Zec 8:19 “Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘The
fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months, are to
be joy and gladness, and pleasant appointed times for the house of Yehuḏah –
and they shall love the truth and the peace.’
“The fast of the 17th of the fourth Hebrew month, known as Shivah
Asar B’Tammuz, is the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction
of Jerusalem and the two Set apart Temples.The fast actually commemorates five tragic events that occurred on this date:
- Moshe
broke the tablets when he saw the Hebrew people worshipping the Golden
Calf.
- During
the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the Hebrews were forced to cease
offering the daily sacrifices due to the lack of sheep.
- Apostomos
burned the set apart Torah.
- An
idol was placed in the set apart Temple.
- The
walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans, in 69 CE, after a lengthy
siege. (Three weeks later, after the Jews put up a valiant struggle, the Romans
destroyed the second set apart Temple on the 9th of Av.)
The Jerusalem Talmud maintains that this is also the date when the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on their way to destroying the first Temple.
From a halachic view abstaining from food and drink
is the external element of a fast day. On a deeper level, a fast day is an
auspicious day, a day when YHVH is accessible, waiting for us to repent.
The
sages explain: “Every generation for which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as
though the Temple was destroyed for that generation.” A fast day is not only a
sad day, but an opportune day. It’s a day when we are empowered to fix the
cause of that destruction, so that our long exile will be ended and we will
find ourselves living in messianic times; may that be very soon.
On this day of the 17th
of the Fourth month healthy adults—bar- or bat-mitzvah age and older—abstain
from eating or drinking between dawn and nightfall.” End quote.
This Torah portion has been adapted from the Triennial Cycle to coincide
with the Septennial Torah Cycle – Number
145 - Dev 16:18-17:20. Psalms 120-122. Ashlmatah/Prophetic lesson - Yesh
56:1-9 and 57:19. Nazarene Talmud – Mark 15:16-21, Luke
23:26-32, Rom 12:9-31 and Mat 27:3-10.
We start with a commentary of Psalms 120 – 122 by a Dr Cooper.
Quote: The book of Psalms is divided into five sections – one section for
each one of the books of the Torah.
The Songs of Ascents:
Psalms 120 thru 134
The Songs of Ascents, fifteen in number, hold a
unique position in the Psalter. They are Psalms 120 thru 134. Various theories
have been advanced by scholars in interpreting the significance of these
psalms. The word “ascents” is what its name implies in English, namely, “goings
up.” Other scholars, with greater probability, have assumed that the word,
ascents, refers to Israel's going up to Jerusalem (which was in the high
mountains of Judea) at the three annual feasts. Still other students of the
Word think that we are to interpret the word ascents spiritually and understand
that these songs are speaking of progress and development in the spiritual
life. In that event, this development is spoken of in terms of scaling some
heights
The explanation which seems to coincide with all of
the facts as they appear in this collection of psalms is that our term,
ascents, speaks of Israel's return to YHVH and restoration to fellowship with the
Almighty in terms of the Hebrews going up from all parts of the land to Jerusalem
to appear before YHVH and to worship Him there. When all of these psalms are studied,
it will be seen that they deal specifically with the return of Israel to YHVH and
restoration to the land and to spiritual communion with Him. When Israel does
these things, she will become the channel of world blessing, being no longer
the tail of the nations, but the head.
Psalm 120: The Plight of
the Russian Jews
With this general survey of the songs of ascents in
mind, let us now turn specifically to the first one, Psalm 120, and study its
message.
As the subtitle of this article indicates, this psalm
deals with the situation of the Russian Jews. The words of this song are as
follows:
120:1 In my distress I cried unto YHVH, And he
answered me.
120:2 Deliver my soul, o YHVH, from lying lips, And from a deceitful tongue.
120:3 What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?
120:4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
120:5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Qĕḏar (translated in English as Kedar)!
120:6 My soul hath long had her dwelling With him that hateth peace.
120:7 I am for peace: But when I speak, they are for war.
120:2 Deliver my soul, o YHVH, from lying lips, And from a deceitful tongue.
120:3 What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?
120:4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
120:5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Qĕḏar (translated in English as Kedar)!
120:6 My soul hath long had her dwelling With him that hateth peace.
120:7 I am for peace: But when I speak, they are for war.
From verse 5 it is clear that the writer identifies
himself with the Jews who live in Moscow, Russia, and also in Qĕḏar (Kedar),
which was in the general region lying between the Caspian and Black Seas. Thus
we may conclude that the psalmist, whoever he was, in vision and by the Spirit
of YHVH, was carried forward to the very close of the present age and was
transported in his vision up to Russia and became the spokesman for the
unfortunate Russian Jews of the present era.
A Prayer for Deliverance
In verses 1-4 the psalmist, by the Spirit of YHVH,
enters into the experiences of the poor suffering Russian Jews of the present
time and leads them in a petition as they plead for deliverance from the all
but unbearable bondage and slavery in which they are held.
In verse 1 the author states that he had been in distress,
but had called upon YHVH and that the He had answered prayer by delivering him.
It is a wonderful thing to have dealings with YHVH and to look to Him for
complete deliverance from all troubles. YHVH is a prayer-answering Elohim.
In verse 2 appears the prayer which the Russian
Jews will make before the Almighty. They will realize the satanic deceitfulness
of the propaganda machine of the Russian Government. Thus they will pray to be
delivered “... from lying lips, And from a deceitful tongue.” According
to news reports the fundamental basic principle of the Soviet Government is
that of deception and lying. The Russians have had a cold war on for years and
doubtless will continue it. The gains that they have made have been largely
brought about by their deceitful propaganda.
Continuing his prophecy, the writer of Psalm 120 turns directly to a future
ruler of Russia and asks him this question:
What shall be given unto thee,
and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?” (vs. 3)
and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?” (vs. 3)
This language is addressed to one who is deceitful:
“... Thou deceitfultongue?” While we recognize that the recent rulers of Russia
have had deceitful tongues, this is not addressed to them, but to a successor
who will suffer under the mighty titanic strokes of the Almighty. Who is this
one? When we turn to Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16, we see that the leader, or
commander, of Russia at the time of that nation's invasion of Palestine is none
other than Gog, who will meet the Almighty in Palestine, and who will be
overthrown by Him. In the light of these facts, I am confident that the one
addressed in verse 3 of Psalm 120 is none other than Gog, the ruler of Russia
at the time of the future invasion described in Ezekiel. Ezekiel's prophecy
should be studied very, very carefully in this connection. Psalm 120 is the
poetic version of the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16.
What shall be given unto thee,
and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?” (vs. 3)
and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?” (vs. 3)
The answer to this question is found in verse 4:
Sharp arrows of the mighty,
With coals of juniper.” (vs. 4)
With coals of juniper.” (vs. 4)
As there are two parts to the question — “What
shall be given unto thee,” and, “... what shall be done more unto thee” — the
answer is given in two parts: First, sharp arrows of the mighty shall be given;
secondly, coals of juniper shall be hurled upon him.
Since in the oaths YHVH was always the subject who
acts, and since verse four is the answer to the question put in the form of an
oath, YHVH is the one who is to be understood as the one acting. In the light
of these facts, we are forced to conclude that the one designated “the mighty”
is none other than the Almighty, who shoots the sharp arrows at this future
deceitful propagandist of Russia. In interpreting Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16 I wrote
a book of 116 pages entitled, 'When Gog's Armies Meet the Almighty.' When Russia, with the satellite
nations invades Palestine by sending a great aerial armada against it, she will
meet the Almighty as a warrior, who will overthrow all of her forces. Thus YHVH,
in this passage, is represented as the Mighty One who shoots His arrows at the
enemy, and who deluges them with coals of Juniper, very hot embers. When we
read Ezekiel 39:6 we see that at the time of the overthrow of the Russian hosts
in Palestine, there will also be the raining of fire and brimstone from heaven
upon Russia to destroy her war potential and to liquidate all her armed forces.
Thus we see in Psalm 120:4 the complete annihilation of the armed forces of
Russia and her accomplices behind the iron curtain.
The psalmist, continuing to speak for the
unfortunate Russian Jews, declares:
My soul hath long had her dwelling
With him that hateth peace.” (vs. 6)
With him that hateth peace.” (vs. 6)
The clause, “that hateth peace,” certainly does
describe the Russian regime perfectly. They hate peace! The Russian Government
hates peace and is doing everything in its power to foment trouble and chaos
throughout the world in order that they might bring the entire world under
their domination.
The author, continuing, says:
I am for peace:
But when I speak, they are for war.” (vs. 7)
But when I speak, they are for war.” (vs. 7)
When the Russians invade Palestine in fulfillment
of Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16, then the remnant of the Jews in Russia will have an
opportunity to return to the land of their forefathers. They long for peace and
for an opportunity to worship the YHVH of their fathers. End quote
Psalm 121: Israel's Turning
to YHVH
Psa 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; Where does my
help come from?
Psa 121:2 My help comes from יהוה, Maker of the
heavens and earth.
Psa 121:3 He does
not allow your foot to be moved; He who watches over you does not slumber.
Psa 121:4 See, He
who is guarding Yisra’ĕl Neither slumbers nor sleeps.
Psa 121:5 יהוה is your guard; יהוה is your shade at your right hand.
Psa 121:6 The sun
does not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.
Psa 121:7 יהוה guards you from all evil; He guards your
being.
Psa 121:8 יהוה guards your going out and your coming in
Now and forever.
Psa 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go
into the House of יהוה.”
Psa 122:2 Our feet
have been standing Within your gates, O Yerushalayim!
Psa 122:3
Yerushalayim is built As a city that is bound together,
Psa 122:4 Where
the tribes have come up, The tribes of Yah, A witness to Yisra’ĕl, To give
thanks to the Name of יהוה.
Psa 122:5 For
there the thrones of right-ruling were set, The thrones of the house of Dawiḏ.
Psa 122:6 Pray for
the peace of Yerushalayim, Let those who love You be at rest.
Psa 122:7 Peace be
within your walls, Rest in your citadels.
Psa 122:8 For the
sake of my brothers and companions, I say, “Peace be within you.”
Psa 122:9 For the
sake of the House of יהוה our Elohim I
seek your good.
Ashlamatah – Prophetic lesson.
A prophetic promise given to a wayward Yisrael:
Isa 57:18 “I have seen his ways, but now I heal
him, and I lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners,
Isa 57:19 creating the fruit of the lips: peace, peace
to him who is far off and to him who is near,” said יהוה, “and I shall
heal him.”
Nazarene Talmud (Second Writings):
Luk 23:26 And as they led Him away, they laid hold of a
certain man, Shimʽon a Cyrenian, who was
coming from the field, and they put the stake on him, to bear it behind יהושע.
Luk 23:27 And a
great number of the people were following Him, and women who also were mourning
and lamenting Him.
Luk 23:28 But יהושע, turning to them, said, “Daughters of
Yerushalayim, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your
children.
Luk 23:29 “For
look, days are coming in which they shall say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and
wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never nursed!’
Luk 23:30 “Then
they shall begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills,
“Cover us!” ’
Luk 23:31 “Because
if they do this to the green tree, what is going to be done to the dry tree?”
Luk 23:32 And two
others also, evil-doers, were led with Him to be put to death.
Triennial Torah Portion
begins -
Deu 16:13 “Perform the Festival of Booths for seven
days after the ingathering from your threshing-floor and from your winepress,
Deu 16:14 and you shall rejoice in your festival, you
and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant,
and the Lĕwite, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are
within your gates.
Deu 16:15 “For seven days you shall observe a festival
to יהוה your Elohim in
the place which יהוה chooses,
because יהוה your Elohim does bless you in all your
increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be only rejoicing!
Deu 16:16 “Three
times a year all your males appear before יהוה your Elohim in
the place which He chooses: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and at the
Festival of Weeks, and at the Festival of Booths. And none should appear before
יהוה empty-handed,
Deu 16:17 but
each one with the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of יהוה your Elohim which He has given you.
Sukkot was a time when all believers in the One True
Elohim of Yisrael would make their way UP to Yerushayim to joyously celebrate
this appointed time.
Sukkot reminded believers of the Great Marriage Supper of
the Lamb and the joyful Messianic feast that followed and celebrated our union
with Messiah during the final 1000 year period of peace on this earth before
Rev 21 comes into being.
Rev 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him
praise, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife prepared herself.”
Rev 19:8 And to her it was given to be dressed in fine
linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the
set-apart ones.
Rev 19:9 And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those
who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me,
“These are the true words of Elohim.”
Our Sidra begins according to the Septennial Cycle:
Deu 16:18 “Appoint
judges and officers within all your gates, which יהוה your Elohim is
giving you, according to your tribes. And they shall judge the people with
righteous right-ruling.
יח שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, תִּתֶּן-לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ, לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ; וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם, מִשְׁפַּט-צֶדֶק.
In
modern Hebrew a magistrate is called a “shofet shalom” and a policeman is
called a “shoter.” We can therefore understand the first phrase of this Torah
portion as “appoint magistrates and policemen”
“Even
in the kingdom of YHVH people will not always do what you expect but what you
inspect.”
This
Torah portion-“Shoftim” or Judges- points us clearly to a time when YHVH will
once again appoint “shoftim and shotrim” – “Appoint judges and officers
within all your gates” to guide the lives of His Covenant people in the “olam
ha ba” – the age to come – when no one will be permitted to do what is right in
their own eyes.
Even in this age – “olam ha ze” there is a growing remnant – His Bride
- that have a passion to walk as our Messiah walked and do what is right in the
Eyes of YHVH by observing and walking according to His Covenant – The Torah.
Many believers today are preparing for “heaven” but the Scriptures teaches us to prepare for the coming Messianic
kingdom on earth, where the citizens of the Kingdom will be living and
following the practical instruction of the Torah day by day for 1000 years. (Is
2:2-4)
Judges and policemen (shotrim) will be appointed and anointed by the
Ruach Ha Kodesh to ensure that all the citizens of Yisrael are assisted to abide
fully with their covenant obligations towards YHVH and one another. These men
will operate