al Caspio. mares, incluidos los actuales Georgia y Armenia. La punta de Rusia también está ahí. Pero tal como se están desarrollando las cosas, parece que Irán tiene una función clave, tal vez parte de la profecía. ¿Es Irán Gog? ¿O está Rusia patrocinando a Irán mientras Irán provoca la guerra, utilizando a Hamas y Hezbolla?
¿Quién se une a la batalla?
Ezequiel 38: 5, 6, 13 “Persia (actual Irán), Etiopía y Libia con ellos; todos ellos con escudo y yelmo: 6. Gomer y todas sus tropas; la casa de Togarmah…13. Seba, Dedán y los mercaderes de Tarsis…” Podemos verlos en el primer mapa.
Miremos nuevamente a los descendientes de Japeth en Génesis:
Génesis 10:2, 4 “Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javán (Grecia), Tubal, Mesec (Turquía) y Tiras. (Italia)…Y los hijos de Javan; Eliseo, Tarsis, Kittim (Chitim) y Dodanim”.
La profecía de Balaam habla del fin de los tiempos; para los barcos de Chittim o Kittim, consulte esta lista: (Aquí)
Números 24:23-24 “Y tomando su parábola, dijo: ¡Ay, quién vivirá cuando Dios haga esto! 24 Y vendrán naves de la costa de Chittim (Chipre, ver aquí), y afligirán a Asur (Asiria, ver más abajo), y afligirán a Eber (Persia/Irán, ver más abajo), y él también perecerá para siempre.
Asiria: “Los asirios son los pueblos indígenas del norte de Irak, el noroeste de Irán, el sureste de Turquía y el este de Siria. Hoy en día hay más de 5 millones de asirios en todo el mundo y hablan la lengua aramea, también conocida como siríaca. A estos pueblos también se les conoce como caldeos, arameos y siríacos. Los asirios modernos son descendientes de los antiguos imperios asirio y babilónico, una de las primeras civilizaciones que surgieron en Medio Oriente”. Para referencia, (haga clic aquí.)
Eber: Los musulmanes afirman que Eber, el área donde se estableció uno de sus hijos, Qahtan, es la tierra de Ismael (ver Wikipedia, ver Mapa). La antigua Persia, como vimos, se encuentra en la ubicación del Irán actual.
Chitim: Como se menciona en la profecía de Balaam es Chipre, ver (clic) Britannica. Chitim se menciona en varios pasajes bíblicos:
Isaías 23:1, 12 “La carga de Tiro. Aullad, naves de Tarsis; porque está arrasada, de modo que no queda casa ni entrada: desde la tierra de Chittim les es revelado. 12 Y él dijo: Nunca más te alegrarás, oh virgen oprimida, hija de Sidón; levántate, pasa a Quitim; Allí tampoco tendrás descanso”.
Números 24:23-24 “Y tomando su parábola, dijo: ¡Ay, quién vivirá cuando Dios haga esto! 24 Y vendrán naves de la costa de Chittim, y afligirán a Asur, y afligirán a Eber, y él también perecerá para siempre.”
En el tiempo transcurrido desde el 7 de octubre, ha habido muchos barcos de otras naciones esperando en el Mediterráneo cerca de Chipre (Chittim). La pregunta es; ¿Vendrán contra Israel?
Dan 11:30 “Porque las naves de Quitim vendrán contra él; por tanto, se entristecerá y se volverá, y se indignará contra el santo pacto; así hará; incluso volverá y tendrá inteligencia con los que abandonan el santo pacto”. ¿De quién habla esto? ¿Los líderes de Israel? ¿Consultan a los que abandonan el pacto?”
¿Quién es Hamás según la profecía?
Recientemente varias personas me han recordado que en hebreo bíblico, la palabra violencia (Hamas) en Génesis 6 y otros lugares, es un secreto que apunta a nuestro tiempo. Echemos un vistazo a qué más dice la Biblia:
Génesis 6:13 “Y dijo Dios a Noé: He decidido acabar con toda carne; porque la tierra está llena de violencia a través de ellos; he aquí, los destruiré junto con la tierra.”
¿El “fin de toda carne”? ¿Puede el principio ser un reflejo del final? Ahora vemos el final frente a nosotros. Si las bombas nucleares llegan en este momento, a menos que el Creador del mundo intervenga, ¡no quedará nadie vivo para ver otro día!
“La Tierra está llena de violencia (Hamas)”… Bueno, eso es lo que Dios le dijo a Noé y la situación hoy es la misma, incluye a todos los terroristas alrededor del mundo ¡y lo ha sido desde hace algún tiempo!
“Los destruiré con la tierra”. ¡Veremos con esperanza que sea así!
¡Nuestra esperanza es que Hamás sea destruido y que no sea necesario destruir la Tierra! Que muchas personas serán salvadas de la destrucción a través del Pacto que Hashem hizo con El Pueblo del Pacto.
¿Podría ser una coincidencia el uso de la palabra hebrea חֲמַס en la Biblia? Se destacó como una señal para mí que en el momento en que el terror de Hamás golpeó a Israel, el Shabat 7 de octubre, los judíos religiosos estaban programados para comenzar la Parashá Bereshit, capítulos 1-6 del Génesis a partir del día siguiente; este pasaje incluye el versículo anterior.
¿Hay algún otro lugar en el que se utilice la palabra Hamás en el Tanakh? De hecho, existen 44 referencias que lo utilizan. Aquí hay algunos, todos ellos se refieren a violencia física.
Abadías 1:10: (hablando de Esaú): “Por la violencia hecha a tu hermano Jacob, la vergüenza te cubrirá, y serás cortado para siempre”.
Jueces 9:24: “para que viniera la violencia hecha a los setenta hijos de Jeroba’al y su sangre fuera puesta sobre Abimelec su hermano, que los mató, y sobre los hombres de Siquem, que fortalecieron sus manos para matar a sus hermanos.”
Echa un vistazo al libro de Habacuc (cuya tumba, por cierto, está cerca de nosotros aquí, en realidad en las afueras de Tiberíades). El profeta hablaba de un ataque asesino por parte de los enemigos de Israel, enviado como castigo por la codicia y otros pecados. Utiliza la palabra Hamás una y otra vez a lo largo del libro. A continuación se muestran algunos de los versos:
Hab 1:2 “¿Hasta cuándo, oh Jehová, clamaré y no me escucharás? Clamo a Ti violencia, y Tú no salvarás”.
Hab 2:17 “Porque te cubrirá la violencia del Líbano, y el despojo de las bestias que las aterrorizaron, a causa de la sangre de los hombres, y por la violencia de la tierra, de la ciudad y de todos los que en ella habitan”.
A pesar de esta deprimente descripción en Habacuc de los ataques de nuestros enemigos, vemos en la última parte de Ezequiel 38 el fin de Hamás y sus cohortes.
Ezequiel 39 muestra la destrucción final de todas las naciones que vienen contra Israel. A continuación se encuentran los primeros 12 versículos del capítulo 39. ¡Tómese el tiempo para leer la descripción gráfica continua en el resto del capítulo!
“Y tú, hijo de hombre, profetiza contra Gog, y di: Así dice el Señor Dios; He aquí, estoy contra ti, oh Gog, príncipe principal de Meshec y Tuval;y te haré girar, y te atraeré, y te haré subir desde los lados lejanos del norte, y te llevaré contra los montes de Israel: y arrancaré tu arco de tu mano izquierda, y haré caer tus flechas de tu mano derecha.Caerás sobre los montes de Israel, tú y todas tus tropas y los pueblos que están contigo: te entregaré a las aves rapaces de toda especie, y a las bestias del campo para que sean devoradas. Caerás en campo abierto, porque yo lo he hablado, dice el Señor Dios. Y enviaré fuego sobre Magog y entre los que habitan seguros en las costas, y sabrán que yo soy el Señor. Así daré a conocer mi santo nombre en medio de mi pueblo Yisra᾽el; y no permitiré que mi santo nombre sea profanado más: y las naciones sabrán que yo soy el Señor, el Santo en Israel.He aquí viene, y se cumple, dice el Señor Dios; éste es el día del que he hablado. Y los que habitan en las ciudades de Israel saldrán y prenderán fuego a las armas y las quemarán, escudo y broquel, arco y flechas, palos y lanzas, y harán fuego con ellos durante siete años. De modo que no sacarán leña del campo, ni talarán nada del bosque; porque encenderán fuego con las armas, y saquearán a los que los saquearon, y robarán a los que les robaron, dice Jehová el Señor.Y sucederá que en aquel día le daré a Gog un lugar para sepultura en Israel, el valle de los que viajan al este del mar, y bloqueará el camino de los viajeros; y allí enterrarán a Gog y a toda su multitud; y lo llamarán Valle de Hamon-gog (la multitud de Gog).Y la casa de Israel los estará enterrando durante siete meses para limpiar la tierra”.
Entonces, ¿qué podemos sacar de esta profecía? Vemos nombres de pueblos antiguos que se convirtieron en naciones que encajan geográficamente con muchos de los que han sido enemigos de Israel, naciones cuyo deseo es que Israel sea arrojado al mar. Vemos ataques aéreos representados por versos que hablan de cubrir el cielo. Vemos referencias al secuestro (tomar una presa). Vemos barcos esperando fuera de Israel, algunos cerca de Chipre. La guerra en Ezequiel 38 ocurre en los últimos días. La profecía muestra que Israel se eleva por encima de Magog y también se menciona en la profecía de Balaam en Números 24.
El resultado de estas profecías abre un elemento de esperanza. Podemos aferrarnos a la promesa de un día mejor incluso en los momentos oscuros de incertidumbre del presente. Hay esperanza en estos pasajes, esperanza que todos necesitamos en este momento.
¡Que el pueblo de Israel se mantenga fiel a nuestro Pacto con el Altísimo y continúe manteniendo en alto el estándar moral que nuestro Dios ha requerido de Su Pueblo Escogido!
Atentamente,
Ariella Golani
(¡Mis Hermanos y Hermanas, Favor de gustar, inscriber y compartir este estudio si vean su importancia!)
The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a horrible end time war where many nations attack Israel. Does the current war against Israel fit this prophecy?
Ezekiel 38:14-16: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwell safely, shalt thou not know it? You will come up from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days.”
Confusion and anxiety oppress our souls as the game of war changes every few hours and we are forced to bow to the pressure the nations relentlessly place on us! Many struggle to find an anchor of hope to cling to in this struggle. As we fight to keep our sanity, let’s take a small detour—a short study comparing the details of the ongoing Hamas war against Israel with this prophecy of Ezekiel. Maybe some of it fits the picture. But to understand it, we need a few definitions from the Bible and from ancient maps and other prophecies of Gog and Magog?
There have been several attempts to destroy the State of Israel since it became a nation. Ezekiel portrays more than anything we have seen so far as we see impending disaster again and again. It speaks of end times and several aspects of the current war seem to fit. Let’s check it out!
Genesis 10 is the first mention of Magog as a son of Japheth, son of Noah. His sons are listed in Gen 10: 2 “The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.”
These sons of Japheth settled in different geographical regions which are shown the following biblical map. They include places like Turkey and Iran, Iraq, Armenia, the tip of Russia, Greece and Italy. Many of these places are countries that have anciently and even presently troubled Israel. Below is a map identifying the areas where the sons of Noah settled. Sons became tribes and then nations. Japheth and his sons are listed in the prophecy. The challenge is to locate these with their modern names.
There are 3 places in Tanakh where Magog is mentioned:
Eze 38: 2 “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.”
Num 24:5-7: “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, like aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. 7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag (Magog), and his kingdom shall be exalted.”
Numbers 24:7 uses the Hebrew word מֵֽאֲגַג magag, which is translated “from Agag.”
And though it is true that the prefix mem “מֵֽ” before a word does mean “from,” Magog may be the actual word written without the prefix. If the mem is used as a prefix, then with the three letters following the mem, אֲגַג (agag), it would correctly read “from” Agag. However because of the placement of the word in Balaam’s prophecy about Israel’s future in Numbers, I believe the interpretation has been mistakenly applied to the story of king Agag and the corresponding descent of Amalek, when in reality it may be speaking of a future rising up of Israel above Magog.
But why is Magag in this instance spelled without the Hebrew letter for O? Let us look closer at the Hebrew. The word מֵֽאֲגַג could be missing the holem vav “וֹ” that shows up in Genesis 10 and later in Ezekiel, where is rendered Magog מָּגוֹג. The fact that the letter vav is missing between the two consonants is common in Hebrew usage, since the o sound can be signified without a vav by placing a vowel point before the next letter, that would be between the two gimels (גַג -gg). For those that know Biblical Hebrew, this is common.
According to Wikipedia, “The Septuagint for Numbers 24:7 reads “Gog” instead of “Agag.” But how would that help the story? It would show that the king of Israel will rise higher than Magog at the latter day. This is not talking about principally Amalek’s descendants which do not descend from Japheth, And about this king, we do not know yet who he is. Most believe it to be the Mashiach. Or perhaps the Israeli leadership at that time. This goes well with what Ezekiel says; Ezek 38:2 אֶרֶץ הַמָּגוֹג –the land of Magog.
Further, In the story of the capture of Agag, the king of Amalek (1 Sam 15), the timing is off—he would not be the same Agag as in the prophecy of Balaam. The prophecy covered the history of Israel even to end times. Thus my assertion that the word magag should have been written מָּגוֹג Magog in Numbers 24.
The last reference to Magog is in Ezekiel 39, throughout the chapter:
Eze 39:-6 “And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Who is Gog? “The chief prince of Meshach and Tubal.” Some commentators present Russia as Gog and Magog as China. According to the map, Magog is North of Israel, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Meshech seems to be Modern Turkey. It is very possible that Russia is the head of the snake in this battle (or as referred to biblically, “the chief prince.”) China doesn’t seem to be Gog or Magog.
Chapter 38 of Ezekiel is the most extensive description of what happens with Gog and Magog concerning Israel in “the latter days.” It may seem a bit long, but there is a lot of information that seems to fit what is going on in the world. Let’s open it up! I will comment as I see things that fit.
Eze 38:1-23: 1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
According to our map (above) Meshach and Tubal are located in present day Turkey. Also here is a quote from Wikipedia:
So who would be Gog, the chief prince of Magog? Iran? Or is it Russia who enables Iran and all of these countries?
3. And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarma of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. 7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
The highlighted parts speak of this war: In the latter years, the land that is brought back from the sword, gathered out of many people, Israel has been always waste. The gathering has been brought forth out of the nations, and it is a time when those in Israel dwell safely.
We see the Jews returning en mass to Israel. “Out of the 15.2 million Jewish people in the world, 47% reside in Israel.” (Click Jewish Virtual Library). This has become a reality for the Jewish people in the years since the Holocaust. The towns (without walls) for the most part have been safe to live in. Maybe this is why there has not been the degree of vigilance in Israel that there should be. (hold on to this thought when we see verse 11.)
9 Thou (Gog, Magog) shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land,
How does modern warfare present itself? From the air? Rockets, Missiles, Paragliders—these come in the sky, sometimes like a cloud to cover the land.
“…thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.”
10 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of un-walled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,“
The cities and villages in Israel are mostly without gates or walls, and the windows are not barred in many places. We have felt content and secure in our dwellings, just as the prophet describes. 12 “To take a spoil, and to take a prey (kidnapping); to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, (again, the in-gathering of the exiles from many nations) which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.”
13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwell safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the North parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses (military transport), a great company, and a mighty army: 16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
“I will bring thee against My Land:”Gog is clearly leading the attack from the North. However, it is the God of Israel who is leading in the attack for the verse says “I will bring thee against my land,” and it states that the purpose is that the Eternal be “sanctified in thee, O Gog”!
To sanctify in Hebrew means to set apart, make clean or make holy. So how does the God of Israel become sanctified through Gog? There is a reference to this sanctifying the God of Israel in the example of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus:
Lev 10:1-3 “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”
In this instance the death of Nadab and Abihu cleansed the camp of the folly of disobeying Hashem’s direct instructions regarding the tabernacle service. The Eternal was glorified (could we say it became clear through the death of these sons of Aaron, that God means what He says?) And in the case of Gog being destroyed before all the nations, I believe it is the same context. You don’t mess with His Land or His people who are Set Apart for Holiness—the sons of Jacob.
Next we will see in the last part of chapter 38, the final act—the God of Israel arises in wrath to destroy Gog and Magog. Earthquakes, fire, brimstone, blood, hailstones, torrential rain, mountains tumble and the enemy will turn on each other. This will magnify and sanctify the Eternal YHVH. How? By cleansing the camp of the evil ones!
17 “Thus saith YHVH Elohim; [Art] thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? 18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith YHVH Elohim, that my fury shall come up in my face. 19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 22 And I will plead against him (Gog and Magog) with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am YHVH.
A closer look at Gog:
Ezekiel says Gog is the chief prince of Meshach and Tubal, sons of Japheth. Gog cannot be an Arab nation for Arabs originally came from Shem (and perhaps mixed with Ham) not Japheth. Both Ishmael and Esau were from Shem. So who would be the “chief prince, or leader of the Turks (the area of ancient Magog) today? Meshach and Tubal, when the ancient maps are studied, are located in Turkey. Could it be that Gog is Iran? Who funds and inspires their military quests? Iran sponsors terrorist organizations including Hezbollah and Hamas. But who leads Iran? Is it Russia? And is Iran even a possibility when we look at the maps? Actually, yes Iran was once Persia and the location is in the area of Japheth. But that would be Magog since Magog was the son of Japheth and settled there. And Gog we remember is from the far North, Gog also means roof in Hebrew signifying the top of the world.
And speaking of the Turks:
“Almost all the Ottoman historians of the 15th century claimed that the Ottoman dynasty stemmed from Japheth, the son of Noah. Japheth was generally regarded as the ancestor of the Turks in Muslim historiography. That is why the Ottoman historians accepted Japheth as their ancestor, although the descendants of Japheth were less respected than those of Shem, from whom the Prophets originated.” Jstage
According to another ancient biblical map (here), and the one shown above, Gomer (son of Japheth), Tubal, Madai, all are settled near the Caucuses mountains (Syria and Iraq), Turkey and the area near the Black and Caspian seas including present day Georgia and Armenia. The tip of Russia is also there. But the way things are playing out, it seems that Iran has a key function, perhaps part of the prophecy. Is Iran Gog? Or is Russia sponsoring Iran as Iran brings on the war, using Hamas and Hezbollah?
Who joins in with the battle?
Eze 38: 5, 6, 13: “Persia (present day Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6. Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarma…13. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish…” We see these on the map in the beginning of this article.
Let’s look again at the descendants of Japheth from Genesis:
Genesis 10:2, 4 “Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan (Greece), and Tubal, and Meshech (Turkey), and Tiras. (Italy)…And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim(Chittim) and Dodanim.”
Balaam’s prophecy speaks of end times—for the Ships of Chittim or Kittim, see this list: (Here)
Num 24:23-24 “ And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God does this! 24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim (Cypress, see here), and shall afflict Asshur (Assyria see below), and shall afflict Eber (Persia/Iran see below), and he also shall perish for ever.
Assyria:
“The Assyrians are the indigenous people of northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey, and eastern Syria. Today there are over 5 million Assyrians worldwide and they speak the Aramaic language, also known as Syriac. These peoples are also referred to as the Chaldeans, Aramaeans, and Syriacs. Modern Assyrians are the descendants of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian empires, one of the earliest civilizations emerging in the Middle East.” For reference, click here.
Eber, the area where one of his sons, Qahtan, settled is claimed by the Muslims to be the land of Ishmaelsee wikipedia, see Map, Ancient Persia, as we saw, is in the location of modern day Iran.
Chittim: As mentioned in Balaam’s prophecy is Cypress, See Britannica. Chittim is mentioned in several biblical passages:
Isa 23:1, 12 “The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. 12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.”
In the time that has passed since October 7, there have been many ships from other nations waiting in the Mediterranean near Cypress (Chittim). The question is; Will they come against Israel?
Dan 11:30 “For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.” Who is this speaking of? Israel’s leadership? Do they take counsel with those who forsake the covenant?
Who is Hamas according to prophecy?
Recently several people have reminded me that in Biblical Hebrew, the word for violence (Hamas) in Genesis 6 and other places, is a secret pointing to our time. Let’s take a look at what else the Bible says:
Gen 6:13 “And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
The “end of all flesh?” Can the beginning be a reflection of the end? We now see the end staring us in the face. If nuclear bombs come at this time, unless the Creator of the world intervenes, there will be none alive to see another day!
“The Earth is filled with violence (Hamas)”…Well, that is what God told Noah and the situation today is the same, it includes all terrorists around the world and has been for some time!
“I will destroy them with the earth.”
My hope is that Hamas will be destroyed but that the earth will not need to be destroyed! That many people, even the nations, will be saved from destruction through Covenant that Hashem made with the People of the Book.
Could the use of the Hebrew word חֲמַס in the Bible, be a coincidence? It stood out as a sign to me that at the time the Hamas terror struck Israel, Shabbat October 7, Religious Jews were set to begin Parsha Bereshit, chapters 1-6 of Genesis starting the following day, this passage includes the above verse.
Is there somewhere else the word Hamas is used in Tanakh? In fact, there are 44 references that use it. Here are a few, they all refer to physical violence.
Oba 1:10:(speaking of Esau): “For the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off for ever.”
Jdg 9:24: “that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.”
Check out the book of Habakkuk (whose tomb, by the way is close to us here—actually just outside Tiberias) the prophet was speaking of a murderous onslaught by Israel’s enemies, sent as a punishment for greed and other sins. He uses the word Hamas over and over throughout the book. Here are a few of the verses:
Hab 1:2 “How long, O LORD, shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save.”
Hab 2:17 “For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.”
Despite this depressing description in Habakkuk of the attacks our our enemies, we see in the last part of Ezekiel 38 the end of Gog and Magog (Hamas and his cohorts).
Ezekiel 39 shows the final destruction of all the nations that come against Israel. Below are the first 12 verses of chapter 39. Please take time to read the continuing graphic description in the rest of the chapter!
“And thou, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval:
and I will turn thee about, and entice thee on, and will cause thee to come up from the far sides of the north, and will bring thee against the mountains of Yisra᾽el:
and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thy arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Yisra᾽el, thou, and all thy bands, and the peoples that are with thee: I will give thee to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the Lord God.
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell securely in the coastlines: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Yisra᾽el; and I will not allow my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Yisra᾽el.
Behold, it comes, and it is accomplished, says the Lord God; this is the day of which I have spoken.
And they that dwell in the cities of Yisra᾽el shall go forth, and shall set fire to the weapons, and burn them, both shield and buckler, bow and arrows, and the staves, and the spears, and they shall make fires with them for seven years.
So that they shall take no wood out of the field, nor cut down any out of the forests; for they shall make fire with the weapons: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, says the Lord God.
And it shall come to pass on that day, that I will give to Gog a place for burial in Yisra᾽el, the valley of those who travel to the east of the sea: and it shall block the path of the travelers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The Valley of Hamon-gog (the Multitude of Gog).
And seven months shall the house of Yisra᾽el be burying them, that they may cleanse the land.”
So what can we take away from this prophecy? The context of the prophecy for a time when Israel who have been lost among the nations return to the Land which had been left as a wasteland. We see names of ancient peoples who became nations that fit geographically with many of those who have been enemies of Israel, nations whose desire is that Israel be driven into the sea. We see aerial attacks represented by verses that speak of covering the sky. We see references to kidnapping (take a prey). We see ships waiting outside Israel, some near Cypress. The war in Ezekiel 38 happens in the latter days. The prophecy shows that Israel rises above Magog and is also mentioned in Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24.
The outcome of these prophecies present an element of hope. We can cling to the promise of a better day even in the dark moments of uncertainty in our present situation. There is hope in these passages, hope which we all need at this time.
May the people of Israel stay faithful to our Covenant with the Most High and continue to hold high the moral standard that our God has required of His Chosen People!
Yours in the Hope of a Better Future for Israel and the entire World!
Ariella
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Where will you be when the war to end all wars is upon us? Will you be doing the same thing and expecting different results? Where are you now?
People confess to me that they want their world back—the one that they grew up in. I tell them that is not possible. We have stepped into another reality and this reality is not going to be strawberry shortcake and mom’s apple pie! Is it just possible that time has sped up and the world is wobbling off course to a final disastrous end? Still, I believe there is time to make a difference!
Even now is that time and those who sit on the sidelines or straddle the fence for a bit longer will be swept away in the coming chaos. But there are those who have already stepped over the line that has been clearly drawn in the sand by the events of that fateful morning of October 7. Where do you stand my friend?
So I ask if you will support Israel in our time of trouble? Many are praying, many are making YouTube videos, or sending out newsletters to raise money and stating their decision to stand with Israel. Will you come and help even for a few weeks to bring in the harvest on farms where the owners are fighting the war? Are you a trained soldier? Can you support the soldiers in providing badly needed supplies? Their is no limit to what people can do to join this fight!
To not make a decision is to make a decision. To ride along believing that life will go back to what we were comfortable with even 10 or 20 years ago is to bury our heads in the sand. It means taking the Blue Pill and staying asleep for a little while longer.
The stark reality is that a monstrous movement is marching through the world and those who do not rise to fight it will be carried away in it’s wake. People are afraid. People join the multitudes in hate marches because they think they can hide that way, join the wrong side? Is that safety? To not buck the tide when it is going down a sink hole is to go on down with it. What? Are we going to give up our ideals to save a little bit of a life we once knew? Are we going to hide our eyes when genocide has been threatened to the People of the Book in a tiny country called the Holy Land? Do we really think it doesn’t matter in the end game of all games?
People tell me there are still safe spots in America. Hmmm…whom do they think they are kidding? In Europe and America Jews have been counseled to wear ball caps to cover their kippahs, tuck in their tzitzit, remove mezuzahs, Hanukias and Stars of David and Israeli flags that they might have on display. And who are these Jews who think that America or England, which may have been their home for many years is certainly safer than Israel? They are wrong.
We in Israel know that the God of Israel has a destiny for the Jewish people. Yes there will be losses—there already have been losses—of lives and personal wealth, people living near the borders have been evacuated for weeks now and may not be able to return to their homes for months yet, but Israel is the homeland of the sons of Jacob. And Israel will play a big part on the final earthly stage—no matter the cost. Will you be on the stage or will you be watching from a distance while the bombs fall? Will you save your own life at the cost of your brothers and sisters? Really?
It is urgent that you find a way to come to Israel. You may need to find an online job. Come for a few days or weeks even. Cook for the soldiers or volunteer to serve them coffee. Sacrifice for the good of all! You may need to sell a house or two, but by all means come; for the destiny of the world is being played out at this very moment!
As illustrated by Moses in the day after the golden calf was ground to powder, so the call is true for us today:
Exo 32:26 “Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, ‘Whoever is on the LORD’s side–come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.”
Later Joshua in his last speech challenged Israel:
Jos 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
So today, the lands of those who are governed by nations that are not worshipers of the true God, are not the lands destined for the perpetuity of the sons of Jacob. We are called to return and stand with the rest of the House of Israel. By standing together we will accomplish more than we have ever dreamed. But even if many do not come to stand by us in the land with Israel, we still will win this war for Israel! And sadly, to those who prefer the comfort and the riches of the lands that have provided a home in the exile, to those who close their ears to the cries of their greater family in Israel, all I can say is, God help them for at these moments the conditions of pre-Nazi Germany are present in every part of the globe.
Israel invites you to come home. There is a promise of a future here and nowhere else!
¿Por qué ciertas personas parecen ser malas desde el momento de nacer y otras tienen buenas obras a lo largo de su vida? ¿Será que hay un mal heredado que pasa a través del árbol genealógico? ¿Está afectado su ADN real? Por ejemplo, si consideramos la mentalidad de Hamás, tenemos ejemplos de este mal cultivado en las escuelas y por los padres, pero ¿es sólo un mal cultivado? ¿Qué pasaría si los niños fueran adoptados y criados en un ambiente pacífico? ¿Entonces que? ¿O todavía tendrían tendencias a matar y engañar? ¿Por qué los árabes de Medio Oriente, en su mayor parte, odian a los judíos y desean eliminarlos? ¿Ha venido esta actitud de Ismael, Esaú y los otros hijos de Cetura, la concubina de Abraham? Como explicó recientemente un árabe cristiano, la gente en Occidente no comprende la mentalidad de los árabes en el Medio Oriente. No piensan como los occidentales. Estas personas a menudo matan a sus propios hijos y esposas por cualquier pequeña desobediencia o supuesta deshonra. No hay compasión. El robo se recompensa con el corte de una mano, y la segunda vez, con el corte de la otra mano. Entonces, por supuesto, no pueden alimentarse por sí mismos y mueren. Las mujeres sospechosas de haber cometido indiscreción con otro hombre son asesinadas incluso cuando no hay pruebas. El miedo reina donde no hay piedad.
Tal vez esto parezca una actitud crítica o incluso racista, pero ¿qué pasa con los textos bíblicos que parecen estar de acuerdo con esto?
Sodoma y Gomorra:
Abraham le rogó al Eterno que considerara salvar a Sodoma si solo se encontraban allí 10 personas justas, con la esperanza de evitar la destrucción. Como podemos imaginar, los niños pequeños y los bebés fueron aniquilados por el fuego y el azufre junto con todos los adultos culpables, excepto los cinco rescatados por los dos ángeles que visitaron a Lot la noche anterior. Esos niños no fueron víctimas inocentes de la ira de Dios: ¡El Eterno sabe lo que hace! Y como veremos más adelante incluso las dos hijas de Lot produjeron, a través del incesto, dos naciones que continuamente irritaban a los hijos de Jacob. ¿Cuál fue el mal inherente de Sodoma que maldijo a esa generación para que cargara con el mismo mal hasta el punto de que no hubiera manera de escapar de la condena de una destrucción ardiente? El incesto y la inmoralidad son como un cáncer en la sociedad. Matar, violar, robar… todo esto trae el mal a toda una población.
El Diluvio:
Cuando el Creador vio antes del diluvio que los pensamientos de los hombres en la tierra eran “sólo el mal continuamente”; Le declaró a Noé:
Génesis 6:13: “Y dijo Dios a Noé: El fin de toda carne ha venido delante de mí; porque la tierra está llena de violencia por causa de ellos; y he aquí, yo los destruiré junto con la tierra”.
¿Realmente no había ninguna cura redentora para los pequeños que aún no habían probado los placeres del mal absoluto? Según la historia, no hubo ningún hombre, mujer o niño que subiera al arca con Noé y su familia de ocho miembros. Y con respecto al relato que Noé predicó durante 120 años para tratar de salvar a algunos, esto no es parte de la historia tal como se da en Génesis. Noé y su familia fueron los únicos seres humanos vivos que fueron considerados dignos de ser salvados por el Eterno. ¿Qué pasó para que todo el resto de la humanidad se hubiera corrompido hasta el punto de ser irredimible? Es interesante observar los dos linajes y sus descendientes. El linaje de Caín y el linaje de Set. Los hijos de Set fueron los que llevaron el linaje de los justos…Enoc, Matusalén, Noé. Y parece que después del diluvio, los hijos de Noé se dividieron en el linaje de los justos y el linaje de los malvados cananeos. ¿Canaán hizo algo que corrompió su linaje hasta el punto de que a Israel se le ordenó exterminar a todos los cananeos de la tierra? ¿Por qué buen linaje y mal linaje? ¿Son algunos pecados tan malvados que las siguientes generaciones son maldecidas hasta el punto de que pocos, si es que alguno, escapan?
¿Existen hoy pueblos en la tierra que sean irredimibles? ¿Hay algo que ha conquistado las mentes de la multitud para que no puedan elegir el bien sobre el mal? En la situación actual con Hamás y las atrocidades que se han cometido contra niños, mujeres y ancianos inocentes, así como contra soldados y hombres civiles, es evidente que el mal está en primer lugar en su forma de pensar. No queda nada bueno en una persona que se jacta de violar y matar personalmente a personas inocentes. La persona que hace estas cosas ha ido más allá de su capacidad de arrepentirse. Un poder del mal lo controla y él está sujeto a este poder de destrucción. Está atado por las cuerdas de sus propios pecados y no puede liberarse. Él/ella ha ido demasiado lejos.
El pecado pasa de generación en generación:
Cuando Dios dio los mandamientos en el Sinaí, declaró que Él “visitaría la iniquidad de los padres sobre los hijos hasta la tercera y cuarta generación de los que me odian”. Éxodo 20:5. Si los padres no se arrepienten de sus pecados, ¿hay esperanza para los hijos? Seguramente hay casos raros, pero las tendencias a continuar en el camino del mal son abrumadoras. Quizás exista algo llamado ADN corrupto.
La ciencia de cómo el mal se apodera de una mente a partir del abuso y el pecado habitual es horrible. ¿Me atrevería a decir que no hay escapatoria? Hay ejemplos de arrepentimiento, pero pocos. Nadie sabe el nivel exacto al que una persona no puede escapar ni arrepentirse.
Mientras está escrito en Ezequiel:
Eze 18:20 – “El alma que pecare, esa morirá. El hijo no llevará la iniquidad del padre, ni el padre llevará la iniquidad del hijo; la justicia del justo será sobre él, y la maldad de los impíos será sobre él”.
Siempre he citado eso, pero esto no quiere decir que los niños serán justos. Quizás dé un atisbo de esperanza de que un hijo o una hija puedan enmendar su conducta y apartarse de la maldad de sus padres. Y vemos que aunque los pecados de los padres no recaen sobre los hijos, sus propios pecados continúan abundando a menos que encuentren fuerza personal para resistir. Encontrar fuerza en la Mano extendida del Dios Altísimo es el único camino hacia la superación.
El panorama del declive de la Tierra desde la moralidad hasta el mal absoluto es sombrío. ¿Estamos en el punto de la desaparición de la Tierra en el que no hay retorno del mal rampante entre nosotros? ¿Hay esperanza de que unas cuantas luces brillantes representen la verdad y traigan un arrepentimiento final y un retorno a la justicia como no se ha visto en muchas generaciones? ¿O será necesaria nuevamente la ira Divina para limpiar la tierra del mal y preparar un hogar para aquellos que se aferran al Pacto Divino que asegura la rectitud y la justicia en la tierra?
Why do certain people seem to be evil from the moment of birth and others have good deeds throughout their lives? Could it be that there is an inherited evil that passes down through the family tree? Is their actual DNA affected? For instance, if we consider the mindset of Hamas, we have examples of this evil being cultivated in the schools and by the parents, but is it only a cultivated evil? What if the children were adopted and raised in a peaceful environment? What then? Or would they still have tendencies to kill and deceive? Why do Arabs in the Middle East, for the most part, hate the Jews and desire to eliminate them? Has this attitude come down from Ishmael and Esau and the other sons of Abraham’s concubine Keturah? As one Christian Arab explained recently, people in the West do not understand the mindset of Arabs in the Middle East. They do not think like Westerners. These people often kill their own children and wives for any little disobedience or assumed disgrace. There is no compassion. Stealing is rewarded with cutting off a hand, and second occurrence cuts off the other hand. Then, of course they cannot feed themselves so they die. Women who are suspected of indiscretion with another man are killed even when there is no proof. Fear reigns where there is no mercy.
Maybe this seems like a judgmental or even racist attitude, but what about Biblical texts that seem to go along with this?
Sodom and Gomorrah:
Abraham begged the Eternal to consider saving Sodom if only 10 righteous people were found there, hoping to prevent the destruction. As we can imagine, little children and babes were wiped out by the fire and brimstone along with all the guilty adults, except the five rescued by the two angels who visited Lot the night before. Those kids were not the innocent victims of God’s wrath—The Eternal knows what He does! And as we see later even the two daughters of Lot produced, through incest, two nations that continually provoked the sons of Jacob. What was the inherent evil of Sodom that cursed that generation to carry the same evil to the extent that there was no escaping the doom of a fiery destruction? Incest and immorality are like a cancer on society. Killing, rape, thievery…all these bring evil upon an entire population.
The Flood:
When the Creator saw before the flood that the thoughts of men on the earth were “only evil continually;” He declared to Noah:
Gen 6:13: “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
Was there really no redemptive cure for the little ones who had not yet tasted the pleasures of outright evil? According to the story, there was no man, woman or child who boarded the ark with Noah and his family of eight. And regarding the account that Noah preached for 120 years to try to save some, this is not part of the story as given in Genesis. Noah and his family were the only living humans who were counted as worthy to be saved by the Eternal. What happened that the entire remainder of humanity had corrupted themselves to the point of being unredeemable? It is interesting to note the two lineages and their descendants. Cain’s lineage and Seth’s lineage. The sons of Seth were the ones who carried the line of the righteous…Enoch, Methuselah, Noah. And it seems that after the flood, the sons of Noah were split into the lineage of the righteous and the lineage of the evil Canaanites. Did Canaan do something that corrupted his lineage to the point that Israel was commanded to exterminate all of the Canaanites in the land? Why good lineage and bad lineage? Are some sins so evil that the following generations are cursed to the point that few if any escape?
Are there peoples on the earth today who are unredeemable? Is there something that has conquered the minds of the multitude so that they cannot choose good over evil? In the current was with Hamas and the atrocities that have been committed against innocent children, women, and elderly, as well as soldiers and civilian men, it is apparent that the evil is foremost in their thinking. There is nothing good left in a person who one brags about personally raping and killing innocent people. The person who does these things has gone beyond the ability to repent. A power of evil controls him and he is subject to this power of destruction. He is tied by the cords of his own sins and cannot release himself. He/she has gone too far.
Sin Passes Down from Generation to Generation:
When God gave the commandments at Sinai, he declared that He would “visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” Exo 20:5. If the parents do not repent of their sins, is there hope for the children? There are rare instances for sure, but the tendencies to continue in the path of evil are overwhelming. Maybe there is such a thing as corrupted DNA. The science of how evil takes over a mind from habitual abuse and sin is horrific. Would I dare say there is no escape? There are examples of repentance, but few. No one knows the exact level at which a person cannot escape—nor repent.
On the other hand, it is written in Ezekiel:
Eze 18:20 – “The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
I have always quoted this verse as giving hope for those with bad parentage, but this is not saying that the children will be righteous without an intense struggle. Perhaps it gives an inkling of hope that a son or daughter can mend his ways and turn from the evil of his parents. And we see that though the sins of the fathers are not charged to the children, their own sins continue to abound unless they find personal strength to resist. Finding strength in the outstretched Hand of the Most High God is the only path to overcoming.
The outlook of earth’s decline from morality to outright evil is grim. Are we to the point in earth’s demise that there is no returning from the evil rampant among us? Is there hope that a few bright lights will stand for truth and bring a final repentance and return to righteousness such as has not been seen for many generations? Or will Divine wrath again be necessary to cleanse the earth of the evil and prepare a home for those who hold onto the Divine Covenant which insures righteousness and justice in the land?
Take Hold the Tzitzit 
