Blessed are You YHVH our Elohim - Creator of the universe, whose blessings have come to rest upon us through Moshiach Ben David, who is The Tree of Life and who establishes the everlasting root and fruit of Your Torah in our lives and in this age and in the age to come and through which all the families of the earth will be blessed forever and ever.
Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in
our hearts and in the hearts of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and
our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Jacob – and all
Jacob’s adopted family – know Your Name and study Your Torah, for the sake of
the Torah- empowering us to sincerely love one another and to love You above
all. Please uncover our eyes and open our hearts that we may carefully examine
and understand the marvels and mysteries of Your Torah- Amein.
השׁכם
בבקר – Ha shkem ba boker – ‘’rise early in the morning’’
Exo 8:20 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Rise
early in the morning (השׁכם
בבקר) and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water, and say
to him, ‘Thus said יהוה,
“Let My people go, so that they serve Me.
It is rather unusual that the scribe starts off this new
portion in the septennial cycle not referring to an opening verse of the Torah
portion. Why would he do this?
Because this verse (vs20) is the focus of this Torah
portion.
Why?
Because Moses was making an urgent appeal during the fourth
plague to fellow Israelites to make their way to the only safe place in all the
land of Egypt – Goshen.
We find this pattern repeats itself in the last days –
Rev
12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place
prepared by Elohim, to be nourished there one thousand two hundred and sixty
days.
Rev
12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight
with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and
possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah.
The woman about to give birth in Revelation 12 is a symbolic
figure heavily debated by scholars and theologians, but she is most broadly
understood as representing Jewish believers in Messiah living in Israel and non-Jewish
believers living outside of Israel in the nations –
Eze 20:34 “And I shall bring you out from the
peoples and gather you out of the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty
hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.
Eze 20:35 “And I shall bring you into the
wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face to face
there.
Eze 20:36 “As I entered into judgment with your
fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into
judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה.
Eze 20:37 “And I shall make you pass under the rod,
and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant,
Eze 20:38 and purge the rebels from among you, and
those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them
out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ěl. And you shall know that
I am יהוה.
Both groups are defined as those guarding the commands of Elohim and
possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah and not loving their lives unto death.
Daniel
the prophet adds another interesting detail to this two group possibility:
Dan 11:32 “And by flatteries he shall profane those
who do wrong against the covenant, but the people who know their Elohim shall
be strong, and shall act.
Dan 11:33 “And those of the people who have insight
shall give understanding to many. And they shall stumble by sword and flame, by
captivity and plundering, for days.
Dan 11:34 “And when they stumble, they shall be
helped, a little help, but many shall join them, by flatteries.
Dan 11:35 “And some of those who have insight shall
stumble, to refine them, and to cleanse them, and to make them white, until the
time of the end, for it is still for an appointed time.
The Third Plague: Gnats (lice)
Initially in the egg stage lice looks like dandruff in your hair they soon grow to small crawling insects about 2mm in size and cause itchiness and irritation.
Exo 8:16 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Say
to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it
becomes lice in all the land of Mitsrayim.’”
Exo 8:17 And they did so, and Aharon stretched out
his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on
man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice in all the land of
Mitsrayim.
Exo 8:18 And the magicians did similarly with their
magic to bring forth lice, but they were unable. And there were lice on
man and beast.
Exo 8:19 The magicians then said to Pharaoh, “This
is the finger of Elohim!” But the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did
not listen to them, as יהוה
had said.
The most famous moment of this plague occurs when Pharaoh’s sorcerers attempt to use their secret arts to replicate the lice, just as they had replicated the blood and the frogs. This time, they completely fail.
In Exodus 8:19, the magicians turn to Pharaoh and
declare helplessly: "It is the finger of Elohim" (Etzba
Elokim hi).
The text notes that the lice were "upon man and
upon beast" (Exodus 8:17). The sages note that this plague attacked
the Egyptians' intense cultural obsession with physical purity and cleanliness.
Targeting the Priestly System: Egyptian priests
were required to shave their entire bodies every few days and wash constantly
in sacred pools to ensure no lice or pest ever touched them while they served
their idols.
A massive, chaotic gathering of living creatures is essentially a "mixture" or "hybrid creatures" moving together.
In the Torah, the concept of "mixture" or separation is central to Set Apartness, as the Hebrew word for holy (kadosh, קדוש) literally means to be set apart or distinct. When distinct categories are blurred, it directly violates the order of the universe established at Creation.
The primary Hebrew word associated with forbidden
mixtures is kil'ayim (כִּלְאַיִם),
and the Torah outlines several specific prohibitions against it.
Agricultural Cross-Breeding: Farmers are commanded
not to sow a field with two different kinds of seed or plant diverse
seeds in a vineyard (Leviticus 19:19, Deuteronomy 22:9).
Yoking Different Animals: Deuteronomy 22:10
states, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together."
Intermarriage and Spiritual Syncretism: Israel was
strictly forbidden from mixing with neighbouring pagan nations through marriage
or worship practices (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). This was to prevent the
"mixture" of true worship with idolatry.
Exo 8:21 “Or else, if you do not let My people go,
see, I am sending swarms of flies (hybrids) on you and your servants, and on
your people and into your houses. And the houses of the Mitsrites shall be
filled with swarms of flies, (heavy hybrids) and also the ground on which they
stand.
Exo 8:22 “And in that day I shall separate the land
of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, so
that you know that I am יהוה
in the midst of the land.
Exo 8:23 “And I shall put a ransom between My
people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.”
In biblical theology, Goshen represents divine
distinction and immunity. Because one of the traditional meanings of the
root word is "drawing near," Goshen carries a deep covenantal
meaning – YHVH calling and choosing to protect and engage with a remnant.’’
Exo 8:28 And Pharaoh said, “I am letting you go,
then you shall slaughter to יהוה
your Elohim in the wilderness. Only, do not go very far away! Pray for
me.”
Exo 8:29 And Mosheh said, “See, when I leave you I
shall pray to יהוה,
and tomorrow the swarms of flies shall depart from Pharaoh, from his servants,
and from his people. But do not let Pharaoh again deceive, not to let the
people go to slaughter to יהוה.”
Exo 8:30 And Mosheh went out from Pharaoh and
prayed to יהוה.
Exo 8:31 And יהוה did according to the
word of Mosheh and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants,
and from his people. Not one remained.
Exo 8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this
time too and did not let the people go.
It is possible that this 4th plague will take place during the trumpet judgments of the last days great tribulation.
Rev
9:6 And in those days men shall seek death and shall not find it. And
they shall long to die, but death shall flee from them.
Rev
9:7 And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, and on their
heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. (note
the mixture)
Rev
9:8 And they had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’
teeth.
Rev
9:9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of
their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into
battle.
Rev
9:10 And they have tails like scorpions, and stings. And in their tails
is their authority to harm men five months.
Rom
9:18 So, then, He favours whom He wishes, and He hardens whom He
wishes.
Rom
9:19 Then you shall say to me, “Why does He still find fault? For who has
resisted His counsel?” Rom 9:20 But who are you, O man, to talk back
to Elohim? Shall that which is formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you
made me like this?” Isa_29:16, Isa_45:9.
Rom
9:21 Does not the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump
to make one vessel for value and another not for value?
Rom
9:22 And if Elohim, desiring to show wrath, and to make His power known,
with much patience tolerated the vessels of wrath prepared for
destruction,
Rom
9:23 and that He might make known the riches of His esteem on vessels of
compassion, which He had prepared beforehand for esteem,
Rom
9:24 even whom He called, not only us of the Yehuḏim, but also of the nations?
Exo
9:2 “For if you refuse to let them go, and are still holding them,
Exo
9:3 see, the hand of יהוה is on your livestock in the field, on the
horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the cattle, and on the sheep – a very
grievous pestilence.
Exo
9:4 “And יהוה shall separate between the livestock of Yisra’ěl and the
livestock of Mitsrayim, and let no matter die of all that belongs to the
children of Yisra’ěl.” ’ ”
Exo
9:5 And יהוה set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow יהוה is going to do this word in
the land.”
Exo
9:6 And יהוה did this word on the next day, and all the livestock of
Mitsrayim died, but of the livestock of the children of Yisra’ěl, not one
died.
Exo
9:7 Then Pharaoh sent, and see, not even one of the livestock of Yisra’ěl
was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people
go.
Plague 6: Shechin (Boils — Exodus 9:8–12)
This plague marks a massive escalation because it is the
third in the cycle, meaning it comes with absolutely no warning.
Scholars, geologists, and epidemiologists who look for naturalistic explanations for the Plagues of Egypt frequently link the events to the Minoan eruption of Thera (the Aegean island now known as Santorini). This cataclysm occurred roughly between 1600–1540 BCE and was one of the largest volcanic events in human history – 4-5 times greater than Krakatoa.
Exo
9:10 So they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and
Mosheh scattered them toward the heavens. And they caused boils, breaking out
in sores on man and beast.
Exo
9:11 And the magicians were unable to stand before Mosheh because of the
boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Mitsrites.
Exo
9:12 But יהוה strengthened the heart of
Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said to Mosheh.
"But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there..." (Exodus 8:22)
In fact, right at the beginning of the great tribulation,
he (anti christ) will convince many believers and unbelievers that he is the
risen Christ.
2Th
2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called Elohim or
that is worshipped, so that he sits as Elohim in the Dwelling Place of Elohim,
showing himself that he is Elohim.
2Th
2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because
they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be
saved.
2Th
2:11 And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for
them to believe the falsehood
Rev
16:11 And they blasphemed the Elohim of the heaven for their pains and
their sores, and did not repent of their works.
The Antichrist will proudly march his armies to
Armageddon thinking he is about to dethrone YHVH, completely unaware that he is
merely walking into the ultimate execution of divine judgment.
By structuring the plagues across the span of the Moedim,
YHVH was teaching Israel—and the world—that His calendar dictating judgment
and salvation is unshakeable. The same exact timeline used to bring down
physical Egypt is the timeline used in Revelation to bring down spiritual
Egypt, proving that YHVH acts strictly on His "Appointed Times."
The 42-month duration of the Great Tribulation
represents a profound, divinely calculated period of time that directly unifies
everything we have discussed—the plagues of Egypt, the refining furnace, and
the divine calendar.
This specific timeframe appears repeatedly throughout the
prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation, described interchangeably as 42
months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6),
or "a time, times, and half a time" (3.5 years; Daniel 7:25,
Revelation 12:14).
The 42 Campings of the Wilderness
In Numbers 33, the Scripture painstakingly records the exact
itinerary of Israel after they left Egypt and the plagues. The text lists
exactly 42 stations or campings where Israel pitched their tents in the
wilderness before entering the Promised Land.
Just as Israel had to navigate 42 physical stages of
testing to be refined from the mindset of Egypt, the global body of
believers will navigate a 42-month period of spiritual wilderness and
tribulation before entering the Promised Land – the 1000 year Kingdom of
Messiah.
This is why Revelation 12:6 explicitly uses Exodus language,
stating that during this time, the woman (faithful Israel) flees into the wilderness,
where she has a place prepared by YHVH to be nourished for 1,260 days
(42 months).
The 10 Virgins Connection: Classical theologians like
Puritan Thomas Shepard and Jonathan Edwards explicitly used the imagery of
Goshen's light to describe the spiritual state of the five wise virgins.
They noted that when the world enters its final "midnight" period of
spiritual darkness and judgment, the wise virgins have a "personal
Goshen" because they possess the internal light of the Set Apart Spirit
(the oil). Conversely, the foolish virgins find themselves left out in the
darkness of "Egypt’’
Rom
9:16 So, then, it is not of him who is wishing, nor of him who is
running, but of Elohim who shows favour. (there are no bragging rights for
escaping the kingdom of darkness)
1Co
1:31 that, as it has been written, “He who boasts, let him boast in יהוה.” Jer_9:23-24.
This acts as the ultimate antidote to human pride, showing
that the only thing a chosen vessel can legally boast in is the character and
intervening power of YHVH.
Rev
14:12 Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones,c here are those
guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of יהושע.
Blessed
are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of
truth and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH
giver of the Torah – Amein.
Additional
Midrash:
Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, and his
bestselling book is titled The Return of the Gods. ancient
spirits are returning to "repossess" the culture
In the book, Cahn focuses on three specific Mesopotamian
deities that he claims are actively transforming modern culture:
Baal (The Possessor): The god of fertility and
materialism, whom Cahn links to the optimization of wealth, national apostasy,
and the breakdown of traditional morality.
Ishtar (The Sorceress): The goddess of passion and
gender alteration, whom he credits with shifting modern parameters of gender,
sexuality, and relationships.
Molech (The Destroyer): The god associated with child
sacrifice, whom Cahn connects directly to the legalization and normalization of
abortion.
Cahn subsequently expanded on these concepts in his
September 2025 book, The Avatar. This newer work builds on the
"return of the ancient gods" thesis by alleging that these same
spiritual entities are using modern political figures and world leaders as
"instruments" or avatars to advance their agendas on the global stage.
It focuses on how ancient pagan spirits are allegedly manifesting through
modern political figures to control Western civilisation.
Cahn defines an "avatar" as the earthly
manifestation or physical embodiment of a deity. He asserts that modern global
leaders unknowingly act as physical vessels or "avatars" for ancient
spirits
The book argues that these hidden, supernatural forces lie
behind the rise, fall, and outcome of every recent American presidential
election.
A significant portion of the book applies ancient templates
of kings, queens, and priests to Donald Trump. Cahn claims to decode a
"mystery" determining the exact years of Trump's presidency, the
significance of his birthdate, and a spiritual purpose behind his survival of
an assassination attempt.
The Cosmic Queen & Altar of Ishtar: Detailing how
ancient female deities are influencing modern feminist movements, gender
redefinition, and shifts in societal values
Demonic Backing: Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalm
106:37 explicitly state that when the Israelites worshipped pagan idols,
they were actually "sacrificing to demons."
End-Times Resurgence of Idolatry and Sorcery
The Book of Revelation explicitly predicts a massive, global
revival of ancient pagan practices during the end times:
Global Demon Worship: Revelation 9:20 states
that during the end-of-days tribulations, humanity "did not repent of
the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of
gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood."
The Babylon Template: In Revelation 17–18, the
ultimate global system opposed to YHVH is called "Mystery Babylon."
Babylon was the historical birthplace of the worship of Baal and Ishtar,
leading prophetic scholars to argue that the end-times world system will be a
literal revival of ancient Babylonian spirituality, sexual amorality, and
occultism.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, Paul writes about a
"restrainer" that holds back the full manifestation of lawlessness.
Prophetic interpretations suggest that as the influence of the Set Apart Spirit
and the Church wanes in the West, this restraint is lifted, allowing ancient
spiritual lawlessness to flood back into the culture unchecked.
The vast majority of mainstream biblical scholars and
academic theologians strongly differ with Jonathan Cahn's "Jehu
template of Trump’’
While Jehu was used to judge Ahab's house, (and destroy Jezebel)
the Bible explicitly states that he “was not careful to keep the Torah of
the YHVH” and clung to the golden calves of Jeroboam (2 Kings 10:31). Furthermore, in the Book of Hosea, YHVH
declares that He will punish the house of Jehu for the excessive,
unchecked bloodshed he committed at Jezreel (Hosea 1:4). Scholars
argue that turning an unfaithful, mass-killing king into a modern prophetic
ideal ignores the Scripture's ultimate condemnation of his character.
2Ki
10:31 But Yěhu did not guard to walk in the Torah of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ěl with all his heart. For
he did not turn away from the sins of Yaroḇ‛am, who had made Yisra’ěl
sin.
Scholars emphasize that this type of teaching relies on a
flawed theological premise: that the United States has a special, replacement
covenant relationship with YHVH identical to ancient Israel.
Treating American elections as direct replays of ancient
Israelite palace coups is viewed as a theological error born out of Christian
Nationalism rather than sound scriptural truth.