Church of God News

Remains of Robinson’s Arch of the Western Wall
(photo by Brian Jeffery Beggerly)

COGwriter

Breaking Israel News reported the following:

2,600-Year-Old Seal with Biblical Name “Adneyahu Asher Al Habayit” Found Near Temple Mount

September 10, 2019

A Bulla (seal) bearing a Hebrew name from 2,600 years ago was uncovered from dirt excavated in 2013 beneath Robinson’s Arch at the foundations of the Western Wall. The seal is inscribed with the name of an individual with the most prominent role in the king’s court in the kingdom of Judea. The Bulla (seal), which was used to sign documents, bears the Hebrew name and title: “Adenyahu Asher Al Habayit” which literally translates as “Adenyahu by Appointment of the House”- a term used throughout the Bible to describe the most senior minister serving under a king of Judea or Israel.

According to archaeologist Eli Shukron, who conducted the initial excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority just north of the City of David at the Foundation Stones of the Western Wall: “This is the first time this kind of archaeological discovery has been made in Jerusalem. The Biblical title “Asher Al Habayit” was the highest-ranking ministerial position beneath the king during reigns of the Kings of Judea and Israel, it is undoubtedly of great significance.”

“This tiny bulla has immense meaning to billions of people worldwide. The personal signet of a senior official to a Biblical King from the First Temple Period. This is another link in the long chain of Jewish history in Jerusalem that is being uncovered and preserved at the City of David on a daily basis.” Said Doron Spielman, Vice-President of the City of David Foundation which operates the site in which the bulla was discovered and the Archeological Experience where it was uncovered.

The bulla is approximately one-centimeter-wide, and according to the type of writing that appears on it dates to the seventh century BC – the period of the Kingdom of Judea. https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/136942/2600-year-old-seal-with-biblical-name-adneyahu-asher-al-habayit-found-near-temple-mount/

One of the reasons that this is of importance is that many who do not believe the Hebrews scriptures contend that the Jews were not in Jerusalem in the time of King David and Solomon, and that essentially those kings were myths.

The Bible shows that Solomon built the first temple (1 Kings 6), and this seems to have been around 966 B.C. (for details, see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

Notice also something related to a claim that there is no evidence of a Jewish temple in Jerusalem:

Dr. Ghassan Weshah told Felesteen, a Gazan news service, in an interview this week that there was no archaeological evidence of a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount.

“One of the biggest lies of the Zionists with regard to the Al-Aqsa Mosque is that it was built on the ruins of the Temple, which was destroyed on August 21, 586 BCE,” Prof. Weshah said in the interview. “This is a false statement. There is no other building under the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

“Engineering scientists said that what is under the Al-Aqsa Mosque are sedimentary stones from the Canaanite period and they never talked about any rubble,” Pro. Weshah said. He emphasized that the “Zionists” could not find anything under the Al-Aqsa Mosque despite the excavations they do. He also noted that the excavations performed in the construction of the Marwani Mosque confirmed this. … The professor did not address the description of the Jewish Temples that appear at least twice in the Koran. 09/06/19 https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/136689/palestinian-professor-bible-lied-about-jewish-temple-on-temple-mount/

As far as the old temple goes, Jesus, referring to what is commonly considered as the ‘second temple,’ told His disciples the following around 30 A.D.:

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2 “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:1-2)

So, a destruction was prophesied.

The first century Jewish historian Josephus wrote about this related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple:

1 … But when Titus perceived that his endeavors to spare a foreign temple turned to the damage of his soldiers, and then be killed, he gave order to set the gates on fire. (Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter 4, section 1)

1. NOW as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done,) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne; and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind. (Josephus. Wars of the Jews, Book VII, Chapter 1, verse 1)

So, the destruction was massive and there was not one stone left upon the other for the Temple and the related buildings (more on the destruction of Jerusalem can be found in the article Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required?)

The second century Greek writer Pausanius wrote that:

the city of Jerusalem, a city which the Roman king destroyed to its foundations. (As cited in Murphy-O’Connor J. The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700. OUP Oxford, 2008, p. 159)

Notice something from what is likely an early third century writing:

But our Master did not prophesy after this fashion; but, as I have already said, being a prophet by an inborn and ever-flowing Spirit, and knowing all things at all times, He confidently set forth, plainly as I said before, sufferings, places, appointed times, manners, limits. Accordingly, therefore, prophesying concerning the temple, He said: ‘See ye these buildings? Verily I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another which shall not be taken away; and this generation shall not pass until the destruction begin. For they shall come, and shall sit here, and shall besiege it, and shall slay your children here.’ And in like manner He spoke in plain words the things that were straightway to happen, which we can now see with our eyes, in order that the accomplishment might be among those to whom the word was spoken. For the Prophet of truth utters the word of proof in order to the faith of His hearers. (Clementine Homilies. Book III, Chapter XV)

While the above has a generational issue, the fact is that this is another apparent eye witness that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed as prophesied.

It may be of interest to note that although the second temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. not everything was obliterated.

Notice something from the Talmud about what happened to the Temple:

“Desolate lay Zion, in ruins moldered Jerusalem; the temple was but a heap of stones. Where once stood the sanctuary now grew weeds, and jackals howled in the Temple court where once David the Psalmist and his vast choir of Levites plucked the harp strings and raised their voices in songs of praise to the Eternal.” (Staiman M. Waiting for the Messiah: Stories to Inspire Jews with Hope. Jason Aronson, 1997, p. 29)

So, some Temple stones were left.

Some of its stones were seemingly used as the foundation stones as well as the original walls, of what seems to have been the first Christian church building:

The Judeo-Christians probably built their church, at that time called a synagogue, sometime in the decade after 73 A.D. For its construction, they could have used some of the magnificent ashlars from Herod’s destroyed citadel, not far away. Or perhaps they used the stones from the ruins of the Temple itself…with the intention of transferring some elements of the Holy Temple to a site becoming a new Mt. Zion (Zion III).

If that is so, the event may in fact be referred to in one of the apocryphal Odes of Solomon composed about 100 A.D. by a rival sectarian Judeo-Christian group. The fourth ode begins:

“No man can pervert your holy place, 0 God, nor can he change it, and put it in another place, because [he has] no power over it. Your sanctuary you designed before you made special places.” (Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, p. 736.)

Was this passage in condemnation of the effort of the Judeo-Christians who built the synagogue on Mt. Zion to transfer some of the holiness of the destroyed Temple to their place of worship on the new Mt. Zion by constructing it in part with stones from that Temple?

From this time on, the western hill of Jerusalem was referred to by Christians as Mt. Zion (Zion III). Very few places in Jerusalem can point to such an enduring tradition as Zion’s claim to be the seat of the primitive church. No other place has raised a serious rival claim…

By this time the Judeo-Christian synagogue on Mt. Zion had become known as the Church of the Apostles. It became known as the Church of the Apostles not only because the apostles returned there after witnessing Christ’s post-resurrection ascent to heaven, but also because the building was built, as we have seen, under the leadership of Simon son of Kleophas. Kleophas was known as a brother of Joseph of Nazareth, therefore Simon was a cousin of Jesus. Simon was later considered one of the apostles, outside the circle of the 12. For this reason, the house of worship built by Simon could rightfully be called the Church of the Apostles.

(Pixner B. Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion. Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1990: 16-35,60)

It may be that the above building will have a prophetic role. Details about that building, including some photographs my wife and I took related to it, are found in the article Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill.

In Daniel 9 we see that, centuries before Jesus came to earth, the temple was prophesied to be destroyed:

25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:25-26)

As it turns out, Jesus came when that prophecy in the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament) said the Prince Messiah would come. Matters related to the Temple and its destruction are among several of the hundreds of proofs that Jesus is the Messiah (for more details, check out the free online book Proof Jesus is the Messiah).

Anyway, it is logical that because of the massive scale of destruction to the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. that there would be little left. But the temple was there.

And items like the bulla provide additional proof of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem around 3000 years ago.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to two related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building?
Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications? After a 20 year negotiation, the Church of Rome has negotiated the right to have Catholic mass in the building known as the Cenacle. It is in the area where the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill once stood. This is believed to be the location of the earliest Christian church building. How does the Bible define the ‘temple of God’ in the New Testament? Could this be the area where the ‘man of sin’ will sit in the “temple of God’ that Bible prophecy discusses in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4? This is a YouTube video.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编： 谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2027 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?

“Elijah in the wilderness“

COGwriter

According to an article about him in The Catholic Encyclopedia, Elijah “is honoured by both the Greek and Latin Churches on 20 July.” Although many Catholics (and others) believe that Elijah (or a type of Elijah) will be one of the two witnesses, The Catholic Encyclopedia article about him never mentions that role related to him.

The Bible itself tells about the original Elijah in the books of 1 Kings, 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles. In his first mention, God has him call for a drought:

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1)

Immediately after this, God had him flee, essentially to the wilderness (1 Kings 17:3; 1 Kings 17:8-10; cf.1 Kings 18:7-14; 1 Kings 19:2-4,15), and Elijah was sometimes a voice in the wilderness.

Elijah also sometimes seemed to stand alone for God:

21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord…” (1 Kings 18:21-22)

As far as faltering between two opinions, in the COGs most hold to one or more improper prophetic opinions that differ from that of the Continuing Church of God. A list of these can be found in the article The Laodicean Church Era. Because of this, unless they change, those who will not pay attention to the Continuing Church of God will not know when the Great Tribulation will begin until it is too late to flee (cf. Matthew 24:15-20; Revelation 12:14-17). The Apostle John recorded that there would be two groups at the end and that one would flee and be protected from the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:14-16), while the other would not be (Revelation 12:17).

Getting back to the original Elijah, when he was the top ecclesiastical authority, Elijah did a variety of miracles, such as stopping rain (1 Kings 17:1), multiplying flour and oil (1 Kings 17:13-16), getting a dry passage over a river, (2 Kings 2:7-8), and calling fire down from heaven (2 Kings 1:10-12).

Elijah, however, over time seems to have lost the mental/emotional ability to properly lead (cf. 1 Kings 19:13-18). God later took him and replaced him with Elisha as the top ecclesiastical authority. Elisha then received a “double-portion” (two-portion literally) of the gift that God had given Elijah:

9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:9-13)

The recipient of the double-portion promise, Elisha, was a type of Elijah. Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13) which God wanted him to have (1 Kings 19:16-19), did a similar miraculous dry river crossing (2 Kings 2:13-14), also did other miracles (2 Kings 4:30-35; 2 Kings 10:5-14; 2 Kings 6:16-18), as he replaced Elijah as God’s top ecclesiastical authority on earth (cf. 1 Kings 19:16).

A minister of the Living Church of God prayed and anointed Bob Thiel for a ‘double portion’ of God’s Spirit back in late 2011 and told him that was reminiscent of what happened to Elisha.

Interestingly, for several years after Elisha picked up the mantle that Elijah dropped, Elijah was still alive. While many outside of the Church of God seem to doubt this, the following passage confirms that Elijah was still alive later, even though the main work/mantle had shifted to Elisha:

5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem…

12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

Thus says the Lord God of your father David:

Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction — your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day. (2 Chronicles 21:5, 12-15)

The Bible, however, teaches that a voice from the wilderness would come again:

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)

John the Baptist said that he was fulfilling this (though he did not indicate he would be the only one to do so):

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”…

23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:’ Make straight the way of the Lord,”‘ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19,23)

Note: In Greek the word “The” above is not present.

Jesus, Himself, confirmed that John the Baptist, who in not recorded to have done any of the miracles of Elijah, fulfilled an Elijah role:

12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:12-13)

So, the Bible tells of two Elijahs who were here thousands of years ago.

But Jesus told of another Elijah to come after He left:

11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. (Matthew 17:11)

That particular Elijah was also prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament). Here are Protestant, “literal,” and Catholic (note: Catholics often use the Latinized form of Elijah, called Elias below) translations:

4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:4-6, ESV)

4 Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, That I did command him in Horeb, For all Israel — statutes and judgments. 5 Lo, I am sending to you Elijah the prophet, Before the coming of the day of Jehovah, The great and the fearful. 6 And he hath turned back the heart of fathers to sons, And the heart of sons to their fathers, Before I come and have utterly smitten the land! (Malachi 4:4-6, YLT)

4 Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, the precepts, and judgments. 5 Behold I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers: lest I come, and strike the earth with anathema. (Malachi 4:4-6, Douay-Rheims).

Notice that the various translations teach that Elijah is to be on the scene before the Day of the Lord. An event that is at least over six years from now.

Various early professors of Christ believed that an Elijah (though Hippolytus in the third century felt it was literally the original Elijah) would be coming again:

The climax of Elijah’s activity is his appearance shortly before the Messianic time. “He is appointed to lead aright the coming ages, to restore the tribes of Jacob,” says Ben Sira of him (Ecclus. [Sirach] xlviii. 10, 11). In the second half of the first Christian century it was expected that Elijah would appear shortly before the coming of the Messiah, to restore to families the purity…(‘Eduy. viii. 7…) (Elijah. Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906)

43…For he says, And one week will make a covenant with many, and it shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease. By one week, therefore, he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world of which week the two prophets Enoch and Elias will take up the half. For they will preach 1, 260 days clothed in sackcloth, proclaiming repentance to the people and to all the nations.46…He says by Malachi and the angel, I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the day of the Lord, the great and notable day, comes; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, lest I come and smite the earth utterly. These, then, shall come and proclaim the manifestation of Christ that is to be from heaven; and they shall also perform signs and wonders, in order that men may be put to shame and turned to repentance for their surpassing wickedness and impiety. 47. For John says, And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. That is the half of the week whereof Daniel spoke. (Hipploytus. On Christ and Antichrist).

The Church of God position has been that someone would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to “restore all things” and possibly be one of the two witnesses. While the late Herbert W. Armstrong (died in January 1986) sometimes indicated that he fulfilled that role, he told people that I have personally spoken with that there could be another other than he. Those with a WCG background might find the following quote from Herbert W. Armstrong of some assistance here as he wrote:

Those called into the Church were called not merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn the way of God’s government and develop the divine character during this mortal life in the Church age…

Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age (Mystery of the Ages. 1985, pp. 201, 349).

And when was the “Church age” supposed to end according to Herbert Armstrong’s old church? Notice:

God has set before us an open door and no MAN can shut it. God can shut it, and He will when the work is finished and the Philadelphia Church goes to a place of safety. …The Laodicean Church is not going to be worthy to escape to a place of safety. When it is too late, they will find that the Church of Philadelphia has gone to safety (What Is the “LAODICEAN CHURCH”? Good News August 1959 Vol. VIII, Number 8).

Now since the Church age has not ended, and the Day of the Lord has not yet come, then it follows that Elijah was to come on the scene publicly after this was written. His restoring of “all things” means that he is to be restoring information that the true Church of God once understood, but later must have lost or misunderstood (see also LCG on Prophets: Rare, But Look for the Fruits and Is there a need for a prophet now?).

Now, I should add that RCG’s David Pack is NOT the prophesied endtime Elijah despite his claims about it–he has NOT restored the truth and is confused/wrong on many points.

Those of the true and genuine Philadelphian remnant will pay much attention to the voice of the true final Elijah. Those who do not will not fare as well as they could (cf. Revelation 12:14-17).

We in the Continuing Church of God have also a more sure word of prophecy; “whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).”

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong? Two related sermons are available Elijah: Prophecies and Heresies and Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong, and CCOG.
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here? A related sermon is available: Prophecy and the Two Witnesses. Here is a related link in Spanish/español:¿Quiénes son los dos testigos?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Might the Great Tribulation start in 2019?
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.

Ancient Israel Shown with Tribal Borders

COGwriter

In Genesis 48, the Bible shows that Israel places his name upon Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh and blessed them.

Artist’s portrayal of Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh.

Former WCG member Bert Otten of the Netherlands sent me a paper about the descendants of Joseph which included the following:

1^st Clue: Great Nation & Company of Nations

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, HIS BIRTHRIGHT WAS GIVEN UNTO THE SONS OF JOSEPH the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; BUT THE BIRTHRIGHT WAS JOSEPH’S (1Chron 5:1-2). (AV throughout unless stated otherwise).

And God said unto [Jacob], I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; A NATION [GOY] AND A COMPANY OF NATIONS [KEHAL GOYIM] shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins (Genesis 35:11).

And his father [Jacob] refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: HE [MANASSEH] ALSO SHALL BECOME A PEOPLE, AND HE ALSO SHALL BE GREAT: but truly his younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS [GOYIM] (Genesis 48:19).

Jacob inherited the blessing, the birthright and the promise of the Messiah. Jacob even received a new promise that his descendants would become a great nation and a company of nations (Gen 35:11). The birthright did not go to Judah and the Jews. Judah got the promise of a prince, a king and of the Messiah. The birthright went to Joseph (1Chron 5:1-2). Judah never became a Company of Nations, not even a Great Nation. This promise would go to Joseph in the endtime. Joseph would get all the promises of national greatness that were promised to Abraham, Isaac an Jacob. The USA (Manasseh) and the Commonwealth (Ephraim) have become a Great Nation and a Company of Nations.

The Queen of England is also head of state of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and another 14 countries. Over the past two centuries the Anglo-Saxon nations have dominated world history. Those who ‘blessed’ them, were blessed themselves.

2^nd Clue: Joseph … in the west …

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT (Gen 41:41).

And unto Joseph IN THE LAND OF EGYPT were born MANASSEH AND EPHRAIM, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him (Gen 46:20).

ON THE WEST SIDE shall be the standard of the camp of EPHRAIM according to their armies … And by him shall be the tribe of MANASSEH … Then the tribe of BENJAMIN … (Num 2:18-24).

And as for THE WESTERN BORDER, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: THIS SHALL BE YOUR WEST BORDER (Num 34:6).

I will not put into effect the heat of my wrath; I will not again send destruction on EPHRAIM; for I am God and not man, the Holy One among you; I will not put an end to you. They will go after the Lord; his cry will be like that of a lion; his cry will be loud, AND THE CHILDREN WILL COME FROM THE WEST, shaking with fear (Hosea 11:9-10).

Joseph and the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh can often be found in the west. The 10 oldest brothers were born in Aram (Turkey/Syria). Benjamin is the only one to be born in Canaan. The 17-year-old Joseph was sold into Egypt and lived there for 93 years, until his death. From Canaan Egypt is towards the south, but especially towards the west. From Eilat Cairo is 270 miles due west.

Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt and lived there their whole lives. In antiquity there were three major empires in the Middle-East, The Hittites in the north, the Assyrians / Babylonians in the east and the Egyptians in the (south)west.

The Tabernacle

There are three Rachel tribes: Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. Those three Rachel-tribes were camped west of the tabernacle, under Ephraim’s leadership. I believe the western Vikings to be descendants of Benjamin. They ended up in Iceland, Denmark, Norway and the Faeroe Islands. Descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh settled on the British Isles, all three tribes in the west.

The western border of Canaan was the Great Sea (Mediterranean). Ephraim and Manasseh bordered the Great Sea (Yam Gadol) in the west. The other tribes (except for maybe Asher) were more or less cut off from the sea by the Philistines in the south and the Phoenicians in the north,

Of the lost tribes in Europe we see the utmost western position of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin, compared to the other tribes.

Hosea

The book of Hosea is about the northern House of Israel, the House of Joseph, also called Ephraim. It is prophesied that ‘the children of Ephraim will come shaking from the west! (Hos 11:10).

English, to America

In the end the British spread to the four corners of the earth: His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 33:17).

However, the British went west to begin with, to America and Canada. Through wars the New World colonies of the French, Dutch and Swedes were absorbed. In 1776 13 English colonies rebelled and declared their independence. From then on there were the United States and the British Empire.

Go West …

From the end of the 18th century people in America were trekking west. Pioneers and settlers moved further and further west. Where they ended up was called the frontier, the end of civilisation. The frontier moved constantly westwards. New lands were discovered. This is the time of the so-called ‘Wild West’. Many American films deal with this subject. Another link of Joseph (Manasseh) with ‘the West’.

The Dust Bowl

The decade of the thirties (’30-’39) was the Great Drought, the time of the Dust Bowl. It was also the time of the Great Depression. Many went west, especially to Oregon and California.

The West

The Anglo-Saxon culture is the culture of the West. The English and the Americans have defended freedom and freetrade. The English (19th C.) and the Americans (20th C.) kept the sealanes of the oceans open. Traditionally the English fleet had to be as big as the 2nd and 3rd fleet of the world. The fleets of Spain and France combined was not to be allowed to be bigger than the English fleet.

Since WW II the Americans have their fleet all over the world. Half the world’s aircraft carriers are American. Napoleon in 1815, the Central Powers in WW I, Hitler and Japan in WW II and the USSR during the cold War … all were stopped by ‘the West’, by the Anglo-Saxon Nations, by Ephraim and Manasseh, by the sons of Joseph.

3^rd Clue: Joseph & Slavery

Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and SOLD JOSEPH to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt (Gen 37:28).

And the Midianites SOLD [JOSEPH] into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard (Gen 37:36).

Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? BUY US AND OUR LAND for bread, and we and our land WILL BE SERVANTS unto Pharaoh [Serfdom!] … And Joseph BOUGHT ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians SOLD EVERY MAN HIS FIELD, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s (Gen 47:19-20).

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, WHOM YE SOLD INTO EGYPT (Gen 45:4).

Joseph & Slavery

Joseph was sold as a 17-year-old youngster to the Ishmaelites. He was sold for a second time to an Egyptian. Joseph was slave for 13 years, till the age of 30. He first worked in the house of Potiphar and later he was put at work in prison.

As vice-roy of Egypt he sold grain to the Egyptians. The moment they had no more money, he took their land for food. Thus he made the ordinary Egyptians – not the priests – a kind of serfs, a kind of slaves of Pharao. Joseph had a lot to do with slavery. Eventually Ephraim and Manasseh became slaves, just like the other tribes.

England & Slavery

A black page in the history of the west is the slavetrade. The Dutch, Danes, Portuguese, Spaniards, French, Americans and English bought slaves in ‘black’ Africa and sold them in the new world. The Americans and British were the main players. They brought 3½ million slaves to the new World (source: Wikipedia) …

Abolitionism

England (Ephraim) also had an important role in abolishing the slave-trade, Wikipedia:

In 1783, an anti-slavery movement began among the British population. That year a group of Quakers founded the first British abolitionist organization. The Quakers continued to be influential throughout the lifetime of the movement, in many ways leading the campaign. … After the formation of the ‘Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade’ in 1787, William Wilberforce led the cause of abolition through the parliamentary campaign. It finally abolished the slave trade in the British Empire with the Slave Trade Act 1807. He continued to campaign for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, which he lived to see in the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

In the southern states of the USA slavery had created painful situations. Cotton and tobacco plantations ‘needed’ slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is one of the most famous novels in American literature and it is a world famous anti-slavery document. The book was published in 1852 and had a huge impact. Slavery was abolished in the US, January 1, 1863.

American Civil War

The extension of slavery was an important factor leading to the American Civil War (1861-1865). A war leaving more than 600,000 people dead. That is as many, or more, casualties than all the other American wars in total!

Wikipedia: The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865. As a result of the long-standing controversy over slavery, war broke out in April 1861, when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, shortly after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. The nationalists of the Union proclaimed loyalty to the U.S. Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States, who advocated for states’ rights to expand slavery.

Once free, the black people of America had no equal rights, hence the Civil Rights Movement of the fifties and sixties.

Ephraim (GB) and Manasseh (US) have had much to do with slavery.

4^th Clue: Joseph & Prison

And Joseph’s master took him, and put him INTO THE PRISON, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there IN THE PRISON (Gen 39:20).

And the keeper of the PRISON committed to Joseph’s hand ALL THE PRISONERS THAT WERE IN THE PRISON; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it (Gen 39:22).

And he put them [the butler and the baker] IN WARD in the house of the captain of the guard, INTO THE PRISON, THE PLACE WHERE JOSEPH WAS BOUND (Gen 40:3).

If ye be true men, let one of your brethren [Simeon] be BOUND IN THE HOUSE OF YOUR PRISON: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses (Gen 42:19).

And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them SIMEON, AND BOUND HIM BEFORE THEIR EYES (Genesis 42:24).

Joseph & prison

Joseph was a slave for 13 years (age 17 till 30). For how long was he in Potiphar’s house? We do not know. However it is likely that he was longer in prison than in Potiphar’s house.

The first mention of a Hebrew word in scripture is meaningful. Prison is mentioned for the first time in Joseph’s story and is mentioned 12 times (Gen 39-42).

Joseph was put into prison and in prison he became a kind of chief-warden. As vice-roy of Egypt he threatened to emprison his brothers and ended up putting Simeon into prison, when the other nine went for Benjamin.

Australia

The English turned Australia into ‘a jail’:

Wikipedia: Between 1788 and 1868, about 162,000 convicts were transported by the British government to various penal colonies in Australia. The British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 17th century. When transportation ended with the start of the American Revolution, an alternative site was needed to relieve further overcrowding of British prisons and hulks. Earlier in 1770, James Cook charted and claimed possession of the east coast of Australia for Britain. … Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony, and in 1787, the First Fleet of eleven convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788 to found Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent. Other penal colonies were later established in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in 1803 and Queensland in 1824, while Western Australia, founded in 1829 as a free colony, received convicts from 1850. … The last convict ship arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868.

USA

Compared to other nations America has a huge prison population. As capital punishment is still in force, many are on death row. As pharao’s chief baker was to be hanged, he was on death row too.

Wikipedia: In October 2013, the incarceration rate of the United States of America was the highest in the world, at 716 per 100,000 of the national population. While the United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world’s population, it houses around 22 percent of the world’s prisoners. Corrections (which includes prisons, jails, probation, and parole) cost around $74 billion in 2007 according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 2016, the Prison Policy Initiative estimated that in the United States, about 2,298,300 people were incarcerated out of a population of 323.1 million. This means that 0.71% of the population was behind bars.

English Concentration Camps

The English are the inventors of concentration camps (not extermination camps), during the Boer wars (1899-1902). A concentration camp (or internment camp) is a place where a government forces people to live without trial.

Because of bad hygiene and neglect 27,927 women and children of the Boers (22,074 under the age of 16) died of starvation, illnesses and exhaustion. At the same time around 20,000 indigenous Africans died in the camps.

5^th Clue: Joseph & Dreams

And [Joseph] said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this DREAM which I have DREAMED. For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf (Gen 37:6-7).

And [Joseph] DREAMED yet another DREAM, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have DREAMED a DREAM more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me (Gen 37:9).

And the chief butler told his DREAM to Joseph, and said to him, In my DREAM, behold, a vine was before me (Gen 40:9).

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my DREAM, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head (Gen 40:16).

25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The DREAM of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the DREAM is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine (Gen 41:25-27).

Joseph & Dreams

Dreams were very dominant in Joseph’s life. There were his own dreams about the sheaves and about the sun, moon & stars. They were prophetic in that his own brothers would bow down before him. Then there were the dreams of the chief butler and the chief baker and in the end there were pharao’s dreams about the 7 good years and the 7 bad years.

Dreams: Films

Dreams are a kind of films in your head during the night, during sleep. The weirdest things, fantasies, happen in your dreams. That’s what it has in common with movies. One can put the craziest things into a film. For a long time the Anglo-Saxon nations have been leading in the field of film and televison. Other nations would buy English and American films and televison programmes, synchronise them into their own language, or subtitle them. The English speaking world is still leader in film and television. BBC and Hollywood are international notions. Their films are shown all over the world, and ‘foreign films’ are only shown in their own linguistic niche. Ephraim and Manasseh are quite dominant in the field of ‘dreams’.

Internet, Netflix, Youtube

Again and again innovations in the field of ‘dreams’ come from the English speaking world, like: Internet, Netflix, Facebook, Youtube, bloggers and vloggers.

All passed on by Manasseh (US) and Ephraim (UK).

Again and again the English-speaking world was copied: At first huge cinema’s were built. Then television was invented. First one channel, then two national channels. Advertisements and commercial televison were introduced, then cable and satelite tv. Special channels like National Geographic, Animal Planet, etc., TV through internet, netflix. Youngsters hardly watch television nowadays, as they are on their smartphones watching youtube and vloggers. Whatever: It all came and comes from Joseph.

The Academy Awards (Oscars) for best film, best actor, best director, etc. are an annual event. In Britain there are the BAFTA awards (BAFTA: British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

American Dream

Dream and dreams have become synonymous with plans, fantasies and desires. The USA is seen as the best place for realising one’s dreams. The American Dream has become an internationally known concept. America is the place where you can climb from nothing to something. From paperboy to millionaire. This too can first be seen in the Bible with Joseph. He rose from slave, prisoner, to chief prison warden to vice-roy in Egypt! He realised ‘his dreams’ and saved ‘the world’ from starvation!

I have a dream …

World famous is Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech: I have a dream … This too happened in the land of Manasseh.

At this moment of writing there is the political problem in the States of DACA, of ‘the dreamers’. It concerns the children of illegal immigrants who are ‘dreaming’ to be allowed to stay in the USA.

6^th Clue: Joseph & Corn

And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up CORN … and let them keep food in the cities. … And Joseph gathered CORN as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number (Gen 41:35, 49).

And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians … And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy CORN; because that the famine was so sore in all lands (Genesis 41:56-57).

… Jacob saw that there was CORN in Egypt, Jacob said … Behold, I have heard that there is CORN in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us … And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy CORN in Egypt (Gen 42:1-3).

[Isaac]: Therefore God give thee [Jacob] of the dew of heaven, and THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH, AND PLENTY OF CORN AND WINE: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren … cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee (Gen 27:28-29).

And of Joseph [Moses] said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew … And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun … AND FOR THE PRECIOUS THINGS OF THE EARTH AND FULNESS THEREOF … let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph … and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren (Deut 33:13-16).

Egypt: Granary of Antiquity

https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Egypt/ Octavian’s victory over Antony and Cleopatra awarded Rome with the richest kingdom along the Mediterranean Sea. His future was guaranteed. The country’s overflowing granaries were now the property of Rome; it became the ‘breadbasket’ of the empire, the ‘jewel of the empire’s crown.’

However, at the time of Joseph too, Egypt was the granary of the world.

USA & Commonwealth:

Manasseh and Ephraim are big producers of wheat:

USA 55.4 million tonnes

Canada 29.3

Australië 25.3

UK 16.6

Total Joseph: 126.6 million tonnes of wheat of a production of 729 million tonnes worldwide (in 2014).

The Joseph countries export a lot more wheat than the other countries. Their combined exports are nearly 40% of the total world wheat export in 2016.

1. United States: 14.8%
2. Canada: 12.4%
3. Australië: 9.9%
4. UK: 1.4%

Total Joseph-countries 38.5%

Total Food Export

However, prophecies for the Joseph peoples are not just about wheat, but about food in general. The Joseph-countries also exported 26.8% of the world barley export of 2016.

Corn is mentioned 19 times in the Joseph story of the Bible. ‘Ochel’ or ‘food’ is mentioned another 14 times in the same story. The best parts of the earth were promised to Joseph (Gen 49:22-26; Deut 33:13-17). This promise did not go to Judah, to the Jews, but to Joseph! Joseph received the blessing and the birthright promise. Judah received promises concerning kingship and the messiah.

The Joseph countries still feed the world. World food export in 2016 was:

1. USA $ 150 billion
2. Canada $ 50
3. UK $ 32
4. Australië $ 31
5. N. Zeeland $ 24

Manasseh (USA) exported for $ 150 billion of food and Ephraim (Can-UK-AUS-NZ) for $ 137 billion.

7^th Clue: brothers went to Joseph

And Judah and HIS BRETHREN CAME TO JOSEPH’S HOUSE; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground (Gen 44:14).

And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, MY BRETHREN, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, ARE COME UNTO ME (Gen 46:31).

And Joseph placed his father and HIS BRETHREN, AND GAVE THEM A POSSESSION IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph NOURISHED HIS FATHER, AND HIS BRETHREN, AND ALL HIS FATHER’S HOUSEHOLD, WITH BREAD, according to their families (Gen 47:11-12).

The brothers went to Joseph

Joseph was in Egypt and remained in Egypt. Joseph ‘stayed in the west’. His sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born there and always stayed there. Their 11 uncles came to them.

The first time only 10 of the brothers came, Benjamin did not come. The next time the brothers came with Benjamin. The third time the brothers came with their father, their wives and children and all their livestock.

Lands of immigration

The English speaking nations have been countries of immigration. The first immigrants were mainly from the other tribes. This also happened to England. Many Vikings (Benjamin) settled in North-England and the Danelaw; the Dutch (Zebulun) settled around the Wash and the Normans were of Danish (Benjamite) and French (Reuben) stock.

America received many immigrants from Scandivania (Benjamin & Naphtali), the Benelux (Issachar, Zebulun and Asher), France (Reuben) and Ireland (Dan). Many British (Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon) came to the States too.

8^th Clue: Joseph & Corn: God’s Word

[Isaac to Jacob]: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of CORN and wine … cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee (Gen 27:28-29).

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, HIS BIRTHRIGHT WAS GIVEN UNTO THE SONS OF JOSEPH the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; BUT THE BIRTHRIGHT WAS JOSEPH’S) (1Chronicles 5:1-2).

HE THAT WITHHOLDETH CORN, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it (Prov 11:26).

And all countries came into Egypt TO JOSEPH FOR TO BUY CORN; because that the famine was so sore in all lands (Gen 41:57).

The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath MY WORD [=CORN], let him speak MY WORD faithfully. What is the CHAFF [=false prophecy] to the WHEAT? saith the LORD (Jer 23:28).

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a FAMINE in the land, not a famine of BREAD, nor a thirst for water, BUT OF HEARING THE WORDS of the LORD (Amos 8:11).

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Mt 4:4).

And it will come about that, as you were a curse among the nations, O children of Judah AND CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, so I will give you SALVATION and you will be a BLESSING: have no fear … (Zech 8:13).

Corn – Bread – God’s Word

There is a spiritual meaning to Joseph selling corn to ‘the whole world’. Everyone knows that Abraham’s seed was to become a blessing to all nations, and that it was fulfilled by Judah and Jesus. Most Bible books were written by Jews (=Israelites of Judah, Benjamin and Levi), by the House of Judah. The ultimate salvation is Yeshua, the Messiah from Judah. However, Judah has not spread God’s Word (=corn, =bread) over the earth. The Anglo-Saxon nations have been most active in mission, translating and distribution of the Bible. It is a spiritual fulfilment of ‘selling corn’ to the world.

The birthright and blessing went from Abraham to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob, from Jacob to Joseph and from Joseph to Ephraim and Manasseh. From them came the Anglo-Saxon nations and they have been prolific in distributing Bibles and spreading the gospel, more than any other nation. Thus Joseph has been a ‘blessing to the nations’ over the past 250 years.

(John) Wycliffe

Wikipedia: Wycliffe Global Alliance is an alliance of organisations with the common objective of translating the Bible for every language group that needs it. Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend. Before 1942, it was known as Camp Wycliffe, after which it became Wycliffe Bible Translators. The organization is named after John Wycliffe, who was responsible for the first complete English translation of the whole Bible into Middle English. … As of November 2012, translations of either portions of the Bible, the New Testament, or the whole Bible exist in over 2,800 of the 6,877 languages used on Earth.

William Carey – Father Missionry

Wikipedia: William Carey (17 August 1761 – 9 June 1834) was a British Christian missionary, Particular Baptist minister, translator, social reformer and cultural anthropologist who founded the Serampore College and the Serampore University, the first degree-awarding university in India. … Carey is known as the “father of modern missions.” His essay, ‘An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens’, led to the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society. … He translated … the Bible into Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Marathi, Hindi and Sanskrit. William Carey has been called a reformer and illustrious Christian missionary.

Bibles & the Name of Jesus

The United States still send out the most missionaries, 127,000 in 2010. Brazil, number 2 on the list, sent out 34,000 missionaries in 2010.

The English speaking nations have especially used radio, tv, internet, satelite tv, etc. to spread the gospel (corn). Thinking of God’s Word in connection with the English speaking world, the following comes to mind: J. Hudson Taylor, John Wycliffe, William Carey, TBN, GodChannel, BBC, Scofield, YWAM, OMF, John Bunyan, John Wesley, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, Hillsong, George Fox, King James Bible, Companion Bible, NIV, Dr. Strong, Michael W. Smith, Billy Graham, praisemusic, OM, Songs of Praise, etc.

In this field Ephraim and Manasseh (USA & Commonwealth) have been a blessing to the nations over the past 250 years.

9^th Clue: Joseph & Capitalism

14 AND JOSEPH GATHERED UP ALL THE MONEY that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 AND WHEN MONEY FAILED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. 16 AND JOSEPH SAID, GIVE YOUR CATTLE; AND I WILL GIVE YOU FOR YOUR CATTLE, IF MONEY FAIL. 17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: AND HE FED THEM WITH BREAD FOR ALL THEIR CATTLE FOR THAT YEAR. 18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, HOW THAT OUR MONEY IS SPENT; MY LORD ALSO HATH OUR HERDS OF CATTLE; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, BUT OUR BODIES, AND OUR LANDS: 19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? BUY US AND OUR LAND FOR BREAD, AND WE AND OUR LAND WILL BE SERVANTS UNTO PHARAOH: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. 20 AND JOSEPH BOUGHT ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT FOR PHARAOH; FOR THE EGYPTIANS SOLD EVERY MAN HIS FIELD, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 AND AS FOR THE PEOPLE, HE REMOVED THEM TO CITIES from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof (Gen 47:14-21).

Industrialisation & Capitalism

Britain and America have been the main promotors of capitalism over the past 250 years.

Wikipedia: In the mid-18th century, a new group of economic theorists, led by David Hume and Adam Smith, challenged fundamental mercantilist doctrines such as the belief that the world’s wealth remained constant and that a state could only increase its wealth at the expense of another state.

During the Industrial Revolution, industrialists replaced merchants as a dominant factor in the capitalist system and affected the decline of the traditional handicraft skills of artisans, guilds and journeymen. Also during this period, the surplus generated by the rise of commercial agriculture encouraged increased mechanization of agriculture. Industrial capitalism marked the development of the factory system of manufacturing, characterized by a complex division of labor between and within work process and the routine of work tasks; and finally established the global domination of the capitalist mode of production. Britain also abandoned its protectionist policy as embraced by mercantilism …

After the First and Second Opium Wars and the completion of British conquest of India, vast populations of these regions became ready consumers of European exports. Also in this period, areas of sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific islands were incorporated into the world system. Meanwhile, the conquest of new parts of the globe, notably sub-Saharan Africa, by Europeans yielded valuable natural resources such as rubber, diamonds and coal and helped fuel trade and investment between the European imperial powers, their colonies and the United States.

Reaganomics (USA, Manasseh) and Thatcherism (UK, Ephraim) have enriched the rich, and impoverished the poor since the 1980’s.

Joseph & Monopoly

In Genesis 47 Joseph played, as it were, Monopoly with the Egyptians. They gave all their money for food; then they sold all their cattle for food and in the end they sold themselves for food to stay alive. In the end the Monopoly player owns everything. In the (Anglo-Saxon) capitalistic world the rift between the haves and have-nots increases all the time. 1% of the population of the world owns half the wealth of the world. The Top Ten list of the richest people in the world has seven Americans. Forbes’ 2018 top 15 billionaires: 1. Jeff Bezos, $112 billion; 2. Bill Gates, $90 billion; 3. Warren Buffett, $84 billion, etc.

Buy on Credit

For ages it has been the American way to buy things on credit. This costs a lot of extra money and impoverishes people. In the States people often need to have two or three jobs to be able to make ends meet. Everyone is ‘free’ in principle, everyone can chase the American Dream, but it remains a fact that many in this rich country are poor. Many have no health insurance. People are ‘enslaved’ to buying on credit.

Wikipedia: Most Americans will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75. Poverty rates are persistently higher in rural and inner city parts of the country as compared to suburban areas. Estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty are nuanced. One organization estimated that in 2015, 13.5% (43.1 million) of Americans lived in poverty. Yet other scholars underscore the number of Americans living in “near-poverty,” putting the number at around 100 million, equating to a third of the U.S. population. Starting in the 1930s, relative poverty rates have consistently exceeded those of other wealthy nation.

Now although not all would agree with the above, I thought Bert Otten’s comments were a COG news item that some may find of interest.

As far as debt goes, that will cause massive problems per Habakkuk 2:6-8.

As far as my take on the identity of Ephraim and Manasseh as well as what the Bible shows for the future of Joseph’s descendants, check out the article Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel.

It perhaps should also be pointed out that many prophecies involving Samaria seem to be pointing to the USA (see also Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
Were the Ancient Tribes of Israel Black? Was Jesus Black? Some claim this is so. But what do the Bible and ancient artifacts show?
Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? Here is a link in Spanish: Sueños, la Biblia, la Iglesia de Dios de la Radio, y la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?

Jewish mosaic of the 5th century (Jim Haberman)

COGwriter

Are you familiar with the Huqoq synagogue?

Here is some information related to it and some of the mosaics there:

Huqoq or Hukkok (Hebrew: חוקוק‎) was an ancient Jewish village, located 12.5 km north of Tiberias. The area had been settled since ancient times and is mentioned in the Book of Joshua. …

A 2011 dig led by archaeologist Jodi Magness excavated several sections at the site of the former village. …

Among the structures uncovered during the 2012 dig were the remains of an elaborate synagogue, dated to the 5th century. Findings include limestone carvings and an elaborate floor mosaic. …

The mosaic includes of the Biblical hero Samson …

According to archaeologist Jodi Magness, the discovery is significant because “only a small number of ancient (Late Roman) synagogue buildings are decorated with mosaics showing biblical scenes, and only two others have scenes with Samson (one is at another site just a couple of miles from Huqoq).”

The mosaic also shows two human faces, apparently female, flanking a Hebrew inscription promising a reward to those who perform good deeds. (Huqoq. Wikipedia, accessed 07/29/19)

The mosaic at the beginning of this post is the two human face portion of the Samson mosaic (parts have been decayed). The faces are of primarily Caucasian people.

Furthermore, see the following:

Discovery of Jewish Mosaics in Israel Bring Color to Biblical Accounts

Depiction of Numbers 13:23 grapes from promise land
(Jim Haberman, via UNC-Chapel Hill)

Yes, we get color from the mosaics. And we see two white men carrying the grapes.

Notice also the following:

In 2018, photographs of newly discovered mosaics were published in conjunction with a 70-page interim report of the excavations from 2014–2017. The new publication shows that the floor mosaic also depicts Noah’s Ark, the twelve Israelite spies (Numbers 13:1-33), and Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, themes that are rarely, if ever, found in synagogues of the time. Other images show Jonah being swallowed by the fish and the building of the Tower of Babel. (Huqoq. Wikipedia, accessed 07/29/19)

Experts said the wealth of mosaics show that Jewish life in the surrounding village flourished during Christian rule in the fifth century. This challenges a widely held view that Jewish settlement in the area declined during that period.

“Our work sheds light on a period when our only written sources about Judaism are rabbinic literature from the Jewish sages of this period and references in early Christian literature,” said Magness, who noted it showed only the viewpoint of the men who wrote it. Additionally, early Christian literature generally was hostile to Jews and Judaism.

A mosaic depicting Jonah being swallowed by a fish. (Jim Haberman, Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill)

The Huqoq Excavation Project has involved experts from a host of universities, including Baylor University, Brigham Young University and the University of Toronto, as well as the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. Rogers J. 1,600-year-old biblical mosaic discovered in Israel, sheds light on ancient Judaism. Fox News, July 2, 2019 https://www.foxnews.com/science/1600-year-old-biblical-mosaic-discovered)

If you look at the legs of the man being swallowed by the great fish, they show a light-skinned person.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Were the ancient Hebrews black? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.
Ten clues tying Belgium and Luxembourg with the tribe of Asher Who did some in Belgium and Luxembourg descend from?
Ten clues tying Zebulun with the Dutch Who did some in the Netherlands descend from?
Ten Prophetic Clues Concerning Naphtali – Sweden Do the Swedes have any ties to the biblical tribe of Naphtali? Some think so.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles? Some in the West discount God’s calling of Gentiles, but the Apostle Paul wrote about the need for them to come to the truth before Jesus returns.
What is the Ezekiel Warning? Should the end-time descendants of Israel and Joseph be warned? What should the watchman warn about?
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, and Can God Save Your Relatives?
God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does?

Artist portrayal of the ‘Daughters of Zelophehad’ before Moses (Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The Temple Institute (a Jewish organization) sent out the following:

“Tzelaphchad’s daughters speak justly!”

(Numbers 27:7)

Tammuz 16, 5779/July 19, 2019

This week’s Torah reading, Pinchas, could easily bear the subtitle “Profiles in Courage.” …

The second act of courage which occurs in our parasha was performed by the five daughters of Tzelaphchad – Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milchah and Tirtzah. Their father had died without a son, and as things stood, that is, as Torah had stipulated, he had no one to inherit his portion in the land of Israel. The five sisters approached Moshe and challenged this law, saying to Moshe, “Our father died in the desert, but he was not in the assembly that banded together against HaShem in Korach’s assembly, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should our father’s name be eliminated from his family because he had no son? Give us a portion along with our father’s brothers.” (ibid 27:3-4)The five sisters exhibited courage simply in standing before Moshe, as this was unprecedented. We have not heard of such a thing in the patriarchal society of the desert encampment. Had Miriam been alive they might have first enlisted her support, but Miriam was no more. They went directly to Moshe. But even more courageously, they appealed directly to G-d, via Moshe’s good offices. Like Pinchas, the five sisters, Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milchah and Tirtzah, were of the unassailable conviction that their desire was G-d’s desire, that what they were asking for was what G-d wanted for them. And, as in the case of Pinchas, G-d testified directly to their righteousness: “Tzelaphchad’s daughters speak justly!” (ibid 27:7) And so it was. In response to their query G-d dictated to Moshe an entire addendum to the Torah laws of inheritance, which, like Pinchas’ entry into the kehunah, would, from that day forth, stand forever.

(These women are called the “the daughters of Zelophehad” in Numbers 27:1, NKJV.)

Yes, women do have rights–and the New Testament also shows that many women had courage (cf. Hebrews 11).

Sadly, if you believe many US politicians, a woman’s “fundamental right” is the right to kill any child she may conceive–and while a women has the right to choose whether to marry or not, she does not have the right to kill via abortion or infanticide.

Jesus understood real women’s rights and roles.

Now, at the time of Jesus, one of the three routine declarations Jewish men made in the synagogue or their morning prayers was, “Thank God I am not a woman.”

Furthermore, in a rabbinic exposition of Jewish law, there were written these words:

A man should ever avoid women; thus he should never make any gestures at them, either with his hands or his feet, nor wink at them, nor jest with them . . .

A man must not greet a woman under any circumstances, and he is forbidden to send his regards to her even through her husband” (Ganzfried S. Translated by Hyman Goldin. Code of Jewish Law. Volume IV, Chapter 152, Verses 8,9, Hebrew Publishing Company, NY, 2004, p. 20).

Yet these “laws” were not found in the Bible, but were often generally understood improper traditions of men at the time of Christ.

Jesus denounced Jewish traditions that were in conflict with God’s commands (e.g. Matthew 15:3) and treated women differently than the Jewish leaders of His day did.

Some of the Jewish leaders saw limited good in women:

Rabbi Hiya taught: A woman is only for beauty, or only for the sake of the children she will bear. (Gemara as cited in The Babylonian Talmud in Selection, by Leo Auerbach, [1944], pp. 164-165. http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/bata/bata10.htm viewed 08/15/13)

But women are more valuable than simply being beautiful objects to bear children.

The Bible says that Jesus was without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22), and it often showed that He refused to take part in various added laws of Jewish tradition (Mark 7:5-13).

And this included the Jewish traditions involving women.

Notice John 4:7-19:

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

In the above account, Jesus violated two non-biblical Jewish traditions at the same time: He greets a woman and has interactions with a foreigner. And even this foreign woman knew that this was not the usual practice of the Jews.

Jesus even went a step further and started to talk with her about issues relating to religion and salvation. Hence, He considered that women were as deserving and capable as men in the area. And while that may seem to be self-evident, this does not seem to have been the usual practice amongst Jewish religious leaders of His day.

Furthermore, that woman, a foreigner, realized that Jesus was the Messiah before many men did:

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:10-26)

Jesus clearly felt that the woman had the right to get some questions answered.

That woman gave testimony of Jesus that others believed:

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.”

40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. (John 4:39-41)

So a foreign woman, and other foreigners, who had some familiarity with the scriptures, believed.

Notice that Jesus had to teach something to the Sadducees, who tended to be priests, that they had not grasped. He corrected their poor doctrinal understanding:

23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:23-32)

Thus, many people were surprised that Jesus did NOT relegate a resurrected woman to be inferior to any man. This was a radical departure from the non-biblical traditions that they held.

Women have the same spiritual potential as men (e.g. see What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God?).

Those who do not recognize this do not know “the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

As far as the role of women in the church and more specific rights, check out the article: Women and the New Testament Church. A related sermon is also available: Women’s Roles in the Church.

Some items of possibly-related interest may include:

Women and the New Testament Church What roles did women play in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles? Did Jesus and the Apostle Paul violate Jewish traditions regarding their dealings with women? Do women have any biblical limitations on their role in the Church? Were there female prophets? Do women have any special responsibilities in terms of how they dress? What does the New Testament really teach about women? Here are links to two related sermons: Women’s Roles in the Church and New Testament Women.
True Womanhood: A Lost Cause? Is there still a place for being feminine? Here is an article from Herbert Armstrong about his thoughts relating to women and womanhood.
Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical dating guide for Christians This is a scripture-filled dating guide. It discusses many aspects of dating, as well as who to not consider for marriage. Two related sermons are available: The Art of Christian Dating. and No One to Date? Teen Q&A? Engagement? 2nd Marriage? A short animation is also available: First Date: Worldly vs. Christian.
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine.  What does the Bible really teach? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese y^R ZZYû.
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not always easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Here’s the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY by Herbert Armstrong. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Es la poligamia una senda de Dios?
Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may wish to view the YouTube videos Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt, American Infanticide, and Land of ‘Free’ Abortions and Debt.
What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What is your ultimate destiny? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea? Are you to rule the universe? Here is a link to the video sermon What is Your Destiny?
Christians are to Rule Are Christians really to rule? If so, how will that turn out? A related sermon is titled A sermon of related interest is titled Are Christians really supposed to rule?
Priscilla and Aquila An early Christian married couple from Rome who moved to Asia Minor.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

(Logo of Hebrew University of Jerusalem)         .

COGwriter

There is another archeological find of a biblical site:

Tammuz 9, 5779/July 12, 2019

Archaeologists Say They Found Town Where Future King David Took Refuge From Saul: For decades scholars sought the elusive site of Ziklag, where the Bible says David was given shelter by Philistine King Achish. In a finding sure to inflame the debate about the historicity of the biblical King David, an international team of archaeologists claims to have identified the lost city of Ziklag. As attested in the books of Samuel, Ziklag, located between Kiryat Gat and Lachish, provided refuge to the future king David when he was on the run from King Saul. After his sojourn in Ziklag, David ascended the throne in Hebron. (Temple Institute, Newsletter July 12, 2019)

In a finding sure to inflame the debate about the historicity of the biblical King David, an international team of archaeologists claims to have identified the lost city of Ziklag.

Based on artifacts and carbon 14 dating results of excavations since 2015, scholars proposed Monday that the archaeological site of Khirbet a-Ra‘i in the Judaean foothills is the site of the elusive Philistine town.

As attested in the books of Samuel, Ziklag, located between Kiryat Gat and Lachish, provided refuge to the future king David when he was on the run from King Saul. After his sojourn in Ziklag, David ascended the throne in Hebron.

According to a joint press release from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists discovered remains of a Philistine settlement from the 12-11th centuries BCE, which was followed by a rural settlement dating to the early 10th century BCE, which is in keeping with the biblical account. Carbon 14 dating supports the archaeologists’ timeline and identification, according to the press release. 07/08/19 https://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologists-say-they-found-town-where-future-king-david-took-refuge-from-saul/?fbclid=IwAR2rxOtpqcMObjMzCCaDdKNu6gZknt13QlPXqqN-CHbaFvigy6sXcNlpZqE

It is strange that the above is expected “to inflame the debate about the historicity of the biblical King David.”

The dating of Ziglag is consistent with the biblical account.

This is simply additional archaeological proof that the Bible is accurate.

Archaeologists that deny the existence of King David simply are refusing to accept physical evidence.

Notice the front cover of the July-September 2017 edition of Bible News Prophecy magazine:

The front cover shows an ancient stela that mentions King David, by name.

So, that is additional evidence.

As far as Ziglak goes, it is directly mentioned in Joshua15:31 and 19:5.

As far as Ziglak and David goes, notice the following:

3 So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.

4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.

5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”

6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

7 Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months. (1 Samuel 27:3-7)

The 30th chapter of 1 Samuel mentions it a few times:

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water.

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

15 And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives.

19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.

20 Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them.

22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.”

23 But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us.

24 For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.”

25 So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord”–

27 to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir,

28 those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa,

29 those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

30 those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach,

31 those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.

It is also mentioned twice in 2 Samuel, thrice in 1 Chronicles, and once in Nehemiah (11:28).

Yes, it existed.

Now, it looks like Ziglak has been found.

Yes, the Bible is true. And hopefully archaeologists and others who doubt it will reconsider.

And hopefully more in this Laodicean Era will realize that because the Bible is true, they need to have a better zeal to change themselves and support the word of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, Donald Trump, and Prophecy On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise related to the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This brought anger, protests, and rockets from some Palestinians. It also brought condemnation from European allies–it has been claimed to be disruptive and even catastrophic. The Palestinian President (Mahmoud Abbas) said that this pronouncement eliminated the USA as being a fair mediator for a peace deal. Others have claimed that Donald Trump is an end time Cyrus and his pronouncement will lead to a Third Temple in Jerusalem. Is there ever going to be a peace deal? If so, will Europeans be part of it? Is Donald Trump a ‘Cyrus.’ Do the Jews require a Third Temple for sacrifices? Dr. Thiel answer those questions and more in this video.
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
Biblical Archaeology This is a website that has more information on biblical archeological as is sometimes known as the Bib Arch site.
The Old Testament Canon This article shows from Catholic accepted writings, that the Old Testament used by non-Roman Catholics and non-Orthodox churches is the correct version.
Old Testament History This is a link to articles that essentially back up the historical accuracy of the Hebrew scriptures (AKA The Old Testament).
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? Two related sermons are available The Work per HWA and the Bible and Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing?  This is a sermonette length video.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.

COGwriter

Many people have questions about the Bible in general and the first several chapters of the Book of Genesis in particular.

The first six chapters of Genesis present a sum­mary of vital high points of approximately the first 1600-1700 years of mankind — from Adam’s creation to just before Noah’s Flood (details on calculations can be found in the article Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

In this basic summary of events, many details have been omitted. However, God saw to it that what we really needed to know was preserved for us today. Enough was recorded to show that mankind was instructed of God in the way that would cause every good effect — peace, happiness, prosperity, comfort, an interesting life, abundant well­ being.

We in the Continuing Church of God have looked at various questions that were taken from authentic letters emanating from Ambassador College sponsored programs and publications or received as emails by us. This particular set of questions and answers is an update strongly based upon those in the 1973 booklet (shown above) written by the late John Ross Schroeder, but with most answers partially updated by Dr. Bob Thiel in 2014. Biblical quotes are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.

• “Can you give me information on prehistoric man? Did God make other men before Adam?”

As used by critical historians, “prehistoric time” is said to refer to earliest antiquity nowhere documented in written records. But the Bible records, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Here is a documented account reaching back to the beginning of time. “Prehistoric time,” in that sense, is therefore irreconcilable with Scripture. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to learn that biblical passages reveal occurrences prior to the time of man.

But so far as modern humans are concerned, the Bible plainly states that Adam was the first man (1 Corinthians 15:45), and he named his wife “Eve because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Adam and Eve were therefore the first humans. While there are fossil records of apes and other creatures that predate Adam, these creatures were not the same as modern humans as far God is concerned.See also How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation?; here is a link to a sermon: Genesis, ‘Prehistoric man,’ and the Gap theory. Here is a link to a related article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?

• “Were there really such people as Adam and Eve? Did they actually have children — Cain, Abel and Seth?”

For those of us who believe the Bible the answer is clearly “Yes.”

Interestingly, scientists tend to believe that modern humans had a common, at least female, ancestor, but there are debates about how far back common ancestry goes. One report goes back to about the time of the biblical flood, while another claims it goes back 200,000 years. The reality is that it actually goes back about 6000 years (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

As far as children go, there is legal documentation of the murder of Abel, Cain’s trial before a judge, and Cain’s sentencing (Genesis 4:8-16). That legal document is the Bible!

The Old Testament is the only bona fide record which has been preserved down to our day telling of the lives of Adam and Eve — of the birth of Cain, Abel and Seth. It mentions what sort of personalities they had and the highlights of the times in which they lived. Christ’s own physical genealogy was reckoned through Seth back to Adam.

Physically, Adam and Seth both were Christ’s ancestors (Luke 3). Jesus Christ accepted the testimony of the Old Testament record as authoritative. He knew that Abel had existed — that he was a historical person. He referred to Abel’s murder by Cain. Notice what Christ said to the religious leaders of His time: “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:35).

The apostles referred to famous early human beings more than fifteen times in the New Testament. Genesis has always been accepted by true Christians as a valid and highly accurate record of early history. It simply does not make sense to profess a belief in the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and then at the same time refuse to accept their verification of Genesis.

• “Would you associate God with science and why?”

The word “science” comes from the Latin word scien­tia meaning “knowledge.” What we call “science” seeks to know, explain, and classify knowledge of the material universe. God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is also the Creator of true science. God, in His Word, encourages man to study the true sciences. “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Scripture also says, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Hence there is no conflict between true science and the true teaching of the Bible.

The Bible teaches that the prophet Daniel was wise and also trained in science (Daniel 1:4-6).

It should be noted, however, that many so called scientists tend to make a religion about certain beliefs which tends to cause them to ignore real science. The Apostle Paul had that problem in his day:

20 Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

His advice still holds today. There are positions held to be scientific that are false that have misled many, such as the idea of evolution as the source of life. Those ‘scientists’ who espouse evolution over creation have ignored science in order to promote something that is not true (see Is God’s Existence Logical? and Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II).

For more questions and answers, please check out the post: Questions and Answers from Genesis.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Questions and Answers from Genesis Many wonder about certain early events that this article discusses.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Does it Make Physical Sense to believe in God? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Is There Another View of Evolution? and another titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Gap Theory? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Were the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long? Here are links to two sermons: Gap Theory: Doctrine or Modern Heresy? and Genesis, ‘Prehistoric man,’ and the Gap theory. Here is a link to a related article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?
Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?
Did Angels Marry Human Women? Many insist this is so and also that this mating caused giants to be born. Did this come from the ‘Book of Enoch’? What does Genesis 6:4 really mean? A related video is also available: Did Angels Marry Women and Produce Giants?
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
How is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? Here is a biblical article which answers what many really wonder about it.
Has time been lost? Do we have the original weekly cycle? Is Saturday the seventh day of the week?
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? If you would like to watch videos covering subjects of this article, you can click on the following links: Why YOU? Why Do YOU Suffer? and What is the meaning of your life?

COGwriter

Amazon.com had the following about the alleged Book of Jasher:

There are 13 ancient history books that are mentioned and recommended by the Bible. The Ancient Book of Jasher is the only one of the 13 that still exists. It is referenced in Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; and 2 Timothy 3:8. This volume contains the entire 91 chapters plus a detailed analysis of the supposed discrepancies, cross-referenced historical accounts, and detailed charts for ease of use. As with any history book there are typographical errors in the text but with three consecutive timelines running though the histories it is very easy to arrive at the exact dates of recorded events. It is not surprising that this ancient document confirms the Scripture and the chronology given in the Hebrew version of the Old Testament, once and for all settling the chronology differences between the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek Septuagint. The Ancient book of Jasher is brought to you by Biblefacts Ministries, Biblefacts.org

Model of ‘Second Temple’ by Daniel Ventura

COGwriter

Breaking Israel News posted the following today about disasters that have befallen them during the month they call Tammuz:

Rare Occurrence in 2019: 4th Month of the Jewish Calendar (Tammuz) Begins on the 4th of July

July 4, 2019

Today is the first day of the Jewish month of Tammuz. It is also the day the United States celebrates its independence. And although the Jewish year starts in Tishrei (September/October), Jews only count months from Nisan (March/April). Therefore, Tammuz is the fourth month and this year, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz (The beginning of Tammuz) falls on the Fourth of July.

The month is best known for the 17th day when the siege on Jerusalem began which eventually led to the Temple’s ultimate destruction.

In fact, in the Oral Torah (Mishna) in tractate Taanit 5, bad things happened on the 17 Tammuz including:

• The Golden Calf was worshipped
• Jerusalem’s walls were breached
• Offering in the Temple was discontinued
• A Torah was burned that day
• An idolatrous statue was placed in the sanctuary

According to Rabbi Richmond, the name of Tammuz is a God of Samarian and Mesopotamian identity and was later translated in the Greek pantheon as Adonis. Which begs the question: How can it be that the sages allowed the name of a Hebrew month to share it with a foreign deity?

All the Jewish months were formulated in Babylonia and approved by the Rabbinical counsel known as Chazal. The month of Tammuz is also the only one of the Babylonian months that are mentioned in the Tanakh.

Next He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the House of Hashem; and there sat the women bewailing Tammuz. (Ezekiel 8:14)

All of the commentators agree that this referred to an idolatrous practice that took place at the entrance to the Temple. https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/132759/2019-the-fourth-month-jewish-calendar-begins-fourth-july/

Technically the first day of ‘Tammuz’ runs from sunset July 3rd to sunset July 4th in 2019. Now, it certainly seems odd that the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar was named after a pagan god by the Jews in Babylon. The Bible repeatedly refers to it with the name “the fourth month” (see 2 Kings 25:3; 1 Chronicles 27:27; Jeremiah 52:6; Ezekiel 1:1; Zechariah 8:19) and does not directly tie it in with Tammuz.

Perhaps I should add that the ancient Babylonians celebrated the reborn Nimrod as the newborn Tammuz by worshipping an evergreen tree. That is part of why the Bible condemns worship involving evergreen trees (Deuteronomy 12:2-3; Jeremiah 3:13; 10:2-6).

Anyway, as for as the walls of Jerusalem being breached, this happened after the Jews revolted against Rome in 67 A.D. After being sieged, Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. by those working with Roman General Titus.

The Roman historian Tacitus wrote about the first century destruction of Jerusalem:

[5.1] EARLY in this year Titus Caesar, who had been selected by his father to complete the subjugation of Judaea, and who had gained distinction as a soldier while both were still subjects, began to rise in power and reputation, as armies and provinces emulated each other in their attachment to him. The young man himself, anxious to be thought superior to his station, was ever displaying his gracefulness and his energy in war. By his courtesy and affability he called forth a willing obedience, and he often mixed with the common soldiers, while working or marching, without impairing his dignity as general. He found in Judaea three legions, the 5th, the 10th, and the 15th, all old troops of Vespasian’s. To these he added the 12th from Syria, and some men belonging to the 18th and 3rd, whom he had withdrawn from Alexandria. This force was accompanied by twenty cohorts of allied troops and eight squadrons of cavalry, by the two kings Agrippa and Sohemus, by the auxiliary forces of king Antiochus, by a strong contingent of Arabs, who hated the Jews with the usual hatred of neighbours, and, lastly, by many persons brought from the capital and from Italy by private hopes of securing the yet unengaged affections of the Prince. With this force Titus entered the enemy’s territory, preserving strict order on his march, reconnoitring every spot, and always ready to give battle. At last he encamped near Jerusalem. (The Histories by Publius Cornelius Tacitus. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/tacitus/TacitusHistory05.html accessed 08/13/17)

The Jewish first century historian Josephus wrote a lot about the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman General Titus:

1 … But when Titus perceived that his endeavors to spare a foreign temple turned to the damage of his soldiers, and then be killed, he gave order to set the gates on fire. (Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter 4, section 1)

5. So Titus retired into the tower of Antonia, and resolved to storm the temple the next day, early in the morning, with his whole army, and to encamp round about the holy house. But as for that house, God had, for certain, long ago doomed it to the fire; and now that fatal day was come, according to the revolution of ages; it was the tenth day of the month Lous, [Ab,] upon which it was formerly burnt by the king of Babylon; although these flames took their rise from the Jews themselves, and were occasioned by them; for upon Titus’s retiring, the seditious lay still for a little while, and then attacked the Romans again, when those that guarded the holy house fought with those that quenched the fire that was burning the inner [court of the] temple; but these Romans put the Jews to flight, and proceeded as far as the holy house itself. At which time one of the soldiers, without staying for any orders, and without any concern or dread upon him at so great an undertaking, and being hurried on by a certain divine fury, snatched somewhat out of the materials that were on fire, and being lifted up by another soldier, he set fire to a golden window, through which there was a passage to the rooms that were round about the holy house, on the north side of it. As the flames went upward, the Jews made a great clamor, such as so mighty an affliction required, and ran together to prevent it; and now they spared not their lives any longer, nor suffered any thing to restrain their force, since that holy house was perishing, for whose sake it was that they kept such a guard about it.

6. And now a certain person came running to Titus, and told him of this fire, as he was resting himself in his tent after the last battle; whereupon he rose up in great haste, and, as he was, ran to the holy house, in order to have a stop put to the fire; after him followed all his commanders, and after them followed the several legions, in great astonishment; so there was a great clamor and tumult raised, as was natural upon the disorderly motion of so great an army. Then did Caesar, both by calling to the soldiers that were fighting, with a loud voice, and by giving a signal to them with his right hand, order them to quench the fire. But they did not hear what he said, though he spake so loud, having their ears already dimmed by a greater noise another way; nor did they attend to the signal he made with his hand neither, as still some of them were distracted with fighting, and others with passion. But as for the legions that came running thither, neither any persuasions nor any threatenings could restrain their violence, but each one’s own passion was his commander at this time; and as they were crowding into the temple together, many of them were trampled on by one another, while a great number fell among the ruins of the cloisters, which were still hot and smoking, and were destroyed in the same miserable way with those whom they had conquered; and when they were come near the holy house, they made as if they did not so much as hear Caesar’s orders to the contrary; but they encouraged those that were before them to set it on fire. As for the seditious, they were in too great distress already to afford their assistance [towards quenching the fire]; they were every where slain, and every where beaten; and as for a great part of the people, they were weak and without arms, and had their throats cut wherever they were caught. Now round about the altar lay dead bodies heaped one upon another, as at the steps going up to it ran a great quantity of their blood, whither also the dead bodies that were slain above [on the altar] fell down.

7. And now, since Caesar was no way able to restrain the enthusiastic fury of the soldiers, and the fire proceeded on more and more, he went into the holy place of the temple, with his commanders, and saw it, with what was in it, which he found to be far superior to what the relations of foreigners contained, and not inferior to what we ourselves boasted of and believed about it. But as the flame had not as yet reached to its inward parts, but was still consuming the rooms that were about the holy house, and Titus supposing what the fact was, that the house itself might yet he saved, he came in haste and endeavored to persuade the soldiers to quench the fire, and gave order to Liberalius the centurion, and one of those spearmen that were about him, to beat the soldiers that were refractory with their staves, and to restrain them; yet were their passions too hard for the regards they had for Caesar, and the dread they had of him who forbade them, as was their hatred of the Jews, and a certain vehement inclination to fight them, too hard for them also. Moreover, the hope of plunder induced many to go on, as having this opinion, that all the places within were full of money, and as seeing that all round about it was made of gold. And besides, one of those that went into the place prevented Caesar, when he ran so hastily out to restrain the soldiers, and threw the fire upon the hinges of the gate, in the dark; whereby the flame burst out from within the holy house itself immediately, when the commanders retired, and Caesar with them, and when nobody any longer forbade those that were without to set fire to it. And thus was the holy house burnt down, without Caesar’s approbation.

8. Now although any one would justly lament the destruction of such a work as this was, since it was the most admirable of all the works that we have seen or heard of, both for its curious structure and its magnitude, and also for the vast wealth bestowed upon it, as well as for the glorious reputation it had for its holiness; yet might such a one comfort himself with this thought, that it was fate that decreed it so to be, which is inevitable, both as to living creatures, and as to works and places also. However, one cannot but wonder at the accuracy of this period thereto relating; for the same month and day were now observed, as I said before, wherein the holy house was burnt formerly by the Babylonians. Now the number of years that passed from its first foundation, which was laid by king Solomon, till this its destruction, which happened in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, are collected to be one thousand one hundred and thirty, besides seven months and fifteen days; and from the second building of it, which was done by Haggai, in the second year of Cyrus the king, till its destruction under Vespasian, there were six hundred and thirty-nine years and forty-five days. (Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter 4, sections 5-8)

So, Titus did not want to destroy the Temple, but he and his troops did so.

Josephus also wrote:

5. And now Titus, upon consideration that the alacrity of soldiers in war is chiefly excited by hopes and by good words, and that exhortations and promises do frequently make men to forget the hazards they run, nay, sometimes to despise death itself, got together the most courageous part of his army, and tried what he could do with his men by these methods. “O fellow soldiers,” said he, “to make an exhortation to men to do what hath no peril in it, is on that very account inglorious to such to whom that exhortation is made; and indeed so it is in him that makes the exhortation, an argument of his own cowardice also. I therefore think that such exhortations ought then only to be made use of when affairs are in a dangerous condition, and yet are worthy of being attempted by every one themselves; accordingly, I am fully of the same opinion with you, that it is a difficult task to go up this wall; but that it is proper for those that desire reputation for their valor to struggle with difficulties in such cases will then appear, when I have particularly shown that it is a brave thing to die with glory, and that the courage here necessary shall not go unrewarded in those that first begin the attempt. And let my first argument to move you to it be taken from what probably some would think reasonable to dissuade you, I mean the constancy and patience of these Jews, even under their ill successes; for it is unbecoming you, who are Romans and my soldiers, who have in peace been taught how to make wars, and who have also been used to conquer in those wars, to be inferior to Jews, either in action of the hand, or in courage of the soul, and this especially when you are at the conclusion of your victory, and are assisted by God himself; for as to our misfortunes, they have been owing to the madness of the Jews, while their sufferings have been owing to your valor, and to the assistance God hath afforded you; for as to the seditions they have been in, and the famine they are under, and the siege they now endure, and the fall of their walls without our engines, what can they all be but demonstrations of God’s anger against them, and of his assistance afforded us? It will not therefore be proper for you, either to show yourselves inferior to those to whom you are really superior, or to betray that Divine assistance which is afforded you. And, indeed, how can it be esteemed otherwise than a base and unworthy thing, that while the Jews, who need not be much ashamed if they be deserted, because they have long learned to be slaves to others, do yet despise death, that they may be so no longer; and do make sallies into the very midst of us frequently, no in hopes of conquering us, but merely for a demonstration of their courage; we, who have gotten possession of almost all the world that belongs to either land or sea, to whom it will be a great shame if we do not conquer them, do not once undertake any attempt against our enemies wherein there is much danger, but sit still idle, with such brave arms as we have, and only wait till the famine and fortune do our business themselves, and this when we have it in our power, with some small hazard, to gain all that we desire! For if we go up to this tower of Antonia, we gain the city; for if there should be any more occasion for fighting against those within the city, which I do not suppose there will, since we shall then be upon the top of the hill and be upon our enemies before they can have taken breath, these advantages promise us no less than a certain and sudden victory. As for myself, I shall at present wave any commendation of those who die in war, and omit to speak of the immortality of those men who are slain in the midst of their martial bravery; yet cannot I forbear to imprecate upon those who are of a contrary disposition, that they may die in time of peace, by some distemper or other, since their souls are condemned to the grave, together with their bodies. For what man of virtue is there who does not know, that those souls which are severed from their fleshly bodies in battles by the sword are received by the ether, that purest of elements, and joined to that company which are placed among the stars; that they become good demons, and propitious heroes, and show themselves as such to their posterity afterwards? while upon those souls that wear away in and with their distempered bodies comes a subterranean night to dissolve them to nothing, and a deep oblivion to take away all the remembrance of them, and this notwithstanding they be clean from all spots and defilements of this world; so that, in this ease, the soul at the same time comes to the utmost bounds of its life, and of its body, and of its memorial also. But since he hath determined that death is to come of necessity upon all men, a sword is a better instrument for that purpose than any disease whatsoever. Why is it not then a very mean thing for us not to yield up that to the public benefit which we must yield up to fate? And this discourse have I made, upon the supposition that those who at first attempt to go upon this wall must needs be killed in the attempt, though still men of true courage have a chance to escape even in the most hazardous undertakings. For, in the first place, that part of the former wall that is thrown down is easily to be ascended; and for the new-built wall, it is easily destroyed. Do you, therefore, many of you, pull up your courage, and set about this work, and do you mutually encourage and assist one another; and this your bravery will soon break the hearts of your enemies; and perhaps such a glorious undertaking as yours is may be accomplished without bloodshed. For although it be justly to be supposed that the Jews will try to hinder you at your first beginning to go up to them; yet when you have once concealed yourselves from them, and driven them away by force, they will not be able to sustain your efforts against them any longer, though but a few of you prevent them, and get over the wall. As for that person who first mounts the wall, I should blush for shame if I did not make him to be envied of others, by those rewards I would bestow upon him. If such a one escape with his life, he shall have the command of others that are now but his equals; although it be true also that the greatest rewards will accrue to such as die in the attempt.” (Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter 1, section 5)

So, Titus ordered the destruction of the city and said his troops were Roman. And notice further that the Romans had been waging war against the Temple according to Josephus:

7. In the mean time, the rest of the Roman army had, in seven days’ time, overthrown [some] foundations of the tower of Antonia, and had made a ready and broad way to the temple. Then did the legions come near the first court, and began to raise their banks. The one bank was over against the north-west corner of the inner temple another was at that northern edifice which was between the two gates; and of the other two, one was at the western cloister of the outer court of the temple; the other against its northern cloister. However, these works were thus far advanced by the Romans, not without great pains and difficulty, and particularly by being obliged to bring their materials from the distance of a hundred furlongs. They had further difficulties also upon them; sometimes by their over-great security they were in that they should overcome the Jewish snares laid for them, and by that boldness of the Jews which their despair of escaping had inspired them withal; for some of their horsemen, when they went out to gather wood or hay, let their horses feed without having their bridles on during the time of foraging; upon which horses the Jews sallied out in whole bodies, and seized them. And when this was continually done, and Caesar believed what the truth was, that the horses were stolen more by the negligence of his own men than by the valor of the Jews, he determined to use greater severity to oblige the rest to take care of their horses; so he commanded that one of those soldiers who had lost their horses should be capitally punished; whereby he so terrified the rest, that they preserved their horses for the time to come; for they did not any longer let them go from them to feed by themselves, but, as if they had grown to them, they went always along with them when they wanted necessaries. Thus did the Romans still continue to make war against the temple, and to raise their banks against it. (Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter 2, section 7)

9. In the mean time, the Jews were so distressed by the fights they had been in, as the war advanced higher and higher, and creeping up to the holy house itself, that they, as it were, cut off those limbs of their body which were infected, in order to prevent the distemper’s spreading further; for they set the north-west cloister, which was joined to the tower of Antonia, on fire, and after that brake off about twenty cubits of that cloister, and thereby made a beginning in burning the sanctuary; two days after which, or on the twenty-fourth day of the forenamed month, [Panemus or Tamuz,] the Romans set fire to the cloister that joined to the other, when the fire went fifteen cubits farther. The Jews, in like manner, cut off its roof; nor did they entirely leave off what they were about till the tower of Antonia was parted from the temple, even when it was in their power to have stopped the fire; nay, they lay still while the temple was first set on fire, and deemed this spreading of the fire to be for their own advantage. However, the armies were still fighting one against another about the temple, and the war was managed by continual sallies of particular parties against one another. (Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter 2, section 9)

Before going further, notice something that Jesus prophesied decades before this attack against Jerusalem:

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2 “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:1-2)

Josephus reported

1. NOW as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done,) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne; and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind. (Josephus. Wars of the Jews, Book VII, Chapter 1, verse 1)

So, there was not one stone left upon the other for the Temple and the related buildings (watch also the video Jerusalem Temple Destruction and the Messiah).

It may be of interest to note that although the second temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. not everything was obliterated.

Some of its stones were seemingly used as the foundation stones as well as the original walls, of what seems to have been the first Christian church building (see Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill).

The Bible also shows that more destruction will come to Jerusalem:

1 The burden against the Valley of Vision.

What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision — Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots,And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning,For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,”Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts.  (Isaiah 22:1-14)

Elam seems to be a reference to at least some in Iran. Kir is of interest as it has several possibilities.  One is that the Bible tells that after Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took over Damascus, he moved Syrians to Kir.  While this does not mean that Kir must (or must only) be a reference to Syria, the fact that Syria is an ally of Iran is interesting. For more information related to Iran, see also Iran in Prophecy. Iran has claimed that it will take over Jerusalem and give it to one called the Imam Mahdi.  This was the subject of a video years ago (for details, see Iran’s Ahmadinejad to Conquer Jerusalem?).

Anyway, the point I wish to make is that the above shows that a time is coming when God will take away the protection of Judah and the City of David. The Bible clearly teaches that Jerusalem is the “City of David”:

28 And his servants carried him in the chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the City of David. (2 Kings 9:28),

This, thus shows, that Isaiah 22:9 is a prophecy for future destruction occurring in Jerusalem.

Despite hopes of various Jews as well as evangelical Protestants, US President Trump will not be able to stop this (watch also Evangelical support for Donald Trump’s Jerusalem policy).

Whether or not that will happen in the month the Jews call Tammuz (or during the Trump Administration), however, is not specified in scripture.

But this ‘damage’ could happen relatively soon.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here is a related video in English The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building?
Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications? After a 20 year negotiation, the Church of Rome has negotiated the right to have Catholic mass in the building known as the Cenacle. It is in the area where the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill once stood. This is believed to be the location of the earliest Christian church building. How does the Bible define the ‘temple of God’ in the New Testament? Could this be the area where the ‘man of sin’ will sit in the “temple of God’ that Bible prophecy discusses in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4? This is a YouTube video.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Who were the Nazarene Christians? What did they believe? Should 21st century Christians be modern Nazarenes? Is there a group that exists now that traces its history through the Nazarenes and holds the same beliefs today? Here is a link to a related video sermon Nazarene Christians: Were the early Christians “Nazarenes”?
Does the Church of God need to be headquartered in Jerusalem? Some say so. But what does the Bible teach?
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Two related sermons are available Millennial Utopia and The Millennium.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2027 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Might the Great Tribulation start in 2019?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: N;ÿ Œ
f/’Y’jNº’ÿ Here is a link to a related English sermon video titled: The Man of Sin will deceive most ‘Christians’.
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
Evangelical support for Donald Trump’s Jerusalem policy BBC asked, “Why do US evangelicals support Trump’s Jerusalem policy?” BBC provided quotes from some believing it has to do with the ‘last days’ while others saying that is not the reason. Hal Lindsey’s book, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’ is one of the sources pointed to. In this video, Dr. Thiel addresses scriptures related to Jerusalem as well as prophetic ones. He goes over the common ‘fig tree’ interpretation, belief about a ‘Third Temple,’ and statements about animal sacrifices. He explains biblical statements on those subjects as well as the views of certain modern Jewish organizations. This is a video.
Jerusalem, Donald Trump, and Prophecy On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise related to the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This brought anger, protests, and rockets from some Palestinians. It also brought condemnation from European allies–it has been claimed to be disruptive and even catastrophic. The Palestinian President (Mahmoud Abbas) said that this pronouncement eliminated the USA as being a fair mediator for a peace deal. Others have claimed that Donald Trump is an end time Cyrus and his pronouncement will lead to a Third Temple in Jerusalem. Is there ever going to be a peace deal? If so, will Europeans be part of it? Is Donald Trump a ‘Cyrus.’ Do the Jews require a Third Temple for sacrifices? Dr. Thiel answer those questions and more in this video.
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Is a Donald Trump presidency proving to be apocalyptic?  Two related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency.
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.

Portion of Septuagint Rendering of Amos 2

COGwriter

The Eastern Orthodox considers today to be a memorial day for the Hebrew Prophet Amos (the Church of Rome uses March 31st).

Here is some information about him from Wikipedia:

Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah,[1] was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II,[1] (786–746 BC) making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern kingdom of Israel. (Book of Amos. viewed 02/22/2014)

Before becoming a prophet, Amos was a sheep herder and a sycamore fig farmer. Amos’ prior professions and his claim “I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet” (7:14) indicate that Amos was not from the school of prophets, which Amos claims makes him a true prophet (7:14). His prophetic career began in 750 BCE out of the town of Tekoa, in Judah, south of Jerusalem. (Amos the Prophet, viewed 02/22/2014)

It is interesting that he had to tell people that one becomes a true prophet in a manner that most did not expect. The Apostle Paul attempted to defend his apostleship in that same manner (2 Corinthians 11:5, 22-29)–and that was to people who were supposedly in the Church of God.

One of the messages that Amos proclaimed is that the time would come when people would not be able to find the words of God:

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

I believe that the above warning is a reference to a coming internet censorship. And in the Continuing Church of God, we have already experienced some of this (Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

But the major fulfillment is likely to start just before the start of the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), also called the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

Perhaps under the guise of “neutrality,” perhaps under the guise of “The Patriot Act,” perhaps under the guise of “public welfare,” perhaps because of alleged “intolerance,” calling parts of the COG message “hate speech” and/or national security threats/issues, something will be done to stop perhaps all of the organized media efforts to proclaim biblical truths. A short work will be done (Romans 9:27-28; see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word), which will trigger the end (Matthew 24:14), and likely then the famine of the word (Amos 8:11-12).

Amos had many messages, some that are particularly applicable now include the following:

9 ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her. 10 For they do not know to do right, ‘Says the Lord, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.'” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall be all around the land;He shall sap your strength from you,And your palaces shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the Lord: “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria — In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch! 13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”Says the Lord God, the God of hosts, 14 ‘That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground. (Amos 3:9-14)

1 Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes! 2 Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory? 3 Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,Who cause the seat of violence to come near; 4 Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall; 5 Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David; 6 Who drink wine from bowls,And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 7 Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, And those who recline at banquets shall be removed. 8 The Lord God has sworn by Himself, The Lord God of hosts says: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city And all that is in it.” (Amos 6:1-8)

8 “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord.

9 “For surely I will command,
And will sift the house of Israel among all nations,
As grain is sifted in a sieve;
Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,
Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ (Amos 9:8-10)

Amos is giving a warning to those called by Jacob’s name (which was also Israel), whom according to Jacob himself, would seem to be a reference to the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:16). In modern times, this would be the Anglo-Saxon nations such as Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and also the United States of America. The reference to trusting Mt. Samaria in Amos 6:1 could be a reference to trusting the USA to defend in the end (for more scriptures on the USA and Samaria, please watch a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.). That will not end well for the USA or its allies of the Anglo-Saxon nations (see also Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?).

Of course, few in those nations believe that they will be taken over and have such calamity. But that will come to pass. Most would not listen to Amos then, and most, sadly, will not listen to Amos now.

How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
Can those in the USA/UK see the Handwriting on the Wall? Is everything fine in the USA/UK or is it like the days of Noah? Can we learn from the handwriting that appeared on a wall thousands of years ago? Here is a link to a related YouTube video Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2027 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Might the Great Tribulation start in 2019?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.