Purim 2024! The Middle East war is bombarding us on every side, is there anything significant for us in Purim and the book of Esther? Right or wrong, this time we are handling the sneaky Haman (Hamas) differently. Maybe because we do not have a covert Jewish woman sitting as queen in Iran’s palace. Esther prayed and fasted and knew how to don her most beautiful garments to be attractive enough to break the King’s rules about illegal entrance into the throne room. She had no invitation but she took a chance and went before the king. What Chutzpah! Really? She sounds a lot like a normal Israeli once you know the culture. Nobody takes no for an answer here, nor do we always follow protocol. How did we learn this? And did Esther (Hadassah) teach us something about rules that make no sense and the right to refuse something that does us harm?
Some Biblical scholars say that the book of Esther is a myth. Even if it is, there are lessons we can learn from its teaching about Jews in exile. Must Jews always take things into their own hands to be able to defend themselves? Is the Most High Eternal God of the Universe somehow gone on leave of absence? Or is He trying to get us to use our God-given wisdom and cunning to run the enemy out of our Promised Land? Is He somewhere in the shadows standing alongside us as we fight? Does He bring circumstances about so that even corrupt leaders are forced to make right choices about how and where to fight and whom to resist, even if it be the United States and Great Britain? Can we trust that things will go well in the long run? I often wonder what will happen when the United States decides to cut off all military aid to Israel–aid that they promised to their greatest ally in the Middle East. It is a horrifying thought and one that our leaders are trying to avoid by what appears to be stupid agreements with mediators who have betrayed Israel. And many of these mediators are actually Jewish!
So, Israel has offered 700 terrorists, some of them murderers, in exchange for 40 hostages! That is more than 17 to 1! Are we serious? But as we watch, I wonder if something will happen that will change the circumstances.. Are we really alone in this? Is the Great YHWH absent from this war? Or is He working behind the scenes?
Yesterday my husband and I attended a Purim Megillah reading. The normal Purim treats and drinks were on the table. Visitors from out of town were present as well as friends from our town in the Golan Heights. The Megillah reading was a normal 2000+ years traditional reading except for the fact that we sat outside and as the chazan was reading the scroll, IAF planes flew over every minute or so, continuing throughout the day in response to hundreds of attacks from the enemy. Many of us had figured in advance that with Ramadan in place, Purim 2024 was going to be under fire from Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria.
The loud sound of the F-15s overhead was enough to make some want another drink of the hard stuff. The Chazan tried to space the reading so that the planes would drown out the name “Haman”. I guess it was meaningful. For me, the service was a reminder that we were in another encounter with Haman, but this time we are in our Holy Land and the looming question is…”Why do we suffer Amalek after we return to our homeland?” Are we still exiles? Did we import some of that mentality from the diaspora? The celebration, if you will call it that, became meaningful to me when I began to contemplate what is happening on a spiritual level.
I recently questioned the need to continue Purim festivities. Must we remember that we are still in Persia–Iran? Amalek is, in fact, still in our midst! And 75,000 enemies killed at the command of Esther and Mordechai was still not enough to put an end to the hatred that has generated through the centuries.
Seventy-five thousand is a lot more than the MSM claims as Israel’s victims! Some reports say 32,000 Gazans killed.Maybe it would be better for Israel if this was true! Where is our thinking? Why are we pussyfooting around to save “innocent civilians” when we know what those same “civilians” did to our people on October 7? The old saying “never forget” seems to be forgotten. Why are we trying to make peace with those who have our necks on their chopping block? Where is the Chutzpah of the Queen of Persia? She did not, after all, try to be politically correct when she had Haman and his ten sons hung on the gallows!
When will we realize that something is walking out of step with the Eternal? How can we expect His full intervention? Maybe we should stop fasting to fulfill tradition and start fasting for a renewed vision as to what Hashem expects of us!
And then, we shall ARISE and take back that which was promised to us in the strength of YHWH, the Almighty God of the Universe!
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of YHWH rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but YHWH rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isa 60:1-3
Shalom in the Midst of War,
Ariella
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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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Take Hold the Tzitzit 
