A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

Zechariah Chapter 5 concerns two visions regarding the cleansing of God’s people; and the message conveyed is cryptic. The first is of a flying scroll, which signifies the curse of God; the other is the vision of an ephah, and a woman sitting in it, and a talent of lead cast upon the mouth of it, which signified wickedness. What do all these symbols mean?

Second; on reading the passage with its literal meanings, the chapter doesn’t make much sense, but by stretching the meanings slightly, as the flying scroll signifies the curse of God, a warning is being conveyed; perhaps the woman signifies on fire; our modern missiles; the chapter makes more sense: that is, those missiles are loaded with an ephah: or nuclear weapons; and all about our modern warfare with the potential of nuclear bombs devastating the whole world, a coded and hidden warning of a world reaping a curse from God from its own wickedness. Such a new look unveils a new perspective.

Zechariah 5: Could the symbolism in Zechariah 5 indicate that there would be nuclear war simetimes in the endtime?

Zechariah 5

¹ Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a flying scroll. — after a time interval, Zechariah turned and lifted up his eyes and looked: behold a flying scroll, a book-scroll or parchment of great size or consisting of many large leaves fastened together;

— a flying scroll is a divine indictment, a judgment swift and inescapable; a parallel scene of a book-scroll of what Ezekiel saw, in Ezekiel 2, “and in it was written lamentations and mourning and woe.”

And I saw, and behold, a hand stretched out to me, and behold, in it was a scroll of a book.
And he spread it out before me, and it was inscribed before and behind, and there was written upon it lamentations and murmuring and woe. Ezekiel 2:9-10

² And he said unto me, “What seest thou?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll. The length thereof is twenty cubits and the breadth thereof ten cubits.”

— and the angel said unto Zechariah, What seest thou? And Zechariah answered, I see a flying scroll, a parchment loose or unrolled moving through the air; the length thereof is twenty cubits and the breadth thereof ten cubits, the dimensions approximately ten yards by five yards.

³ Then said he unto me, “This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for every one who stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it, and every one who sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

— without waiting for a question on the part of the prophet, the angel then said unto Zechariah, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth, as written on the scroll;

— the two sins of theft and false swearing; for whosoever that steal shall be cut off as on this side according to it, and anyone who swears, especially modern politicians, White House officials that had taken a false oath to tell the truth shall be cut off as on that side according to it, that is, the sinners who refuse to repent, who persist in their wickedness, must be cut off and removed;

— the one being against the second, as two categories of curses; show that the curses of the law reaches all sorts of sins and sinners; pretty much similar to what Ezekiel saw: “of written lamentations and mourning and woe.” The message of Ezekiel is primarily a warning to the house of Israel (mentions 169 times); to Ephraim, the chief tribe.

For more, see ‘the US is an ’empire of lies’ or, Who is Ephraim, a Chronic Liar?

— the Targum says

“And he said to me: This is the curse that is destined to go out over the face of all the land, for everyone who steals and everyone who denies (or lies) is punished, and everyone who swears falsely in My Name is punished.”

⁴ ‘I will bring it forth,’ saith the Lord of hosts,‘ and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by My name. And it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume it, with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.’”

— the Lord will bring forth the curse and the judgement with it, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name, these two classes of sinners being named as representatives of all unrepentant transgressors;

— and it shall remain in the midst of his householf, lodging in that family, dwelling there permanently, and shall consume that family with the timber thereof and the stones thereof, not leaving a vestige of it. These words are properly expressive of the curse and of the punishment of God upon these form of deliberate transgression; which would be like a consuming fire upon anyone and everyone who steal and swear falsely;

— Rashi: I have brought it forth: to walk to and fro in the land and to wreak vengeance upon the thieves and the swearers of falsehoods from now on; and it shall come into the house of the thief, etc;

— and a saying goes: “a man that swears much shall be full of iniquity, and the plague shall not depart from his house,” and “if a man swears in vain, he shall not be innocent or justified, for his house shall be full of calamities.”

⁵ Then the angel who talked with me went forth and said unto me, “Lift up now thine eyes and see what is this that goeth forth.”

— then the angel that talked with Zechariah, and said unto Zechariah, ‘Lift up now thine eyes and see what is this that goeth forth,’ appearing before his eyes, something that Zechariah should observe very closely.

⁶ And I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is an ephah that goeth forth.” He said moreover, “This is their resemblance through all the earth.”

— ‘This is an ephah (אֵיפָה H374 ‘êp̄â) that goeth forth,’ the ephah being a dry measure corresponding roughly to our peck; the object in the vision was evidently a receptacle having the shape of an ephah, and the ephah was chosen because it was often called the measure of unrighteousness and of deceits;

— the angel said, ‘This is their resemblance through all the earth,’ literally, ‘this their eye in all the land,” that is, this is the object of their gaze, all eyes are centered upon it.

⁷ And behold, there was lifted up a weighty piece of lead, and this is a woman who sitteth in the midst of the ephah. — first appearance of a woman(אִשָּׁה H802‘iššâ), perhaps a church, one of wickedness, the Roman Church? Or a fire, the afterburner of a missile? the missile being covered by a layer of lead; אשח‎

— and behold there was lifted up a talent of lead, a great round piece, weighing about a hundred pounds; and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah, the female personification of wickedness held within the ephah by the great weight; אִשׁת

— is God trying to convey to the people of the endtime, that there would be nuclear weapons carried by missiles caused by cheatings and false swearings that result in “great wickedness?” to affect “over the face of the whole earth,” (v3) which a global radiation would do.

⁸ And he said, “This is wickedness.” And he cast it into the midst of the ephah, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

— and the angel said, ‘This is wickedness,’ Israel being imbued with false doctrines, and godlessness personified. And the angel cast it into the midst of the ephah, thus preventing her escape; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof, this acting as a cover keeping her shut up within the measure.

⁹ Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings (for they had wings like the wings of a stork), and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

— fascinated by a further wonderful thing that happened, then lifted Zechariah up his eyes and behold, there came out two women (אִשָּׁה H802 ‘iššâ), and the wind was in their wings, aiding them in their movement forward as they carried the ephah;

— two women appear; perhaps two entities: church and state? Or two missiles?

— for they had wings (missiles) like the wings of a bird; the stork, an\d unclean bird, actually could traverses a longer distance than from Judea to Shinar; and they lifted up the ephah (with nuclear payload) between the earth and the heaven, carrying missiles or drones flying along quickly, all over the world, between the earth and the first heaven.

¹⁰ Then said I to the angel who talked with me, “Whither do these bear the ephah?” — then asked Zechariah the angel who talked with him, “Where do these bear the ephah?”

— the agents to carry away the “woman” are, or ephah, woman imprisoned, wickedness and lead too, on the wings of those two women in motion.

¹¹ And he said unto me, “To build it a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.” — and the angel said unto Zechariah, ‘To build an house in the land of Shinar,’ in the land of Babylonia, typical from olden times as the land of rebellion against the Lord;

— that is, in the province of Babylon, as the Targum paraphrases it; for Babel, or Babylon, was in the land of Shinar; Genesis 11:1-9; and it shall be established and set there upon her own base; representative of the ungodly world, a mystery of iniquity, Revelation 17:5; wickedness was to have its place; a place of wickedness;

— today, from a spiritual point of view, Washington DC and New York city could be considered the greatest and most perverted cities in the world, politically (one side of the scroll a warning for those who swears falsely under oath before the Bible upon taking office) and economically (the other side of the scroll meant for those who steals through Wall Street tradings: insider tradings, share manipulations and more);

— and perhaps this reference to Babylon could be meant for these end-time godless cities; that is, either one, or both, of these modern Babylonian metropolises could be destined to be blown up by a nuclear conflagration; verse 3 above indicate both cities destroyed;

— and second, the United States is so far the only country that has used two nuclear weapons against another, perhaps this verse “as you have done, it shall be done to you;” of a prophetic boomerang effect could shed some light that could flared up not just the United States but would even engulf the whole world:

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head” Obadiah 1:15

— and then appear the four chariots of horses in the next chapter!

Zechariah 6

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¹ And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass.

— Zechariah lifted up his eyes and looked, there came four chariots out from between two mountains in the mountainous country near Jerusalem, very likely between Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives; and the mountains were mountains of brass, firm and immovable.

² In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses, — in the first chariot, harnessed to it were red horses; and we would assigned them as signifying war and bloodshed; but the angel never elaborate further what the red horses are;

— Gill says: by these “red horses” must be designed the Babylonians and Chaldeans, so called because their soldiers were clothed in red, and their chariots were like flaming torches;

— red horses may signify bloody times, and for the endtime, a fiery execution of wrath, Revelation 6:4; and in Isaiah 63: “Who is this that cometh from Edom?”

¹ Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments (with his garments stained crimson in other translations) from Bozrah, this that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? “I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

² Why art thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine vat?

³ “I have trodden the wine press alone; and of the people there was none with Me. For I will tread them in Mine anger and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment.

⁴ For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. Isaiah 63:1-4

For more about a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

More from the South, The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

— and in the second chariot black horses, the color of misfortune, of mourning, and of death;

³ and in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grizzled and bay horses. — and in the third chariot white horses, implying Death and Hades; and in the fourth chariot grizzled and bay horses Cf Revelation 6:8;

— a black horses symbolizes famine and carries the scales; and the third white horses ride along with Death, accompanied by Hades;

— a chariot grizzled and bay horses? pestilences, like Covid-19 epidemics of coronal virus which we’re experiencing today; famines, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth;

— compare with Matthew 24:

⁶ And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

⁷ For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. Matthew 24:6-7

⁴ Then I answered and said unto the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” — then Zechariah answered and said unto the angel, What are these?

— my lord (‘āḏôn not Yehovah יְהֹוָה) so the angel appeared as an ordinary angel to Zechariah.

⁵ And the angel answered and said unto me, “These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

— and the angel answered Zechariah, ‘These are the four spirits of the heavens,’ the four winds as the instruments of the Lord’s will, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. Cf Psalms 104:4; Psalms 148:8. The agency of the winds in the work of destructive judgement is mentioned also elsewhere in the Bible Cf Revelation 7:1

— the Targum says

“And the angel answered and said to me, These are four kingdoms which are like the four winds of heaven revealed / going forth from before the Master of all the earth.”

⁶ The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country, and the white go forth after them, and the grizzled go forth toward the south country.

— the black chariot horses (mourning, and of death) which are therein, that is, the chariot drawn by these horses, go into the North country, where the great world-powers, Assyria and Babylon; now represented by the lost-10 tribes at the endtime, were situated;

— and the white chariot horses (Death and Hades) go forth after the North, too, victory following death and destruction; but the grizzled go toward the South country, where Idumea, Edom and Egypt were situated;

— a chariot grizzled horses? pestilences, like Covid-19 epidemics of coronal virus; famines with hunger and death?

⁷ And the bay went forth and sought to go, that they might walk to and fro through the earth.” And he said, “Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth.” So they walked to and fro through the earth.

— and from the South the bay spread forth and sought to go that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth, visiting all the countries of the world with terrible wars and bloodshed, with death and destruction; and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth, carrying out the Lord’s command upon the various nations;

— thus, in summary: each set of horses is dispatched to a region (north, south), but the dappled or bay horses have a broader mandate: to traverse the earth generally, not tied to a single direction.

⁸ Then cried he unto me, and spoke unto me, saying, “Behold, these who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.”

— then cried the angel in great excitement to Zechariah and spoke unto him, Behold, these that go toward the North, and after executing God’s judgement on them, have quieted my Spirit in the North and was satisfied with the extent of the punishment inflicted upon them.

⁹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

¹⁰ “Take from them of the captivity — even from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon — and come thou the same day and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.

— take the exiles living in Babylon, who had come up to Jerusalem at that time, from Heldai, Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon, as a committee of the Jews residing at Babylon.

¹¹ Then take silver and gold and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest,

— then take silver and gold, and make crowns, a double crown or one of several bands, and set them upon the head of Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high priest, as a type of the combined priesthood and kingdom which shall be conferred upon the Messiah;

¹² and speak unto him, saying, ‘Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, “Behold the Man whose name is The Branch! And He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord.

— and speak unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is The BRANCH, and he shall grow up out of his place, Jeremiah 33:15, as a root out of a dry ground, Isaiah 53:2, and he shall build the Temple of the Lord, the real Sanctuary, the Kingdom of the New World;

— the Targum paraphrases the words, “behold the man Messiah is his name;” the Jews interprets this passage of a divine Person; who could only be the Son of God by whom no other than the Messiah could have meant.

¹³ Even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne. And He shall be a priest upon His throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’

— even the Branch shall build the Temple of the Lord, accomplishing his great work in spite of the lowliness of his earthly origin; and he shall bear the glory, being adorned with kingly glory and honor, and shall sit and rule upon his throne as the true King of kings;

— and he shall be a Priest upon his throne, uniting in his person the offices of King and of Priest; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both, the two offices being united in one person. Psalms 110.

¹⁴ “And the crowns shall be for Helem and for Tobijah and for Jedaiah, and for Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

— and the crowns shall be for a memorial in the Temple of the Lord so that future generations would be reminded of the example of others before them.

¹⁵ And those who are far off shall come and build the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent Me unto you. And this shall come to pass if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

— and they that are far off, like the men from Babylon, who had in this case brought their offerings, shall come and build the Temple of the Lord, representatives of various nations joining in the upbuilding of the Lord’s great spiritual Temple, his holy Kingdom,

— and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent him unto Zechariah, as the Messiah himself says, John 3:16. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord, your God, this being added by way of admonition lest anyone deliberately lose the blessings which are offered in and by the coming of the Messiah. Thus the establishment and growth of the Kingdom of God.

For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

For more into another Captivity, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

More on the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Posted in Minor Prophets

The vision of Zechariah is in the form of a judicial process: Joshua is the person accused, and is described standing before the Angel of the Lord; and by the filthy garments he had on, which were the ground of the charge against him. The accuser is Satan who stood at his right hand; and his Judge is the Angel of the Lord, before whom he was the Branch.

Also, the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven eyes of the Lord sent forth “to and fro” into all the earth; only a Divine Being could have seven eyes of the Lord “which run to and fro through the whole earth,” thus testifying that Zerubbabel is prophetically the Son of God, the Messiah.

Zechariah 3

¹ And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. — the high priest Joshua is to be considered typically representing the Judean community after the exile;

— and which was very low and mean, under the second Temple; which the high priest, were representatives of; and now, standing before the Angel of the Lord pictured as the Judge in a court of law, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him;

— to accuse him: to accuse him because Joshua’s sons were married to heathen women, as it is written in Ezra 10:18, “And it was found of the sons of the priests who had taken foreign wives, of the sons of Joshua the son of Jozadak …”

² And the Lord said unto Satan, “The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord who hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”

— and the Lord, (יְהֹוָה Yehovah), for he is also the Angel of the Lord, the Son, said unto Satan, The Lord (יְהֹוָה) rebuke thee, O Satan, the adversary and accuser being condemned instead of him whom he wanted to condemn,

— even the Lord (יְהֹוָה the Father) that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee; he has accepted the believers as his people and will not permit Satan with his choice.

— is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? A brand is a burnt, burning, or smoldering piece of wood. His people had been at the very brink of destruction, but the Lord had interfered before it was too late; therefore Joshua also, standing before the Lord as the representative of the sinful people, is shielded from condemnation.

³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel. — “Joshua the High Priest” he was wearing filthy garments:

— this is also explained according to the Targum: he had sons who had married women who were unfit to marry into the priesthood, and Joshua was accused because he did not interfere with his sons’ marriages;

Ordinary priests may NOT marry:

• a divorced woman
• a zonah (a woman who had prohibited sexual relations)
• a ḥalalah (a woman born from an invalid priestly union)

These categories are not moral judgments — they are legal statuses that determine whether a woman may enter the priestly family.

The High Priest has even stricter rules:
He may marry only a virgin, and may not marry:

• a widow
• a divorcee
• a previously sexually active woman
• any woman with a disqualifying status

— but in Zechariah 3, the issue is not Joshua’s own marriage; it is his sons’ marriages, which affect the purity of the entire priestly household.

⁴ And He answered and spoke unto those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And unto him He said, “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.”

— and he, the presiding Angel of God, the Son answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, some of his ministering angels; or as the Targum paraphrases it, “and he said to them who ministered before him;”

— the Targum says

“And he answered and said to those who minister before him, saying; and they said to him, ‘Remove the women who are not fit for the priesthood from his house.’ And he said to him, ‘See, I have removed your sin from you, and I will clothe you in pure garments.’”

— saying, Take away the filthy garments from him, their wives removed, not authorised to be married to the priest hood; and unto him He said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, that is, by an act of complete forgiveness, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

The Targum is another source of the Bible. Started by Ezra for those returning from Babylon and for these returnees they could only understand in Aramaic; hence the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to us from the verses quoted;

⁵ And I said, “Let them set a clean miter upon his head.” So they set a clean miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.

— and Zechariah said, the prophet here suddenly interposing in his eagerness to have, the work of cleansing completed, Let them set a fair miter upon his head, that the priesthood be restored, that once more borne on the turban of the high priest;

— the Targum says

“And I said, ‘Set a pure turban on his head,’ and they set a pure turban on his head, and they brought to him a woman who is fit for the priesthood, and the angel of the Lord stood by.”

⁶ And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying,

⁷ “Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My ordinance, then thou shalt also judge My house, and shalt also keep My courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these who stand by.

— thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, as a true witness of God, and if thou wilt keep my charge, performing every part of the law with due faithfulness,

— then thou shalt also judge my house (the Father’s house), have charge of the Lord’s Temple, and shalt also keep my courts, in observing every provision of all the Law concerning worship, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by;

— the Targum very agreeably paraphrases the words

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If you will walk in the ways that are right before Me, and if you will keep the charge of My word, then you also shall judge those who minister in My Temple, and you shall guard My courtyard, and I will bring you among those who stand here, and I will give you attendants who walk among these ministering angels.”

⁸ Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows who sit before thee; for they are men wondered at. For behold, I will bring forth My Servant the Branch.

— hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, his fellow-priests; for they are men wondered at, literally, “men of wonder are they,” that is, men about whom one might marvel;

— for, behold, I the Father, will bring forth my Servant, the branch, the Son, Cf Jeremiah 23:5-6; Isaiah 11:1. This Branch, of whom the priests of the Old Testament were but types, is the Servant of God in a most singular sense, who was to carry out the will of God concerning the redemption of the world. Cf Isaiah 53;

— the Targum identifies the Branch as the Messiah, says

“Now hear, Joshua the High Priest, you and your companions who sit before you—they are worthy men for whom miracles will be performed—for behold, I am bringing My servant, the Messiah, and he shall be revealed.”

⁹ For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the engraving thereof,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

— for behold the stone that the Father have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes, also seven spirits, the number of perfection, would be directed upon him, the loving care of Yehovah being indicated, as he observes his people, the believers in him;

— the seven eyes parallel the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars of Revelation 5:

“And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and the four living beings, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.” Revelation 5:6

¹⁰ In that day,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.’” — in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig-tree,

— inviting him in Godly fellowship, doing Godly-work in calling others to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God. We thus have the entire plan of God in his seven thousand years plan outline in this one vision, a Godly message which might well be heeded by all men in our days.

Zechariah 4

¹ And the angel who talked with me came again and waked me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep, — and the Angel that talked with me (identified earlier as the Son in chapter 1);

— he who intercedes between the Father and man in making known the message concerning the future, came again and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep; the Angel had evidently left Zechariah for a short while and now returned for the purpose of interceding further visions.

² and said unto me, “What seest thou?” And I said, “I have looked and behold, a candlestick all of gold with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof;

— and said unto Zechariah, What seest thou? thus calling the prophet’s attention to a new vision, whereas in the other instances Zechariah had asked for information. And Zechariah said, he have looked, he was even then observing very closely;

— and behold a candlestick, a menorah, all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, a round vessel, or reservoir, for oil, and his seven lamps thereon and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof, the candlestick in general being formed after that in the Tabernacle, Exodus 25:31-37;

³ and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.” — and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left, this being a new feature, indicating the source of the oil for the lamps.

⁴ So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” — so Zechariah answered, and spoke to the angel that talked with him, saying,

— What are these, my lord (‘āḏôn)? Zechariah could not quite grasp the significance of it all, as if he thought as one who has just wakened out of his sleep, not realizing he was speaking to the Son, but just an angel;

— second, a further possibility is that the emphasis of the Son is to be shifted away from that of an interceder to that of Zerubbabel, the governor, the builder and the finisher for the building of the Temple of God.

⁵ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said unto me, “Knowest thou not what these be?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

— the angel that was surprised that a man of Judah, a Zechariah of priestly descent, should not find some meaning in the vision of such a candlestick. But Zechariah said, No, my lord (‘āḏôn not Yehovah יְהֹוָה so he appeared as an ordinary angel to Zechariah).

⁶ Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts.

— then the angel answered Zechariah, saying, This is the word of the Lord (יְהֹוָה) unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, that is, the force of armies, nor by power, namely, that of any earthly agency, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts;

— the candlestick of the Tabernacle was a type of the congregation of Israel, which was supposed to be a light shining in the darkness of the world. Its oil was a type of the holy spirits, and the high priests of the Covenant received the strength for the performance of the duties of their office from the Spirit symbolized in the light of the great candlestick;

— moreover, Zerubbabel, the governor of the people, was to be informed that the great work which he was to perform could be carried on only through the spirit of the Lord.

⁷ Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, ‘Grace, grace unto it!’” — this phase “0 great mountain” only used once in the Bible;

— who art thou, 0 great mountain? the building of the Temple being thus represented. Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain, he would easily overcome all the difficulties connected with the completion of this momentous work;

— and the angel shall bring forth the headstone thereof, the uppermost stone of its walls, the headstone in the building up of his church, fulfilled only by the Messiah;

— with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it! that is, May God grant grace to this stone and to the building which it represents, so that it may stand forever!

The Targum indeed paraphrases the ending words thus,

“What are you, foolish kingdom, before Zerubbabel? Behold, you will become as a plain, and he shall reveal his Anointed [or the Messiah], whose name is said from eternity, and he shall rule over all kingdoms;” Zechariah 4:7 Jonathan

— thus the Targum testifies that Zerubbabel is prophetically the Messiah, the Son whose name is said from eternity. A man like Cyrus or Josiah may be anointed, but neither of their names could have come from eternity, nor could any of these men rule all nations, except the Son of God. (Ezra, the one who inspires the translationof the Sacred Text into the Targum, also knows about Zerubbabel being the Messiah!).

⁸ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.

— the Targum paraphrases in this sense,

“The hands of Zerubbabel began to build this house and his hands shall complete it, and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to prophesy to you.”

— thus together with Zechariah 4:7 Targum it testifies that Zerubbabel is one sent from God, the Father; hence Zerubbabel is the Son of God, the Messiah;

— the hands of Zerubbabel, the Messiah, have laid the foundation of this house during his first coming, his hands shall also finish it, whence it follows that the entire situation has a deeper significance than that of a mere earthly Temple, namely, that the Lord, in the Word that was made flesh, was coming to complete the Temple of the Kingdom of God;

Remember, laying side by side along with the Masoretic Text, the Targum is another source of the Bible. Started by Ezra for those returning from Babylon and Persia, these returnees they could only understand in Aramaic; hence the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to them in ancient times and to us today from the Hebrew Text quoted.

¹⁰ For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven. They are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”

— for who hath despised the day of small things? It seemed indeed that the days in which the original church was then of insignificant things, only 12 disciples living in deepest poverty and contempt; yet those days were the forerunners of the most momentous period in the history of the world;

— for they, the people concerned, shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, as the chief builder of the spiritual Temple, with those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth, Cf Zechariah 3:9;

— but if the eyes of God’s majesty rest upon this building with such evident joy and satisfaction, it surely must be a Temple of the greatest importance; “the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven” and these seven are “the seven eyes of the Lord” which are also the seven spirits of God, sent forth “to and fro” into all the earth; Revelations 5:6;

— the Targum says

“For who is he who despises this day of smallness? Behold, he shall yet return and rejoice when he sees the plumb‑stone in the hand of Zerubbabel — these seven tiers — before the Lord, who sees the deeds of human beings throughout all the earth.”

— only a Divine Being could have seven eyes or seven spirits of the Lord “which run to and fro through the whole earth,” thus the Targum testifies that Zerubbabel is a Devine Being, the Son of God, the Messiah.

¹¹ Then answered I and said unto him, “What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?”

— then Zechariah asked the angel, What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? The candlestick was in the center with its arms extended on either side.

¹² And I answered again and said unto him, “What be these two olive branches, which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?”

— Septuagint, and Zechariah asked again, What be these two olive-branches, literally, “ears,” because they were bunched to resemble ears of grain, which through the two golden pipes, so that the oil was fed directly from the trees into the pipes connecting with the reservoir of the candlestick.

¹³ And he answered me and said, “Knowest thou not what these be?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

¹⁴ Then said he, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

— then said the angel, these are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth as his servants; these are probably the two witnesses of Revelation 11:

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the earth. Revelation 11:3-4

— anointed by God for the performance of witnessing to the whole world for the work of perfecting the Kingdom of God;

— the meaning for our day is clear; the saints with the spirits of God are the Lord’s candlesticks, Matthew 5:14, and therefore has a great and important duty to fulfil in this world. This duty may not be performed by the power and might of mere men, but solely through the spirits of the Lord to his two specially anointed.

Posted in Minor Prophets

Attributed to the prophet Zechariah, the Book of Zechariah is included in the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Zechariah is specific about dating his writing (520–518 BC); after Ezekiel and Jeremiah who wrote before the fall of Jerusalem ande continuing to prophesy in the early exile period.

Freedom eventually did come to many Jews when Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonians in 539 BC; and a year later, the famous Edict of Cyrus was released, and the first return took place under Sheshbazzar. After the death of Cyrus in 530 BC, Darius consolidated power and took office in 522 BC; and Zechariah’s prophetic career began during Darius’ reign where he wrote the book that bears his name.

Zechariah 1

¹ In the eighth month in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, — in the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, that is, in the year 520 BC;

— in the second year of Darius I: king of Persia; not Darius, son of Ahasuerus, the Mede, who conquered the Babylonian empire in 539 BC at 62 of age; but this is Darius the son of Hystaspes:

— came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah; that is, “the word of prophecy from before the Lord” as the Targum paraphrases it; which came to him, either in a dream or in a vision;

² “The Lord hath been sorely displeased with your fathers. — displeased or wrathful with your fathers before the Lord as the Targum says, who lived before and during the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and which was manifest by their captivity;

— all of which were occasioned by their sins, which they provoked the Lord to anger; and this is mentioned as a caution to their children that they may not follow their example and incur similar wraths and displeasure.

The Targum is another source of the Bible. Started by Ezra for those returning from Babylon and for these returnees they could only understand in Aramaic; hence the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to them in ancient times and to us from the verses quoted.

³ Therefore say thou unto them: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘Turn ye unto Me,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will turn unto you,’ saith the Lord of hosts. — thus “saith the Lord of hosts” repeated three times for emphasis;

— therefore say thou unto them, Turn ye unto Me, return to My worship/service, saith the Lord, a most impressive call to the children of the former trespassers to repent. and I will turn unto you.

⁴ Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘Turn ye now from your evil ways and from your evil doings.’ But they did not hear, nor hearken unto Me, saith the Lord.

— be ye not as your fathers, those before the exile, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Turn ye now from your evil ways and from your evil doings;

— this being the gist of many admonitions in the earlier prophets, Cf Isaiah 31:6; Jeremiah 3:12; Jeremiah 18:11; Ezekiel 18:30; Hosea 14:1; but they did not hear nor hearken unto Me, saith the Lord. Cf II Kings 17.

⁵ Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? — your fathers and the prophets, where are they? do they live forever? The former members of Israel and Judah had perished, as God had said;

— and if the people should say that the prophets also were dead, the Lord would remind them of the fact that His words, as spoken through these prophets are not dead, but would be fulfilled.

⁶ But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? And they returned and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.’”

— but my words and my statutes which I commanded my prophets, that they should proclaim them, threatening of punishment in case of disobedience, did they not take hold of your fathers?

— the prophesied punishments having overtaken them like swift messengers. And they, the fathers before the exile, returned and said, in acknowledging their afflictions as the result of their wickedness,

— the Targum says

“But the words and decrees that I commanded through My servants the prophets surely overtook your fathers, and they turned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of Hosts planned to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done with us.’”

⁷ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying:

— upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, five months after the building of the Temple had been resumed, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

⁸ I saw by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

— Zechariah saw by night in a night vision, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, the color of war and bloodshed; and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom, most likely by the “myrtle trees” may mean the Israelites;

— or by a valley in the neighborhood of Jerusalem; and behind him were red horses, speckled, or patches of bay and ohers, the color of fire and flames and burning, and white, in this connection the color of victory;

— after released from captivity, the Jews were now in a very low estate, like a grove of myrtle trees in a bottom, so a man riding upon a red horse is still on top of the Jews; but who is he?

— the Targum says

“I saw in the night: behold, a man riding on a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees in Babylon, and behind him were red, spotted, and white horses.”

— the Targum interpretes the myrtle trees as located “in Babylon;” by specifying Babylon, this ties the vision directly to the exilic setting. The man on the red horse is later explained (vv 9–11) as a divine messenger, with the horses symbolizing God’s agents who patrol the earth.

⁹ Then said I, “O my lord, what are these?” And the angel that talked with me said unto me, “I will show thee what these be.”

— then Zechariah asked, O my lord (H113 ‘āḏôn), what are these? And the angel that talked with him said unto him, ‘I will show thee what these be,’ for the Lord wanted Zechariah to know the meaning of the vision in order that he might reveal it to others;

— my lord (H113 ‘āḏôn); this angel “that talked with me” a messenger for God; could he be revealed as the Son of God if verses 19 and 20 below be linked together? It should be linked together because v19 is a question and v20 is a continuation of the the angel’s answer by showing him four carpenters, who is revealed as the Lord (H3068 יְהוָה)!

¹⁰ And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”

— and the man that stood among the myrtle trees, the first angel answered and said, ‘These are they whom the Lord (H3068 יְהוָה) hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth,’ to find out how matters stood everywhere.

¹¹ And they answered the angel of the Lord who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still and is at rest.”

— and they, the host of angels answered the angel that stood among the myrtle trees (probably Michael the archangel, since he is the chief of the angels), and said, ‘We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still and is at rest,’

— the great commotion among the nations, of which the prophet Haggai had spoken, 2:7-8, had not yet begun, that is, the time for the Messiah to appear in the flesh had not yet come, a statement which naturally had a most depressing effect upon the Jews. But the Lord has a word of comfort ready for them.

Haggai 2:7-8

⁷ And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory,’ saith the Lord of hosts.

⁸ ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ saith the Lord of hosts.

¹² Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?”

— as the seventy years of the exile seemed extended, as though the affliction of the captivity would never end; then the angel (mal’āḵ; probably Michael) of the Lord asked the second person of the Godhead, the Son, who is One who talked with the prophet Zechariah;

— “O Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah?” the archangel Michael asked the Son (also call the Lord) who normally intercedes between Jerusalem/Judah and the Father; He, the Son, identified later as the Messiah, was already doing the job of a High Priest, interceding between the Father and man.

¹³ And the Lord answered the angel who talked with me, with good words and comforting words. — and the Lord the Father answered the Son that talked with Zechariah with good and comfortable words, words of prophecy and foresight, which was to pass immediately on to the congregation of Israel.

¹⁴ So the angel who communed with me said unto me, “Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

— so the Angel (mal’āḵ; probablythe Son) that communed with Zechariah, He who had first been given an understanding of the Father’s intentions as expressed in the vision, said unto Zechariah, “Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, ‘I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.’

— the Targum says,

“And the angel who was speaking with me said to me: ‘Prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord of Hosts— I am restoring Jerusalem, and for Zion I have great zeal.’”

¹⁵ And I am very sorely displeased with the heathen [nations] who are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.’

— and the Lord the Father was very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease, believing that they had been permanently victorious over the Jews; for the Father was but a little displeased, as his punishment went out upon his people for seventy years;

— the Targum says,

“I am exceedingly angry at the nations who dwell at ease, for when I was only a little angry with My people, they helped to make the disaster worse.”

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord: ‘I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house shall be built in it,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.’

— thus the Father saith, ‘I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies,’ for he had withheld them from his people for a time in order to punish them, but now he was once more ready to accept his repentant children;

— ‘my house shall be built in it,’ namely, the Temple, the Father’s house as the seat of the Lord’s merciful presence in the midst of his congregation, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem, in this case the builder’s line signifying the rebuilding of the city.

— throughout the Scriptures the Son has never lay claim that the Temple is his house; it is “My Father’s house” John 2:16.

¹⁷ Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.’”

— cry yet, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, overflowing with abundant growth as a stream overflows its banks; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion,’ and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

¹⁸ Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold, four horns. — then, after the first vision had fully come to an end, Zechariah lifted his eyes and saw, in a second distinct vision, four horns, the common Scriptural symbol of strength.

¹⁹ And I said unto the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

— and Zechariah said unto the Son (maybe Michael or one of the lesser angels; but the next verse indentifies him as the Son) that talked with him, What be these? And the Son answered Zechariah, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Jerusalem and Israel;

— the four horns represent the imperial powers that scattered not just Judah, but specially mentions Israel, setting the stage for the vision of their eventual downfall; these are the nations that scattered the twelve tribes!

²⁰ And the Lord (יְהוָה) showed me four carpenters. — and the Lord (H3068 יְהוָה; finally this ‘Angel’ is no ordinary angel but revealed himself as יְהוָה YHVH, the Son (he is the second Yehovah);

— the Son of God also carries the name יְהוָה Yehovah; he showed Zechariah four carpenters, rather, four craftsmen in iron, four smiths; or four craftsmen;

— the Son of God also moves around the heavens carrying messages for God the Father;

Exodus 23:20-21 “Behold, I (the Father) send an Angel (the Son) before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. ²¹ Beware of Him (the Son) and obey His voice; do not provoke Him (the Son, Yeshua), for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name יְהוָה is in Him (hence Yehovah’s name, יְהוָה, is also in the Son;

Targum Exodus 23:20 Behold, I will send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee in to the place of My habitation which I have prepared. ²¹ Be circumspect before Him, and obey His word, and be not rebellious against His words; for He will not forgive your sins, because His word is in My Name.

²² For if thou wilt indeed hearken to His Word, and do all that I speak by Him, I will be the enemy of thy enemy, and will trouble them who trouble thee. Exodus 23:20-22 Jonathan

— even the Targum has the ‘Angel’ and ‘Him’ capitalized; recognizing that that this is no ordinary angel, but could only be the Son of God, who later came to earth as Yeshua (or more commonly known as Jesus, is also Yehovah “for My name (that is, יְהוָה), is in Him.”

²¹ Then said I, “What come these to do?” And he spoke, saying, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these [the four craftsmen] have come to frighten them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles who lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.”

— then said Zechariah, ‘What come these to do? What was the object in introducing them into the picture?’ And He (the Son, יְהוָה) spoke, saying, ‘These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head,’ being altogether discouraged; but these are come to fray them, to terrify the great powers of evil;

— the “four horns” = these are, first the Babylonians; second, the Medes and Persians; third, the Greeks; and the fourth, the Romans. Others, perhaps the Turks and Muslims; and perhaps the Russians and Chinese, or even the Latinos? or the number four may just point to Judah’s enemies coming from the four directions of the earth;

— the four craftsmen (perhaps these may be the Russians and Chinese, and the Spanish/Latinos?) to cast out the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah and Israel to scatter them. It has always been a nature of the Lord to use one nation; as an instruments, to punish another.

Zechariah 2

¹ I lifted up mine eyes again and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. — Zechariah lifted up his eyes and saw a man with a measuring-line; or cord is used by builders and surveyors, signals construction, planning, and restoration.

² Then said I, “Whither goest thou?” And he said unto me, “To measure Jerusalem to see what is the breadth thereof and what is the length thereof.”

— then Zechariah addressed the angel, Whither goest thou? And he replied, To measure Jerusalem, the city of God, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof, to get the dimensions of the city even then in existence.

³ And behold, the angel who talked with me went forth; and another angel went out to meet him — and, behold, the angel that talked with Zechariah went forth, he was removed from the scene;

— and another angel went out to meet Zechariah, the second angel in this chapter; thus meeting him who acted as interpreter,

— this Angel that talked with Zechariah was identified in this Study as the Son in the previous chapter, but the question is, is He the same as the man with a measuring line in his hand? (verse 1 above)

⁴ and said unto him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle therein.

— and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, namely, Zechariah, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein, a wonderful revived city with an enlarged dimensions, the new Jerusalem with the Ezekiel’s Temple built within.

⁵ For I,’ saith the Lord, ‘will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.’”

— thus saith the Lord (יְהוָה), for I will be unto Jerusalem a wall of fire round about, so that the city of God would be secure under the sheltering wings of his power;

— and יְהוָה will be the glory in the midst of Jerusalem, so that his blessings would rest upon the Holy City and his name be praised within her. So much being established, Zechariah is given a summary of what he should proclaim to his people of the Lord;

— the Targum says,

“And My word shall be for her, says the Lord; like a wall of fire surrounding her all around and in glory I will cause My Shekhinah to dwell within her.”

⁶ “Ho! Ho! Come forth, and flee from the land of the north,” saith the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven,” saith the Lord.

— ho, ho, come forth; the Targum paraphrases it, “proclaim to the dispersed:” so the Lord יְהוָה addresses his people through his servant the prophet Zechariah to flee from the land of the North, out of “Babylon” as typical of all powers of evil banded together against his people Israel;

— for I the Lord; have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, namely, in his latter-day people Israel which extends to the most remote ends of the world;

— these are spread by the “four horns” in the previous chapter = first the Babylonians; second the Persians; third the Greeks and the fourth the Romans? Perhaps others, like the Turks and Muslims; or perhaps the Russians and Chinese, or even the Latinos?

“For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven,” saith the Lord: two Parallel passages extracted from Ezekiel 6:3 and 36:4 worth a closer examination here:

— “the mountain of Israel” this prophecy is concerning the desolations of the United States, United Kingdom and France;

— “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys” these are the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

— and to the rivers; where during the nineteenth century, the British Royal Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British left the scene;

— ye shall shoot forth your branches; that is, the trees that grew upon them should; the vines, and the olive trees, planted on hills and mountains; these could be their colonies: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (US); Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Virgin Islands (UK); Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Mayotte, Réunion (France).

⁷ “Deliver thyself, O Zion, ye that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.”

— deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon, or “Ho, Zion, save thyself!” the separation between the children of God and the children of the world being absolute, even if not local. Cf II Corinthians 6:17.

⁸ For thus saith the Lord of hosts: “After the glory hath He sent me unto the nations which despoiled you, for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye. — the “me “could be the Son;

— for thus saith the Lord of hosts, ‘After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you,’ the angel of the Lord (could be the Son in this instant) being sent to the nations to get back the glory which they, by their hostile treatment of his people, had taken from him;

— for he that toucheth me toucheth the apple of his eye, so dear are the believers, the members of his elect, in the eyes of the Lord. Every adversary who dares to touch the kingdom of God and its members thereby becomes guilty of a wicked act, which grieves the Lord most deeply and he will punish them;

— the Targum says

“For thus says the Lord of Hosts, after the glory that I have spoken to bring upon you, He has sent me against the nations who plundered you. For whoever harms you is like one who strikes his hand against the pupil of His eye.”

⁹ For behold, I will shake Mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants. And ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.

— for thus saith the Lord of hosts: behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, swinging it back and forth over them in order to deliver a heavy blow, and they shall be a spoil to their servants, so that the latter become the lords of their former masters;

— and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me, yes the Son again, the Anointed, given great power and authority that through him the great Sovereign of the heavens could be carrying out his punishment upon the enemies of his saints. For this reason the people of the Lord are exhorted to sing praises to the Son; the returning Messiah.

¹⁰ “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee,” saith the Lord. — sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, or the “congregation of Zion” as the Targum paraphrases it;

— the people of Yehovah; for, lo, I come, the Messiah himself addressing those who were longing for his coming, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. This was so wonderfully fulfilled when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

¹¹ “And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be My people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

— and many nations, representatives of the various races and countries of the world, shall be joined to the Lord in that day, to be added to his elect;

— and shall be my people; and My Shekhinah will dwell in the midst of thee, in the city of God, as the Targum says,

“Many nations will join themselves to the people of the Lord in that time and they shall be a people before Me and I will cause My Shekhinah to dwell within you and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to prophesy concerning you.”

¹² And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” — and the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the Holy Land, so that He would possess His people, and shall choose Jerusalem again, as the place of his dwelling and of his blessing.

¹³ Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for He is raised up out of His holy habitation. — be silent, O all flesh, in a spirit of awe and reverence, before the Lord;

— for he is raised up out of his holy habitation, he is preparing to rise from his throne in heaven to visit the enemies with his righteous punishment and to lead his children to glory.

— the Targum says,

“Let all the wicked be silent before the Lord for He has revealed Himself from His holy dwelling.”

Posted in Minor Prophets

Haggai, was among the last of the prophets, together with Zechariah and Malachi; but Haggai’s prophecy about Zerubbabel the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest set the intriguing scenes of a prophetic endtime; especially their call to rebuild the Temple.

The hand of Zerubbabel with those seven eyes of the Lord which are also the seven spirits of God, sent forth to and fro into all the earth.

That is, only a Divine Being could have seven eyes or seven spirits of the Lord, which are all holy, “which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Thus the Scriptures testify that Zerubbabel has God’s spirits, or holy spirits; or Holy Spirits, seven of them, ore seven eyes, all from the Father. Selah!

Haggai 1

¹ In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

— in the second year of Darius, king of Persia, the year 520 BC in the first day of the sixth month, a feast of the new moon, the month Elul, that is, of the Jewish Sacred year, came the word of the Lord to Haggai, the prophet unto Zerubbabel the governor, and to Joshua the high priest, Cf Ezra 3:2, saying,

— today, we have repudiated God’s way of numbering months that he has given us but adopted a system to honor the host of heaven with a pagan-named week and a paganised monthly calendar; hence we have Covid and yet not realizing what is happening (more at the end);

— the Targum of Zephaniah 2:3 says,

“Seek the fear of the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, who do the judgements of his will; seek truth, seek meekness; it may be there will be a protection for you on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

² “Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying: This people say, ‘The time has not come, the time that the Lord’S house should be built.’”

— thus said the Lord, saying, This people say, ‘The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built,’ it was not a time fit and convenient to carry on such a building effort; that being showing their ingratitude and the lame excuse with which the people tried to cover their indifference for they had allowed themselves to drift along.

³ Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

⁴ “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceilinged houses, and this house lie waste?” — Is It time for you, O ye, to dwell in your panelled houses, for yourselves to dwell in the most expensive manner, showing that they lived not only in comfort, but in luxury,

— and this house of God to lie in waste? since it had never gotten beyond the foundations, only the altar of burnt offerings standing on the top of Moriah;

— the Targum says,

“Is it fitting for you that you dwell in houses, paneled with cedar boards, while this Temple lies in ruins?”

⁵ Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! — thus saith the Lord, Consider your ingratitudes, and reflect seriously on your priorities;

— “Set your hearts upon your ways,” contemplating the consequences of your bad behavior and upon the manner in which the Lord would have make judgement on your self-indulgence.

⁶ Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe yourselves, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”

— you have sown much, but bring in little, the harvest being small in spite of all their efforts; ye eat, but ye have not enough, they were not really satisfied in spite of their abundance; ye drink but ye are still thirsty;

—ye clothe yourselves; but there is no warm; and he that earn wages earn wages to put it Into a bag with holes, that is, they found themselves unable to buy much; all these indicate that there could be no real prosperity without the blessing of the Lord.

⁷ Thus saith the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! — thus saith the Lord, Consider your ways, think them over very carefully, for the matter is urgent;

⁸ Go up to the mountain, and bring wood and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,” saith the Lord.

— Go up to the mountain, to the great forests of Lebanon, to cut down cedars, and bring them from thence for the building of the temple; and bring wood, timber for building;

— and build the house; and the Lord of hosts will take pleasure in, glad to regard it as the house where he might be worshiped, and the Lord will be glorified, receiving the honor which was due to him, causing his Shekinah to dwell in the Temple with glory as the Targum says.

⁹ “Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I blew upon it. Why?” saith the Lord of hosts. “Because of Mine house that is laid waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

— Ye looked for much, expecting still greater crops and a corresponding prosperity, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, believing that at least the little which they had gotten was safe, the Lord did blow upon it, thus dissipating and scattering it; as the Targum interprets it, “behold, I sent a curse upon it:”

— the Targum says

“You looked for much, but behold it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of Hosts. Because My Temple lies in ruins, while each of you runs to his own house.”

¹⁰ Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. — therefore the heaven withhold its dew over the earth, the moisture necessary to insure a full crop with a good harvest.

¹¹ And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.”

— and the Lord of hosts called for a drought upon the land, upon the cultivated fields and upon the mountains, with their rich meadows and upon the corn, the grain products;

— and upon the new wine and upon the oil, all the chief products of the country; and upon that which the ground bringeth forth and upon men and upon cattle and upon all the labor of the hands, his blessing being withheld from all animate and inanimate beings. This earnest rebuke was heeded by the people;

— the Targum says

“And I called for a drought upon the land, upon the mountains, upon the grain, upon the wine, upon the oil, upon all that the ground produces, upon man, upon beast, and upon all the labor of hands.”

¹² Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared before the Lord.

— then Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, all the rest of the returned exiles;

— obeyed the voice of the Lord and the words of Haggai as the Lord had sent him, considering them as coming from the Lord himself and the people did fear the Lord with reverence and awe;

— the Targum says

“And Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and all the remnant of the people, listened to the voice of the Lord their God and to the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared before the Lord.”

¹³ Then spoke Haggai, the Lord’S messenger, in the Lord’S message unto the people, saying, “I am with you, saith the Lord.”

— as the people showed such obvious signs of repentance, Haggai spoke unto the people, saying, the Lord is with you, he has accepted your repentance as genuine and acted accordingly.

¹⁴ And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and began work on the house of the Lord of hosts their God,

— and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, the high priest and all the remnant of the people and they came and worked; they took steps to continue the building operations in the house of the Lord;

— the Targum says

“And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did the work in the Temple of the Lord of Hosts, their God.”

¹⁵ on the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. — in the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, twenty-three days after the first message of Haggai;

— in the second year of Darius, the king, the people were filled with the spirit of repentance and of the fear of the Lord and they took up the work which the Lord has entrusted them, marking the shift from neglect and indifference to obedience and restoration.

~~~

More about today’s Repudiation of God’s Sacred Calendar and Adopting a Paganised calendar:

— Days of the Week Names: “Sunday” is the Sun’s day and “Monday” is the Moon’s day. “Tuesday” is Tiw’s day; Tiw is an Anglo-Saxon god of war. “Wednesday” comes from Woden, the Anglo-Saxon king of the gods; in Saxon the name is Wodnesdaeg. “Thursday” is Thursdaeg, Thor’s day; Thor is a Norse god of thunder, lightning and storms. “Friday” is Frigedaeg, Frigga’s day; Frigg is a Norse goddess of home, marriage and fertility. “Saturday” is Saeterndaeg, Saturn’s day; Saturn is an ancient Roman god of fun and feasting;

— Months of the Year Names: January (derived from the Latin Januarius) is to honor their Roman gods Janus; and March, named for Mars, is the Roman mighty god of war; February is derived from the Februa festival or its eponymous februa (“purifications, expiatory offerings”); April relates to what the Romans called the month Aprilis; from a word meaning “to open” and further back from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love. May – named for Maia, is the Roman goddess of spring and growth;

— June is a name attributed to Juno, the female mighty wife of Jupiter in Roman mythology. She is also called the “Queen of Heaven” and “Queen of Mighty Ones.” July is to honor Julius Caesar; the Roman Senate named it “Julius” in honor of Roman emperor Julius Caesar. August honor Julius Caesar’s successor, the emperor Augustus; and the months September, October, November, and December are archaic adjectives derived from the ordinal numbers 7 to 10;

Could we think we can get away from His wrath and judgement by repudiating His Word and His Calendar; adopping paganisation and get away with impunity?

Haggai 2

¹ In the seventh month, on the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, — toward the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles;

— after a short time after the construction of the Temple had resumed in the seventh month, month Tisri, in the twenty-first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the word of prophecy to Haggai, as the Targum says;

² “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying:

³ ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is this not in your eyes by comparison with it as nothing?

— Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? the Temple of Solomon with its almost unequaled rich ornamentation. And how do ye see it now? What impression did this second Temple make upon them as they observed it?

— it appears by this question of the prophet, that some of the Jews there present had seen the former Temple when young, before they were carried to Babylon, and could remember what a magnificent building it was. Is it not in your eyes as nothing? that is, in comparison of the former; as seen from Ezra 3:12;

⁴ Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ saith the Lord; ‘and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land,’ saith the Lord, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ saith the Lord of hosts.

— and now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord of hosts, filled with reassuring comfort; and be strong, O Joshua, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, all filled with the same reassurance and work to complete the erection of the Temple; for the Lord be with you;

⁵ ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remaineth among you. Fear ye not.’

— according to the word that the Lord of hosts covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, when Israel was formally accepted as Yehovah’s people in the great assembly at Mount Sinai, so the Lord remaineth among you, to strengthen them for the successful conclusion of their work. Do not fear!

⁶ For thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land.

— for thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet once more, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;”

— as in Joel 3:16, “the earth will shake” that is, the whole world will be given a Mount Sinai experience as the children had when they came out of Egypt; so that the fear of the Lord will always be embedded in them, all the nations of the world to fear him; Exodus 19:16-18, 20:18-21.

⁷ And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory,’ saith the Lord of hosts.

— and the Lord of hosts will shake all nations, that is, every nation will be having a Mount Sinai experience as the Israelite had, all of them being drawn into this agitation, and the Desire of all nations, the long-expected Messiah shall come; and the Lord will fill this house, now so lowly and unpretentious, with glory.

⁸ ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ saith the Lord of hosts. — the silver and the gold all belong to the Lord of hosts, for which reason it would be a small matter for Him to fill any mere earthly house with ornamentation and treasures beyond the dreams of avarice.

⁹ ‘The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former,’ saith the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place will I give peace,’ saith the Lord of hosts.”

— the glory of this latter house, of the Millenium shall be greater than of that of Solomon’s, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will he give peace, namely, the peace of the redemption gained by the promised Messiah.

¹⁰ In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

— in the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the month Chisleu, a little more than two months later, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai, saying,

¹¹ “Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

¹² ‘If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt toucheth bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?’” And the priests answered and said, “No.”

— if one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, namely, the meat of sacrifices which had been offered, and with his skirt do touch bread or pottage, any of the holy food that was sodden, or wine or oil or any meat, such as was used in offering sacrifices or in connection with sacrificial meals, shall it be holy?

— and the priests answered and said, No. This was in agreement with the Law, Leviticus 6:20-27; for though the garment itself was sanctified by such consecrated food, it could impart no holiness to one who, by neglecting the will of the Lord, had become unholy.

¹³ Then said Haggai, “If one who is unclean from a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?” And the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”

— then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body, by touching a corpse, touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean, again in perfect agreement with the Law and Ordinances established since the days of Moses, Leviticus 22:4; Numbers 5:2, 9:10.

¹⁴ Then answered Haggai and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ saith the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

— the Targum says,

“Then Haggai answered and said: So is this people, and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord; and so is every work of their hands, and whatever they offer there—it is defiled.”

— Rashi: So is this people: Just as you err in this, so do you err in many halachot (‘Jewish’ Laws and Ordinances established since the days of Moses);

— and that which they offer there is unclean: because the children of Israel were in disgrace because of their neglect to finish the house of the Lord, and though their land was holy land, consecrated to the Lord;

— yet its fruits found no favor in his eyes and could not serve to make the people clean by a mere outward service, as long as their hearts were not in the right relation to him, so that they were constrained to give him the worship which lie desired.

¹⁵ And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:

— and now, I pray you, pay close attention, reflect, consider from this day and upward, by applying their hearts to this problem, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the Temple of the Lord, before its reconstruction was resumed.

¹⁶ Since those days were, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

— since before those days where they set their heart before God, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, a stack of sheaves which promised a yield of twenty bushels or pecks, there were but ten;

— and when one came to the press-fat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, thinking that the harvest should have brought that much, there were only twenty.

¹⁷ I smote you with blight and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands; yet ye turned not to Me,’ saith the Lord.

— the Lord smote you with blasting, with blight of the fruits and grains, and with mildew, from excessive moisture, and with hail in all the labors of your hands, yet ye turned not to the Lord.

¹⁸ ‘Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’S temple was laid, consider it:

— consider now from this day onward, applying their hearts to the consideration of that which pertained to their best interests, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid.

¹⁹ Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree hath not brought forth. From this day will I bless you.’”

— Is the seed still in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine and the fig-tree and the pomegranate and the olive-tree hath not brought forth, the results of their former lack of zeal were still in evidence; from this day will the Lord bless you;

— times would now change, since they were showing evidence of the change which had come over their hearts. If men turn to the Lord in true repentance, he has turned from scarcity to blessing, tied to the act of rebuilding the Temple.

²⁰ And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, — and in the twenty-fourth day of the month, this being a second oracle on the same day, saying,

²¹ “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth.

— speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, in a message of encouragement which was nevertheless intended for the entire assembly of returned exiles, the Lord will shake the heavens and the earth, setting their machinery in motion in the interest of his plans for his people;

— as in Joel 3:16, and Haggai 2:6 above, “and I will shake the heavens and the earth” that is, the whole world will be given a Mount Sinai experience as the children had when they came out of Egypt; so that the fear of the Lord will always be embedded in them, all the nations of the world to fear Him;  Exodus 19:16-18, 20:18-21.

²² And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

— and the Lord of hosts will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, all the world-powers opposed to his reign and he will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen, all the forces of evil that are opposed to the Kingdom of God;

— and the Lord will overthrow the chariots, the leaders of the hostile forces; and the horses and their riders shall be overthrown and destroyed, everyone by the sword of his brother; the fact that the enemies are often not at peace among themselves, but turn their weapons against one another;

— the Targum says

“I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; I will overturn chariots and their riders, and horses and their riders shall fall, each by the sword of his brother.”

²³ In that day,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ saith the Lord, ‘and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee,’ saith the Lord of hosts.”

— on that day, the Lord God will take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, and will make thee as a signet, a very precious possession in the eyes of its Oriental possessor; for the Lord have chosen thee;

— the fulfilment of this prophecy is found in the Messiah, the son of David for he established the Kingdom of His father David in a most unique manner, as a spiritual rule and reign, which is to last throughout eternity. Cf Luke 1:32-33. The Targum says of Zerubbabel: “for in thee I am well pleased;”

— the Targum says

“On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant, says the Lord, and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, says the Lord of Hosts.”

~~~~~ More on Zerubbabel ~~~~~

~~~ the Anointed with a Special Signet ~~~

More on Zerubbabel, from Zechariah 4; establishing Zerubbabel as the Messiah

⁷ Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, ‘Grace, grace unto it!’”

— who art thou, 0 great mountain? the building of the Temple being thus represented. Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain, he would easily overcome all the difficulties connected with the completion of this momentous work;

— and the angel shall bring forth the headstone thereof, the uppermost stone of its walls, the headstone in the building up of his church, fulfilled only by the Messiah;

— with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it! that is, May God grant grace to this stone and to the building which it represents, so that it may stand forever!

The Targum indeed paraphrases the ending words thus,

“What are you, foolish kingdom, before Zerubbabel? Behold, you will become as a plain, and he shall reveal his Anointed [or the Messiah], whose name is said from eternity, and he shall rule over all kingdoms;” Zechariah 4:7 Jonathan

— thus the Targum testifies that Zerubbabel is prophetically the Messiah, the Son whose name is said from eternity. A man like Cyrus or Josiah may be anointed, but neither of their names could have come from eternity, nor could any of these men rule all nations, except the Son of God. (Ezra, the one who inspires the translationof the Sacred Text into the Targum, also knows about Zerubbabel being the Messiah!).

⁸ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.

— the Targum paraphrases in this sense,

“The hands of Zerubbabel began to build this house and his hands shall complete it, and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to prophesy to you.”

— thus together with Zechariah 4:7 Targum it testifies that Zerubbabel is one sent from God, the Father; hence Zerubbabel is the Son of God, the Messiah;

— the hands of Zerubbabel, the Messiah, have laid the foundation of this house during his first coming, his hands shall also finish it, whence it follows that the entire situation has a deeper significance than that of a mere earthly Temple, namely, that the Lord, in the Word that was made flesh, was coming to complete the Temple of the Kingdom of God;

Remember, laying side by side along with the Masoretic Text, the Targum is another source of the Bible. Started by Ezra for those returning from Babylon and Persia, these returnees they could only understand in Aramaic; hence the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to them in ancient times and to us today from the Hebrew Text quoted.

¹⁰ For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven. They are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Zechariah 4:10 — “the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven” and these seven are “the seven eyes of the Lord” which are also the seven spirits of God, sent forth “to and fro” into all the earth; Revelations 5:6;

— only a Divine Being could have seven eyes or seven spirits of the Lord, which are all holy, “which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Thus the Scriptures testify that Zerubbabel has God’s spirits, or holy spirits; or Holy Spirits, all from the Father. Selah!

Posted in Minor Prophets

Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, who would be the most ancient of the prophets, and a contemporary of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Amaziah and Uzziah, kings of Judah, about the year 625 BC when he is expressly said to prophesy in the days of Josiah.

Its theme is the great day of judgement, the Day of the Lord, or the Lord’s Day upon Judah and Jerusalem, as well as upon the entire world in graphic details. His name, which is compounded of Saphon, to hide, and Yah the Lord, signifies the secrets of the Lord.

Zephaniah 1

¹ The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

— the word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah, a grandson of Gedaliah, when the name of a prophet and his forefather’s name are mentioned; he is a prophet, the son of a prophet; or perhaps a prince, a person of some great family, or maybe one of royal blood;

— the son of Gedaliah, four representative members from his ancestry being given; in the days of Josiah, in whose days Zephaniah prophesied as though it is very probable that these progenitors of the prophet were men of note and character.

² “I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the land,” saith the Lord. — the Lord of host will utterly consume all things off the land, sweeping them off the face of the earth in an utter devastation;

— the Targum says

“I will sweep away, I will destroy everything from upon the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

³ “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land,” saith the Lord.

— God will make his judgement to consume man and beast, even the creatures being affected by the universality of the decision; he will consume the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked,

— that is, whatever men have offended and transgressed with together with the objects of their idolatry; he will cut off man from off the land, certainly destroying them off the face of the earth, in a great fiery destruction;

— the Targum says

“I will remove humankind and beasts; I will remove the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, because of the multitude of the stumbling blocks of the wicked. And I will destroy humanity from upon the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

⁴ “I will also stretch out Mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests,

— God will also stretch out his hand upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the people of the land followed the inhabitants of the capital in their transgressions; and he will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place,

— for there were still such as adhered to their heretical worship, and the name of the Chemarim, the idol-priests, those engaged in the worship of Baal, with the priests, for these also had polluted themselves and were therefore destined for destruction;

— a parallel Scripture in Malachi 3:2 speaks of a “refiner’s fire” that shall purify the sons of Levi; hence within 700 years later, both the Boethusians, who hailed from Egyptian’s “idolatrous priests” and the Hellenised Sadducees, who played harlotry with the Greek gods of Zeus and goddess Athena, were consumed in the AD 70 inferno;

— the Boethusians and the Sadducees were members of two Jewish sects that, following the Samaritans, kept a heretic passover, and that flourished for a century or so before their destruction in the prophesied refiner’s purification of the Levites;

— the Essene/Qumran has their own 364 day solar calendar totally at odds with the calendrics of the Sanhedrin; they acted presumptuously by repudiating the Calendar that God has instituted through his Word;

⁵ and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops, and them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Milcom,

— and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops, had a full view of the host of heaven, regarding the Sun, Moon and Stars as their gods; and them that worship and that swear by the Lord and that swear by their pagan deity, Malcham; they, too, were wiped out during the AD 70 inferno;

— Israel being warned the danger of worshiping the heavenly bodies (Deuteronomy 4:19) and prescribed the death penalty for the crime of worshiping the sun, or the moon, or any of the “host of heaven” (Deuteronomy 17:2-7);

— a parallel in Jeremiah 8:2 the heads of the twenty-four courses of the priesthood, led by the high priest, making up the “twenty five men” were not only worshipping the SUN: they were doing so in the very temple of God, with their backs turned upon the presence of God!

— today, many pretending Christians honor the host of heaven with a pagan-named week and a paganised monthly calendar; and more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honouring the Sun by observing Sunday worship. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the SUN toward the east; whose Godly penalty is to be “cut off” or “shalt stone them with stones” to death (Deuteronomy 17:5) – ’till they die (more at the end);

⁶ and them that are turned back from the Lord, and those that have not sought the Lord nor inquired for Him.” — and them that are turned back from the Lord, their backs against the Temple of the Lord;

— and their faces toward the east, worshipping the Sun; and those that have not sought the Lord nor enquired for him, both the openly wicked and the irreligious or else seeking advice from other gods: Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek or Roman;

— the Targum emphasizes the fear of God, says

“And those who turned back from following the worship of the Lord, and those who did not seek the fear of the Lord and did not inquire of Him.”

⁷ Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is at hand. For the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice; He hath bidden His guests.

— hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God! ready to submit to his judgement as outlined above; for the day of the Lord—the Lord’s Day; as in Revelation 1:10; not Sunday but the day of his Judgement—is at hand, when his punishment must strike the transgressors;

— for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, the Jewish nation itself, his people the Jews, who were to fall to his justice, to atone for the injury done to their sins, he hath bid his guests, namely, the world-powers, the Chaldeans, the Greeks, the Romans and their allies, all ready to devour Judah;

— directing specifically to the wicked, the Targum emphasizes be silent before a slaughter,

“Be silent, all the wicked, before the Lord God, for the day that is to come before the Lord is near. For the Lord has prepared a slaughter, He has sanctified His invited ones.”

⁸ “And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

— and it shall came to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, when his punishment is put into effect, that the Lord of host will punish the princes, the mighty ones, the dignitaries of state, and the king’s children, all those belonging to the royal family;

— the Targum says,

“And it shall be, on the day of slaughter that is to come before the Lord, I will punish the nobles, and the sons of the king, and all those who exalt themselves to serve their lusts.”

⁹ In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

— in the same day also God will punish all those that leap over the threshold, namely, that of the temple of Dagon, the idol of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 5:5 which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit;

— this also sounds like a dramatic transformed deceitful Mike Pompeo CIA’s “We lie, we cheat, we stole” in bringing power, wealth, money and influence, unjustly acquired through “violence and deceit” into the houses of the Pentagon which they hope to get away with impunity, for the moment at least;

— or the deeds and mischiefs of Victoria Nuland that she had created in Ukraine!

¹⁰ “And it shall come to pass in that day,” saith the Lord, “that there shall be the noise of a cry from the Fish Gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great crashing from the hills.

— and it shall come to pass in that day, the Lord’s Day, saith the Lord, that there shall be the noise of a cry, of a woeful shout, from the fish-gate, that through which the road to Joppa passed;

— and an howling from the second, from the lower city, where the attack of the enemy would be launched, and a great crashing from the hills, those extending upward from the lower city. The Lord set out to punish, and his Judgement was thorough, as it always is in the case of such as refuse to heed his warning.

¹¹ Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

— howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, meaning the mortar, a small section of Jerusalem, so called because it presented a depression or hollow; the Targum says differently, “howl, all ye that dwell in the valley of Kidron;”

— for all the merchant people are cut down, entirely destroyed; all they that bear silver, the traders laden with silver, who occupied that part of the lower city, are cut off by the sword of the enemy.

¹² And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their dregs, that say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil.’

— and it shall come to pass at that time that the Lord of host will search Jerusalem with candles, investigating even the dark and hidden corners, so that not one of the wrong-doers is overlooked;

— that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil, which is a flat denial of his providence; saying that he takes no notice of what is done by men on earth, whether good or bad; and neither rewards the one, nor punishes the other;

— so the Targum says, “it is not the good pleasure of God to do good to the righteous, or to do evil to the wicked;” that is, there is no need of worry, matters will go on as they always have been.

¹³ Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation. They shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.”

— therefore their wealth will be plundered by the enemies, and their houses a desolation, in the overthrow of the city;

— they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them, the destruction taking place before they can move into them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. Cf Amos 5:11; Micah 6:15.

¹⁴ The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hasteneth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

— the great Day of the Lord, “the Lord’s Day” as in Revelation 1:10; not Sunday but the day of his Judgement is near; it is near and hasteth greatly, there will be no further delay, even the voice of the day of the Lord, or “Hark! the day of Yehovah”

— the mighty man shall cry there bitterly, their mighty men within the city of Jerusalem besieged, consumed in the AD 70 inferno; the Boethusian and Sadducaic elites of Jerusalem, crying in bitter lamentation, because he cannot save themselves.

¹⁵ That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

— that day is a day of wrath and judgement, Cf Isaiah 19:18, a day of trouble and distress, of anguish and pressure, Job 15:24, a day of wasteness and desolation, of the greatest devastation, a day of darkness and gloominess, Joel 2:2, a day of clouds and thick darkness, Deuteronomy 4:11,

— for more, see What is the Day of the LORD?

¹⁶ a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. — a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, in proclaiming God’s power upon a sinful people,

— in the war-signal of desolation and against the high towers, these signify their princes, governors, magistrates and great men, well-protected by the battlements of their forts.

¹⁷ “And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.”

— and the Lord of host will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, not knowing which way to go, groping about in a futile effort to escape from existing evils;

— because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, in endless quantities, and their flesh as dung, or their carcasses, that is, their dead bodies shall lie unburied, and rot and putrefy and shall be cast upon fields like dung, to fatten them.

¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He indeed shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

— neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them; like the Medes when they took on Babylon, Isaiah 13:17 in the day of the Lord’s wrath, they would not be able to buy themselves off when His fury is once set in motion;

— but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy, his indignation for his honor; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land, consuming them with a suddenness which they had not anticipated. Even so will the Day of Wrath come upon the whole world which, as a whole, is not prepared for the coming of the Lord’s Day of Judgement. Cf Matthew 24:44.

Zephaniah 2

¹ Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired, — gather yourselves together, yea, gather together; O nation not desirable; unworthy of the favor of God;

— to call a solemn assembly, to gather the people, priests and elders together, to one place as for a penitential assembly with earnest self-examination, O nation not desired, literally, “that does not grow pale,” not desirable to God, which till now has felt no sense of shame,

— Rashi: O nation that has no desire: That has no desire to return to the Torah.

² before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’S anger come upon you!

— before the decree bring forth, when, according to God’s plan, the day of judgement upon Judah would suddenly come, before the day pass quickly as when the wind carries the chaff along, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, as it surely would if they would not show the proper repentance;

— the Targum explains more fully, “before the decree of the house of judgement come out upon you, and ye be like chaff which the wind blows away, and like a shadow which passes from before the day,” like the Boethusian and Sadducaic elites during the AD 70 inferno.

³ Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, who have wrought His judgement; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’S anger.

— seek ye the Lord, seek righteousness, with ever greater truth and sincerity, seek meekness, with all humility, with a constant sense of their own unworthiness;

— it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger, so that the Lord would make use of mercy rather than in wrath and fierce anger and save them in the general overthrow. This exhortation is now supported by a reference to the doom of many nations;

— the Targum of the whole says,

“Seek the fear of the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, who do the judgements of his will; seek truth, seek meekness; it may be there will be a protection for you on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Remember: the Targum is an indispensable source of understanding the Bible. Started by Ezra for those returning Jews from Babylon and for these returnees they could only understand the Sacred Text in Aramaic; hence the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to us in modern times from the Sacred Text.

⁴ For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up. — for Gaza shall be overthrown and doomed, forsaken; and Ashkelon a desolation;

— they shall drive out Ashdod, the chief seat of the worship of Dagon, at the noon day, since she would be helpless even at midday, so that there would be no need of resorting to a night attack, and Ekron shall be rooted up; all four Philistine city-states mentioned here are desolate, expelled, uprooted and forsaken.

⁵ Woe unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines: “I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.”

— Woe unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, of the plains along the Mediterranean sea, the nation of the Cherethites, for a part of the Philistines, at least, traced their descent to the ancient people of Crete;

— the word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, the word Canaan here applied chiefly to the lowlands of Palestine to the west; the Lord of host will even destroy thee that there shall be no inhabitant, the nation destined to be destroyed;

— Rashi: the nation of Cherethites: the people liable to destruction. Who are the inhabitants of the seacoast of Canaan, the land of the Philistines? The Philistines, who dwell on the coast of the western sea, in the west of Eretz lsrael, within its boundaries;

— note: this seacoast in Cherethites is destined for destruction; yet the same seacoast in the next verses are prophesied to be a place of refuge for shepherds and folds of flocks – that is, the remnant of the house of Judah, for the Lord their God shall visit them and return them from captivity!

⁶ And the seacoast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. — and the seacoast, then teeming with the life of rich commercial cities,

— shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, dugouts and shanties, or places for pastures where they would carry on the work of their calling, and folds for flocks, the land reverting to the use of nomads;

— Rashi: breakfast nooks for shepherds: a temporary dwelling where the shepherds eat bread in the morning. כְּרֹת is an expression related to (II Kings 6:23) “He prepared for them a lavish feast.”

— this is a prophecy: Yavne, where it is a “dwellings and cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks” on the Mediterranean coast, seems to fit this verse perfectly in a subtle way by God of referring to this seacoast!

— during the inferno in Jerusalem around AD 70, the Hillel branch of Pharisees, those of the House of Hillel, fled to Yavne. They were headed by a Pharisaic rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, the head of the Sanhedrin, he was smuggled out of besieged Jerusalem in a coffin;

— they escaped first to Yavne, and later to Tiberias; his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews, who established the Hillel Calendar, which was revealed by Hillel II in about AD 359 concerning the rules of the Sacred Calendar.

⁷ And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon. In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the Lord their God shall visit them, and return them from captivity.

— and Yavnet shall be for refugees fleeing Jerusalem, those whom the Lord would lead hack to their own country; the Pharisees of the House of Hillel; they escaped and, later, his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews, who established the Hillel Calendar; they shall feed thereupon; their God shall visit them, to make the nucleus of a renewed people, members of the Jewish nation that returned;

— Rashi: And it shall be a lot for the remnant of the house of Judah: And that border shall be a lot for the remnant. This חֶבֶל is an expression of a lot. In this manner, Jonathan rendered: And it shall be a lot for the remnant of the house of Judah;

— with them the Jews are also embedded with the Oral Law, the knowledge of where the Vowels are in the Scriptures (which were then written only in consonants and no spaces nor punctuations); and how and when to use them; Romans 3:1-4; see a Study here and here; or see The Word from Moses to King James; that’s why God provide a refuge for them; and bring them back from captivity!

⁸ “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves against their border.

— the Lord of host have heard the reproach of Moab, Cf Jeremiah 48:27, and the revilings of the children of Amman, two people that descended from Lot, east of Jordan and of the Dead Sea, but later became the enemies of God’s people and made known their hostility in bitter blasphemies;

— whereby they have reproached God’s people, in mockery and scorn, they spoke reproachfully of the land of Israel, and magnified themselves against their border, acted violently against the boundary of the Lord’s people, constantly attempting to get into possession of some of Israel’s territory;

— Rashi: who taunted My people: When [the people of] Israel were being led into exile toward the land of the Chaldeans, and they were passing through Ammon and Moab, and they would see Israel weeping, sighing, and crying out, they would taunt them and say, “Why are you suffering? Aren’t you going to your father’s house? Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the river from earliest times.” (Josh. 24:2).

⁹ Therefore as I live,” saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah” even the breeding of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall despoil them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

— therefore as the God of Israel lives, the Supreme Ruler of the world, Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Amman as Gomorrah, being overwhelmed by the destruction which was the fate of their ancestor’s cities;

— even the breeding of nettles, a plant with pointed leave; a weed growing only in desolate places, and salt-pits, on the shore of the Dead Sea, and a perpetual desolation, a waste, barren and uncultivated; that is, the Jews, the remnant of them that returned from Babylon, shall take their place;

— Rashi: for Moab shall be like Sodom: You, too, shall return to your previous dwelling. Was not your father, Lot, from Sodom?

— the Targum says,

Moab will become like Sodom; the children of Ammon will be like Gomorrah. They will be reduced to desolation, places of salt pits and wasteland; a perpetual ruin, lasting “until eternity.” The remnant of God’s people will plunder them. The remaining tribes will inherit their land.

— the Septuagint adds, “Damascus shall be left as a heap of the threshing-floor, and desolate for ever.”

¹⁰ This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

— this shall they have for their (that of the Moabites and Ammonites) pride, in proper retaliation for the manner in which they had dealt with God’s people, because they spoke contemptibly of them, mocked and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts.

¹¹ The Lord will be fearsome unto them; for He will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

— the Lord will be terrible unto the Moabites and Ammonites; dealing with them in a manner which is hound to strike terror to their hearts; all the gods of the earth, all the idols in which men placed their trust: Dagon, Chemosh, Molech, Bel, Astarte, Mithra or Mitra (the Sun-God whose birthday many drunks honor and celebrate on December 25th);

— Zeus and others; called “gods of the earth” in distinction from the God of heaven; and men that worshipped these earthly gods, acknowledging their supremacy, everyone from his place, Protestants or Catholics alike, even all the isles of the heathen, that is, men from every nation of the earth; shall worship Him.

¹² “Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by My sword.” — ye Ethiopians also, not just Ethiopians in Africa but all beyond Egypt, ye shall be slain by my Sword, an instrument in the hand of God for punishing all the nations of the earth.

¹³ And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation and dry like a wilderness.

— and the Lord of host will stretch out his hand against the North and destroy Assyria, powerful though it was at that time, and will make Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, Jonah 1:2, a desolation, although it was then surrounded by a network of irrigation canals, and dry like a wilderness.

¹⁴ And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it: their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for He shall uncover the cedar work.

— and flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, the former great city had been leveled to the ground and reverted back to a pasture-ground, all the beasts of the nations, beasts of all kinds in droves or great masses; the Targum says the herd; that is, all animals;

— both the cormorant, the pelicans, and the bittern, or hedge-hog, shall lodge in the upper lintels of it, on the capitals of pillars standing in the midst of the ruins; their voice shall sing in the windows, or “hark how tile singer sings in the window,” where he has built his nest; desolation, or dirt, shall be in the thresholds; for the Lord of hosts shall uncover the cedar work, all the beautiful cedar paneling of their palaces the Lord has torn away, and it has fallen into decay;

— Rashi: for the cedarwork has been destroyed: For he has uprooted its cedars, as in (Psalm. 137:7) “Raze it, raze it.” Jonathan rendered: And they demolished its roof. That is the roof of the house that is ceiled with cedar; even stone houses are ceiled with boards of wood.

¹⁵ This is the rejoicing city that dwelt without care, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is none besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his hand.

— this is the rejoicing city, where shouts of gaiety were heard without ceasing, that dwelt carelessly, in perfect security; that said in her heart, in proud self-confidence, I am, and there is none beside me.

— how is she become a desolation, a deserted place, a place for beasts to lie down in, a lair for the animals of the desert. Everyone that passeth by her will be astonished and will shake his heads, in scorn and derision, both astonished and gratified at the overthrow of the proud city, a consequence of the ending in which the Lord carried out his judgements upon his enemies.

Zephaniah 3

¹ Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! — Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, meaning the city of Jerusalem,

— and its inhabitants; not just before the Babylonish captivity, but after their return, under the second temple, stubborn and full of uncleanness.

² She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God. — she obeyed not the voice of his servants the prophets;

— she pays no attention to the Lord’s admonitions; she received no correction, instruction or discipline which would to be of benefit to her; she trusted not in the Lord, placing no confidence in his exhortations and promises; she drew not near to her God, she has become indifferent to Yehovah.

³ Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

— her princes within her are roaring lions, bent upon rapine and murder; her judges are evening wolves of civil magistrates in common; members of the Sanhedrin; their princes with their mouths like ravening and roaring lions driven forth by hunger in the evening;

— their greed being insatiable; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow, that is, they leave not the bones till the morning; they are so hungry that they eat up bones and all at once, their voracious appetite causing them to devour their victims instantly.

⁴ Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

— her false prophets are light and treacherous, dishonest, unscrupulous, boastful and faithless; her priests have polluted the Sanctuary, desecrating the Temple by their neglect of the prescribed sacrifices or by their blasphemous manner in offering them;

— they have done violence to the Law, simply setting aside the precepts of God whose guardians they were supposed to be; and despite God’s warnings, their cities persist in wickedness.

⁵ The just Lord is in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity: Every morning doth He bring His judgement to light, He faileth not. But the unjust knoweth no shame.

— the just Lord is in the midst thereof, he, the righteous One, having left nothing untried; he will not do iniquity, he commits no wrong; every morning doth he bring his judgement to light, giving evidence of the justice of all his dealings;

— he faileth not, no blame, therefore, rests on him. But the unjust knoweth no shame, the wicked people of Jerusalem are not influenced either by the example of God or by his threat of punishment.

⁶ “I have cut off the nations; their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is no inhabitant.

— the Lord have cut off the nations, also as an act of warning Israel; their towers are desolate, their walls and fortresses leveled to the ground; the Lord made their streets waste, the roads obliterated, that none passeth by their cities are destroyed, so that there is no inhabitant, all this being warnings to the people of Jerusalem and Judah.

⁷ I said, ‘Surely thou wilt fear Me, thou wilt receive instruction’—so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them; but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

— the Lord said, Surely thou wilt fear me, the kindness and tenderness of the warning being emphasized; thou wilt receive instruction, if only thou wouldst suffer thyself to be taught!

— so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever the Lord punished them, or “in accordance with all that the Lord had appointed them” that is, Yehovah still hoped to have mercy on them, so that he would not have to send the threatened punishment;

— but they rose early, zealous for their wicked works, and corrupted all their doings, they were eager to speed their perverted actions, their infamous deeds. Thus many a godless person refuses to heed the Lord’s call to repentance and deliberately plunges all the more deeply into transgressions of every kind.

⁸ “Therefore wait ye upon Me,” saith the Lord, “until the day that I rise up to the prey; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.

— therefore wait ye upon the Lord, this merciful invitation being extended to all who will still listen to his words, until the day that the Lord rise up to the prey, when he pours out his wrath upon the nations;

— for his determination is to gather the nations, to carry out his punishment upon them, that the Lord may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them his indignation, even all his fierce anger, all the burning wrath which he has stored tip against them;

— for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of his jealousy, by the zeal on his Day of Judgement. That is the promise before the Millennium, the elimination of the enemies as a factor in interfering with the progress of the Lord’s Kingdom;

— as in Joel 3:16, “the earth will shake” or here “all the earth shall be devoured with the fire” that is, the whole world will be given a Mount Sinai experience as the children had when they came out of Egypt; so that the fear of the Lord will always be embedded in them, all the nations of the world to fear him; Exodus 19:16-18, 20:18-21.

⁹ For then will I return to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.

— for the Lord of host turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, Yehovah, in the true unity of a common faith to serve him with one consent, literally, “with one tongue,” all bearing together the pleasant yoke of our great God.

¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants—even the daughter of My dispersed—shall bring Mine offering.

— from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, or beyond the rivers of India as the Targum says, from the remotest corners of the earth, the Lord’s suppliants, those who would worship Yehovah in spirit and in truth, gained for the Lord from the midst of all nations, shall bring their offerings, turning to him with true worship.

¹¹ “In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against Me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of My holy mountain.

— in that day shalt thou, the restored Israel, the Kingdom of God, not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against him, there being no more occasion for such a feeling; for then the Lord of host will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride,

— the wicked and blasphemous whom the prophet had described at the beginning of the Chapter, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of his holy mountain, all boastfulness and pride being eliminated in favor of a meek and humble submission to Yehovah’s reign of mercy.

¹² I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

— the Lord of host will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, one fully conscious of its absolute dependence upon the grace and mercy of God, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord, Yehovah, placing all their confidence in him alone.

¹³ The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

— the remnant of Israel, the nucleus of the Kingdom, which would become the stock of the Kingdom of God, shall not do iniquity, not willfully serve wickedness, nor speak lies, becoming guilty of deliberate falsehood,

— neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, particularly so far as false doctrine is concerned; for they shall feed, of the rich pasture offered by the Good Shepherd, and lie down, in calm satisfaction, and none shall make them afraid. Cf Micah 7:14; Psalms 23.

¹⁴ Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

— Sing praise, O daughter of Zion; shout for joy, O Israel, namely, the spiritual Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem, for the communion of the elect is established in the Jerusalem which is above. Cf Galatians 4:26.

¹⁵ The Lord hath taken away thy judgments; He hath cast out thine enemy. The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.

— the Lord of host hath taken away thy judgements, the sentences of condemnation which had rightly been spoken upon her on account of her sins;

— he hath cast out thine enemy, sweeping away the world-power which personified all the hostile forces of the world; the King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee, namely, in the persons of God the Father and his Son, thou shalt not see evil any more, his blessings removing everything that might bring evil.

¹⁶ In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, “Fear thou not”; and to Zion, “Let not thine hands be slack.

— in that day, in the great Messianic Age, it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not, this being the fundamental note of the Kingdom of God, no more weird stories from either the paganised Christmas or Easter shows; and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack, namely, in terror at the prospect of danger and affliction from without.

¹⁷ The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.”

— the Lord, thy God, the Lord of host in the midst of thee is mighty, not at a dim distance, but in the closest proximity, and powerful to help; he will save, that’s his name Yeshua, he is the Savior;

— he will rejoice over thee with joy, in his delight over the renewal of the marriage covenant between himself and his Church; he will rest in his love, in quiet satisfaction; he will joy over thee, after his meditation has proved so satisfactory, with singing. Moreover, the Lord will let all humble and afflicted partake of his joy.

¹⁸ “I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

— the Lord of host will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, mourning far from the festive gathering when the Lord would make his salvation known, who are of thee, they were of the same family and descent;

— but were now far removed from the visible congregation of the Lord, to whom the reproach of it was a burden, who felt the weight of their captivity among the Gentiles.

¹⁹ Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that is halt, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

— behold, at that time, in the Millennium, the Lord of host will undo all that afflict thee, dealing with the oppressors according to his justice; and he will save her that halteth, heal the limping, and gather her that was driven out, those who were dispersed;

— and he will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame, so that the name of the Lord’s people would be celebrated everywhere.

²⁰ At that time will I bring you back, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I bring back your captives before your eyes,” saith the Lord.

— at that time will the Lord of host bring you again, the calling of the Lord to join his Kingdom being an act of his mercy, even in the time that I gather you, in his Kingdom;

— for he will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when he turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord;

— the fulfillment of this prophecy is clearly found in the gathering of the Kingdom, its members being called from the various nations of the earth, and the consummation and climax will be reached in the eventual complete deliverance from this present evil world as the Kingdom of God opens its portals.

~~~ Zephaniah 1:5 ~~~

Facing the East, worship the host of heaven (Ezekiel 8:16); worshipping the Sun:

— the worship of heavenly bodies was against God’s will which Moses had warned the people (Deuteronomy 4:19, 17:3, whose penalty “and shalt stone them with stones” is to be stoned to death, Deuteronomy 17:5 ’till they die).

— those 25 men in Ezekiel 8:16 corrupted themselves by worshipping the sun; and so the Targum renders it, “and, lo, they corrupted themselves, worshipping facing the east the sun; their backs toward the temple of the Lord” — they turned their backs against the most holy place; which is an aggravation of their impiety; casting the utmost contempt for God:

Moses’ warnings in Deuteronomy 17

³ And [if you] hath gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, ⁴ and it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it and inquired diligently, and behold, it be true and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel, ⁵ then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman who has committed that wicked thing unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die. Deuteronomy 17:3-5

The following quotation show that the first Christians understood the Sabbath but were made forbidden and gathered for worship on Sunday: “Christians should not Judaize and should not be idle on the Sabbath, but should work on that day; they should, however, particularly reverence the Lord’s day and, if possible, not work on it, because they were Christians” (Canon 29 AD 360);

— also, Days of the Week Names: “Sunday” is the Sun’s day and “Monday” is the Moon’s day. “Tuesday” is Tiw’s day; Tiw is an Anglo-Saxon god of war. “Wednesday” comes from Woden, the Anglo-Saxon king of the gods; in Saxon the name is Wodnesdaeg. “Thursday” is Thursdaeg, Thor’s day; Thor is a Norse god of thunder, lightning and storms. “Friday” is Frigedaeg, Frigga’s day; Frigg is a Norse goddess of home, marriage and fertility. “Saturday” is Saeterndaeg, Saturn’s day; Saturn is an ancient Roman god of fun and feasting;

— Months of the Year Names: January (derived from the Latin Januarius) is to honor their Roman gods Janus; and March, named for Mars, is the Roman mighty god of war; February is derived from the Februa festival or its eponymous februa (“purifications, expiatory offerings”); April relates to what the Romans called the month Aprilis; from a word meaning “to open” and further back from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love. May – named for Maia, is the Roman goddess of spring and growth;

— June is a name attributed to Juno, the female mighty wife of Jupiter in Roman mythology. She is also called the “Queen of Heaven” and “Queen of Mighty Ones.” July is to honor Julius Caesar; the Roman Senate named it “Julius” in honor of Roman emperor Julius Caesar. August honor Julius Caesar’s successor, the emperor Augustus; and the months September, October, November, and December are archaic adjectives derived from the ordinal numbers 7 to 10;

— do you think we can get away from God’s wrath and judgement by repudiating his Word and his Calendar; adopping paganisation and get away with impunity?

— today, more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honouring the Sun by observing Sunday worship. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the SUN toward the east; whose Godly penalty is to be stoned to death – ’till they die.

— also, following the SUN-worshipping Samaritans, most Church of God Communities are showing their contempt for God by having their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a Sunday; always on a Sunday. And these are supposedly in God’s Sanctuary, but God says he is a jealous God, so these pretentious Christians could be spewed out of his mouth! A death penalty – ’till they die!

Posted in Minor Prophets

The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between what the Prophet Habakkuk saw and questions he had for God and how God responded to him. That is, it is a dialogue between Habakkuk and God about the difficult scene before him, at a latter day, at the endtime.

The time seems to have been set at around 610 BC, when the Chaldeans attacked Jerusalem in the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim, 605 BC.

And Habakkuk, a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah, spoke of the Chaldeans as about to invade Judah (Habakkuk 1:6), and he seemed to have seen the people’s desperations of their attack that followed; hence he asked many questions. And although the oracle was relevant for his time, it was also prophetic; that is, it is for the endtime.

“For I will work a work in your days” (verse 1:5 below) means that the message of Habakkuk is really for us in the latter days, today. And this is reinforced in Habakkuk chapter 2

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not tarry,” Habakkuk 2:3

A similar statement was made by Prophet Jeremiah:

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly,” Jeremiah 23:20.

The crtical statement is “In latter days you will understand it fully,” that is, it means, “you wouldn’t fully understand these prophecies until you are living in the latter days after God had executed his judgement in anger and pertformed the thoughts of his heart!”

Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk made his observations and started them with a series of three Questions:

“The vision is yet for an appointed time.” Habakkuk 2:3 makes clear that this vision was not just for his time, but principally for the end-time, and although it had a narrow vision for the house of Judah, its wider implication for the latter days is for the latter days house of Israel; the time shortly before the second coming of the Messiah.

¹ The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw. — the prophet Habakkuk saw, did see, that is, foresee: a burden, the oracle, a grievous calamity or heavy judgment;

— not only in the sense of a message from God, but also in the sense of a heavy weight. It was heavy in its content, a burden, because Habakkuk announced the coming judgement on the house of Judah. It was also heavy in its source, because Habakkuk deals with tough questions he brings to God and God’s answer to those questions;

— “for I will work a work in your days” (verse 5 below) means that the message of Habakkuk is meant for us in the latter days, today at the endtime. And this is reinforced in Habakkuk 2:3, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie.”

² O Lord, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save? — Q (1): O Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear? Q (2): Or cry to you, “Violence!” and you will not come to the rescue?

— Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki 1040–1105, France): O Lord! How long: Habakkuk foresaw that Nebuchadnezzar was destined to be the ruler of the world and to cause trouble for Israel, as the matter is stated in his prophecy (1:6): “For behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, etc.”

— Habakkuk was asking a series of questions we all have today: when we ask and it seems God is not hearing; and when there is violence, it seems God is not saving! Or cry out to you, “Violence!” and you do not intervene?

³ Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For despoiling and violence are before me, and there are those that raise up strife and contention. — Q (3): Why do you make me see wickedness, and cause me to see trouble? Plundering and violence; strife and contention everywhere;

— iniquity, plunder and violence are all before me; you look upon these mischieves, but you do not help; why He seems to see these and leave them unpunished?

⁴ Therefore the law is slacked, and judgement doth never go forth. For the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgement proceedeth. —“Judgment” (that is, redress of evils); the law is “slacked” it means the law is powerless; it loses its force and vigour;

— so the first point is that the law is lacking in physical and moral strength! The law is applied weakly to evildoers; those who are guilty are hardly charged for their crimes. Judgement seldom has its enforcement; that there is little justice in the land;

— “the wicked compass about the righteous” means that the wicked surround the righteous, frequently in the form of rioting, to pressure the law-abiding population into accepting their criminal activities. “Therefore wrong judgement proceeds” means that justice is perverted;

— the Targum as interpreted by Ezra, says,

“Therefore the Torah is weakened / slackened. And judgment does not go forth to be clarified. For the wicked surround the righteous. Therefore judgment does not go forth rightly.”

Remember, the Targum, whose origin was in the Aramaic language, could be traced to Ezra speaking to the returning exiles who couldn’t understand Hebrew, but was expounded to them in a language they could understand.

The Lord’s Answer to Habakkuk’s first series of Questions:

⁵ “Behold ye among the nations and regard, and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

— look among the nations and watch, God said; be wondered and be amazed! “For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe, though it were told you.”

— “ye among the nations” the Jews during Habakkuk’s time were not among the nations (plural); hence this could only referenced the Jews, or the wider Israelites, as being of a different timeframe, they are to be amazed, or terrified, as one being yet-to-be scattered amongst the nations;

— the expression “in your days” tells us that this is a reference to the endtimes when they are, again, to be scattered “among the nations” ~ the period preceding the return of the Messiah;

— this Scripture is speaking about very different type of work where people will not accept what is done as being “the work of God” something very extraordinary which the people will not believe, but only “wonder marvelously;”

— a parallel in Isaiah 29:14,

“therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

— which means in the context of those in leadership positions lack wisdom and understanding today; perhaps drunk and incoherent;

— and bear in mind that only then, in the latter days, could we understand fully, as the Targum says

“Look among the nations; observe, be astonished and be amazed. For a work is being done in your days. You will not believe it; even if it were told to you.”

⁶ For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. — God is going to send “the Chaldeans” or the Babylonians; that land that goes to the breadth of the earth as the Targum says; they will march throughout the earth to take possession of lands that don’t belong to them;

— to the Babylonians the land of Judea couldn’t be that land that goes to the breadth of the earth; hence the Targum version is prophetic of the endtime, where the house of Jacob are scattered to the four corners of the earth;

— the land that the Jews dwelled in Judea and Jerusalem were actually their given land; already alloted and given during Joshua’s time; but this is talking of “dwelling places that are not theirs;” hence this could only refered to when they are in exile, in captivity;

— Q. Since this is speaking of the endtime, who could these new Chaldeans be?

⁷ They are terrible and dreadful; their judgement and their dignity shall proceed from themselves. — they “the Chaldeans” will be terrifying and fearsome with they assault, and cruelty with which they use their captives; they will carry out their own kind of justice and honor.

⁸ Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from afar; they shall fly as the vulture that hasten to eat. — they “the Chaldeans” fly like an eagle swooping down to devour;

— their horses will be faster than leopards and quicker than wolves in the evening; or are swifter than the eagles of the heavens. Their riders will gallop along proudly; their riders will come from far away; they will fly like a vulture that swoops down for carcases or its food; or they fly like an eagle swooping down to devour;

— taken historically, these verses can be seen as applying only to the Babylonians who took Judah into captivity; but prophecy are meant to be dual, so when we consider the context that follows, it should be clear that God is using the Babylonian captivity as a type of the yet future great tribulation on all Israel; and particularly on Ephraim, the head of Israel;

— a parallel scene in Ezekiel 20-21 (more details here)

⁹ They shall come all for violence; their faces shall consume as the east wind, and they shall gather the captives as the sand.

— they, the “Chaldeans” will all come for violence to seize prey; every face will be directed forward; they will gather prisoners as innumerable as the sand of the sea; remember, this prophecy to be better understood for the latter days;

¹⁰ And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them. They shall deride every stronghold, for they shall heap up dirt and take it. — the Babylonian soldiers laugh at kings; Jehoiakim as a tributary sovereign; then Zedekiah;

— they make fun of their rulers; they laugh at all their strong walled cities. They build dirt roads up to the top of their walls, then they capture the cities.

¹¹ Then shall his mind change; and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.” — imputing this his power; or success rather, that his might becometh his god;

— they will move quickly and pass through like the wind. So they will be guilty, because their own strength is their god; made only of stones and wood.

Habakkuk’s Second Series of Questions

Habakkuk wonders why God would use a wicked nation to bring judgement on Judah.

¹² Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, Thou hast ordained them for judgement; and, O mighty God, Thou hast established them for correction. — O Lord God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you?

Q (1) If thou art from everlasting, we are not going to die, are we? O Lord, you have appointed them, a nation more wicked than Judah, for judgement; and you, O Rock, have established them for correction.

— but three times Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, described as God’s servant: Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, 43:10; and thou hast appointed the Chaldeans to execute thy judgments on sinners;

— the Targum recognizes God’s justice but struggles with the paradox of using such a violent nation as His instrument, says

“Are You not, O Lord, the one who created the world from the beginning? You are God, the true Judge over all Your creatures; holy in works of faithfulness; your word endures forever. O Lord, You have established him (the Chaldean) to execute judgment; and You have made him strong to bring punishment.”

¹³ Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest Thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

— the Lord with all seeing eyes to behold all things, good and evil, yet your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot look on wickedness;

Q (2) Why do you look on those who deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked devours the one who is more righteous than he?

If God is pure and holy, unable to tolerate evil, why does He allow the Chaldeans—violent oppressors—to prosper? from the Targum Habakkuk 1:13 Jonathan

¹⁴ And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things that have no ruler over them? — you make men like fish of the sea, that is, sufferest them to be used as the fishes of the sea, which are easily taken in the net, like crawling things that have no dignity; to be killed and devoured for food;

¹⁵ They take up all of them with the hook; they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag; therefore they rejoice and are glad. — some they take up as with the angle, one by one; others they catch in shoals, as in their net, and gather them in their drag, their enclosing net;

— the Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, they catch them in their net; they gather them in their lootings; therefore they rejoice and are laughing.

¹⁶ Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag, because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous. — therefore they sacrifice with their choicest booty and burn incense to their idols which they set in the heart; for by them their portion is extravagant, and their food plentiful;

— there have not indeed been lacking of savage nations, who indeed worshiped their arms; those of old worshiped spears as immortal gods; others designate their bow and arrow as the only beneficent deities whom they worship;

— the Targum adds, the Chaldeans not only capture but also rejoice in their success, highlighting their arrogance and delight in wickedness.

¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

— should these Chaldeans, when they have conquered one nation, and so filled their net with the spoil, carry it to Babylon, and there lay it up, and then proceed to fight against another kingdom and nation and plunder it in like manner?

Q (3) shall they continue to empty their net, and continually killing the nations while not sparing anyone? The Targum asks, “shall he send his armies continually to consume nations, and that without mercy?”

~~~

A Description of the Chaldeans, one from the East an anti-type of one similar coming from the South in the latter days:

“Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than evening wolves. Their horsemen charge on; their horsemen come from afar; they fly like the eagle that hastens to eat,” Habakkuk 1:8

Ezekiel 20:45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
⁴⁶ “Son of man, set thy face toward the South, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophesy against the forest of the Southland.
⁴⁷ And say to the forest of the South: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the South to the North shall be burned therein.
⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.’”
⁴⁹ Then said I, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Doth he not speak parables?’”
Ezekiel 21:1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
² “Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My Sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
⁴ Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My Sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North,
⁵ that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My Sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.’ Ezekiel 20:45-21:5

The Scriptures above are shrouded in cryptic language, and so the Q is: how would such scenarios be played out?

For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

For more into another Captivity: see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

More on the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Habakkuk 2

¹ I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. — the way Habakkuk says has a sense of arrogance, he was yet to be humbled;

— reproved: that is, how he will respond to my complaint: Habakkuk will stand at his watchtower and station himself; and he will wait and keep watch to see what God will say to him, and what he will answer when he expect himself to be reprimanded.

The Lord’s Answer to Habakkuk’s second series of Questions:

² And the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. — here Habakkuk is expecting some message or some instructions from God; and sure enough, God gave him specific instructions, which is: write this message down in big block letters, engraving it, for people to read it;

— it reads “that he may run who reads it,” that none would need to make a stop while reading the message, but hold on his course in great haste of fleeing from those terrible times to come who take warning.

³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not tarry. — for an appointed time; determined and fixed with God, though unknown to men; but where else but the present time;

— a witness for the appointed time, a testimony to the endtime; a prophecy for the latter days at the end; if it seems slow in coming; wait, it’s on its way; it will come right on time. If it delays, wait for it; it will not be delayed;

— the Targum says,

“For the prophecy is appointed for a time. It establishes an end, and it will not be annulled. Though the word may seem delayed, wait for it. For it will surely come at its appointed time and not be late.”

— a parallel Scripture in Jeremiah:

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20

“In latter days you will understand it fully,” that is, it means as a whole, “you wouldn’t fully understand these prophecies until you’re are living in the latter days after God had executed his judgement in anger and pertformed the thoughts of his heart!”

⁴ Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. — look, the soul of the Chaldæan invader, is lifted up; or be puffed up or arrogant; it is not upright in him;

— but the just shall live by his faith; yes, not just the NT, but the OT talks of mercy (Ezekiel 39:25) and here about faith!

— the Targum says,

“Behold, the wicked say: ‘None of these (prophecies) will come to pass. But the righteous, by their truth/faithfulness, shall endure.”

⁵ “Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people.

— the arrogant trangress in wine; and money deceives; the arrogant riches wouldn’t last; God sees the proud man and how he cannot be satisfied; indeed, wine betrays the proud man, who does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite and even when in death he is never satisfied;

— they are like cemeteries filled with dead bones; like graveyards filled with corpses. Don’t give people like this a second thought. Woe to the Wicked, soon the whole world will be taunting them.

⁶ Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his (how long?) and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay’?

— shall not all these take up a taunt against him, with satire and riddles, and say, “Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long? And to him who loads himself with heavy debts!”

— to him that ladeth himself; woe to him that increaseth that which is not his, substance or goods, not his own, while he burdens himself with amassed treasures gathered by extortion and grievous, unjust gains!

⁷ Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake, that shall vex thee? And shalt thou be for booty unto them? — shall not your debtors rise up suddenly, or shall exact usury from thee? Then you will be their plunder; and those awake shall suddenly oppress you;

— the Targum says,

“Surely, in an instant your creditors will rise, those who terrify you will awaken, and you will become spoil to them.”

— would the Latinos in the United States rise up suddenly and reclaim their land and properties? Wouldn’t the Indians in Britain suddenly rise up and reloot back their lost $45 trillions?

⁸ Because thou hast despoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall despoil thee, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

— this threat applies to the Chaldaeans, as well as to Israel; because you Israel have plundered many nations, all the remnant of these nations will plunder you;

— and for the violence of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein: because you did it through warfares, bloodsheds, deceits and violence; of the cities and all of the land where you live in them; it shall return like a boomarang;

— when you visit any museum of the house of modern Israel (London, Paris, New York), you’ll witness lots of plunderings of other nations over the centuries; thus one day “all the remnant of these people will plunder you.”

— and this from the Message Bible: Habakkuk 2:6-8

“‘Who do you think you are—
getting rich by stealing and extortion?
How long do you think
you can get away with this?’
Indeed, how long before your victims wake up,
stand up and make you the victim?
You’ve plundered nation after nation.
Now you’ll get a taste of your own medicine.
All the survivors are out to plunder you,
a payback for all your murders and massacres.

Here is one example of an article by Jason Hickel’s How Britain stole $45 trillion from India (from economist Utsa Patnaik – published by Columbia University Press) and thus funded the industrialisation of Britain. And during the entire 200-year history of British rule, income in India collapsed and millions died needlessly of policy-induced famine. India’s share of world’s GDP went from over 20 percent to less than 2 percent when India won her independence in 1947.

But the plundering of India wasn’t alone; after the British had conquered India, they then went to war with China (the First and Second Opium Wars: 1839–42; 1856–60), “trading opiums” for tea, porcelain and silk, promoting opium smoking as fashionable and resulting a quarter of China’s population hooked on opium. Not satisfied, they, together with the French, went to war again, burnt down Beijing’s Summer Palace after looting its arts and treasures. These plundered treasure are still hidden today by the rich and famous in their lofty homes, a few in their national museums.

Following Christopher Columbus’ voyage in 1492, the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 15th and 16th century with steel weapons and armor, they plundered the Aztecs and Incas of their gold and silver, as native weapons could not pierce Spanish armor nor could native armor defend against steel swords.

Later they came with rifles, firearms and cannons. In Mexico, conquistadors found great golden treasures, including great discs of gold, masks, jewelry, and even gold dust and bars. In Peru, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro demanded that the Incan Emperor Atahualpa fill up a large room once with gold and twice with silver in exchange for his freedom. The emperor complied, but the Spanish killed him anyway. All in all, Atahualpa’s ransom came to 13,000 pounds of gold and twice that much silver. This did not even count the vast treasures taken later when the Inca capital city of Cuzco was looted.

And following the Mexican-American War that ended in 1848, the United States plundered more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 square km) of land from Mexico, expanding US territory by about one-third. Mexico ceded nearly all the territory now included in the US states of New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, and western Colorado for $15 million and US assumption of its citizens’ claims against Mexico.

More recently, the Americans “assisted” American museums in acquiring vast quantities of Persian antiquities and archaeological finds; this was the looting of Persia’s mosques and shrines, the transfer of these religious artifacts first, to London, and the subsequent acquisition of some of the objects by such museums as the Metropolitan of New York.

God says He saw all these; and how these Godly Judgements will play out, we’ll have to wait and see; but there is a parallel from the Prophet Ezekiel; and this mystery is an “enemy” coming from the SOUTH:

Ezekiel 20:45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
⁴⁶ “Son of man, set thy face toward the South, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophesy against the forest of the Southland.
⁴⁷ And say to the forest of the South: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the South to the North shall be burned therein.
⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.’”
⁴⁹ Then said I, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Doth he not speak parables?’”
Ezekiel 21: And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
² “Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My Sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
⁴ Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My Sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North,
⁵ that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My Sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.’ Ezekiel 20:45-21:5

Q: Who is this enemy from the SOUTH, and how would such scenarios be played out? But God says He will kindle a fire and “all the remnant of the people shall despoil thee.”

⁹ “Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

— woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, that is, greedily seizing enormous wealth, not merely for himself, but for his family, to set his nest on high, an image is from an eagle (Job 39:27); the royal family or dynasty is meant.

¹⁰ Thou hast devised shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. — instead of bringing honour and glory to their nation, you have given shameful counsel to your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting their lives;

— the Targum says,

“You have planned shame for your house, by plundering many nations; and you have sinned against your own soul.”

¹¹ For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. — for the stone will cry out from the wall, from wall of cruelty and oppression, and the beam of the woodwork will answer it.

— from the Message Bible: Habakkuk 2:9-11

“Who do you think you are—
recklessly grabbing and looting,
Living it up, acting like king of the mountain,
acting above it all, above trials and troubles?
You’ve engineered the ruin of your own house.
In ruining others you’ve ruined yourself.
You’ve undermined your foundations,
rotted out your own soul.
The bricks of your house will speak up and accuse you.
The woodwork will step forward with evidence.

¹² “Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! — “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and sweat of the subjugated nations and establishes a city by cruelty and wickedness!”

¹³ Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? — is it not the Lord’s will that people labor to fan the flames, and the nations exhaust themselves for vanity?

¹⁴ For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. — jumping into the Millennium, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas.

¹⁵ “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on his nakedness! — “Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink, pouring out your poison until they are drunk, that you may look on their nakedness with the utmost pleasure and delight!”

¹⁶ Thou art filled with the shame for glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered. The cup of the Lord’S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. — you will be filled with shame instead of glory; you yourself—drink and show your own uncircumcision!

— let thy foreskin be uncovered; in retaliation for uncovering the nakedness of others, now let thy own shame of sinning, like king David did with murder of Urioah after adultery with Bathsheba, be laid open before all nations of the world;

— the judgement of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you; the drunk and those who promote drunkenness loved their own cup full of drink; now a cup of shame after judgement shall be a cup of glory for them;

¹⁷ For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts which made them afraid, because of men’s blood and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

— since Lebanon was a mountain on the borders of the land of Israel, from whence cedar wood was brought, of which the Temple was built, so the Targum interprets it, “Because you plundered the Temple, it shall cover thee (with ruin);”

— the exploitation done to the forest of Lebanon for the house of the sanctuary, the desolation of the land of Judea and city of Jerusalem and all who live in them “shall cover thee.”

— and this from the Message Bible: Habakkuk 2:15-17

“Who do you think you are—
inviting your neighbors to your drunken parties,
Giving them too much to drink,
roping them into your sexual orgies?
You thought you were having the time of your life.
Wrong! It’s a time of disgrace.
All the time you were drinking,
you were drinking from the cup of God’s wrath.
You’ll wake up holding your throbbing head, hung over—
hung over from Lebanon violence,
Hung over from animal massacres,
hung over from murder and mayhem,
From multiple violations
of place and people.

¹⁸ “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it, the molten image and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein to make dumb idols?

— what profit is a carved image when its maker has carved it, their man-make dumb idols, a cast image, and a teacher of lies, that its maker trusts in what he has shaped when he makes graven and molten images?

¹⁹ Woe unto him that saith to the wood, ‘Awake!’ To the dumb stone, ‘Arise, it shall teach!’ Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

— woe to him who says to the wood, “Awake!” To the silent stone, “Arise!” Can it teach? It is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no breath at all in any of them;

— and this from the Message Bible: Habakkuk 2:18-19

“What’s the use of a carved god
so skillfully carved by its sculptor?
What good is a fancy cast god
when all it tells is lies?
What sense does it make to be a pious god-maker
who makes gods that can’t even talk?
Who do you think you are—
saying to a stick of wood, ‘Wake up,’
Or to a dumb stone, ‘Get up’?
Can they teach you anything about anything?

²⁰ “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.” — but the Lord is in His holy Temple; He is on His Throne; not in graven and molten images; not in idols of wood and stone, covered with gold and silver;

— therefore the whole earth, that is, all the population of the earth, of every tribe and tongue, is to be still before Him: to submit silently to Him, and wait for His judgement;

— or, as the Septuagint renders it, stand in awe, or stand in fear; let all the earth stand in fear before him;

— the point of this verse is that even though terrible times lie around, God is always in full control; the ultimate outcome will be exactly what God predicted; that is, that all question has a full and adequate answer before a God of Omniscience, Omnipresence and Omnipotence.

Let all the earth stand in fear and in awe before him.

Habakkuk 3

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: The first two chapters of Habakkuk presented the prophet’s question and answer time with God. Now that the Lord had answered Habakkuk, the prophet offered a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God “in wrath remember mercy” before keeping silence before Him and close the book.

¹ A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon “Shigionoth.” — this may be interpreted by Ezra according to the Targum: a prayer of Habakkuk because of his ignorance; concerning his errors of judgement:

— however, according to the apparent meaning, Habakkuk is begging for mercy for himself because he spoke rebelliously: (1: 4) “Therefore Law is slackened,” and (verse 14) “You have made man like the fish of the sea.” Habakkuk also criticized the Divine standard of justice;

— in a more explanatory way, the Targum as interpreted by Ezra, says,

“A prayer that Habakkuk the prophet prayed when it was revealed to him about the length of time given to the wicked—that if they return to the Torah with a whole heart, they will be forgiven, and all the sins they committed before Him will be pardoned. This is the prayer.”

— Job, too, repented of his sin for questioning God; earlier, Job had stated that he had lived righteously before God and was undeserving of God’s punishment, as if God was unjust in his treatment:

“Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:3-6.

² O Lord, I have heard Thy speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

— O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years: Habakkuk simply prayed for revival, knowing how God once worked and how His people once responded, and he wanted to see that again;

— this prayer of Habakkuk shows us that repentence is a work of God, not the achievement of man; there is something man can and must do for repentence; simply crying out to God and pleading for his mercy;

— notice the prayer: “revive thy work” – often, our prayers are really “revive my or our work,” but we must have a heart and mind for God’s work, far bigger than our portion of it;

— in wrath remember mercy: Habakkuk prayed, knowing well that they didn’t deserve revival, so he prayed for mercy. The idea is, “Lord, I know that we deserve your wrath, but in the midst of your wrath remember mercy.”

— the Targum provides great insight of allowing time for the wicked to repent, says,

“O Lord, I have heard the report of Your strength and I was in awe. O Lord, great are Your works: You give an extension of time to the wicked—if they return to Your Torah, they will be forgiven; but if they do not return, they provoke You during the years of life You granted them.

Therefore You are destined to make Your strength known in the years when You have said You will renew the world, to exact punishment from the wicked who transgressed Your word, and to remember the righteous who do Your will with mercy.”

³ God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran [with everlasting might, Chabad Bible]. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.

— Teman: Esau; Paran: Ishmael, as Scripture states (Genesis 21:21): “And he (Ishmael) dwelt in the desert of Paran.”

— having rejected Ismael and Esau, God came to the house of Jacob; or God’s might and wrath could possibly come from Teman (Esau) and Mount Paran (Ismael);

— Selah; “stop and think.” Oh ye house of Jacob; stop and ponder: his glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise: All creatures bow down to him!

⁴ And His brightness was as the light; He had horns coming out of His hand, and there was the hiding of His power. — Oh house of Jacob; stop and ponder:

— God appeared in unparalleled splendour which shined from him, was as the light; pure, clear as the sun, but much more dazzling and overcoming;

— the Targum says,

“And the brightness of His glory was revealed like the brightness at the beginning, and sparks went forth from the chariot of His glory. There He revealed His Presence, which had been hidden from humankind, in the strength of His majesty.”

⁵ Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet. — Covid-19 has been spreading around the globe; first the Delta variant, then the Omicron; and who knows what’s next? Could Covid-19, or another bioweapon, destroys a third of mankind eventually?

— and sparks went out at his feet: fiery angels came with him to witness the affairs of the heavens and earth. Could “burning coals” went forth at his feet be civil wars within nations? Witness the numerous civil strives within many nations because of the various issues of how to manage Covid;

— the Targum interprets imagery of plague and burning coals as the angel of death and fiery flame,

“From before Him was sent the angel of death, and it went forth like a flame of fire from His word.”

⁶ He stood and measured the earth; He beheld and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow. His ways are everlasting.

— He stood and judged the earth; he looked and shook the nations; as he did at Mount Sinai, now the whole world is experiencing it; the everlasting mountains were scattered: Ephraim and the other twelve, the heavenly princes of the nations; all are either scattered or bow low;

— the Targum says

“He was revealed, and the earth trembled; He brought a flood upon the generation that transgressed His word. And likewise in later times, when they sinned before Him in their iniquities, He confounded the nations, and the ancient mountains were shattered, the eternal heights collapsed—His is the eternal strength.”

⁷ I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

— the Targum says

“When the house of Israel served idols, He delivered them into the hand of Cushan the guilty one. But when they returned to do the Torah, He performed miracles and mighty acts for them, and delivered them from the hand of the Midianites by the hand of Gideon son of Joash.”

⁸ Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? Was Thine anger against the rivers? Was Thy wrath against the sea, that Thou didst ride upon Thine horses and Thy chariots of salvation?

— Habakkuk was asking another series of Questions: asking the question thrice, Was the Lord displeased against the rivers?

— was thy wrath kindled against the rivers? in the Nile, the Red Sea and the Jordan? God meant more by these acts; he showed his supremacy over all creation, and these rivers are no problem in the execution of his great design (Psalm 106:9; Psalm 114:3);

— the Targum says

“Behold, against their kings and their many armies, like the waters of a river, there was trembling before You, O Lord. Against the kings was Your wrath, and in the sea You made known upon them the punishment of Your strength. For You were revealed upon the chariot of Your glory, Your Presence for Your people as power and deliverance.”

~ a Parallel in Ezekiel 6:3 on mountains, hills and rivers ~

— this message to the “mountains of Israel;” these mountains refer to the United States, UK and France. . . . “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

— and to the rivers; where during the nineteenth century, the British Royal Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British left the scene.

⁹ Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oaths of the tribes, even Thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. — your bow revealed itself: your might being revealed; thy bow was made quite naked; that is, the sheath of the bow was laid aside to make it ready for use;

— Rashi: You split the earth into rivers: according to the Targum, “for thou didst break strong rocks, rivers came forth overflowing the earth.”

¹⁰ The mountains saw Thee and they trembled; the overflowing of the water passed by; the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high.

— the mountains saw thee, and they trembled; literally, were in pain, Septuagint, the words point to the phenomena of an earthquake, as Sinai shook at the presence of the Lord (Exodus 19:18; Psalm 114:6);

— there is a similar scene at the end-time in Isaiah: where, not just the Israelites, every being will have a Mt Sinai experience: the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard; the land utterly emptied!

“The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again” Isaiah 24:20

¹¹ The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of Thy glittering spear. — as a similar scene in Isaiah 60:19‘: ‘the sun shall be no more for thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, and the Lord shall be to thee an everlasting light.’”

— the Targum says

“Also in the miracles You performed for Joshua in the plain of Gibeon, the sun and the moon stood still in their dwelling places with You. By Your Word they prevailed, in the strength of Your victory and power.”

Remember, the Targum, whose origin was in the Aramaic language, could be traced to Ezra speaking to the returning exiles who couldn’t understand Hebrew, but was expounded to them in a language they could understand.

¹² Thou didst march through the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. — Habakkuk says, in fury you walkest through the earth, in wrath you stampest down the nations, both Israelites and others;

— the Targum says

“In Your going forth You trampled upon the enemies of Your people; in Your revelation You shattered the wicked of the earth. In Your wrath You slew the nations.”

¹³ Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even for salvation with Thine Anointed. Thou wounded the head out of the house of the wicked, by uncovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.

— Habakkuk says you went forth for the salvation of your people, for salvation with your Anointed:

— Selah; “stop and think.” Oh house of Judah; stop and ponder; don’t be stiff-necked: as Habakkuk remembered how God had saved in the past; this made him full of faith for what God could do in the present and in the future.

— He also declared that salvation is brought with your Anointed – and the Lord’s Anointed is none other than the Messiah (Isaiah 52:13 Targum says God’s suffering servant is the Messiah), Jesus Christ; others call him Yeshua (for Christmas is rightly called “the Mother of all paganism”).

¹⁴ Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages; they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me; their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. — Thou, O God, didst strike through with his staves;

— the Targum interpret of Pharaoh and his host, who were destroyed by the steps and methods which they themselves took, going into the sea of themselves, and so were struck through with their own staves.

¹⁵ Thou didst walk through the sea with Thine horses, through the heap of great waters. — the gists of this interpretation rests upon the retelling of the destruction of Pharaoh and his horsemen in the Red Sea.

¹⁶ When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

— when Habakkuk heard God’s voice, his body trembled: he showed the righteous response of man under the sovereign power of God, recognizing his own weakness and low standing before this God of all majesty and power;

— the Babylon king Nebuchadnezzar will invade him with his troops: the prophet Habakkuk remembered that the Babylonians were coming, and that this God of sovereign power and majesty would direct their work against Judah;

— the Targum says

“Babylon said: I have heard, and the kings trembled before the judgment that was executed upon Egypt. For these few words my prayer was uttered, and trembling seized the wise men. And in the place of my dwelling I shook, for I was left until the day of calamity, until the time when the exile of my people would ascend from me, and I would be broken.”

¹⁷ Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls—

— Habakkuk depicts the effects of the hostile invasion, which are such as to make the natural heart despair; though the fig tree may not blossom, no fruit on the vines; nor fruit on the vines;

— though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls; yet Habakkuk will still rejoice in the Lord, whom he knows, has full control from His throne;

— the Targum interpretes the fruit metaphors as foreign invasions, says

“For the kingdom of Babylon will not endure, nor will it rule over Israel. The kings of Media will be killed, and the mighty ones who worship the stars and constellations will not succeed. The Romans will be destroyed, and they will not again prophesy divination from Jerusalem.”

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. — Habakkuk rejoices in the God of his salvation: in a vision, he saw the Judean countryside desolate, perhaps from the invading Babylonian army or perhaps from natural calamity;

— but in the midst of this almost complete loss, the cities and countryside desolate, Habakkuk could still rejoice in the Lord;

— sometimes when we see a day of trouble approach, we think, “If God is so great and powerful, how come we’re going through a hard time?” Habakkuk knew this was the wrong question and the wrong attitude; instead, he said: “I know you are strong and mighty, and if we are in desolate circumstances it is because we deserve it. I will praise You still, and even rejoice in You.”

— the Targum says

“Therefore, for the miracle and deliverance that You will perform for Your Messiah and for the remnant of Your people who will remain, they will give thanks and say: the prophet said, ‘And I, in the Word of the Lord, will rejoice and exult in God who works my deliverance.’”

¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

— the Lord God is my strength: he could only properly declare this after he prayed the prayer of faith in the previous verses. He rightly declared that his strength was not in fig trees or vines or fields or flocks, but only in the Lord God;

— the Targum says

“The Lord God who supports me with strength makes my feet swift like the deer, and upon the stronghold of my might He raises me up. For Him are victories and power, and before Him I sing with my praise.”

— Habakkuk’s prayer could also be adapted as a song of prayer and/or a prayer of reflection. Selah!

In summary, the theme of Habakkuk is for the vision is yet for an appointed time, though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come to pass; and we wouldn’t fully understand until the anger and God’s judgement had passed in the latter day; then and only then will we be able to understand fully:

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not tarry” Habakkuk 2:3

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20.

“In latter days you will understand it fully,” that is, it means as a whole: “we wouldn’t fully understand these prophecies until we are living in the latter days after God had executed his judgement in anger and pertformed the thoughts of his heart!” Selah!

For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

For more into another Captivity, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

More on the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Posted in Minor Prophets

The prophecy of Nahum chiefly relates to the Assyrian empire and its chief city, Nineveh, of their destruction. God used Assyria as a rod of his anger to punish Israel but finally this rod itself had to be punished for its own haughtiness and malice.

The period in which Nahum prophesied may approximately before the destruction of Nineveh in the year 606 BC but after the dissolution of the northern kingdom through the Assyrian hosts and after some serious visitation which struck the southern kingdom.

Some references over Assyria are yet to be fulfilled. The king of Assyria will come towards Israel and Egypt again in a day to come will find his end in Palestine. “Assyria also has joined with them,” Psalms 83.

Second, when the king of Assyria leading a conferderate to invade Israel, the Targum version of Nahum 1:12 clarifies that they would cross the Tigris and the Euphrates. Such a scene lead us directly to the 200 million warriors crossing the Euphrates in Revelation 9:14,16.

Nahum 1

¹ The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. — the burden of Nineveh; a burden is a heavy message of weighty importance, heavy in the sense that it produces sorrow or grief.

—Jonah was earlier sent to this city to warn it with ruin for its sins; at that time the king and all his people humbled themselves and repented and the threatened destruction was averted; but they soon relapsed to their former iniquities, and that Nahum prophesied after Jonah a considerable time, perhaps a hundred to a hundred and fifty years later;

— this prophecy is called a burden; it was taken up by Nahum the prophet at the command of the Lord, and was sent by him to Nineveh; and that ‘burden’ was a hard, heavy and grievous prophecy to that city, predicting its utter ruin and desolation;

— or as the Targum says,

The burden of the cup of cursing which Nineveh is to be made to drink. First Jonah, son of Amitti, of Gath Hepher, proph[e]sied against her, and she turned from her sins; and now that she sinned again, Nahum from the house of Koshi prophesied against her again, according as it is written in this record.

² God is jealous, and the Lord avengeth; the Lord avengeth and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.

— God is jealous of his own honour and glory and for his own worship and ordinances; and will not give his glory to another, nor to graven images;

— the Lord is furious and avenges; or is “master of wrath” full of it or has it at his command; he can restrain it and let it out as he pleases, which man cannot do. The Lord’s avenging is repeated for its certainty and confirmation; yea, it is a third time emphasized;

— the Targum explains it, “that hate his people;” vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he will repay it sooner or later.

³ The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

— the Lord is slow to anger, long-suffering and patient against wickedness of long standing; his almighty strength becoming evident when he does strike and will not at all acquit the wicked;

— the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, which are but instruments and exhibitions of his power, and the clouds are the dust of his feet, they are insignificant before him and he uses them as he pleases;

— a parallel Scripture in Isaiah says:

“Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate. And he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it … Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall move out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger” Isaiah 13:9,13.

⁴ He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers; Bashan languisheth and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

— when he rebukes the seas they becomes dry as when he caused the Red Sea to part before the children of Israel, Exodus 14:15, and dries up all the rivers, since they all are subject to his directions;

— Bashan, the rich pasture-land east of Jordan, languishes in desolation; and Carmel, the wooded slopes of the mountain overlooking the Mediterranean and the flower of Lebanon, otherwise a symbol of rich fertility, also languishes in desolations, namely, when he withholds the moisture or bids the river go dry;

— and all the rivers drieth up; that is, he can do it if he will; he divided the waters of Jordan, through the midst of which the Israelites passed on dry ground; and will dry up the river Euphrates to make way for the kings of the east; and as for Tigris, on the banks of which the city of Nineveh stood;

— “Bashan … Carmel … Lebanon …” these names are associated with the richest and most-favoured dwelling places of antiquity; and they were mentioned here to show that no place on earth is beyond the judgement of God when the sins of its inhabitants require judgement and punishment. The Tigris valley, where Nineveh lay, was another of the garden spots of the earth; but today it’s a desolation!

⁵ The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the world and all that dwell therein.

— the mountains quake before him, or in front of him; as was at Mount Sinai, when the Lord descended on it, Exodus 19:18. Mountains figuratively signify large countries; hills are smaller countries;

— and the hills melt before him as at the time of terrible earthquakes, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world and all that dwell therein, both men and any irrational brutes.

⁶ Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him.

— who can stand before his indignation? before his wrath when it burns freely. And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? Cf Jeremiah 10:10.

— his fury is poured out like fire in a torrent consuming everything before it, Deuteronomy 4:24, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Cf Jeremiah 23:29. But this wrath of God may or may not strike those who keep his commandments and put their trust in him;

— the Targum expands on this

When he reveals himself in mercy to give the law to his people, then the world trembles before him.

But when he reveals himself in anger to take vengeance upon the haters of his people, before his vengeance who shall arise, and who shall bear up in the evil of his anger? His wrath is likened to consuming fire, shattering even the most solid elements of creation.

⁷ The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. — the Lord is good, even in the midst of his judgements, a strong refuge in the day of trouble,

— a safe place when distress and misery come upon believers; and he knows them that trust in him; he has that intimate knowledge of them, that peculiar insight into their needs which guarantees them his help.

⁸ But with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies. — from a single enemy, Ninevah, the stubject is expanded to numerous enemies;

— but with an overrunning flood, a deluge which carries everything before it; he will make an utter end of Nineveh, which would be a microsm of all his enemies; they cease to be cities, and darkness shall pursue them all into complete desolation.

⁹ What do ye contrive against the Lord? He will make an utter end; affliction shall not rise up the second time.

— what do ye imagine against the Lord? O ye Ninevites or Assyrians; or you peoples who have spoiled Israel, as the Targum says; do you think you can frustrate the designs of the Lord, resist his power, and hinder him from executing what he has threatened to do?

— he will make an utter end; affliction shall not rise up the second time, for the one blow on the part of the Lord would be sufficient so that the affliction which Judah suffered on the part of Assyria would not arise twice;

— Q: if so, our understand of Psalm 83 needs to be restudied, because Assyria did rise again in a study of Psalm 83! as “Assyria also has joined with them.”

¹⁰ For while they are folded together as thorns and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. — for though the Assyrians are folded together as thorns, braided together or entangled;

— and while they, or the rulers of the people who spoiled the house of Israel, are drunken as drunkards, though they are drowned in their carousing in their wine, so that it might seem that fire would not be able to reach them or to affect them seriously, they shall be devoured as being fully dried up.

¹¹ There is one that comes out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. — there is one come out of thee, namely, Sennacherib or one of the other rulers who invaded Judah,

— that imagined evil against the Lord, meditating and speaking in this sense, a wicked counselor, one who advised worthlessness, things that were foolish and brought no results. Cf Isaiah 36:14-20.

— or as the Targum says: formed a scheme to invade the people of Yehovah; take the fenced cities and seize upon Jerusalem and carry the king, princes and all the people captive as Shalmaneser his father had carried away the ten tribes.

¹² Thus saith the Lord: “Though they be quiet and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more;

— thus saith the Lord, Though the enemies be quiet and likewise many, yet shall they be cut down when he, the king from the Assyrians, shall pass through, but it’s not clear where or over what the passage is meant to be, making the text vague and ambiguous;

— however, the Targum clarifies this ambiguities by adding that the passing through are the crossing of the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Thus saith Jehovah: Though perfect in counsel and great in number be the peoples who are assembled to afflict thee, O Jerusalem, and they cross the Tigris and pass over the Euphrates and come to afflict thee, though I have made thee serve, I will not make thee serve again. Nahum 1:12 Jonathan

— and this seems to parallel a familiar scene in Revelation:

“Loose the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates . . . And the number of the army of horsemen was two hundred thousand thousand, and I heard the number of them.” Revelation 9:14,16

¹³ for now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds asunder.”

— the nations that had imposed servitude upon the congregation of Israel are stripped of control, as the Targum clarifies with greater insight, says

“And now I will break the yoke of the nations from your necks; and I will tear off your chains.”

¹⁴ And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: “Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image. I will make thy grave, for thou art vile.”

— and the Lord hath given a commandment that no more of their name be remembered, that the dynasty of the Assyrian kings should become extinct;

— out of the house of thy gods will God cut off their graven image and the molten image, their goddess Ishtar, and others in whom the Assyrians placed their trust; God would make their graves for thou art vile, morally unworthy, no longer fit to live and to be in power;

— thus concerning you, O king of Assyria, the Targum says, “there will I put [thee into] thy grave.”

¹⁵ Behold upon the mountains the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows; for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

— behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brought good tidings of the messenger of joy hastening forward to bring the good news, that publishes peace, announcing to Judah the overthrow of the enemies;

— O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts: the celebration of the Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, when the deliverance of the Lord’s people from violence and oppression constituted a further incentive for joy and thanksgiving, those in anticipation of their deliverance; for the wicked Assyrians shall no more pass through thee, they were utterly cut off.

Nahum 2

¹ He that dasheth in pieces has come up before thy face. Man the defenses! Watch the way! Make thy loins strong! Fortify thy power mightily!

— “He that dasheth in pieces …” is the Lord of hosts; the instrument by which his will would be executed upon Nineveh was Babylon. The fourfold warning of “keep… watch … make strong … fortify” is irony. Who can stand against the Almighty? What human strength could avail against the Lord?

— the Targum expands on this

Those who were coming up and spreading over thy land were laying siege to thee, setting watches upon thy ways. Strengthen the neck; make your military force exceedingly firm.

² For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out and marred their vine branches.

— for the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob; “Jacob” is used here, not Judah; and Jacob necessarily included all of Israel, northern and southern; Yehovah being on the side of the invading army, making them captives before he restored them back their glory as when the covenant nation was at the height of its glory;

— for the invaders have emptied them out, or “plunderers have plundered them” and marred their vine-branches;

— the Targum interprets it of their restored cities, towns and villages, being to the land as branches to the vine; and which had been ransacked and pillaged by the Assyrians, destroying the land and outraging its inhabitants, so that the Lord felt obliged to avenge this indignity.

³ The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet; the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

— the shield of his mighty men, is made red; red, either with the blood of the slain; or this may express the lustre of them, which being gilded or made of gold or brass in the rays of the sun glittered, and looked of a fiery red; all shining for the battle;

— the valiant men are in scarlet; their shield are red as are their cloaks; clothed in scarlet; partly to show their greatness and nobleness and partly to strike their enemies with terror and to hide their blood should they be wounded and so keep up their own spirits and not encourage their enemies:

— the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, blazing with their iron equipments and the fir-trees shall be terribly shaken, the spears made of cypresses are brandished.

⁴ The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways; they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightning.

— the chariots shall rage in the streets as part of Nahum’s prophetic vision of Nineveh’s downfall; they shall jostle one against another like madmen in their broadways, running to and fro in the market-places of Nineveh, all confused by the attack of the enemy;

— they shall seem like torches as the light struck the steel ornaments of the chariots; because of their numbers and the haste they shall make, they shall run like the lightnings, namely, as lightning plays in blinding flashes.

⁵ He shall muster his worthies; they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defense shall be prepared.

— the Assyrian king will recount his warriors; remembering his nobles and the troops; but they shall stumble in their charge; being many and in haste, all became confused and uncertain in their effort to reach the point where the attack is launched against the city.

⁶ The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. — the gates of Nineveh which lay nearest to the river Tigris shall be opened,

— the reference being to some natural or artificial inundation of the city which helped in its destruction, and the palace shall be flooded, its inhabitants being overcome with terror and losing all semblance of careful thinking and planning.

⁷ And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up; and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

— and the queen of Assyria, Huzzab, perhaps a reference to the patron goddess of Assyria, Ishtar; shall be led away captive as the Targum says, literally,

“The queen sitting in a sedan goes forth into captivity, and her attending maidens go after her, mourning as with the sound of doves, beating upon their breasts.”

⁸ But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water; yet they shall flee away. “Stand, stand!” shall they cry, but none shall look back.

— but Nineveh is liked an old pool of water; this was a very ancient city, built by Nimrod, as some say; or rather by Ashur, as appears from Genesis 10:10

— and it was like fish pool, full of people as it was in the times of Jonah, an expression of her great population and prosperity; yet they shall flee away, her great population leaving her to her fate;

— Stand, stand! shall they cry, in an attempt to stop the heedless rush; but none shall look back, refusing to return to the ravished city.

⁹ Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store and glory of all the pleasant furnishings.

— the looting by Assyria is taking place: take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold! For there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture, of the various rich treasures with which the palaces of the city of Nineveh were filled;

— no people who ever lived on earth knew any more about looting than the Assyrians; and now it was their turn to be the looted! What a fat city Assyria was! It was the grand central warehouse of looted treasures of the whole ancient world.

¹⁰ She is empty and void and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together; and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

— the city of Nineveh, now empty, void and in waste, literally, “emptiness and being emptied out and desolation!” and the heart melted in utter discouragement;

— and the knees smite together in the terror which cannot control itself and much pain is in all loins, Isaiah 21:3, and the faces of them all gather blackness, all of them pale with fear. Thus the mighty city would be destroyed with all its rich treasures;

— and their faces all gather in blackness like a pot, as the Targum adds; being in great distress and disconsolation, which make men appear in a dismal hue, and their countenances look very dark and gloomy; see Joel 2:6;

— the story of the Assyrians or the city of Nineveh is not just a manifestation of a people or a city but a manifestation of any nation or tribe before God’s justice and judgement.

¹¹ Where is the dwelling of the lions and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid?

— of the kings of Assyria, comparable to lions for their strength, courage, and cruelty, tyranny and oppression; such as Pul, Tiglathpileser, Shalmaneser, and Sennacherib. So the Targum says “where are the habitations of kings and the house of the dwelling of the princes?”

— “Where is the den,” where were the powers dreaded all over the earth? Where was the mighty king? Where was the rapacious army, red with the blood of all peoples? Where was it? Where is it now? Where has it ever been since “the day of the wrath of the Lord?”

— Q: if the Assyrians or Nineveh will never rise again our understand of Psalm 83 would be questionable, or is it? So they must be risen now, ready to strike again.

¹² The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey and his dens with rapine.

— the lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps as much as his young ones desired and strangled for his lionesses and filled his holes, the dens occupied by him, with prey and his dens with ravin, his lurking-places with spoil. Even so the kings of Assyria heaped up treasures taken from every part of the world for the use of the inhabitants of Nineveh;

— the kings brought booty to their wives and sons, as the Targum says

“The kings brought booty to their wives and spoils to their sons, and filled their treasures with booty and their palace with spoil.”

¹³ “Behold, I am against thee,” saith the Lord of hosts, “and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.”

— behold, I, the Lord is against thee, against Nineveh and the whole Assyrian empire for such rapine, violence and oppression, saith the Lord of hosts, the ruler of the heavenly armies, and God will burn her chariots in the smoke, so that all her war material goes up in smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions, the mighty men of the city;

— and God will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard as they boasted of the might and prowess of Assyria and Nineveh. God has ways of subduing even the mightiest enemies, no matter how mightily they rise up in their own conceit;

— or as the Targum says

Behold I am about to send my fury upon thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will burn up thy chariots with fire, and thy villages the sword shall destroy; and I will consume thy commerce from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

Nahum 3

¹ Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not. — woe to the bloody city, Nineveh, in which many murders were daily committed;

— or “O city of blood, of blood-guiltiness!” It is a city full of lies and robbery, so that deceit, violence and extortion were the order of the day; the prey departs not, robbery goes on without ceasing; like the cities of Paris, London, Los Angeles, New York or Chicago today!

— or the real CIA as  Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, admitted:

“I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole,” former CIA director and then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on April 15, 2019 at a forum at Texas A&M University, TX. “It was like – we had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.”

— as the Targum says, “Woe to the city shedding blood! She is all full of lies and spoils.”

— and because of the above sins they shall fall a prey to the enemy, who will not cease plundering them till he has utterly stripped them of all they have; and who is represented in the next verse Nahum 3:2 as just at hand.

² The noise of a whip and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses and of the jumping chariots! — the noise of a battle: of whip, its sharp crack heard as the horses are urged forward in battle,

— or of a horseman or chariot driver whipping his horses to make speed to Nineveh, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels and of the prancing horses and of the jumping chariots, bounding along over the ground as the horses broke into a gallop.

³ The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear, and there is a multitude of slain and a great number of carcasses. And there is no end of their corpses—they stumble upon their corpses”

— the Assyrians in fleeing and endeavouring to make their escape from the Chaldeans pursuing them; the horseman mounting, rather, “horsemen rearing,” as they directed their mounts to charge, both the bright sword and the glittering spear, or “the name of the sword and the lightning of the lance;”

— and there is a multitude of slain as the Targum affirms, “Horsemen charging, flame and glitter of swords, flash of spears, a great number of slain, a multitude of corpses, no end to the dead—they stumble over their slain.”

⁴ because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcraft, that selleth nations through her whoredom, and families through her witchcraft.

— because of the multitude of whoredoms, meaning Nineveh; which as it was an ancient city, was a well built one; full of stately and beautiful buildings, the seat of the kings of Assyria, and the metropolis of the nation, and abounded with wealth and riches; the acts of idolatry and wickedness;

— of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, idolatry and witchcraft being the special marks of the heathen character, that seduced nations through her whoredoms, with her hypocritical friendship and feigned interest, and families, smaller tribes, through her witchcrafts,

— namely, by her political schemes and intrigues, enslaved whole kingdoms and brought them under her power and dominion, to be her vassals; but the Lord will plunge Nineveh into a shameful destruction.

⁵ “Behold, I am against thee,” saith the Lord of hosts, “and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face; and I will show the nations thy nakedness and the kingdoms thy shame.

— behold, I am against Nineveh, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts and throw them up so high that they would reach over her face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness as that of a lewd woman, and the kingdoms thy shame, in bringing the utmost disgrace upon Nineveh and the kingdom of Assyria;

— Q; is God intending this “uncover thy skirts” as the subject could have changed to the house of Israel at a latter day, too? False landing on the moon? The Covid-19 origin, still covering up where Congress had asked WH to disclose declassify information? Why are there so many bio-labs all over the world? What were they scheming to achieve?

6 And I will cast abominable filth upon thee and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. — and I will cast abominable filth upon thee, as an expression of the utmost disgust and loathing,

— and make thee vile, an object of disgrace, and will set thee as a gazing-stock, upon which men would look with contempt and derision.

⁷ And it shall come to pass that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ From whence shall I seek comforters for thee?”

— and it shall come to pass that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, with a feeling of deepest revulsion, and say, Nineveh is laid waste; who will bemoan her?

— whence shall I seek comforters for thee? so the prophet interjects his question. No one would have the slightest sympathy with the stricken city because she had so thoroughly deserved her judgement and its subsequent punishment.

⁸ Art thou better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea and her wall was from the sea?

— art thou better than Alexandria; No, that is, No-Amon, Thebes, the capital of Upper Egypt, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, namely, in the great irrigation canals, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? the great expanse of the Nile;

— No-Amon, Thebes, signifies the mansion or palace of Ham, or Hamon; the Egyptians, as Herodotus says, call Jupiter by the name of Ammon; thus the Targum interprets it of the great Alexandria, a city so called long after this, when it was rebuilt by Alexander the Great;

⁹ Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. — countries in this brief outline is overlappping with the God and Magog Prophecy, Ezekiel 38:5;

— Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength; that is, the strength, support, protection, and defence of No, whether Alexandria, or Thebes or Memphis;

— Egypt was for these cities in it; or in alliance with Ethiopia and under its protection; and a country that lay near to it; and Put and Lubim were thy helpers, though they are strengthened by such powerful neighbours and allies.

¹⁰ Yet was she carried away; she went into captivity. Her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

— yet, in spite of all her own power and the strength of her allies, was she carried away into captivity, after a conquest by either Sennacherib or Sargon; her young children were dashed in pieces and they cast lots for her men, the conquerors dividing them by lot, as slaves and bound in chains;

— although the Assyrians were taken away as captives, this could also be a reference to the northern house of Israel as they were earlier taken as captives by the Assyrians; showing that any great power could be humbled, their nobility and leaders humiliated, treated like property to be divided.

¹¹ Thou also shalt be drunken; thou shalt be hid; thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. — thou also, namely, Nineveh, shalt be drunken, upon receiving the cup of God’s fury in judgement;

— thou shall be hid, covered over, “hid” from the sight of men, as though she had never existed; thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy, protection or refuge before the advancing enemy, without being able to find it.

¹² All thy strongholds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

— all thy fortresses and castles of the Assyrian country, shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs, considered a special delicacy; if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the hunter, they would readily be taken or consumed by the invading enemy.

¹³ Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies; the fire shall devour thy bars.

— behold, thy people in the midst of thee are like women: weak and feeble, fearful and timorous; frightened at the first approach of the enemy; without strength and courage for the battle;

— the gates of thy land shall be set wide open, the Lord making the land easy of access to the invaders, unto thine enemies; the fire shall devour thy bars, those which held the great gates of the city shut.

¹⁴ Draw thee waters for the siege! Fortify thy strongholds! Go into clay and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln!

— draw enough waters before the siege has begun, from the rivers, wells, or fountains outside the city, that needed for a long period of siege; fortify thy strongholds, strengthening the forts; go for bricks and tread the mortar in order to fashion strength for all defenses.

¹⁵ There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm. Make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

— there shall the fire devouring thee, either of divine wrath; or the fire of the enemy; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm, as locusts do; make thyself many as the cankerworm, like devouring insects; make thyself many as the locusts;

— the thought is that the fire and the sword, like locusts devouring everything before them, would consume Nineveh, even though the city with its masses of houses and inhabitants, in swarms and innumerable, would in turn, resemble a swarm of locusts.

¹⁶ Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven. The cankerworm despoileth, and fleeth away.

— thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the cankerworm spoileth, literally, “the licking locusts enter to plunder,” and fled in haste, or be suddenly stripped of their power or riches; the military might of Assyria being powerless before the armies of the invaders.

¹⁷ Thy crowned ones are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day; but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

— thy crowned, the vassal princes are as the locusts, and thy captains, the commanders of her armies as the great grasshoppers, or “locusts of locusts” which camp in the hedges in the cold day, too chilled to use their wings;

— but when the sun ariseth, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. In a similar way the Assyrian army would vanish from sight; it would not be in evidence to withstand the invaders.

¹⁸ Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; thy nobles shall dwell in the dust; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.

— thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria, that is, the mighty ones, the leaders of the people, were resting in a false security; thy nobles shall dwell in the dust, rather, “thy powerful ones are lying still” not making a move to defend their country;

— thy people is scattered, and no man gathereth them, like sheep without a shepherd, which being frightened by beasts of prey, run here and there, and there is none to get them back again; no one assumes the leadership over them, and so their identity as an Assyrian nation is lost.

¹⁹ There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous. All that hear the report of thee shall clap the hands over thee. For upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

— there is no healing of thy wound, thy ruins are irreparable and irrecoverable; of the fracture which the Lord had inflicted; thy wound is grievous, the stroke or ruin being deadly;

— all that hear the bruit, the report, of thee shall clap the hands over thee, in a gesture of joy over the downfall of the oppressor; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually? The Lord indeed used Assyria as his scourge,

— but he, at the same time, wanted Assyria to acknowledge his sovereignty. When Nineveh and the entire country, therefore, persisted in their wickedness, his punishment came upon them with crushing force;

— but another Q arises: Is this exposition speaking of the house of Israel instead of the Assyrian empire?

Selah!

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Micah, the word of the Lord that came to Micah during the reigns of kings: Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah and Uzziah. Micah is thought to have prophesied thirty or forty years, which places him in the years 713 to 750 BC; thus contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea and Amos though they had started earlier.

Micah 5

¹ Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops; he hath laid siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. — it seems this verse ought to be joined to the foregoing chapter, as it evidently belongs to it, as in the Targum, as it was of the same subject;

— the “daughter of troops” is still the same who was before addressed, the children of Judah; the word is almost always used of “bands of men employed in irregular, marauding, in-roads.” Judah is entitled “daughter of troops,” on account of her violence, the robbery and bloodshed within the city being besieged.

² “But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto Me He that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

— but thou, Bethlehem; but though Jerusalem should be besieged and taken and the land of Judea laid waste, yet before all this should be the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem of which this is a prophecy as is evident from Matthew 2:4;

— though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, the town being of little importance over against the mighty Jerusalem nearby, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel, out of thee shall come forth unto me a Judge, that is to be ruler in Israel, and this is the King; for because he is to be of the seed of David, that is, the selection of the Messiah as the true King of Israel;

— whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting; thus the Father’s will and purpose from eternity was made manifest in the coming of the Prince of Peace. And even as his outgoings were from eternity, since he is the Son of the Father;

— the Targum identifies this ruler, coming from Bethlehem, as the Messiah, says,

“And you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are small to be counted among the thousands of the house of Judah, from you before Me shall come forth the Messiah, to be a ruler over Israel, whose name has been spoken from of old, from the days of eternity.”

³ Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

— meanwhile, God will deliver Israel into the hands of its foes; Bethlehem will be in foster homes until the birth pangs are over and the child is born then the scattered brothers come back home to the land of Jacob;

— He will stand tall in his Messiah-rule with God’s strength, centered in the Kingdom of God. And the people will have a good and safe home, his Greatness shall reach the ends of the earth; the “remnant of their brothers” refers to the scattered Israelites who will eventually return and be united with their people.

⁴ And He shall stand and feed them in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they shall abide; for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth.

— and he shall stand and feed, both ruling and nourishing as the King and Shepherd of his people, in the strength of the Lord, he himself being the mighty God, Isaiah 9:6;

— in the majesty of the name of the Lord, Yehovah, and they shall abide, namely, the true spiritual children of Israel; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth, his kingdom, the Kingdom of God, extending over the entire earth.

⁵ And this Man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land; and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men.

— the Assyrian may be here put for any powerful enemy of the people of God in later times; then shall we raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; we, the Israel of God shall be enabled to repel the enemy.

— “Shepherds,” that is, princes, “seven” is the perfect number, representing completeness and rest; often signifies fullness; and “eight” suggests going beyond completeness into superabundance.

⁶ And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at the entrances thereof; thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

— and they; the seven shepherds and eight principal men; or the rulers and princes of men, mentioned in the preceding verse; shall pasture (subdue) the land of Assyria with the sword,” turning its land into spoil.

⁷ And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many nations, as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

— in the Messianic Age, the remnant of Jacob, those that survived the Fire, Famine, Pestilences and the Sword, shall be in the midst of many people as captives, “in the midst of the abundance of the nations,”

— they shall be as a dew from the Lord, their testimonies would nourish the nations, as the showers upon the grass, the truth about their abominations and captivity would give the nations much need truth in their judgement and a testimony for the Word of God, (more on the remnants from Ezekiel 12 at the end)

⁸ And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many people, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

— and the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations in the midst of many people; the same persons are meant here as before; who are compared to dew and showers of rain; because numerous and full of blessings in themselves and useful and beneficial to others;

— in the great Millennium or the Messianic Age, as a lion among the beasts of the forest; strong, mighty, powerful, courageous and superior to their enemies as the lion is strongest among beasts and keeps all others in awe of him;

— as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; their enemies shall be no more able to oppose them than a flock of sheep are to a young lion to resist him; the design of the metaphor is not to signify the harmlessness and innocence of their enemies but their weakness and the strength and courage of them.

⁹ Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. — in the great Millennium or the Messianic Age thy hand shall be lifted up upon thy adversaries; O remnant of Jacob or Israel, will destroy their enemies with the sword that proceeds out of his mouth.

¹⁰ “And it shall come to pass in that day,” saith the Lord, “that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots.

— and it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, at the time of Messiah’s reign that he will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, ordinarily, the confidence of men, and he will destroy thy chariots.

¹¹ And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds. — the Targum says, “I will cut off the cities of the people out of thy land and destroy all their strong fortresses;” these shall dwell no more there and be no more offensive and troublesome.

¹² And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers. — and God will cut off witchcrafts or sorcerers out of thine hand;

— in the Messianic Age, all unlawful arts, cheating and juggling in religious matters will cease and be no more; every religious building of any kind (churches, cathedrals, temples, shrines, monuments, mosques) will all be totally demolished, so that no vestige of any false religion remains.

¹³ Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. — thy graven images; which were for this matter made of wood or stone, and fashioned to the images, which the blind idolaters thought well to represent their god.

¹⁴ And I will pluck up thine Asherah poles out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. — I will pluck up thy groves; that is, either the statues, pillars, or trees connected with the worship of Baal and Astarte.

¹⁵ And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations, such as they have not heard.” — such as they have not heard; such terrible judgements, and dreadful expressions of divine wrath and fury,

— by earthquakes, hailstones, as were never known or heard before of in the world before see Revelation 16:18; or “which have not heard” the people that have not heard and hearkened to the word of God or the voice of the Messiah, but have turned a deaf ear to it, and despised it. So the Targum says, “who have not received the doctrine of the law.”

~~~ “as a dew from the Lord” ~~~

Ref: Micah 5:7 “as a dew from the Lord,” more on the Remnants from Ezekiel 12

¹⁶ But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” — “that they may declare all their abominations among the nations;” this explains why a few are left to survive;

— if they have hidden in some secret hideouts, they won’t be able to “declare all their abominations among the nations” whither they come; who, observing their calamities, and distresses, could deserve and a need to know, and hear those who are well-versed to explain their sins, abominations and judgement to the nations. From God’s viewpoint, this gift is “as a dew from the Lord.”

Micah 6

¹ Hear ye now what the Lord saith: “Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. — hear ye now what the Lord saith; the third portion of Micah’s prophecy opens with a solemn appeal to Nature, mountains and hills, to hear the Lord;

— hear ye now what the Lord saith; here begins a new discourse and with an address of the prophet to contend before the mountains; a parallel Scripture in Ezekiel 6 against the mountains and hills of Israel.

² Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel. — a detailed parallel Scripture in Ezekiel 6 on the mountains and hills of Israel;

— the “mountains of Israel” refer to the United States, UK and France – “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Finland and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg;

— and to the rivers; where during the nineteenth century, the British Royal Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” their colonies, their new territories; and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British left the scene.

³ O My people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me! — then addressing his people, what have I done unto thee?

— namely, in inflicting any kind of wrong unto them. And wherein have I wearied thee? is my requirements too rigorous or too hard to follow? Testify against me! God challenges his people, ready to entertain any reply which they might want to make concerning any charges.

⁴ For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servitude; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

— for I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; instead of doing them any wrong, God had done them much good; of which this is one instance and he was able to produce more: this a notorious, plain and full proof of his goodness to them which could not be denied;

— and redeemed thee out of the house of slaves; or “out of the house of bondage” as the same words are rendered, Exodus 20:2; that is, out of hard service in which their lives were made bitter; out of cruel bondage and slavery which made them cry to the Lord for help and deliverance; and he heard them and sent them a deliverer;

— and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron and Miriam; Moses was their lawgiver, leader and commander; Aaron was their priest to offer sacrifice for them and to intercede on their behalf; and Miriam was a prophetess;

— the Targum says, “I sent before thee three prophets, Moses to teach the tradition of judgements; Aaron to make atonement for the people; and Miriam to instruct the women;” Miriam’s prophetic role is emphasized, particularly as a guide and exemplar for Israel’s women.

⁵ O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.” — O My people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab, consulted, the counsel he took in trying to bring about their downfall;

— and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, between the first station after Balaam’s blessing and the first station on the soil of the Holy Land, Cf Numbers 25:1; Joshua 4:19.

⁶ With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

— wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? the prophet asks in the name of the people in order to restore the relationship which had been so rudely disturbed by their transgressions. Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? these being considered the choicest sacrifices.

⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? — will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams; if single burnt offerings of bullocks and heifers will not do, will thousands of rams be acceptable to him?

— or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? for meat offerings, in which oil was used: if he could but gain his point and get the God of Israel on his side;

— shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? It is well known that the Phenicians and others in the land of Canaan sacrificed their children to Saturn or Molech, and some of the idolatrous Israelites imitated this horrid practice: see note on Leviticus 18:21, where God in a solemn manner prohibits it;

— these two verses give us an exact description of the character of hypocrites and habitual sinners who hope to obtain God’s favour by performing certain external ceremonies and are willing to purchase their own pardon upon any terms, except that of reforming their lives.

⁸ He hath shown thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? — and to do justly; to do private and personal justice between man and man; to hurt no man’s property and character; which as it is agreeable to the law of God;

— and to love mercy; not only to show mercy to miserable objects, to persons in distress; to relieve the poor, to clothe the naked and feed the hungry, but to delight in such exercises and which a king especially should do;

— and to walk humbly before thy God? To walk humbly in the fear of your God, as the Targum says, acknowledging his distance and fear from him; and even though a king yet his God and Creator was above him, King of kings, and Lord of lords, to whom he owed his crown, sceptre and kingdom and was accountable to him for all his administrations:

— and this “walking humbly” as opposed to “walking in pride” or compare to “come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)” which kings are apt to do; but God can humble them and bring them low as kings have been obliged to learn; see Daniel 2:21:

“And He changeth the times and the seasons; He removeth kings and setteth up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding,” Daniel 2:21

⁹ The Lord’S voice crieth unto the city (and the man of wisdom shall see Thy name): “Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it! — the prophet speaks God’s word of warning and correction, directed toward the city; hear, O king and rulers, and the rest of the people of the land;

— the Targum says,

“The voice of the Lord’s prophet is upon the city for rebuke; and the teachers who fear His Name. Hear, O king, ruler, and the rest of the people of the land.”

¹⁰ Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? — are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked? namely, such as had been gained by wickedness, by oppression, corruption and cheating;

— and the scant measure that is abominable? or for such practices as they were abominable and detestable to God; they stirred up his wrath, and brought destruction on those that used them. The Targum says, “and deceitful measures that bring forth fraud.”

¹¹ Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? — and with the bag of deceitful weights? or “stones” which were used in weighing goods and which were deceitful when a heavier was used in buying and a lighter in selling;

— so the Targum says, “and with the bag that contains great and small weights?” condemned in Deuteronomy 25:13.

The Targum is another source of the Bible, much like the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint; and to dismiss it as another testimony for spiritual inspiration and understanding, as virtually all the endtime Churches do, is an absolute disgrace.

¹² For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. — greedy men like Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, Charles Schwab and George Soros;

— for the rich men (read rich nations like the United States and United kingdom) thereof are full of violence; that is, the rich men of the city, to whom the voice of the Lord cried, ancient Samaria, but more likely modern nations like the US and the UK, are full of violence, invading Iraq under the false pretext of WMD (weapons of mass destruction);

— or any or all the cities of Israel and Judah; the rich men of these cities, who had enough of the world and were under no temptation to do an ill thing, to get money; and yet their hands and their houses and their treasuries,

— they were full of goods gotten by violent measures, by the oppression of the poor and needy. for more, see (1) Britain stole $45 trillion from India; (2) The $144 Billion Art Robbery

— or, as the Targum says,

“For the rich are full of violence, and their treasuries are filled with plunder; and her inhabitants speak lies. And their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.”

¹³ Therefore also will I make thee sick by smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. — therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee; with the rod to be heard by some of his sore judgments:

— as famine, pestilence, the sword of the enemy, civil disorders and the like which should cause their kingdom and state and families to decline and waste away as a sickly and diseased body. So the Targum says “and I brought upon thee with evil and with diseases.”

¹⁴ Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied, and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee. And thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.

— thou shalt eat, but remain unsatisfied; either not having enough to eat, for the refreshing and satisfying of nature; or else a blessing being withheld from food, though eaten, and so not nourishing; or a voracious and insatiable appetite being given as a curse;

— and you shall be overtaken: and your enemies who lead your sons and daughters away into captivity; but you shall not rescue them and if you rescue them their end will be given to the Sword.

¹⁵ Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

— thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap, the enemy either destroying or robbing the crop; thou shalt tread the olives but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil since the enemy would plunder the stores; and sweet wine, these must as pressed from the grapes, but shalt not drink wine, the finished product.

¹⁶ For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and ye walk in their counsels, that I should make thee a desolation and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: Therefore ye shall bear the reproach of My people.”

— statutes of Omri; the founder of Samaria; Omri, king of Israel, is remembered for establishing policies of idolatry and corruption; and Ahab exceeded Omri his father and all his predecessors in impiety. He did more, it is said in 1 Kings 16:33; to provoke the Lord God than all the kings of Israel that were before him;

— God would make thee a desolation, an object of astonishment and horror, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing, to be jeered by the nations at on every side; therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people, the disgrace which is ordinarily heaped upon the people of God if it is delivered into the hands of its enemies.

Micah 7

¹ Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: There is no cluster to eat; my soul desired the first ripe fruit. — Woe is me! alas for an unhappy man, Micah, that I am to live in such an age and among such a people as I do!

— this the prophet laments; for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits as the grape gleanings of the vintage; when there are only an apple or a pear or two leftover, signifying either that he was like Elijah left alone or however that the number of good men were very few;

— there is no cluster to eat; the prophet compares the moral state of Israel to a vineyard after harvest—empty, stripped, barren; that society has been picked clean of virtue, leaving only scraps of corruption.

² The good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. — the good man is perished out of the earth; here the complaint is that there are few of this character in the earth in the land of Israel;

— and there is none upright among men; that are upright in heart and life; that have right spirits renewed in them are Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile; and walk uprightly according to the rule of the divine word, truly honest, faithful men; very few such were to be found, scarce;

— they hunt every man his brother with a net as men lay nets for fish, fowl, beasts and hunt them till they have got them into them; so these men laid snares not for strangers only but for their own brethren to entangle them in and cheat and defraud them of their substance; and this they would do even to their destruction;

—there are very few left because the majority in our society have succumbed to four great deceptions in our modern era (Easter, Christmas, Sundays, holy ghost); so the Targum says, “betray or deliver his brother to destruction.” More at the end.

³ That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man uttereth his wicked desire; so they wrap it up.

— that they may do evil with both hands earnestly; as wicked men generally are more industrious and exert themselves more to do evil than good men do to do good; and even weary themselves to commit iniquity:

— the prince asketh and the judge asketh for a reward; and if they do it must be bribed and have a reward for it even persons of such high character; and the great man he uttereth his mischievous desire; the depravity, corruption and perverseness of his soul;

— who is either some great man at court, that being encouraged by the example of the prince and judge, openly and publicly requires a bribe also to do an ill thing; and without any shame or blushing promises to do it on that consideration; or a counsellor at the bar who openly declares that he will speak in such a cause.

⁴ The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. The day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. — the Targum says, the best of them is difficult to escape from, like trying to get free of thorns;

— thy watchmen; either the true prophets of the Lord, foretold to come but were discredited and despised will most assuredly come; but now the time of your confusion has arrived whether it would be the day of their punishment for their false prophecies promised only good times ahead;

— and thy visitation cometh; the time that God would punish the people in general for their iniquities, as well as their false prophets, princes, judges and great men; who also may be designed by watchmen.

⁵ Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. — do not put any confidence to any guide; in spiritual matters, in civil affairs as civil magistrates, judges, counsellors or in domestic matters.

⁶ For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. — for family respect has collapsed: the son dishonoreth the father, openly despising him, the daughter riseth up against her mother;

— the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, all the most sacred relationships being utterly broken down; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Similar conditions preceded the fall of Jerusalem and will precede the end of the world.

⁷ Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. — but as for me, I will look to God, who works my salvation;

— my God will hear me; this is the language of faith, both to say that God was his God, and that he would hear and answer him; unlike the failed human relationships described earlier.

⁸ Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

— rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; for though I have fallen, I will rise; though I sit in darkness, the Lord will shine upon me.

⁹ I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause and execute judgement for me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness.

— I will bear the indignation of the Lord; the Targum prefaces these words with “Jerusalem saith” and thus they are the words of the prophet in the name of Jerusalem; with the humble submission which characterizes the repentant heart, such a free and unequivocal confession being essential if the sorrow is genuine;

— until he plead my cause, taking the part of his people against the enemies and execute judgement for me, maintaining and establishing his Kingdom in spite of all hostility;

— God will bring me forth to the light, namely, out of the darkness of captivity and oppression and I shall behold his righteousness for the deliverance of his people was in agreement with the Lord’s ancient promises.

¹⁰ Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her that said unto me, “Where is the Lord thy God?” Mine eyes shall behold her; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

— then mine enemy shall see it, this being the confident expectation of the Lord’s people and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord, thy God? in the scornful question usually asked by the enemies of the Kingdom;

— God’s eyes shall behold her, with quiet satisfaction; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets;

— or, as the Targum says,

“And my enemy shall see, and she shall be covered with shame—she who said to me, ‘Where is the Lord your God?’ My eyes shall behold her downfall; now she shall be trampled like the mud of the streets.”

¹¹ In that day thy walls are to be built; in that day shall the decree be far removed. — when Jerusalem is to be rebuilt in the Millennium, then it will be larger than it was previously;

— “far removed” refers to being extended outwards and implied these extended walls are the city limits of Jerusalem; the Targum includes the congregation of Israel shall be rebuilt.

¹² In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

— in that day also God shall come even to the house of Jacob, the restored Zion, from Assyria and from the fortified cities where many of the ten tribes were, whither they were carried captives and from the fortress, namely, Assyria, even beyond the river, the Euphrates, to indicate all the countries lying between;

— and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain, from all the regions and countries of the earth, all those whom the Lord had chosen from the various countries of the world;

— here is a parallel and contrast from Ezekiel 6:3

and say: ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. — this message to the “mountains of Israel;” these mountains refer to the United States, the UK and France. . . .

“and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

— and to the rivers; where during the nineteenth century, the British Royal Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British left the scene.

¹³ Notwithstanding, the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, because of the fruit of their doings. — notwithstanding the land, the land of Israel, shall be desolate,

— the reference to the land; possessed by the ten tribes and at the latter days shall be desolate; because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings; the fruit of their doings are the fruits of their wickedness, which is desolation: by Fire, Pestilence and Famine, and if they still survive, to be smitten by a Sword.

¹⁴ Rule Thy people with Thy rod, the flock of Thine heritage, who dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

— led thy people with God’s rod, with her true shepherd’s care, the staff being the mark of the shepherd; the Targum says, “feed thy people with thy Word, the people of thine inheritance, in the age which is to be renewed.”

¹⁵ “As in the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, will I show unto them marvelous things.” — as of thy coming out of the land of Egypt,

— when God overthrew their enemies with a mighty hand and revealed his goodness to Israel, will will againI show unto them wonders: God promises to perform miraculous acts again, comparable to those of the Exodus.

¹⁶ The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf. — the nations will be stunned with what they saw, and scarce to know what they hear;

— become deaf, they shall lay their hand upon their mouth in token that they were reduced to silence; and will choose to hear no more; they shall stand astounded so as not to hear what shall be said and will stop their ears at what is being told.

¹⁷ They shall lick the dust like a serpent; they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of Thee.

— the nations shall lick the dust like a serpent, in deepest humiliation; they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth, literally, “as those things that creep on the earth” they shall tremble forth out of their hiding-places;

— they shall be afraid of the Lord, our God, approaching to him with terror, and shall fear because of thee. With these words the prophet once more turns directly to Yehovah, addressing him in words of praise;

— the Targum says of the nations

“They shall crawl upon their faces on the earth like serpents; like those that creep in the dust they shall tremble out of their strongholds. From before the Lord our God they shall be broken and shall be afraid before You.”

¹⁸ Who is a God like unto Thee, who pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. — the Targum says,

“There is none besides You—You are the God who pardons iniquity and passes over sins for the remnant of His inheritance. He does not maintain His anger forever, because He delights in doing good.”

¹⁹ He will turn again; He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities. And Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. — he will turn again, so the prophet Micah assures the believers;

— God will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, treading them down like enemies that rise up against the believers; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, so that they are covered over and can no more rise to condemn the Lord’s people.

²⁰ Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. — thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob; that is, the promise made to Jacob; unfortunately there is very little truth in the house of Jacob today!

— and the mercy to Abraham; the gracious promises made to him, which sprung from mere grace and mercy the Lord would faithfully perform and make good to his posterity, natural and spiritual, especially to those who are Israelites indeed;

— all respecting his natural and spiritual seed; and especially the promise of the coming of the Millenium and the Messianic Age, that seed of his in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed; and which is the eminent instance of the mercy and grace of God to all nations of the world that walk in the steps of Abraham.

~~~ Micah 7:2 ~~~

The Targum of Micah 7:2, says

“The pious have perished from the land. Among men there is none. All of them [are set] to shed innocent blood. Each man delivers his brother to destruction.”

Why would each man delivers his brother to destruction? And that’s because of Four Great Deceptions that are really destructive:

(a) Easters, a celebration of the Queen of heaven: Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols (like the egg and bunny) were and still are fertility and sex symbols; and to those who actually think eggs and bunnies have something to do with the resurrection; Jeremiah 7:18 the women knead their dough to make cakes to the Queen of heaven; in Egypt, Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, this is Ishtar: pronounced ‘Easter.’

(b) Christmas; Ezekiel 8:16 five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple; their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east; Christmas, which honor the Mithraism, birthday on December 25th – a form of nature worship based on the Sun-Goddess Mithra who on the darkest night of the year (December 20/21), gives birth to “Light” causing each day thereafter to grow longer until the Summer solstice;

(c) Sundays; her sabbaths which is Sundays, where the original keepers were the Samaritans, brought from Assyria: And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof, II Kings 17:24.

— today, more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honoring the SUN by observing SUNday worship. Ezekiel 8:16 They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east; whose penalty is to be stoned to death, Deuteronomy 17:3-5 – ’till they die.

— also, following the SUN-worshipping Samaritans, most Church of God Communities are showing their contempt for God by having their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a SUNday; always on a SUNday. And these are supposedly in God’s Sanctuary, but God says He is a jealous God, so these pretentious Christians could be spewed out of His mouth! A death penalty – ’till they die!

(4) Holy Ghosts – Revelation 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; if the Spirit is a Being or an independent Personage; there would be seven Holy Spirits;

— and with these we would add Jesus Christ the Son, and God the Father, then there would be nine Personage; we should have a Polygon or a Nonagon; so surely the Godhead would be a Polyty or a Nonaty; nine heads, that would be more like an Indian goddess more than a Trinity?

— more about the missing Holy Ghost; indeed he’s real and around; he was created full of wisdom and beauty, his head swelled up so much that he wanted to be like the Most High: these clues are giving in the book of Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14.

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Micah, whose word of the Lord was meant for the heads of Jacob, the princes of the house of Israel; but then who is of the house of Israel today? Are they not of the United States today?

For a detailed Study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Micah 3

The Targum is another source of the Bible, much like the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint; and to dismiss it as another testimony for spiritual inspiration and understanding, as virtually all the endtime Churches do, is an absolute disgrace.

The Targum was started by Ezra for those returning from the Babylon exile and for these returnees they could only understand the Scriptures in Aramaic. That is, the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to us today from the Hebrew Bible quoted.

¹ And I said: “Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know judgement” — and Micah said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob; the whole head of Jacob,

— the leading men and particularly those princes of the house of Israel, the ten tribes, being ringleaders in sin, who ought to have set good examples to others; and these are not to be spared because of their grandeur and dignity;

— is it not for you to know judgement? not the house of Israel to pass judgement, especially of (1) when and where to hold the feasts and (2) how the laws were administered by the house of Judah (who has the Scepter); and set rules and pass judgement; to determine the Sacred Calendar, administered by the Sanhedrin; to give heed to that which is just and unjust.

² you who hate the good and love the evil, who pluck off their skin from off them and their flesh from off their bones, — who hate good and love evil, doing just the opposite of that which their leaders required of them;

— who pluck off their skin from off them, like wild beasts that tear off skin and flesh from the bones, and then devour them; or like cruel shepherds that not content to fleece their flocks, skin them; and their flesh from off their bones and take their flesh also and feed themselves and not the flock; or like butchers that first take off the skin off a beast and then cut up its flesh;

— so the Targum says, “they hate good and love evil; they seize the property of the people and take their precious wealth.”

³ who also eat the flesh of My people and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones and chop them in pieces, as for the pot and as flesh within the cauldron?”

— like cannibals, they eat the flesh of my people and flay their skins from off them; flay them alive and then eat their flesh, devouring their substance, set forth their savageness, barbarity, and cruelty;

— and they break their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot and as flesh within the cauldron; with emphasis of detail: did with them as cooks do who not only cut flesh off the bones and into slices but break the bones themselves; pictures the excess of cruelty which the rulers of the people were practicing;

— this set forth their savageness, barbarity, and cruelty; sound like those who operates Unit 731 during World War II; would God also intended this to mean those Vietnamese who also had their skin sprayed with Agent Orange?

⁴ Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings. — then shall they, the guilty ones, cry unto the Lord but He will not hear them namely at the time of the revelation of His wrath;

— the Targum says in the time of their distress but he will not hear their prayer so as to answer it according to their desire; that is, he will not save them from danger but deliver them up and all that belong unto them into the hands of such that shall use them as they have done others;

— he will even hide his face from them at that time, refusing to pay the slightest attention to their distress as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings and were thus fully ripe for judgement.

⁵ Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth and cry “Peace”; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him:

— thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets, namely the false shepherds and false prophets, who presumed to speak in the name of the Lord without being sent that make my people to err, leading them astray, they led them into mistakes about matters of religion and civil government;

— that bite with their teeth and cry, Peace! that is, who prophesy smooth things, promise all kind of prosperity and plenty when they receive a sufficient amount of tithe money, proclaim peace; may even get a “Nobel Peace Prize” for so doing; do not keep a good table for them and cram and pamper them, but neglect them and do not provide well for them;

— they even declare war against him; these they threaten with one calamity or another that shall befall them; and endeavour to set their neighbours against them and even the government itself and do them all the mischief they can by defamation and slander, solemnly declaring warfare as for the honor of God;

— the Targum says

“Thus said the Lord concerning the false prophets who lead my people astray: when they are fed with meat they prophesy peace for them, but when none feeds them, they prepare war against them.”

⁶ “Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine. And the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

— therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision, being excluded from the light granted by the Spirit of God; and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine; they have no understanding and granted no revelation of the future;

— and the sun shall go down and the day shall be dark over the prophets; their time of prosperity will be over and they shall no more be in favour with the people, or courted and feasted by them; but shall be held in the utmost contempt and abhorrence with darkness as in the Day of Judgement;

— the Targum of the whole says,

“Therefore ye shall be confounded at prophesying, and you shall be ashamed of teaching; and the false prophets shall cover their lips, for the time will come upon them.”

⁷ Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded; yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer from God.” — then shall the seers be ashamed, confounded, blushing with shame on account of their miserable failures in trying to uncover the future;

— yea, they shall all cover their lips, literally “their beard” their face up to the nostrils as a sign of shame; for there is no answer of God, not that they shall be ashamed and silenced because they shall now have no answer of God for they never had any;

— the Targum says,

“And the false prophets shall be confounded, and they shall be ashamed from teaching, and they shall cover their lips like mourners, all of them, because there is no spirit of prophecy in them from before the Lord.”

⁸ But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgement and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. — declare unto Jacob; the whole head of Jacob, the leading men of the nation and particularly those princes of the house of Israel, the ten tribes, those northern kingdom that followed Jeroboam;

— to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin; especially of (1) when and where to hold the feasts and (2) how to determine the calendar which were administered by the house of Judah (who has the Scepter) and the Sanhedrin; and set rules and pass judgement; to give heed to that which is just and unjust;

— the Targum says,

“But as for me, I am filled with the strength of the spirit of prophecy from before the Lord, with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”

⁹ Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgement and pervert all equity: — hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob and princes of the house of Israel, the very leaders whose wickedness had been described in the first part of the Chapter;

— that abhor judgement, the law and ordinances; everything that was right or just, making crooked paths that which should have been kept straight; hate to do that which was right and just; and pervert all the rules and laws of justice and equity, clearing the guilty and condemning the innocent.

¹⁰ They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. — their building projects in Zion and Jerusalem are founded on violence and dishonesty.

¹¹ The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. Yet will they lean upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No evil can come upon us.”

— the heads thereof judge for bribes, the priests teach for money, and the prophets prophesy for payment; who were first hired by king Jeroboam after payment of bribes and fees from the lowest of people, people who were not qualified but for money;

— and the prophets thereof hired for money, their oracles being fashioned according to the presents which men gave them; yet will they lean upon the Lord, insisting that they were performing the work of their office by authority the God living in the midst of His people;

— and say, Is not the Lord among us? namely, with His power and protection. No evil can come upon us: namely pestilence, famine, sword and captivity that the prophets of the Lord had threatened them with.

¹² Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. — therefore shall Zion for your sake on account of their wickedness in making the Lord’s Temple a den of murderers, be plowed as a field, the king’s quarter turned into tillable soil;

— Jerusalem and the rest of the city shall become heaps, piles of broken stones and the mountain of the house, that is, of the Temple, as the high places of the forest, being overgrown with brush and trees. It is a vivid description of the ruin which comes upon the enemies of the Lord;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, because of your sins, Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the Temple shall be like a forested hill.”

Micah 4

¹ But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it.

— but in the last days, beginning with the Millennium or the Messianic Age, it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord, of the Kingdom of God, shall be established in the top of the mountains which also mean a new Ezekiel Temple built on Mount Moriah where the divine Majesty would reside; the ideal Zion being elevated above all else in the world;

— and it shall be exalted above the hills, visible before all nations and before the eyes of all men; and people shall flow unto it, members of all the nations of the world come come to keep the feasts; should they refuse, there would be no rain, but plagues:

“And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles” Zechariah 14:18 (more at end of this chapter)

² And many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For the law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

— and Gentile many nations shall come, namely, the Elects whom the Lord would choose and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, the place where salvation is proclaimed, and to the house of the God of Jacob, the Kingdom of the Messiah;

— and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths; no longer paying homage to the Queen of heaven of Egypt: Astarte, nor would they pay homage to Mithras of Babylon, whose birthday is on December 25th, by dubbing it Christmas; nor they be Sunworshippers, whose services are always on Sundays; and Pentecost on Whitsundays;

— for the Law, as the revelation of the holy and righteous will of God, shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord, particularly in the revelation of the way of salvation, from Jerusalem, where the house of Judah has dominion: of the Word, in speaking of the law, statutes and ordinances, of sin, justice and judgement, of redemption and grace, all in the hands of the Elects.

— and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks, both in an earthly, Millennial peace of which men are dreaming from time to time, but also in the spiritual peace in Him where heretic doctrines are beaten into plowshares and their hatred among men into pruning-hooks, in whom there is truly peace on earth;

— nation shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more, this being said of the inner peace and harmony of the Kingdom of God;

— the Targum says,

“And many nations shall come and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord’s Temple, to the house of the Presence of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us from His righteous ways, and we will walk in the instruction of His Torah. For from Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’”

³ And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

— and he, the God of the covenant, shall judge among many people, between Ishmaelites and the sons of Isaac; between Esau and Jacob; between the house of Israel and the house of Judah; teaching them true justice in accordance with his spoken and unspoken will, and rebuke strong nations afar off, to make them cease their enmity against him;

— and God will gather her that is driven out; out of the land of Israel, and scattered among the nations of the world; because of their transgressions against him; Jeremiah 16:15; and that God have afflicted them with calamities: Pestilence, Famine, Sword, Captivity and Deaths.

⁴ But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

— sitting every man under his vine and fig tree; a proverbial phrase, expressive of the greatest tranquillity, security and enjoyment of prosperity; 1 Kings 4:25; when persons need not keep within their walled towns and cities and lack themselves up in their houses but may sit down in their gardens, fields and vineyards and enjoy the fruit thereof;

— as the Targum interprets it, “under the fruit of his vine and under the fruit of his fig tree.”

⁵ For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. — for all people, all those concerned in this prophecy,

— for even if all other nations shall walk every one in his own way, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever; with a full trust in His supporting strength and powerful protection of the God of Jacob, which turns aside all the efforts of the enemies to disturb the inner peace of the Kingdom.

⁶ “In that day,” saith the Lord, “will I assemble her that is halt, and I will gather her that is driven out and her that I have afflicted. — in that day, in the great Millennium or the Messianic Age, saith the Lord, will I assemble the lame and gather those who were dispersed, along with those I afflicted, all worshipping the God of Abraham.

⁷ And I will make her that is halt (or lame) a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation; and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from hence forth, even for ever.

— “The people of that ‘crippled’ city will be the only ones left alive (ERV); but I will make them into a strong nation; the Lord will be their king who will rule from Mount Zion forever;

— as the Targum expresses it clearly,

“And I will make the exiles into a remnant, and the dispersed into a strong nation; and the kingdom of the Lord shall be revealed over them on Mount Zion, from now and forever.”

⁸ And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.”

— and thou, O tower of the flock, the term being applied to a tower of refuge for flocks in time of danger, here as a fort from which the great King and Shepherd, the Messiah Himself, observes and guards His flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, the impregnable palace of the Kingdom of God;

— unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion, the glory of the earliest OT Elects: Enoch, Noah, Abraham and to the Patriarchs, Job? compared with that of the kingdom of Israel, when established, which are the latter OT Elects, under its mightiest king; King David; and before that Moses, Joshua, Samuel;

— the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem: King Hezekiah, King Josiah; Daniel and his three friends, Ezra and Nehemiah; since the earthly Jerusalem is always at the foundation of the kingdom, the afflictions of the Jewish capital are made typical of the experiences of the Lord’s people.

⁹ Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee? Is thy counselor perished? For pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. — now, why dost thou cry out aloud? at the approach of the Chaldean invasion; Nebuchadnezzar was described as “my servant” or at other times, the Sword;

— is there no king in thee? is there no visible representative of the capable king to keep and protect them? Is thy counselor perished? to counsel, instruct and comfort them and at last to deliver and save them this name also being applied to the reigning member of the house of David?

— for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail, the true believers in Israel feeling the deepest grief and sorrow over the desolation of the kingdom; and in modern times a time of Jacob’s trouble.

¹⁰ Be in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field. And thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

— be in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion like a woman in travail, the catastrophe of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the exile of the people being imminent; that was for ancient Judah which were for a period of 70 years; but for Ezekiel’s Israel and Judah it could be 190/40 years; for more into another Captivity: see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

— for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, after it had been taken by the enemies, their houses taken away from them; and thou shalt dwell in the field if they could survive and thou shalt go even to Babylon, being dragged into captivity again;

— there shalt thou be delivered, namely, when a modern Cyrus issued the decree setting the captives free and thus laid the foundation upon which later arose the Messianic Age or the great Millennium there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies so that the people of the covenant would be restored to the Promise Land, the land where the Messiah was to reign.

¹¹ Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion!” — now also, namely, at the time of Jacob’s deepest humiliation, a time known as Jacob’s trouble;

— that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion, namely, in malicious joy over her downfall; and many nations are gathered against thee, in bold hostility, starting with those of the South and spread to the North; for more on the enemy from the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

¹² But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel; for He shall gather them as the sheaves onto the threshing floor. — but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, the object which He has in mind in thus dealing with His people;

— one example is the slaughtering of his people spreading from the South to the North (for more see notes from Ezekiel 20:45-21:5)

— neither do they understand God’s thoughts, neither his unspoken will:

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love the truth and peace.’ Zechariah 8:19

— but surprisingly, there were the unspoken Word of God! Like parents, they have their secret wishes for and from their children. So is God. But how do we know God’s unspoken will if they were unspoken? To be unspoken would also mean unwritten. More on the unspoken will of God above Zechariah 8:19;

— as the Targum affirms the Masoretic Text,

“But they do not know the secrets of the Lord, nor do they understand His counsel; for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.”

¹³ Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people, and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

— arise and slay, O congregation of Zion, all the Elects that will gathered in Jerusalem, who live according to His commands; for he will make thine horn iron and he will make thy hoofs brass, giving to his Elects a new and unconquerable strength;

— and thou shall beat in pieces many people, not by victories of the flesh, but by those of the spirit; and he will consecrate their gain, what the enemies had gotten by robbery and plunder;

— unto the Lord, as devoted to him, and their substance, all their possessions, unto the Lord of the whole earth, the Elects who will now have a dominion, kingdom and cities given him by the Ancient of Days that so all people, nations and languages shall serve him, Daniel 7:14;

— the Targum says,

“Arise and slay, congregation of Zion, for I will make your people strong like iron and your leaders firm like bronze. You shall crush many nations, and you shall consecrate their wealth and their precious possessions before the Lord, the Master of all the world.”

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More from Zechariah 14: the great Millennium or the Messianic Age

¹⁶ And it shall come to pass that every one who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

¹⁷ And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

¹⁸ And if the family of Egypt go not up and come not, upon whom there is no rain, there shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen who come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

¹⁹ This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

²⁰ In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses: “Holiness Unto The Lord.” And the pots in the Lord’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar;

²¹ yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts, and all those who sacrifice shall come and take of them and boil therein. And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 14:16-21

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For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

For more into another Captivity, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

More on the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Micah, the word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of kings, as Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah and Uzziah. Micah was thought to have prophesied thirty or forty years, which places him in the years 713 to 750 BC; thus contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea and Amos but they could have started earlier.

Although Micah was from Judah, his prophecies were for “Samaria and Jerusalem.” Yet the message is “Hear, all ye people! Hearken, O earth,” and thus all humanity that is therein! That is, the warning of such message is to the whole earth!

The expression, “O earth” is expressed seven times throughout the OT, by Moses, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah and here by Micah, empahsizing that God, too, has a message for the whole of humanity.

Micah 1

¹ The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. — in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; Micah is thought to have prophesied about sixteen years in Jotham’s time, as many under Ahaz and fourteen under Hezekiah;

— by this it appears that Micah was contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea and Amos though they began to prophesy somewhat sooner than he even in the days of Uzziah; very probably he conversed with these prophets especially Isaiah with whom he agrees in many things; his style is like his and sometimes the same phrases;

— which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem; in the vision of prophecy, Samaria the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel; assigned to the tribe of Joseph; its southern part of Samaria was then known as Mount Ephraim;

— and Ephraim is representing the ten-tribes, as Jerusalem was of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and Samaria is mentioned first because it was the head of the greatest body of tribes; and as it was the first in transgression it was also the first to face judgement.

² Hear, all ye people! Hearken, O earth, and all that is therein! And let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. — hear, all ye people; or “the people, all of them” all the nations of the world, not just the nations of Israel or only from several tribes of Judah;

— hearken, O earth, and all that therein is; or “its fullness” the land of Israel and Judah and the whole earth and all the inhabitants of it; reinforcing what was said above;

— and let the Lord God be witness against you; or “let the word of the LORD God be among you as a witness,” as the Targum, interpreted by Ezra, says; let him who is God, who knows all hearts, thoughts, words and actions, let him bear witness in your consciences that what he is about to say.

³ For behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. — for, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place; out of heaven;

— the place of the house of his Shekinah as the Targum says; where his throne is, where he keeps his court and displays his glory; from whence he removes not by local motion since he is everywhere but by some manifest exertion of his power, either on the behalf of his people or in taking vengeance on his and their enemies;

— and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth; which are his footstool; not in Samaria but in Jerusalem, built on mountains and all other high towers and fortified places together with men of high looks and haughty countenances who exalt themselves like mountains and swell with pride;

— these the Lord can easily subdue and humble them, bring low and tread down like the mire of the street; perhaps there may be an allusion to the high places where idols were worshipped; and which were the cause of the Lord’s wrath and vengeance and of his coming forth in this unusual way in his providences.

⁴ And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as waters that are poured down a steep place.

— and the mountains shall be molten under him, like wax before the fire, dissolving before his almighty power, and the valleys shall be cleft, cleaving asunder before his majesty as the waters that are poured down a steep place, tearing down the abysses and causing a general dissolution of the entire surface of the earth.

⁵ For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?

— for the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel; all this evil, all these calamities and judgements, signified these did not come by chance nor without reason; but were or would be inflicted according to the judgement of God, for their lies and idolatries;

— is it not Samaria? the wickedness of Samaria, the calf of Samaria? as in Hosea 7:1; that is, the worship is that of idolatry which the ten tribes have given themselves into; or the altering of the Sacred Calendar? where they shifted the feast days a month later? that is; are these not enough reasons for all this wrath to come upon them: or “who is the transgression of Jacob?”

— are they not the kings that have reigned in Samaria with their nobles, princes and great men, who, by their edicts influence encouraged the worship of the golden calves? they caused the people to sin: or as the Targum says “where have they of the house of Jacob sinned? is it not in Samaria?”

— and what are the high places of Judah? or “who are they?” are they not Jerusalem? are they not the king, the princes and priests that dwell at Jerusalem? certainly they are; such as Ahaz and others in whose times this prophet lived; see II Kings 16:4;

— or as the Targum, interpreted by Ezra, says, “where did they of the house of Judah commit sin? was it not in Jerusalem?” truly it was and even in the Temple; here Ahaz built an altar similar to the one in Damascus, offered sacrifices and thus desecrated the temple along with many of its vessels. II Kings 16:10.

⁶ “Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof.

— therefore God will make Samaria as an heap of ruins that fall into dust and finally become a part of the soil and as plantings of a vineyard, that is, places where vineyards may be planted;

— and he will pour down the stones thereof, scattered like those used to mark vineyards, those which King Omri had used in building the city, into the valley, and he will discover, lay bare, the foundations thereof, destroying it to the very ground.

⁷ And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate; for she gathered it from the hire of a harlot, and they shall return to the hire of a harlot.”

— and all the graven images of Samaria shall be beaten to pieces and all the hires thereof, namely, those of spiritual harlotry, the consecrated offerings placed on the idol altars, shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will God lay desolate, making them a wilderness;

— for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, by her spiritual adultery, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot, for the rich treasures were taken away by the enemies and devoted to their own idols. The vanity of false worship also in this respect seems rarely to strike the consciousness of idolaters;

— the Targum emphasizes that even the material wealth tied to false worship will be destroyed, as “All the treasures or ornaments associated with idol worship will be consumed by fire.”

⁸ Therefore I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the dragons and mourning as the owls. — therefore, on account of the calamity which would strike Samaria and Judah, I, Micah, will wail and howl, in a most bitter and mournful cry,

— I will rent my garments, will go stripped and naked as Isaiah did, Isaiah 20:3; he went about like a madman, one disturbed in his mind, bereft of his senses because of the desolation coming upon Israel;

— I will make a wailing like the dragons like the jackals of the desert, and mourning as the owls like ostriches crying in pain; so the Targum emphasizes that their lament will be shrill, piercing, and unrestrained, “for this they shall wail and howl, and go naked among the spoilers;”

“And the Lord said, “As My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia,” Isaiah 20:3

⁹ For her wound is incurable; for it has come unto Judah; he has come unto the gate of My people, even to Jerusalem. — for her wound is incurable; or her “stroke is desperate” the ruin of Samaria and the ten tribes are inevitable; the decree being gone forth and they hardened in their sins and continuing in their impenitence;

— and their destructions are irrevocable; till the time comes that all Israel shall be saved; “she is grievously sick of her wounds” just ready to die upon the brink of ruin and no hope of saving her; this is the cause and reason of the above lamentation of the prophet, and increased his grief and sorrow;

— for the calamity has reached the land of Judah; it stopped not with Israel but spread itself into the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; for the Assyrian army, having taken Samaria and carried Israel captive in a short time, about seven or eight years, invaded Judea and took the fenced cities of Judah in Hezekiah’s time in which Micah prophesied;

— he, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, having taken the fenced cities came up to the very gates of Jerusalem and besieged it where the courts of judicature were kept and the people resorted to, to have justice done them; and Micah, being of the tribe of Judah calls them his people and was the more affected with their distress.

¹⁰ Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all; in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. — declare ye it not in Gath, one of the chief cities of the Philistines,

— weep ye not at all lest the message cause these enemies to rejoice; in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust, literally “in Beth-leaphra I wallow in the dust,” for such scattering of dust was a sign of deep grief. Throughout this paragraph the prophet in the Hebrew uses puns (a joke exploiting different possible meanings), for Gath means “announcement” and Ophra “dust-house.”

¹¹ Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Shaphir, having thy shame naked. The inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive from you his standing.

¹² For the inhabitant of Maroth waited anxiously for good, but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem. — for the inhabitants of Maroth (bitterness) waited carefully for good, being anxiously and bitterly concerned about it,

— writhing in grief and pain on account of her lost prosperity; but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem. But while all these towns were in the neighborhood of Jerusalem the prophet next shows that the punishment would not be confined to the immediate neighborhood of the capital.

¹³ O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast (she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion), for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

— O thou inhabitant of Lachish, a fortified city in the plain toward the southwest, bind the chariot to the swift beast, to the fastest horses, namely, to escape the impending punishment; she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee, she was the first city of Judah to introduce the idol-worship of the northern kingdom.

¹⁴ Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath; the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. — therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath (the betrothed of Gath), the daughter of Zion being obliged to dismiss or release this city to the enemy, like the gift of a marriage portion;

— the houses of Achzib (deception); shall be a lie to the kings of Israel, a deceitful brook which offers no refreshment to the thirsty wanderer; just so the city would slip from the grasp of the kings of Judah (the southern kingdom being meant in this instance) so that it would no longer be in their possession.

¹⁵ Yet I will bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam, the glory of Israel. — yet will God bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah (town of inheritance), for Israel had been the heir obtaining it from the Canaanites;

— and the enemy would now be the heir receiving it from the people of Judah; he shall come unto Adullam, the glory of Israel, rather “even unto Adullam will the nobility of Israel come,” to hide themselves in the cave in which David once sought refuge from Saul, 1 Samuel 22:1.

¹⁶ Make thyself bald, and shear thy beard because of thy pleasant children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle, for they are gone into captivity from thee.

— Micah was asked to make himself bald, Zion as the mother of the nation being addressed, and poll thee, shearing her head, for thy delicate children in deep grief and sorrowful lamentation;

— enlarge thy baldness as the eagle, the griffin vulture of the Orient, the entire forepart of whose head is without feathers; for they are gone into captivity from thee. The entire chapter is a powerful and vivid description of the overthrow of the land by the armies of the invaders, which would be sent to punish the transgression of Judah.

Micah 2

¹ Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. — woe to them that devise iniquity; who premeditated deliberately; any kind of iniquity, lying, cheating, especially those with strength or influence use it to oppress others;

— or the sin of coveting of neighbours’ goods and oppressing the poor, sins which are instanced in Micah 2:2; and every thing that is vain, foolish, wicked and in the issue brings trouble and distress: now a woe is denounced against such that think on such things and please themselves with them in their imaginations and contrive ways and means to commit them;

— and work evil upon their beds; introduces a prophetic lament, signaling condemnation of those who plan evil, when they should be asleep and at rest or engaged in good things; that is, they plot and contrive how to accomplish the evil they meditate; Psalms 36:4.

² They covet fields and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away. So they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. — and they covet fields and seize them; the fields of their poor neighbours which lie near them and convenient for them;

— they wish they were theirs and they contrive ways and means to get them into their possession; and if they cannot get them by fair means, if they cannot persuade them to sell them or at their price they will either use some crafty method to get them from them or they will take them away by force and violence; as Ahab got Naboth’s vineyard from him;

— and houses and take them away; they covet the houses of their neighbours also and take the same course to get them out of their hands and add them to their own estates;

— so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage; and so distressed a man and his family for the present and his posterity after him; which seems to be designed to make it agree with the story of Ahab, 1 Kings 21:13.

³ Therefore thus saith the Lord: “Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye go haughtily; for this time is evil.

— therefore thus saith the Lord, behold, against this family; against the family of Jacob; do I devise an evil; because of those evils of covetousness, oppression and injustice, secretly devised and deliberately committed; even an invasion of their land by the Assyrians and the carrying of them captive from it into foreign regions;

— from which ye shall not remove your necks; that is, the house of Jacob would not be able to deliver themselves from it; they would not be able to stop the enemy in his progress, having entered their land; nor oblige him to break up the siege of their city and being carried captive they would never be able to free themselves from the yoke of bondage put upon them;

— neither shall ye go haughtily; with necks stretched out and heads lifted up high and looking upon others with scorn and contempt; but hereafter their heads would hang down, their countenances be dejected and their backs bowed with the burdens upon them: for this time is evil.

— the Targum, as interpreted by Ezra, identifies this of the last wicked generation:

“Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I am planning evil against this generation, from which you will not be able to remove your necks, nor walk upright, for it is a time of calamity.”

⁴ In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation and say, ‘We are utterly despoiled; He hath changed the portion of my people. How hath He removed it from me! Turning away, He hath divided our fields.’”

— in that day shall one take up a parable against you; making use of your name as a byword, a proverb, a taunt and a jeer; mocking at your calamities and miseries: or “concerning you” take up and deliver out a narrative of your troubles in figurative and parabolical expressions;

— and lament with a doleful lamentation for the mocking song of the enemies would be a mournful dirge in the mouths of the house of Israel and say, “We will be utterly spoiled” losing everything we have. God himself permitting one of the nations, an enemy from the South, to take possession of it; (for a more comprehensive and a parallel Ezekiel 20-21 scene is added at the end);

— the Targum expresses clearly that those who plundered will have themselves plundered:

The people who once exploited others will themselves be plundered, their inheritance lost, and their land divided among outsiders. It is a prophetic reversal: the oppressors become the oppressed, and their downfall becomes proverbial.

— for more, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

⁵ Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord. — therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot, to cast a measuring-line refers to the practice of dividing land by measurement and lot before the assembly of God;

— because the people have exploited others (coveting fields, seizing houses, oppressing families in Micah 2:2), God declares that they will lose the privilege of participating in the sacred assembly where land is apportioned.

⁶ “Prophesy ye not,” say they to them that prophesy: “They shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not suffer shame.” — like, Amaziah: prophesy not, say they to them that prophesy, literally, “Drop not,” or “drivel (senseless talk or writing; nonsense) not, they drivel,” almost like the slang, balderdash;

— “Dry up! they drivel,” in speaking to the true prophets in a silly fashion. They shall not prophesy to them that they shall not take shame, that is: If the prophecy which the apostate Jews regarded as drivel would not continue then there would be no chance for them to escape the shame which would come upon the entire nation by the conquest of the enemies;

— the Targum expresses clearly

“Do not prophesy, they say; do not teach this people, for they will not accept correction.”

⁷ Oh thou that art named the house of Jacob: Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

— O thou that art named the house of Jacob; but dost not act suitably to the piety of thy father Jacob and therefore though thou art in name, yet not in truth the genuine seed of Jacob;

— is the Spirit of the Lord straitened. Is God’s hand shortened? are his power, wisdom and kindness less now than formerly? are the judgements he brings upon you the genuine effects of his power and goodness? thus punishments are called his strange work, Isaiah 28:21;

— do not my words do good to him, that walketh uprightly? Certainly, both God’s laws and the words delivered by his prophets would do you great and lasting good if you would obey them.

⁸ “Even of late My people have risen up as an enemy; ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by trustingly as men returning from war. — even of late, in fact, yesterday, my people is risen up as an enemy, taking an open stand against Yehovah; and this hostility is openly shown;

— ye pull off the robe with the garment, stripping off the mantle or upper garment from them that pass by securely, considering themselves safe from robbery and violence, as men averse from war, that is, from peaceable people, such as seek no quarrel with any one;

— the Targum expresses clearly

“Because of the sins of my people, they strip away garments from those who pass by peacefully. Foreign nations rise up and seize their treasures. Their precious wealth is taken away. They are left in their land like those crushed in battle, humiliated and stripped of dignity.”

⁹ The women of My people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away My glory for ever. — the women of my people, the unprotected widows have ye cast out from their pleasant houses, the homes of their delight to which they were attached by the memory of their wedded love;

— from their children have ye taken away my glory, emphasizing the cruelty of oppression, where even the next generation suffers displacement.

¹⁰ Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest; because it is polluted it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. — arise ye and go into the exile which the enemies would force upon you; for this is not your rest,

— they would not be permitted to remain in Canaan; because it is polluted, it shall destroy them, even with a sore destruction, or “on account of the corruption which brings a most powerful destruction;” setting forth the depth of the nation’s corruption are very unwelcome to their wicked leaders.

¹¹ If a man walking in the spirit of falsehood lieth, saying, ‘I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink,’ he shall even be the prophet of this people!

— if a man walking in the spirit and falsehood, in vanity and falsehood, namely, in preaching his own ideas, do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink, that is, of the enjoyment of this present life,

— he shall even be the prophet of this people, possessing “itching ears” referring to: tell me what we want to hear, even if there are little lies, sweet little lies, that they will all go to a place of safety, they would meet with the approval of their leaders for a time of final training, and those who desired a cover for their lives of luxury and dissipation (kill the righteous and the wicked – more at the end);

— the Targum expresses it with more insight

“Because they went astray after false prophets, who prophesied to them under a spirit of falsehood, and taught them to pursue wine and strong drink, it shall be: just as they were taught to err by following false prophets, so shall they be exiled to a land of falsehood together with this generation.”

¹² “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold; and they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

— in the end, God will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee all those whom he intended as members of his congregation; he will surely gather the remnant of Israel, collecting the believers from all the nations of the earth;

— he will put them together in one fold, John 10:16, as the sheep of Bozrah, the rich meadowland east of Jordan as the flock in the midst of the fold, secure from the attack of the enemies. They shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men, surging with their great numbers.

¹³ The Breaker has come up before them; they have broken forth and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them.”

— the Deliverer shall come up before them, rather “There will go up before them He that breaketh through,” their powerful Champion; they have broken up, rather “they break up,”

— and have passed through the gate, passing into the gate of the Lord’s kingdom, and are gone out by it, having free access to the throne of God; their King, the Messiah Himself, shall pass before them and the Lord on the head of them, leading them through all the vicissitudes of this life to the promised life of eternity. While men are clamoring for a kingdom which will suit their fleshly lusts and desires, all true shepherds will continue to proclaim sin and repentance.

~~~

More about an enemy – to kill the righteous and the wicked – from South to North

Ezekiel 20:45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁴⁶ “Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the southland.
⁴⁷ And say to the forest of the south: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.’”
⁴⁹ Then said I, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Doth he not speak parables?’”

Ezekiel 21:1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
² “Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
⁴ Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north,
⁵ that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more. Ezekiel 20:45-21:5

Q: how would such scenarios be played out?

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For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

For more into another Captivity: see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

More on the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Posted in Minor Prophets

The reluctant prophet Jonah had received a severe lesson at the hand of God, but being benefited by his survival he was ready to undertake the commission which had originally been issued to him.

The story of Jonah before God’s Omniscience is not just a manifestation of himself or even for Jerusalem, Judea or Israel but a manifestation of the whole human experience.

Jonah 3

¹ And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, — Jonah having been scourged by the Lord for his stubbornness and disobedience, and being humbled under the mighty hand of God, is tried a second time;

— perhaps Jonah had settled down “somewhere” for the Word of God that came the second time, said, “Arise and go (Jonah 3:2)” and that is inconsistent with the idea that Jonah was already on the way after his first bad experience.

² “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” — Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, the Assyrian capital and metropolis, and preach unto it the preaching that God bid him, loudly proclaiming the message which the Lord would reveal to him in due time.

³ So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. — now in unquestioning obediences, Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Nineveh was an exceeding great city, literally, “a great city to God,”

— of three days’ journey; in compass, being sixty miles from end to end; allowing twenty miles for a day’s journey on foot.

⁴ And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”— and as Jonah began to enter into the city the first twenty miles toward the center of Nineveh, he preached wherever he found a suitable place and a fitting opportunity;

— he cried and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown; the word “overthrown” here, literally means, “Destroyed from the very foundation” and is the same word used in speaking of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah;

— his speech likely to be in Aramaic, which was a lingua franca for the people at the time, understood by Jews and Assyrians alike.

⁵ So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. — so the people heard the Word of God, believed and obeyed it; and were filled with wholesome fear;

— they proclaimed a fast as an outward evidence of their sorrow and put on sackcloth, the garment of mourning, from the greatest of them even to the least of them, old and young, all without exception.

⁶ For word came unto the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. — for word came unto the king of Nineveh, into the neighborhood of whose palace the prophet had very likely progressed in his first day’s journey;

— and he arose from his throne, symbol of his earthly power, and he laid his imperial robe from him, his royal mantle, and covered him with sackcloth, also adopting the mourning-dress, and sat in ashes, all signs of sorrow and repentance. Cf Job 2:8; Ezekiel 27:30.

⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water.

— and the king proclaimed throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king himself and his nobles, the royal heralds being dispatched in accordance with the custom of making edicts of this kind known, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything, as sufferers with the people; let them not feed nor drink water.

⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God. Yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. — but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, clothed in mourning,

— and cry mightily unto God, the very lowing of the cattle and the bleating of the sheep in their distress being considered appeals for mercy; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, from his sinful habits;

— and from the violence that is in their hands. Cf Isaiah 59:6; their rapine and oppression, their thefts and robberies, and preying upon the substance of others; which seem to be the reigning vices of this city, in doing which many murders were committed also; see Nahum 3:1.

⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?” — who can tell if God will turn and repent, the possibility of His doing so being suggested by His interest in sending a prophet to warn them, and turn away from His fierce anger that we perish not? 

— it was a true repentance on the part of the Ninevites and is so cited by the Messiah in reproof of those who, with much greater light and privileges, did not repent. Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:32, even if its effects were not lasting.

¹⁰ And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. And God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them, and He did it not. — and God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, from the security of their open transgressions of the Lord’s will; 

— and God repented of the evil that He had said that he would do unto them; and He did it not, letting His mercy guide His actions rather than a stern and immutable justice;

— as God spared Nineveh when its inhabitants turned to Him in repentance, so He is ready to show mercy to all those who lay aside their obstinate impenitence and plead with Him for forgiveness.

Jonah 4

¹ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. — but it displeased Jonah exceedingly, namely, that the Lord did not carry out His threat of punishment upon the people of Nineveh, and he was very angry, provoked, filled with grief and vexation;

— whatever the reasons for Jonah’s anger, he was wrong; his anger was as much a repudiation of God as was his flight in Jonah 1. It was an anger that could not tolerate the thought of God having compassion upon the heathen; and even among the Elects from the nations/Gentiles ahead of those from the Israelites.

² And he prayed unto the Lord and said, “I pray Thee, O Lord, was not this what I said when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repent of the evil.

— and Jonah prayed unto the Lord and said, I pray Thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, the argument which he had used within himself; when Jonah was yet in his country? when he first received the commission to go to Nineveh, he fled before unto Tarshish, 

— that is, he anticipated the fruitlessness of his errand, the fact that his prediction against Nineveh was not fulfilled; for he knew that Thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repent Thee of the evil. Cf Exodus 34:6.

— the words were spoken out of a very decided ill humor, because Jonah, as he thought, had been sent to deliver a message which the Lord intended to revoke and which so readily produced repentance. It was a sad contradiction between an irritable mood and the better knowledge of his head and heart.

³ Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” — therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me, Jonah beseech God; for he thought it was better for him to die than to live;

— his impatience of life under disappointed hopes of Israel’s repentance through the destruction of Nineveh is like that of Elijah at his plan for to reform Israel, 1 Kings 18, failing through Jezebel. Cf 1 Kings 19:4;

— the entire world of spiritual reality, as Jonah had misunderstood it, had come crashing down around him; and his frustration was complete; not being able to bear the reproach of being a false prophet.

⁴ Then said the Lord, “Doest thou well to be angry?” — then said the Lord, in a preliminary reproof, Do thou well to be angry? Was there any justification for Jonah’s attitude?

— an endeavour on the part of the Lord to provoke in Jonah for a self-examination of his own emotions and attitudes; the Targum says, “You mad?” or “why art thou so angry?” and so other interpreters, Jewish and Christian understand the vigour of his anger.

⁵ So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth and sat under it in the shadow till he might see what would become of the city.

— so Jonah, still smarting under the displeasure which he felt, went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city, choosing an elevated portion in its immediate neighborhood, hoping it would provide a better vantage point for seeing the city overthrown,

— and there made him a booth, a temporary hut of branches and leaves, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city, whether the original judgement would not, after all, be carried out upon it; for the forty days named in his message had not yet elapsed.

⁶ And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad for the gourd.

— and the Lord God prepared a gourd, the castor-oil plant, commonly called palm-crist, and made it to come up over Jonah, the plant growing up very rapidly, with its large leaves quickly casting a pleasant coolness, 

— that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief, to cause his peevishness to disappear and thus to afford him some relief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd, he enjoyed the shadow offered by the green plant.

⁷ But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd so that it withered. — but God, intending to teach Jonah a further lesson, prepared a worm, appointing it to that end;

— when the morning rose the next day, at the breaking of the dawn, and it smote the gourd that it withered, for it is a peculiarity of the castor-oil plant that it fades readily when injured.

⁸ And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, so that he grew faint and wished in himself to die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

— and it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind, blowing with a sultry heat; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah that he fainted, overcome with the heat, 

— and wished in himself to die, the reaction once more being rapid and furious, and said, It is better for him to die than to live, namely, in such circumstances, with everything combining to make life frustrated.

⁹ And God said to Jonah, “Doest thou well to be angry over the gourd?” And he said, “I do well to be angry, even unto death.” — and taking this opportunity to drive home His lesson, God said to Jonah, Does thou well to be angry for the gourd?

— and Jonah replied with a sudden flare of bitterness; and he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death; or, “I am so mad I want to die,” as the Targum says; Jonah was so very angry that he felt he cannot live under so much fretting and vexing.

¹⁰ Then said the Lord, “Thou hast had pity on the gourd for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. — then the Lord said, Thou hast had pity on the gourd,

— for one thou hast not labored, which had cost him no toil to rear, neither made it grow, Jonah not being obliged so much as to water it; which came up in a night and perished in a night, being, as the Hebrew has it, the son of a night, of only a night’s duration.

¹¹ And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also many cattle?”

— and should not God spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein there are more than six-score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, that is, 120,000 infants, who could not be accused of any particular wrong-doing, and also many cattle? 

— this limitation would include children of three or four years old; and taking these as one fifth of the population, we should set the inhabitants at six hundred thousand in number;

— Jonah despised the Gentiles, being perfectly happy to pride himself of being an Israelite, a perfect type of the self-satisfied, complacent and indifferent elite, unmindful of its duty to be a light to the heathens, enjoying the favors and privileges that undoubtedly came to him as a popular prophet of God;

— this argument of Yehovah, in exposing the selfishness of the today’s prophets or shepherd in Israel today, was at the same time sufficient to silence Jonah, as he stood rebuked before this exhibit of God’s Omniscience and Omnipotencen to all His human creation;

— moreover, the tidings which Jonah was able to bring back to his countrymen was a most emphatic call to repentance, as the Messiah brings out in His reference to the repentance of the Ninevites. Israel failed to learn the lesson and therefore was cast out of its land. All the more is it necessary for us to consider the sign of the prophet Jonah and to cling to the confession of Him who could say of Himself, “Behold, here is more than Jonah!”

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Book of Jonah is a prophetic account of events connected with the sending of Jonah to Nineveh. It abounds in miraculous circumstances, such as the great fish in whose stomach the life of the prophet was preserved by the terrible storm sent by God, which died down as soon as the prophet had been delivered to the waves.

The period in which Jonah lived was approximately that of the prophets Amos and Hosea in the northern kingdom and of Isaiah and Micah in the southern kingdom. The story is not just a microcosm for Judah or Israel, but a microcosm of the whole human experience.

Jonah 1

¹ Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, — “The word of the Lord” signifies a prophecy from the Lord of hosts;

— or as the Targum renders it, “the word of prophecy from the Lord” it may be so interpreted, since Jonah, under a spirit of prophecy foretold that Nineveh should be destroyed within forty days; though the phrase rather signifies the order and command of the Lord to the prophet to do as is expressed in the next verse.

² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” — Nineveh was the metropolis of the Assyrian empire at that time; it was an ancient city built by Ashur, not by Nimrod; though he by some is said to go into Ashur or Assyria, and build it, Genesis 10:11;

— and cry against it; or prophesy against it as the Targum says; Jonah was to lift up his voice and cry aloud as he passed along in it that the inhabitants might hear him; and the more to affect them and to show that he was in earnest and what he delivered was concerning them, of greatest importance: what he was to cry or preach, see Jonah 3:2;

— for their wickedness is at great height; even to the heavens; it called for immediate judgement; the inhabitants ripe for destruction; it was committed openly and boldly with much impudence in the sight of the Lord and was no more to be suffered and connived at: it includes idolatry, bloodshed, oppression, rapine, fraud and lying; see Jonah 3:8.

³ But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

— Jonah was not obedient to the heavenly vision; he rose up, but instead of going to Nineveh, he intended to go to Tarshish; the reverse of it; to the sea as the Targum says, the Mediterranean sea, as Joppa is its gateway, which lay west as Nineveh was to the east;

— and went down to Joppa; formerly called Japho; a seaport town in the tribe of Dan upon the Mediterranean sea where there was a haven of ships; and Tarshish could be in the southern coast of Spain where Jews could have already migrated there as Sepharadi Jews, see Obadiah.

⁴ But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was likely to be broken. — winds are an instrument of God which he commands at his pleasure, and fulfil his will and this was sent in pursuit of Jonah to stop him in his voyage when he thought he had got clear off and was safe enough.

⁵ Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner parts of the ship, and he lay and was fast asleep.

— then the sailors were afraid; perceiving that the storm was not ordinary but a supernatural one; and that the ship and all in it were in extreme danger and no probability of being saved; as the storm must be very violent to frighten such men who were used to such storms and were naturally bold and intrepid.

⁶ So the shipmaster came to him and said unto him, “What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if it so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.”

— so the shipmaster came to Jonah and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Why should he withdraw at the time of this great peril? Arise, call upon thy God, each prays to his own god or deity, but none can stop the storm.

⁷ And they said every one to his fellow, “Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

— after Jonah had obeyed the call of the captain, everyone said to his fellow, Come and let us cast lots, a common method of determining the guilt of men at that time, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon them, who was to blame for the present condition of affairs. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

⁸ Then said they unto him, “Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us: What is thine occupation? And from whence comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?”

— then they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us, who and what was responsible for this condition of affairs. What is thine occupation? his business, which might have been of a nature to arouse the wrath of God;

— and whence are you from, from what nation and people? What is thy country? And of what people art thou? The questions are shouted in a confused mass, as always under the stress of great emotion.

⁹ And he said unto them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land.” — and he said unto them, in a confession of his guilt, I am an Hebrew, the usual name applied to the people of Israel by the surrounding nations; 

— and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, worshiping Him alone, which hath made the sea and the dry land, the one Creator of the world and all it contained.

¹⁰ Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, “Why hast thou done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

— then the men were exceedingly afraid, filled with terror at the scope of this confession, which showed them that they were, although unwittingly, assisting Jonah in his effort to escape the Lord; and said unto him,

— Why hast thou done this? a cry of horror and fear more than a question, for the God of the Hebrews was known as a powerful Deity; for even non-Hebrews quake at any evidence of the wrath of God, much as they otherwise scoff at those who worship Him.

¹¹ Then said they unto him, “What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. — then they asked him, What shall we do unto thee that the sea may be calm unto us? 

— What would Jonah himself suggest or advise in order to turn away the wrath of God from those who were not implicated in his guilt?. For the sea wrought, continued to rage, and was tempestuous, still rising in angry billows.

¹² And he said unto them, “Take me up and cast me forth into the sea. So shall the sea be calm unto you, for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”

— and Jonah said unto them, showing the right spirit in offering himself up as a sacrifice in their behalf, Take me up and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you, be quieted down; for Jonah knew that for his sake this great tempest is upon them.

¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not, for the sea was wrought up and was tempestuous against them. — nevertheless the men, not desiring to carry out the prophet’s suggestion, rowed hard to bring it to the land;

— that is, they tried everything they knew in the line of seamanship in order to break through the billows which hemmed in the ship; but they could not, for the sea was raging and was tempestuous against them so that they could make no headway against the surging waves.

¹⁴ Therefore they cried unto the Lord and said, “We beseech Thee, O Lord, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood! For Thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee.”

— wherefore they cried unto the Lord, in this case addressing Yehovah, His true name, and said, We beseech Thee, O Lord Yehovah, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, be held accountable for the fact that they would now deliver him to what appeared to them a certain death,

— and lay not upon us innocent blood, by imputing it to them, since Jonah had not harmed them in any manner; for Thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee; He had determined it, the lot, as directed by Him, made the execution necessary.

¹⁵ So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea, and the sea ceased from her raging. — so they took Jonah and cast him into the sea; and the sea ceased from raging, it stood still and no longer rose in such tremendous billows.

¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows. — then the sailors, seeing in this as the almighty hand of God, feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows;

— possibly a vow that the God of the Hebrews should be their God, and that they would for the future serve and worship him only; that they would become proselytes, as men will under the stress of such a fear and emotion.

¹⁷ Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. — now, the Lord had prepared a great fish, not a whale, but a special sea-monster, to swallow up Jonah;

— and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, being alive and conscious through the power of the Lord, whose plans called for a further use of this prophet.

Jonah 2

¹ Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, — then amidst agonies, stinks of the fish’s stomach, sufferings and near death, Jonah prayed unto the Lord out of the fish’s belly, his prayers occurring again and again during his awful experience,

— the story of Jonah is not just an archetype for human being like himself or even for the children of Israel, but an archetype that the whole human race could face one day.

² and said: “I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and He heard me. Out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heardest my voice. — and Jonah cried by reason of his affliction, out of the midst of the distress which he was suffering, unto the Lord,

— and God heard him; out of the belly of hell, literally, “out of the womb of sheol,” the realm of death, cried Jonah, and He heard his voice, delivering him from what seemed to be certain destruction, Cf Psalms 18:6; Psalms 30:4.

³ For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas, and the floods compassed me about; all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me. — for the Lord had cast Jonah into the deep, the sailors on the ship,

— being the executors of the punishment placed upon him by the Lord in the midst of the seas, literally, “into the heart of the oceans” and the floods compassed him about, namely, as he sank to the bottom; all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over him. Cf Psalms 42:8.

⁴ Then I said, ‘I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.’ — then Jonah said, I am cast out of Thy sight, under the eye of his omniscience, which saw him in the fish’s belly; yet Jonah will look again toward God’s holy Temple, certain that he would again be permitted to worship with the Lord’s people.

⁵ The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. — the waters compassed Jonah about, even to the soul, so that he was ready to despair of his life, Cf Psalms 18:5; Psalms 69:2; 

— the depth closed him round about; Jonah in the fish’s stomach were wrapped around his head, the seaweeds, of which there are great quantities from the sea apparently, enclosing him so that he could hardly move;

— so the Targum says, “the waters surrounded me unto death.” In this Jonah was an archetype for any other human being trapped in his afflictions and sorrows, which were so many and heavy before repentance, that he is said to be “exceeding sorrowful” or surrounded with sorrow, “even unto death.

⁶ I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever; yet hast Thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. — Jonah went down to the bottoms of the sea-mounts, the very depths of the ocean abyss;

— where the mountains have their foundations; the earth with her bars, the walls of the sea-basin, was about him forever; yet God brought up his life from the pit which threatened to be his grave, ‘O Lord, my God,’ he pleaded.

⁷ “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple. — when Jonah’s soul fainted within him, when he was at the point of yielding to the night of death;

— he remembered the Lord; and his prayer came in unto Thee, like a petitioner presenting his appeal in person, into Thine holy Temple, where the Lord had promised to hear those who put their trust in Him.

⁸ They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy, — they that observe lying vanities or in riches, or placing their trust in idols and in false worship, forsake their own mercy, deliberately abandon their one hope of deliverance, namely, through the loving-kindness and tender mercies of Yehovah.

⁹ but I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” — but Jonah pledged to sacrifice unto God with the voice of thanksgiving, loudly proclaiming his gratitude for mercies received, Psalms 42:5; 

— Jonah will pay that what he have vowed. Cf Psalms 50:14-23. Salvation is of the Lord, it belongs to Yehovah, it is in His power. He alone can grant deliverance from all evil.

¹⁰ And the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. — and the Lord spoke unto the fish, giving it a definite command, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land, very likely back on the coast of Joppa, where he started.

— the story of Jonah is not just an archetype for human being like himself or even for Israel, but an prophecy of an archetype of bringing repentance for the whole human race.

Posted in Minor Prophets

The book of Amos is an encrypted message to the United States today in which the prophet warns of the impending judgement, beginning with the ancient house of Israel; then Israel’s neighbors, then upon the house of Judah, and by way of climax describing the prophetic utter ruin and devastation of the endtime house of the Anglosphere.

And God says to Ezekiel, “Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? The vision that he seeth is for many days, and he prophesieth of the times far off” Ezekiel 12:22, Ezekiel 12:27; that is, the message is for the endtime, our time.

For an indepth Study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Amos 7

¹ Thus hath the Lord God shown unto me: And behold, He formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.

— thus by the Spirit of God hath the Lord God shown unto me in visions, and, behold, he formed grasshoppers or locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth of the second crop of the season;

— and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings; the first crop, apparently, belonging to the king; the time of the grasshoppers’ coming, therefore, was very unfortunate since the first crop had been delivered as the law required and the second crop was bound to be ruined;

— or, when the first grass was mowed down and the first crop gathered in for the use of the king’s cattle; as the later grass was just springing up and promised a second crop these locusts were forming which threatened their harvesting, thus the people were left vulnerable.

² And it came to pass, when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, “O Lord God, forgive, I beseech Thee! By whom shall Jacob arise? For he is small.”

— and it came to pass that when these locusts had made an end of eating the grass of the land all the plants which came up at that time in the rest of the season; the destruction is so complete that Amos cries out in intercession;

— then Amos said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech Thee; by whom shall Jacob arise? For he is small refers to only a remnant of Jacob left behind: Amos 5:15, greatly weakened by one calamity or another, even now reduced in numbers and strength.

³ The Lord repented concerning this. “It shall not be,” saith the Lord. — the Lord regretted; it shall not be, the Lord saith, who is willing to spare the people and the land upon the intercession of the prophet;

— it shall not be; in other words, even though judgment was pronounced, God’s anger was turned back in response to Amos’ intercession, and the judgment was averted.

⁴ Thus hath the Lord God shown unto me: And behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep and ate up a part. — thus the Lord God showed Amos a second vision; and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire,

— that is, God directed that the punishment was to be made by fire “and it consumed the great deep” that is, the fire is so vast it dries up the cosmic waters (the “deep”); the great ocean itself and would eat up a part, the heritage of God, which pictures the Lord’s devouring anger directed against his own remnant.

⁵ Then said I, “O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee! By whom shall Jacob arise? For he is small.” — then said Amos, O Lord God, cease, I beseech Thee; by whom shall Jacob arise? For he is small (refers again to only a remnant of Jacob left behind: Amos 5:15), the prophet Amos thus once more interceding in behalf of a few remnants left.

⁶ The Lord repented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” saith the Lord God. — the Lord repented for this; God heard the prophet’s intercession and desisted from going on with the threatened destruction; this also shall not be, saith the Lord God; the whole land shall not be destroyed, only a remnant of it remains carried as captives.

⁷ Thus He showed me: And behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. — thus God showed me in a third vision; and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb-line, one which was built upright and according to all the rules of the craft with a plumb-line in his hand.

⁸ And the Lord said unto me, “Amos, what seest thou?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then said the Lord, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. — and the Lord inquired, Amos, what seest thou?

— and Amos replied, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel, the object, in this case, like in II Kings 21:13; Isaiah 34:11, being to tear down a building. God will not again pass by them any more;

— the Targum says, “behold, I will exercise judgement in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not overlook or pardon Israel’s sins.” God was signaling that covenant violations must now be addressed directly.

⁹ And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” — and the high places of Isaac, in this case, Esau and Jacob, shall be desolate and the sanctuaries of both Esau and Israel the various places devoted to idolatrous purposes;

— shall be laid waste; and God will rise against the house of Jeroboam, identified as Jeroboam II; Son of King Jehoash (Joash), fourth king of the House of Jehu; Reign: approximately 793–753 BC (some scholars date 786–746 BC); despite prosperity, prophets like Amos and Hosea condemned the era for social injustice, idolatry, and moral decline;

— thus the dissolution of both nations, Esau and Jacob, was definitely foretold and the prophet did not dare to intercede any more in behalf of his people; (but who is Esau that ‘shall be desolate’? see Obadiah)

¹⁰ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. — then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, the false priest in charge of the sanctuary of idolatry at Bethel, sent to Jeroboam, king of Israel;

— lying, Amaziah charged Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel, namely, by announcing the coming punishment of the Lord; the land is not able to bear all his words;

— the Targum says,

“And Amaziah, the chief priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying: ‘Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.’”

¹¹ For thus Amos saith, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.’” — for thus Amos saith, Jeroboam II shall die by the sword, for this was actually included in the warning statement of verse 9; and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land;

— the Targum says,

“For thus Amos has said: Jeroboam shall be killed by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from their land.”

¹² Also Amaziah said unto Amos, “O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread and prophesy there. — go, flee thee South into the land of Judah; to which he belonged and where the Temple stood and where the Jewish king, princes and people, were on his side of the question;

— and where Amos’ prophecies should be received; for he thought, if he stayed down there, Amos may be at liberty to say what he pleases in his own country: predictions of Israel’s fall might not be acceptable at Bethel; surely not at Jeroboam’s capital;

— and there eat bread and prophesy there: Amaziah implies that prophecy was a trade or profession. Already in early times we know that those who consulted a rô’eh paid a fee for his advice (1 Samuel 9:7-8);

— the Targum says, “And Amaziah said to Amos the prophet: Go, flee to the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and there prophesy.”

¹³ But prophesy not again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the king’s court.” — for it is the king’s chapel; or “sanctuary” where a false temple was built for the idol calf; offering calves for worship; and where the king worshipped it and attended all other religious service:

— and it is the king’s court; or “the house of the kingdom” the seat of where the king of Israel dwell at Samaria; often coming hither to worship it being nearer to him than Dan, and by prophesying to interrupt him either in his religious or civil affairs; and therefore advises him by all means to depart if he had any regard to his life or peace;

— the Targum says, “And at Bethel you shall no longer prophesy, for it is the king’s sanctuary and it is the house of the kingdom.”

¹⁴ Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. — then answered Amos in a humble way: “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son;”

— that is, Amos was not born to that honor nor did he attend any school of the prophets, but he was an herdman, a shepherd of humble position and a gatherer of sycamore fruit, that is, of the sycamore-fig-tree;

— the Targum adds why he was call, because of Israel’s sins:

“And Amos answered and said to Amaziah: I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet; rather, I am a master of herds, and I have sycamore trees in the lowland. From before the sins of the people of Israel, I dedicate myself.”

¹⁵ And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, ‘Go, prophesy unto My people Israel.’ — but the Lord took him as he followed the flock; not one from the established school, or sons of a prophet such an one Amos was and in this employ when the Lord called him and took him to be a prophet;

— Amos did not seek after it nor did he take this honour to himself; by which it appears that his mission was divine and that he did not enter on this work with lucrative views: similarly, God took a humble David from a modest life and made him king of Israel, and Elisha from the plow and made him a prophet;

— and the Lord said unto Amos; go, prophesy unto my people Israel, the Northern Kingdom; wherefore what Amos did was in obedience to the command of God and he did to fulfil his duty.

¹⁶ Now therefore, hear thou the word of the Lord. Thou sayest, ‘Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.’ — Amos continued speaking to Amaziah, “Thou sayest, ‘Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac;’

— Amaziah had before warned Amos not to say any word against Israel, nor the house of Isaac; say nothing against either of them, and is a rebuke by Amaziah to prophesy against the ten tribes that descended from Isaac in the line of Jacob;

— hence the Targum paraphrases it, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord against Israel,” or deliver out any prophecy or doctrine that is against Isaac or threatens them with any calamity. Amaziah of the house of Israel only want to hear smooth sayings, not warnings!

¹⁷ Therefore thus saith the Lord: ‘Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword; and thy land shall be divided by line, and thou shalt die in a polluted land. And Israel shall surely go into captivity forth from his land.’”

— thus Amos spoke to Amaziah, warning, “thus saith the Lord; your wife shall be an harlot in the city: either of Bethel or Samaria; probably through force, being ravished by the soldiers upon taking and plundering the city;

— and Amaziah’ sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; either of Shallum, who smote Zachariah the son of Jeroboam with the sword before the people, among whom this family was; or of Menahem, who slew Shallum, with their inhabitants and ripped up the women with child; or in the after invasions by Pul, Tiglathpileser, and Shalmaneser, II Kings 15:10;

— and Israel shall surely go into captivity as Amos had prophesied before and reconfirms here; and which was fulfilled in the times of Hoshea king of Israel by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, II Kings 17:6; but then again, such a prophecy are often dual, and could accur again;

— the Septuagint reaffirm both the Masoretic and the Targum:

And Amos answered, and said to Amasias, I was not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet; but I was a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruits. ¹⁵ And the Lord took me from the sheep, and the Lord said to me, Go, and prophesy to my people Israel. ¹⁶ And now hear the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not to Israel, and raise not a tumult against the house of Jacob. ¹⁷ Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be measured with the line; and thou shalt die in an unclean land; and Israel shall be led captive out of his land. Thus has the Lord God shewed me. Amos 7:14-17 Septuagint

Amos 8

¹ Thus hath the Lord God shown unto me: And behold, a basket of summer fruit. — there are three visions in the former chapter, thus another vision, which is the fourth:

— and, behold, a basket of summer fruit; this symbolically indicates that Israel’s sins are now ripe for judgement, not of the first ripe fruit but of such as are gathered at the close of the summer when autumn began. So the Targum says “a basket filled with summer fruit;” which symbolizes ripeness and the end of a cycle.

² And He said, “Amos, what seest thou?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then said the Lord unto me: “The end is come upon My people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. — and Amos said, a basket of summer fruit; some render it “a hook” such as they pull down branches with to gather the fruit;

— then said the Lord unto Amos; by way of explanation of the vision: the end is come upon my people Israel; of their state; of all their outward happiness and glory; their “summer has ended” and Jeremiah 8:20; all their prosperity was over; and as the Targum says, their “final punishment was come,” the last destruction is on its way.

³ And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day,” saith the Lord God. “There shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.” — there shall be many dead bodies everywhere; with silence under the terrible severity of divine judgement, saith the Lord God;

— and the songs of the temple, (some say “the palace” instead of “the temple” as the word היכל, signifying palace as well as temple) originally intended to convey the spirit of the highest rejoicing, shall be howlings in that day, cries of the deepest grief and mourning over the large number of the slain;

⁴ Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, — be warned of this, O ye that behave like a beast after its prey, eager to devour;

— panting after the poor in their anxiety to destroy them, adding field to field and to grasp their property, even to make the poor of the land to fail in order to take their property by a show of might; perhaps a failure to observe the land release on Jubilees.

⁵ saying, “When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit, — the festivals of the new moon, the day to sell more thing, or do more business, liked our Black Friday, being appointed and used for religious service;

— that we may sell corn and wheat; speculating at the expense of the poor in the land and the Sabbath, opening their storehouses in order to make unjust gains; making the ephah small, giving the people short measure and the shekel great by raising the price which they charged those in need, so that they sold below weight, their scales been prearranged to cheat.

⁶ that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes, yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?” — that might purchase them and theirs for slaves at so small a price as a piece of silver, or a single shekel; and this was their end and design in using them after this manner; see Leviticus 25:39;

— the poor are treated as commodities, effectively enslaved or indebted through economic manipulation.

⁷ The Lord hath sworn for the pretensions of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their works. — the Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, that is, by himself; Surely he will never forget any of their evils;

— today, instead of “the pretensions of Jacob,” we have pretending Christians; and they make up much of what passes for Christianity today.

⁸ Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? And it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. — shall not the land tremble for this; for this wickedness committed, in using the poor with so much inhumanity?

— may not a great flood from climate change or hotspots of torrential rains from God be expected? or that the earth should gape and swallow up these men alive guilty of such enormities? or shall not the inhabitants of the land tremble at such judgements which the Lord hath sworn he will bring upon it?

⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day,” saith the Lord God, “that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. — and it shall come in that day, that God will cause the sun to go down at noon, to express the overwhelming calamities which are to befell upon the earth;

— and God will darken the earth in the clear day by a terrible catastrophe, the picture being well applicable to the fate of a nation or of the earth when it is destroyed while in the very midst of its misfortune and calamity.

— a parallel Scripture in Isaiah says, “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard” Isaiah 24:20;

— the Targum phrase can be rendered as:

“And it shall be in that time, says the Lord God: I will cover the sun at midday, and I will darken the earth in the day of light.”

¹⁰ And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

— God will turn your feasts into mourning; he despise your feast-days: (a) Easters (Jeremiah 44:17-25); (b) Christmas (Ezekiel 8:15-16); and he will bring up sackcloth upon them upon their solemn assemblies;

(a) Easters, a celebration of the Queen of heaven: Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols (like the egg and bunny) were and still are fertility and sex symbols; and to those who actually think eggs and bunnies have something to do with the resurrection; Jeremiah 7:18 the women knead their dough to make cakes to the Queen of heaven; in Egypt, Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, this is Ishtar: pronounced ‘Easter.’

(b) Christmas; Ezekiel 8:16 five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple; their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east; Christmas, which honor Mithraism, birthday on December 25th – a form of nature worship based on the Sun-Goddess Mithra who on the darkest night of the year (December 20/21), gives birth to “Light” causing each day thereafter to grow longer until the Summer solstice.

— and God will turn your feasts into mourning, why? because Jeroboam had changed the feast of Tabernacles from the seventh to the eighth month and from Jerusalem to Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:26-33); offering calves for worship, much like Hinduism today;

— hence God is not just taking away all joy, but all their songs into lamentation and he will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, the usual garment of deepest grief; and baldness upon every head, for shaving the head was a sign of the deepest mourning;

— and he will make their mournings as the mourning of the death an only son as in the day of Egypt, a most intense sorrow which cannot be appeased and the end thereof as a bitter day, one whose objectionable taste would not soon be forgotten.

¹¹ “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. — true prophets of God were yet to speak the message of threatened doom and the call to repentance upon Israel;

— as Amos had prophesied an end to his mission, which was fulfilled during the inter-testamental period between the OT and the NT when no prophet spoke anything at all to the wayward and rebellious people of Israel;

— this hearing the words of the Lord; the prophecy of the ten tribes were deprived at their captivity and have been ever since; and the Jews, upon their rejection of Christ, the word of God taken from them and remain so to this day; the seven churches of Asia have had their candlestick removed out of its place and this famine continues to this day.

¹² And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. — and they shall wander from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean, and from the North even to the East, to the limitless extent of the four corners of the earth, they shall not find it.

¹³ “In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. — the result of the end for God’s guardian leads to physical and spiritual collapse; hence fair virgins and young men faint for thirst;

— after the word for want of that grain and wine, which make young men and maids cheerful, Zechariah 9:17; but being destitute of them should be covered with sorrow, overwhelmed with grief and ready to sink and die away.

¹⁴ They that swear by the sin of Samaria and say, ‘Thy god, O Dan, liveth,’ and, ‘The manner of Beersheba liveth’ — even they shall fall and never rise up again.”

— they that swear by the false religion of Samaria; the calf at Bethel which was near Samaria and which the Samaritans worshipped; offering calves for worship, much like Hinduism today; or false shepherd pretending to be Christians everywhere;

— and was set up by their kings and their religious leaders; worshipping at Dan and Bethel and encouraged by their example which is called the calf of Samaria, Hosea 8:5; and say, thy God, O Dan, liveth; the other calf which was set up in Bethel, liveth;

— even in our days, these idolatrous cult shall fall and rise up again; the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, same as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, both Hindu, both worshippers of calves regarding them as sacred. They made pilgrimages to these spiritual cities, Dan and Bethel.

Amos 9

¹ I saw the Lord standing upon the altar, and He said: “Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake, and wound them on the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword. He that fleeth from them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth from them shall not be delivered.

— and Amos saw the Lord standing upon the altar; either upon the altar of burnt offerings in the Temple; signifying his being about to depart and that he was displeased: so the Targum says “said Amos the prophet, I saw the glory of the Lord rising up from the cherub, and standing upon the altar;”

— and the vision may refer to the destruction of the Jews, their city and Temple, either by the Chaldeans or by the Romans: or rather, since the prophecy in general and this vision in particular seems to respect the ten tribes only, it was upon the altar at Bethel the Lord was seen standing as offended at the sacrifices there offered and to hinder them from sacrificing them as well as to take vengeance on those that offered them, I Kings 13:1;

— and the Lord said, either to the prophet in vision or to one of the angels or to the executioners of his vengeance; either the house of Israel or the enemies of Israel: but the Targum below confirms the former;

— smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake; the upper lintel on which pomegranates and flowers were carved and therefore called “caphtor” this was the lintel of the door, either of the Temple at Jerusalem; signifying the destruction of the whole building in a short time and that none should be able to go in and out;

— and cut them in the head, all of them; and God will slay the last of them with the sword; which shows that the lintel and doorposts are not to be taken literally but figuratively; and that the smiting and cutting by the “head” the king, the princes and nobles, or the priests; and by “the last of them” the common people, the meanest sort, or those that were left of them;

— he that fleeth of them shall not flee away; he that attempts to make his escape and shall flee for his life, shall not get clear, but either be stopped or pursued and taken: and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered; those that destroy with the sword shall not be delivered from death but shall die by famine or pestilence;

— the Targum says, “and he said, unless the people of the house of Israel return to the law, the candlestick shall be extinguished, King Josiah shall be killed, and the house destroyed, and the courts dissipated and the vessels of the house of the sanctuary shall go into captivity; and the rest of them I will slay with the sword,” referring the whole to the Jews and to the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem;

— the Targum adds that “King Josiah will be killed;” was also meant that the house of Judah was to be included in this prophecy; the verse below in full

Amos the prophet said: I saw the glory of the Lord, rising up from the cherub and standing upon the altar, and He said: If the people of the house of Israel do not repent to the Torah, the lamp will be extinguished, King Josiah will be killed, the house will be destroyed, the courtyards will be laid waste, and the vessels of the Temple will go into captivity, and their remnant I will slay with the sword, none who flee shall escape, none who seek refuge shall be delivered.” Amos 8:1 Jonathan

² Though they dig into hell, thence shall Mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.

— though they dig into hell, thence shall my hand take them; that is, the remnants of the house of Israel that endeavour to make their escape from their enemies though hell, the repository of the dead; they would not succeed;

— though they try to climb up to heaven, God will bring them down; the summit of the highest mountains and get as near to heaven and at as great a distance from men as can be; yet all in vain;

— the Targum says, “if they imagine to be able to hide in hell, from thence by My word, their enemies shall drag them out; and if they ascend the high mountains to the top of heaven, I will bring them down.”

³ And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from My sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them.

— God will search and take them out from thence by directing their enemies where to find them: so the Targum says, “if they think to be hid in the tops of the towers of castles, thither will I command the searchers, and they shall search them;”

— and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, get into ships, like Jonah did, going by sea to distant land; or make their escape to isles upon the sea afar off where they may think themselves safe:

— thence will God command the serpent and he shall bite them; the dragon that is in the sea, Isaiah 27:1; the great whale in the sea or the leviathan, describes as very monstrous, horrible and terrible, and which not only devours other large fishes but men; and having such teeth with great propriety may be said to bite;

— the Targum paraphrases it,

“And if they imagine themselves like the eagle, at the tops of the towers of the cities, from there I will appoint tongues (serpents/creatures) and they will bite them. And if they hide themselves from before My word in the wonders of the sea from there I will appoint mighty nations, strong like serpents, and they will kill them.”

⁴ And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them. And I will set Mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.”

— thence will God command the Sword and it shall slay them; or them that kill with the Sword as the Targum says; so that though they thought by going into another country or into an enemy’s country of their own accord to escape the Sword of the enemy or to curry favour with them yet should not escape;

— and God will set his eyes upon them for evil and not for good, which are everywhere, in heaven, earth and the sea are set upon them for their ruin and destruction; and there is no fleeing from his presence or getting out of his sight or escaping his hand.

⁵ And the Lord God of hosts is He that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn; and it shall rise up wholly like a flood, and shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt. — this is the third of Amos’ doxologies, the other two being in Amos 4:13 and Amos 5:8-9;

— the purpose of all three being quite clearly that of a reminder that the Lord, was indeed all-sufficient and powerful to bring to pass exactly that which he promised. The Targum expands the imagery: God raises up a king with vast armies, overwhelming the land like a flood, until it sinks as the Nile does in Egypt.

⁶ It is He that buildeth His spheres in the heaven, and hath founded His troop on the earth. He that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth—the Lord is His name.

— it is he that buildeth his spheres in three elements: fire, air, and water; the orbs, one above another; a word near akin to this is rendered “his chambers” which are the clouds, Psalms 104:3;

— perhaps the heaven and the heaven of heavens which are three spheres high may be meant; we read of the third heaven, II Corinthians 12:2; and particularly the throne of God is in the highest heaven; and the “ascents” to it as it may be rendered. The Targum says, “who causeth to dwell in a high fortress the Shekinah of his glory;”

— he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth either to drown it as at the general deluge; or to water and refresh it; now all these things are to show the power of God and that therefore there can be no hope of escaping out of his hands;

— the Lord is his name; the Lord isn’t his name; Yehovah (יהוה‎) is his name (More on God’s name at the end)

⁷ “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto Me, O children of Israel?” saith the Lord. “Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? — are ye, O children of Israel, not as children of the Ethiopians unto me? saith the Lord;

— and therefore had no reason to think you should be delivered because you were the children of Israel: of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; since you were no more to God than the children of the Ethiopians, that you could no more change your course and custom of sinning than the Ethiopian could change their skin, Jeremiah 13:23;

— have not God brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and therefore it was ungrateful for you to behave as they have; nor can you have any dependence on this or argue from hence that you shall be indulged with other favours or be continued in your land since the like has been done for other nations.

⁸ Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” saith the Lord. — God is omniscient and his eyes are everywhere and upon all persons; but especially upon the sinful kingdom of Israel;

— and God could destroy it from off the face of the earth: so that it shall be no more, at least as a kingdom; as the ten tribes have never been since their captivity by Shalmaneser; this of all the kingdoms of the earth, being sinful, the eyes of God are upon them to destroy them excepting the kingdom of Israel;

— saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord; and so it is that though they have been destroyed as a kingdom, yet not utterly as a people; there were a few of the ten tribes that mixed with the Jews, and others that were scattered about in the world; and in the latter day all Israel shall be saved; see Jeremiah 30:10;

⁹ “For lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as corn is sifted in a sieve; yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. — for, lo, God will command and he will sift the house of Israel, shaking them as in a colander, or sieve;

— among all nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth; the nations of the world are the sieve by which Israel is cleaned of the chaff found in its midst of the godless people that claimed back heritage of the Promised Land;

— here is a parallel from Ezekiel 6:3

and say: ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. — this message to the “mountains of Israel;” these mountains refer to the United States, UK and France. . . .

“and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” — the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

“and to the rivers;” — where during the nineteenth century, the British Royal Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British left the scene.

¹⁰ All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘The evil shall not overtake nor come before us.’ — all the sinners of the house of Israel shall die by the Sword; by the Sword of the Assyrians and of others into whose countries they shall flee for shelter, Amos 9:1;

— even all such who are notorious sinners, abandoned to their lusts, obstinate and incorrigible; live in lies, and continue lying convulsively; repent not of them, disbelieve the prophets of the Lord and defy his threatenings and put away the evil day far from them.

¹¹ In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old, — in that great Messianic age to which the entire Old Testament looks forward, will God raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, which parallels Ezekiel 37;

— the monarchy and family of David and close up the breaches thereof; and God will raise up his ruins, and he will build it as in the days of old so that the kingdom of the son of David would once more be secure, established forever;

¹² that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the nations that are called by My name,” saith the Lord that doeth this. — that they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the nations which are called by My name, rather, “upon whom My name is called,” that is, all those whom He had chosen from all the people of the earth, saith the Lord that doeth this;

— an an alternate view: the “tabernacle of David” could mean the rise of the house of Ephraim, and then ruled over the posterity of Edom, the Latinos in the New World through its Monroe Doctrine;

— called by My name; the Lord isn’t his name; Yehovah (יהוה‎) is his name (More on God’s name at the end)

¹³ “Behold, the days come,” saith the Lord, “that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. — behold, the days of harvest are coming, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed;

— by spreading it by print, web and broadcast so fruitful would the land be that the ripe grain would be cut while the plowman was still preparing the soil for the seed and the harvest of grapes would be so plentiful that it would take till seeding-time to tread out the grapes;

— and the mountains shall drop sweet wine so that new wine would be continually dripping from them and all the hills shall melt, dissolving themselves in blessings.

¹⁴ And I will bring back the captives of My people of Israel, and they shall build the wasted cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

— and God will bring again the captivity of his people of Israel, all those who accept the deliverance from the powers of evil being assembled in the congregation of the Lord’s people;

— and they shall build the waste cities, being secure in their citizenship and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them.

¹⁵ And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them,” saith the Lord thy God. — and God will plant them upon their land; that is the land they are now living on isn’t their land;

— thus the prophet Amos, in the conclusion of his book, under the type of Israel restored to its land, pictures the peace and prosperity of the true spiritual Israel in which every nation is a garden in order to bring peace to the hearts of poor sinners all those withoutn hope throughout the world.

~~~ Amos 9:6 ~~~

More on God’s name, Yehovah.

God’s name is the four-letter Hebrew word יהוה‎ YHVH Yehovah, which are embedded in the Masoretic text over 6000 times, yet when translated into our English language most had been translated as Lord, or LORD, which are titles, but not his name. His name is יהוה‎ Yehovah, or YEHOVAH (but there are no capital letters in Hebrew).

It wasn’t until 1524 that Gian Giorgio Trissino, an Italian Renaissance grammarian, invented the letter ‘J’ that this new letter started to take a hold in the writings of western Europe, including our English language. Even in 1611 when the first edition English Bible, the King James was published, the prophet Jeremiah was known as Ieremiah. Similarly, the name Jehovah is a very late comer.

But the Orthodox Jews have gone overboard, so holy is his name, they believe, thus they refrain from even calling his name, referring to him as Hashem, that is, “The Name,” which isn’t his name; just pointing, saying somewhat ‘you know what name I mean.’ His name is Yehovah, and is also not Yahweh, which is the Samaritan counterfeit version.

It is the same as the name Jesus we used today; if his name was used in his time two thousand years ago, he would have been known as Yeshua instead of Jesus. But never mind, as had often been the case, the essence is more important than the form.

His name Yehovah is specifically stated and should be used. The following verses translated as the LORD erred in translation. Titles are okay, but sometimes He asked us pointedly to call on His name:

I am the LORD; that is My name. And My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:8

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

“I am sought of them that asked not for Me; I am found of them that sought Me not. I said, ‘Behold Me, behold Me,’ unto a nation that was not called by My name. Isaiah 65:1

When we call our God, the LORD, we err, because his name is not the LORD, which is a title. His name is YEHOVAH! May We all ask for his forgiveness, and may Our merciful God forgive us all.

Posted in Minor Prophets

This prophecy of Amos is a lamentation to Ephraim, of the house of Israel, in which the prophet warns of an impending judgement, beginning with the ancient house of Israel, the northern kingdom; then Israel’s surrounding neighbors, then briefly resting for a moment upon the house of Judah, and by way of climax describing the prophetic utter ruin and devastation of the endtime house of the Five Eyes.

And God says to Ezekiel, “Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? The vision that he seeth is for many days, and he prophesieth of the times far off” Ezekiel 12:22, Ezekiel 12:27.

For an indepth Study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Amos 5

¹ Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel: — hear ye the word which God take up against you; and which was not Amos’ word but the word of the Lord;

— and which he took up by God’s heavy burden as some prophecies are called, and though against them, a reproof for their sins and was to be heard; for every word of God is pure and to be hearkened to, whether for us or against us; since the whole is profitable. It may be rendered, “which I take up concerning you” or “over you;”

— even a lamentation, O house of Israel; a mournful ditty, an elegiac song over the house of Israel, now expiring and as it were dead. This word was like Ezekiel’s scroll, in which were written “lamentation and mourning and woe,” Ezekiel 2:10; full of mournful matter, misery and distress.

² The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise. She is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. — the virgin of Israel is fallen; the kingdom of Israel, so called, because it had never been subdued or become subject to a foreign power since it was a nation;

— or because considered in its ecclesiastic state it had been espoused to the Lord as a chaste virgin; and perhaps this may be ironically spoken and refers to its present adulterate and degenerated state worshipping the calves at Dan and Bethel;

— she shall no more rise; and become a nation again as it never has as yet since the ten tribes were carried away captive by Shalmaneser king of Assyria to which calamity this prophecy refers; the Targum says, “shall not rise again this year.”

³ For thus saith the Lord God: “The city that went out by a thousand shall be left a hundred, and that which went forth by a hundred shall be left ten to the house of Israel.”

— the city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred; that is, the city in which there were a thousand going in and out; or caused to go out, or furnished, a thousand men upon occasion for war had only a hundred left;

— and on the house of Israel again; that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten; or which sent out a hundred men to the army to fight their battles had now only ten remaining; or not a number sufficient to raise up Israel to its former state and glory.

⁴ For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel: “Seek ye Me, and ye shall live; — for thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel in a last attempt to save its people from themselves, Seek ye Me, in sincere worship of the one true God and ye shall live;

— the Targum sharpens this into a call to seek the fear of God; that is, not just his presence, but reverence expressed through obedience and humility.

⁵ but seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

— but seek not Bethel as Israel pretended to seek God there; the place where one of Jeroboam’s calves was set up and worshipped, to consult the oracle, idols and priests there; or to perform religious worship, which will be your ruin, if not prevented by another course of living:

— nor enter into Gilgal; another city of great idolatry, a place where God will not be sought nor found by you: see Hosea 4:15; another place of idolatry where idols were set up and where Israel played the harlot.

⁶ Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel — lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it; that is, lest his wrath and fury break out against the house of the Five Eyes like fire;

— and there be none to quench it in Bethel; the calf worshipped there, and the priests that officiated, would not be able to avert the stroke of divine vengeance or turn back the enemy and save the land from ruin. The Targum says, “Seek the fear of the Lord, and you shall live.”

⁷ ye who turn judgement to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth. — ye who turn judgement to wormwood; or into something bitter and poisonous, as the word here used is translated, Amos 6:12. Ye judges and rulers that pervert the law that was designed to protect innocence, and under colour of it exercise the greatest oppression.

⁸ Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night, who calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is His name,

— the creator of Pleaides and Orion; these great constellations, the first dominating the spring and summer months and the second the months of fall and winter were known to the ancients; and, “They are referred to in the Old Testament (Job 9:9; 38:31) as demonstrations of God’s creative power;

— the Lord is His name; He, the One Self-existent Unchangeable God, the Lord isn’t his name, the Lord is a title; Yehovah is his name (more at the end)

⁹ who strengtheneth the despoiled against the strong, so that the despoiled shall come against the fortress. — that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong; God empowers those who are vulnerable so they can prevail over the strong;

— the Targum says, “that strengthens the weak against the strong” or causes the weak to prevail over the strong; so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress: lay siege to it and take it in which the spoiler thought himself secure with the spoil and substance he had taken from the spoiled.

¹⁰ They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. — they hate him that rebuketh in the gate; openly and publicly in the courts of judicature: wicked judges hated the prophets of the Lord;

— they hate such as Amos who faithfully reproved them for the perversion of justice even when they were upon the bench: or the people were so corrupt and degenerate that they hated those faithful judges who reproved them for their vices in the open courts of justice when they came before them;

— the Targum says, “they hate the one who reproves them in the gates of the courts with words of the Torah; and they distort the words of one who speaks uprightly.”

¹¹ Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat, ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine from them.

— forasmuch, therefore, as your treading is upon the poor in the oppression which was then so generally practiced and ye take from him; burdens of wheat, exacting such gifts by methods of violence:

— ye have built houses of hewn stone, costly dwellings, but ye shall not dwell in them; because of their ill-gotten gains; also, ye have planted pleasant vineyards with their unlawful gains but ye shall not drink wine of them;

— for Ahab, as an example of not to take possession of what was their own; who by murderous plot from his wife, Jezebel, possessed himself of Naboth’s vineyard, forfeited his throne and his life; 1 Kings 21:21; yet Ahab repented not upon hearing of his sin from Elijah, but repented only after hearing what punishment had bestored upon him in days to come.

¹² For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor at the gate from their right. — for God know their manifold transgressions and mighty sins, outstanding even in the midst of a nation steeped in wickedness; like the story of Ahab, Naboth and Jezebel;

— they afflict the just, making life a burden for others, they take a bribe causing such bribe money to be paid in order that men might buy their freedom from the oppression of these same rulers;

— and they turn aside the poor in the gate where the courts of justice were held from their right. Thus the poor were without champions of their right and were obliged to bow to the mighty, a condition which still prevails almost universally.

¹³ Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. — therefore the prudent shall keep silence at that time; not the prophets of the Lord whose business it was at all times to reprove and not hold their peace, let the consequence be known;

— or the sense is, they would not speak to God on the behalf of these wicked men, knowing that even while he speaks, the prophet feels that his reproof is useless; and therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time;

— the Targum says, “Therefore, the wise at that time will keep silent before the wicked,” as the wise choosing not to speak out in the presence of corrupt rulers or oppressors, “For the time is evil.”

¹⁴ Seek good and not evil, that ye may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. — seek good, turn to the law of God, study it, that ye may do the good it requireth in works of piety, justice, and charity; and not evil that ye may live for lies the way to true life; and so the Lord shall be with you by following his will.

¹⁵ Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgement in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. — hate the evil, love the good and establish judgement in the gate so that justice would truly be administered in all cases brought to trial;

— it may be that the Lord God of hosts in that event will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph, which symbolizes the northern tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh) to the few of the house of Five Eyes who would be left after the judgement now impending;

— the house of Joseph; Israel was represented by Ephraim, the leading tribe; for more, see Ephraim and Manasseh, or The Ox without the Unicorn; (more from Ezekiel 12 at the end); this is where the prophecy of Amos is directed at the Five Eyes of Joseph;

¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord saith thus: “Wailing shall be in all streets, and they shall say in all the highways, ‘Alas! Alas!’ And they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

— therefore the Lord, foreseeing their obstinacy, proceeds in denouncing judgments against them: thus saith the Lord; wailing shall be in all streets, mourning which has come upon them for ignoring the warnings of the prophet; and they shall say in all the highways, expressing their grief in open lamentations;

— Alas! Alas! And they shall call the husbandman to mourning to join in the death-wail over some relative and such as are skilful of lamentation from the professional wailing women, so that the entire country would resound with cries of grief.

¹⁷ And in all vineyards shall be wailing, for I will pass through thee,” saith the Lord. — and in all vineyards shall be wailing, instead of the shouts of joy formerly heard there; for God will pass through thee, with his visitation of wrath.

¹⁸ Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light:

— woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! or the Lord’s day (which isn’t Sunday, Revelation 1:10); believing that their external redemption with the Lord’s people would save them from God’s judgement; which was to judge and strike the nations;

— to what end is it for you? What result would it have for them? What good would it bring to them? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light; it would bring to willful sinners destruction and not deliverance;

— for more, see What is the Day of the LORD?

¹⁹ as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. — as if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him, so it would be with those who desired the day of the Lord’s judgement,

— or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him, hoping to escape the one calamity, these wicked Israelites would be overtaken by another.

²⁰ Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it? — the day of the Lord, or the Lord’s day, shall be a day of darkness and not light; full of tribulation and misery;

— is darkness and not light; it would bring no deliverance to those who trample justice beneath their feet; even very dark, and no brightness in it? not a ray for the willful transgressors;

— the Targum says, “Surely, the day that is to come from before the Lord will be darkness, and not light. It will be gloom and it will not shine for them.” The day of the Lord, or the Lord’s day, isn’t Sunday, Revelation 1:10).

²¹ “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell the scent in your solemn assemblies. — God hate and despise their feast-days, as the Lord calls out to them: (a) Easters (Jeremiah 44:17-25); (b) Christmas (Ezekiel 8:15-16); and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies, by taking pleasure in the odor of the offerings brought by them;

(a) Easters, a celebration of the Queen of heaven: Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols (like the egg and bunny) were and still are fertility and sex symbols; and to those who actually think eggs and bunnies have something to do with the resurrection; Jeremiah 7:18 the women knead their dough to make cakes to the Queen of heaven; in Egypt, Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, this is Ishtar: pronounced ‘Easter.’

(b) Christmas; Ezekiel 8:16 five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple; their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east; Christmas, which honor Mithraism, birthday on December 25th – a form of nature worship based on the Sun-Goddess Mithra who on the darkest night of the year (December 20/21), gives birth to “Light” causing each day thereafter to grow longer until the Summer solstice.

— the Targum reaffirms the Masoretic Text: “I have rejected your festivals, and I will not accept the offerings of your gatherings;” and the Septuagint: “I hate, I reject your feasts, and I will not smell your meat-offerings in your general assemblies.”

²² Though ye offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

— though ye offer burnt offerings and meat-offerings, or as you appear church services, as they continued to do in their effort to have the Lord accept their outward worship, he will not accept them; they are rejected since their entire services are idolatory and hypocrisy;

— the Targum reaffirms the Masoretic Text: “Even if you present burnt offerings and sacrifices, they will not be pleasing, and your holy gifts will not be accepted;” and the Septuagint: “Wherefore if ye should bring me your whole-burnt-sacrifices and meat-offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I have respect to your grand peace-offerings.”

²³ Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. — take thou away from me the noise of thy songs as he contemptuously calls their congregational singing; for God will not hear the melody of thy viols (family of string instruments) of the harps and other instrumental music;

— the Targum reaffirms the Masoretic Text: “Take away from before Me the tumult of your songs; the music of your lyres I will not listen to;” and the Septuagint: “Remove from me the sound of thy songs, and I will not hear the music of thine instruments.”

²⁴ But let judgement run down like waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. — but let just justice and punishment of the Lord run down like a powerful falls;

— in a great and consuming flood and righteousness as a mighty stream, like a mighty torrential rain pouring down, overwhelm and destroy all before it, righteousness should surge like a flood, overwhelming injustice; even against any transgressors in Israel.

²⁵ “Have ye offered unto Me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? — have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings; no; they were not offered to God, but to the golden calf and to other host of heaven; and to the devils, as their fathers did;

— in the wilderness forty years; where Passover and sacrifices were omitted during that time, it being about thirty eight years; and these their children were imitators of them and offered sacrifice to idols too, and therefore deserved punishment as they: even ye,

— O house of Israel? the ten tribes who are here particularly charged and warned; particularly when Jeroboam their king repeated the calves worshipping at Dan and Bethel.

²⁶ But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god which ye made for yourselves. — but ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, the war-god of the Moabites and Ammonites;

— and Chiun, which in the Arabic and Persian languages is the name of Saturn, a star-divinity; your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Even in the wilderness the children of Israel did not quite discard their idolatry but carried their idol-pictures along with them and thus provoked the Lord.

²⁷ Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” saith the Lord, whose name is The God of Hosts. — therefore the God of Hosts will send you into captivity; far beyond Damascus; the chief city of Syria; and which lay to the north of the land of Israel, and was a very strong and fortified place;

— as Syria being in alliance with Israel, the Israelites might think of fleeing there for refuge in the time of their distress; but they are told here that they should be taken captive and be carried to places far more remote than that.

~~~ Amos 5:15 ~~~

Ezekiel 12:16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” — “that they may declare all their abominations among the nations;” this explains why a few from “the remnants of Joseph” (Amos 5:15) are left to survive;

— if they have hidden in some secret hideouts, they won’t be able to “declare all their abominations among the nations” whither they come; who, observing their calamities, and distresses, could deserve and a need to know, and hear those who are well-versed to explain their sins, abominations and judgement to the nations;

— those remnants who survive would explain to the nations that they have been guilty of great enormities, so that their punishment was a visible and standing declaration and warning to the nations of the abominable sins they, of the house of Israel, had been guilty of; and not to repeat them in their own nations.

Amos 6

¹ Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, who are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! — woe to them that dwell comfortably in the Churches of God, given to a false security and trust in the doctrines of the Samaritans, where the Pascha was killed on the fourteenth night and the wave sheaf on Sundays;

— or, the chief of the nations refer to the United States, the United Kingdom and France; those who are apparently the upper classes in Samaria, where they consider themselves safe, rich and respected who are the chief of the nations;

— the Targum says, “that trust in the fortress of Samaria;” that is, in modern term, the United States, the UK and France, with all have wealth, power and nuclear weapons; described as the ‘notable men, which, in modern language, are looked to as authorities and leaders, whether in political, commercial or social life.

— more in Ezekiel 6:3 and say:

‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places; — this message to the “mountains of Israel” these refer to the United States, the UK and France;

“and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

² Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or their border greater than your border?

— pass ye unto Calneh, a city in Babylonia, on the east bank of river Tigris, and see, and from thence go ye to Hamath, the great, a district and city of Syria; so that they would visit some of the most powerful of the neighboring nations;

— are these two or three kingdoms mentioned above in better condition in dignity or grandeur, in wealth or strength than Judah and Israel, or their border greater than your border? Israel thus ranking at that time among the first of the nations, unexcelled by any of their neighbors.

³ Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near, — ye that deny any wrong doing, pushing away the day of judgement, one of the evil days;

— that is, refusing to believe that a day of reckoning is near and cause the seat of violence to come near, so that violence and oppression come ever nearer to them; ignoring the Lord and his judgement was apparent particularly in their luxurious feasting.

⁴ that lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall; — the elites that lie upon beds of luxurious ivory, on costly couches, inlaid with ivory;

— and stretch themselves upon their couches, reclining in self-indulgence on the sofas of their dining-rooms; and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall, in either case the choicest animals;

— or else these this luxury imagery of gluttonous judges and rulers eat the best lambs, not of their own, but out of poor oppressed men’s flocks.

⁵ that chant to the sound of the viol, and invent for themselves instruments of music, like David; — that chant to the sound of the viol in quavering and silly songs and invent to themselves instruments of music for the gratification of their own vanity and sensuality, instead of for the glory of God as David did;

— by invoking David, the text highlights a distortion—what was once holy (music for worship) has become profane (secular and self-serving, that is, music for indulgence).

⁶ that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments— but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. — that drink wine in bowls; Joseph, members of the Five Eyes drink wine not in small cups or glasses but in large bowls and that they might drink freely, even to drunkenness;

— hence we read of the drunkards of Ephraim or the drunkeness of the Anglosphere, Isaiah 28:1; and they “drink in bowls of wine”; which is much to the same sense. The Targum says, “that drink wine in silver phials;” – a phial is a small cylindrical glass bottle;

— and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, using only the finest grades for their purpose; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, literally, “the breach of Joseph,” that is, the impending calamity, the looming destruction of the house of the Anglosphere; they indulge in wanton luxury even while their country is hastening to its national debts, inflations, civil unrests and declines.

⁷ Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

— therefore now shall they, those who indulged themselves in drinking while their country was getting ready for dissolution, go into captivity with the first that go captive, this being said in bitter irony concerning the position of the rulers in the procession of captives,

— and the banquet of them that stretched themselves upon couches, reclining in careless ease shall be removed so that they could no more indulge in feasts and drinking-bouts;

— the Targum reafirms the Masoretic Text

“Therefore now they shall go into exile at the head of the exiles, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away.”

⁸ The Lord God hath sworn by Himself; saith the Lord the God of hosts: “I abhor the pretensions of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.” — the Lord God couldn’t hath sworn anything higher, but by himself, a most solemn oath;

— I abhor the excellency of Jacob, or “the pride of Jacob” of the ten tribes, remarkable for their pride; the prosperous West, or “the pride of Jacob” where church attendance is dwindling, with “mountains of cheese and lakes of wine” hence called the crown of pride, the pride which they exhibited regarding their prosperity and power;

— today, instead of “the pretensions of Jacob,” we have pretending Christians; and they make up much of what passes for Christianity today.

⁹ And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. — and it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, suggesting that even a group of ten (a symbolic number of completeness or community) will not escape;

— that they shall all die, that is, no matter how large the number who are not already carried captive or destroyed by the sword; not one would escape but would die.

¹⁰ And a man’s kinsman shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the side of the house, “Is there yet any with thee?” And he shall say, “No.” Then shall he say, “Hold thy tongue, for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.”

— and a man’s uncle shall take him up and he that burneth him, literally, “his cousin and his burier,” that is, a near relative who had the duty of providing for his burial to bring out the bones out of the house and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, a last survivor hiding in the innermost recesses of the house;

— is there yet any with thee? And he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue, quickly cautioning him not to say any more; for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord, he should not utter Yehovah’s name, lest by doing so he call the Lord’s attention and bring down judgement upon them.

¹¹ For behold, the Lord commandeth, and He will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts. — for, behold, the Lord will smite the great house with breaches so that it would become a total ruin;

— also strongly supports the probability that the “ten men left in one house” in those verses (Amos 5:3, 6:9) has reference to one of those great palatial establishments for which “Samaria” was famous for, each having an occupancy of a hundred or so, including domestics, servants and retainers;

— and the little house with clefts; so that it shall fall to ruin; that is, he shall smite the houses both of great and small of the princes and of the common people either with an earthquake so that they shall part asunder and fall or being left without inhabitants shall of course become desolate, there being none to repair their breaches;

— the judgement for the “great house” the ten tribes of Israel, is the greater, for 190 years; and judgement for the “little house” the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, is for 40 years; to which the Targum seems to incline, “he will smite the great kingdom with a mighty stroke and the little kingdom with a weak stroke,”

— for an indepth Study, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

¹² Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For ye have turned judgement into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock, — shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? as little as either feat is possible, so little it is possible that one by perverting right and justice into the opposite can bring deliverance to himself and his country;

— there is a spiritual and moral order in the house of Joseph that is just as impossible to ignore as the natural order; it is as senseless to pervert justice as it is to expect horses to run on the rocks or for oxen to plow on rock;

— for ye have turned judgement into gall, justice into poison; into a hemlock, which is a dangerous plant containing toxic alkaloids that can be fatal even in small amounts; injustice and oppression rule the day.

¹³ ye that rejoice in a thing of nought, who say, “Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?” — ye which rejoice in trusting in our wealth and riches or our own ingenuity or power which are things that are not permanent, except in our own imagination because of our own folly;

— which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? trusting in the strength of our armies and weapons by which we hoped to overcome all enemies. Horns are well-known symbol of strength which repels and tosses away what opposes it.

¹⁴ “But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” saith the Lord the God of hosts; “and they shall afflict you from the entrance of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.” — “I will raise up against you a nation” is it Russia? or is it China?

— it should always be remembered in studying this prophecy that it was exactly and terribly fulfilled just as God had promised. Both the Sacred Scriptures and the testimony of the archeologist testify to the overwhelming destruction of Israel within some thirty years after Amos wrote this prophecy; but that was just a preamble;

“The kingdom of Israel was destroyed in the year 722 by Sargon in the first month of his reign when Samaria was taken after a siege which was begun by his predecessor, Shalmanezer IV, and had lasted three years.”

— the enemy is not random; God Himself “raises up” the nation, making the oppression an instrument of divine justice; and they shall afflict you; by battles, sieges, forages, plunders and burning of cities and towns and putting the inhabitants to the sword.

Again, the Question remains: is it Russia? or is it China? Or even someone else?

~~~ Amos 5:8 ~~~

More on God’s name, Yehovah.

God’s name is the four-letter Hebrew word יהוה‎ YHVH Yehovah, which are embedded in the Masoretic text over 6000 times, yet when translated into our English language most had been translated as Lord, or LORD, which are titles, but not his name. His name is יהוה‎ Yehovah, or YEHOVAH (but there are no capital letters in Hebrew).

It wasn’t until 1524 that Gian Giorgio Trissino, an Italian Renaissance grammarian, invented the letter ‘J’ that this new letter started to take a hold in the writings of western Europe, including our English language. Even in 1611 when the first edition English Bible, the King James was published, the prophet Jeremiah was known as Ieremiah. Similarly, the name Jehovah is a very late comer.

But the Orthodox Jews have gone overboard, so holy is his name, they believe, thus they refrain from even calling his name, referring to him as Hashem, that is, “The Name,” which isn’t his name; just pointing, saying somewhat ‘you know what name I mean.’ His name is Yehovah, and is also not Yahweh, which is the Samaritan counterfeit version.

It is the same as the name Jesus we used today; if his name was used in his time two thousand years ago, he would have been known as Yeshua instead of Jesus. But never mind, as had often been the case, the essence is more important than the form.

His name Yehovah is specifically stated and should be used. The following verses translated as the LORD erred in translation. Titles are okay, but sometimes He asked us pointedly to call on His name:

I am the LORD; that is My name. And My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:8

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

“I am sought of them that asked not for Me; I am found of them that sought Me not. I said, ‘Behold Me, behold Me,’ unto a nation that was not called by My name. Isaiah 65:1

When we call our God, the LORD, we err, because his name is not the LORD, which is a title. His name is YEHOVAH! May We all ask for his forgiveness, and may Our merciful God forgive us all.

Posted in Minor Prophets

The prophecy of Amos is mainly to Ephraim today, in which the prophet thunders the warning of the impending judgement of God, beginning with the ancient house of Israel, the northern kingdom; then Israel’s surrounding pagan neighbors, then briefly resting for a moment upon the house of Judah, and by way of climax describing the prophetic utter ruin and devastation of the house of Israel.

In Chapter 3 the prophet Amos goes on with his prophecy against Israel, whom God had highly favoured, and yet sinned against him, and therefore must expect to be punished; and in this chapter, it is more about Israel.

For an indepth Study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Amos 3

¹ Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, — hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel;

— the prophecy against Israel begins in the preceding chapter where notice is taken of their sins and sure destruction; and here they are called upon to listen to what the Lord by his prophet had spoken; and to “receive” this word, or as the Targum says; to receive it as the Word of God with all humility and reverence.

² “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” — you, children of Israel, only have I known of all the families of the earth; but notice the sweetness and bitterness composite message above!

— therefore I, God, will punish you for all your iniquities; or “visit upon you” or “against you” in a way of chastisement and correction; they were a family he had highly favoured and yet departed from him; children he had brought up in a tender manner and brought out of a most miserable condition and yet rebelled against him;

— to be truly qualified to be kings and priests or kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6) requiries numerous immense purifications; and that’s how the prophets of God see things. Prime examples are Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego;

— God’s message usually has sweetness in the mouth (Ezekiel 3:3), but bitterness when reaches the stomach! (Revelation 10:9-10); were worthy of more stripes; their sins were more aggravated than others, and therefore the Lord was determined to make an example of them for the surrounding nations to watch, mediate and learn.

³ Can two walk together, unless they be agreed? — shall two walk together; Israel’s having forsaken God’s way means that they are no longer “agreed” with God. “Can they continue together? The law of cause and effect operates to separate them.

⁴ Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? — will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? No, the lion will not, unless he has it in his sight or in his paws;

— he roars when he first sees it whereby he terrifies the creature that it cannot move till he comes up to it; and when he has got it in his paws, he roars over it to invite others to partake with him;

— now prophecy from the Lord is compared to the roaring of a lion, and this is never in a way of judgement without a cause; the sin of men or of a nation which makes them a prey to the wrath and fury of God.

⁵ Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth where no trap is for him? Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? — can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no trap is for him?

— no, there must be a snare set or a bird can never be taken in it; but when that is done, not by chance but with the design of the fowler; yea, with the knowledge and will of God himself; and have taken nothing at all?

— when men set a snare to catch anything, do they take it up before anything is caught? they do not; they let it stand till something is ensnared in it; and thus when God denounces or brings a judgement or an affliction upon a people, does he remove it before the end is accomplished?

⁶ Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? — shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid? As the signal of the trumpet was intended to arouse the people out of their security;

— shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it? or, if disaster happens in the city, has it not been brought about by the Lord?”

⁷ Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets. — any decree would not be carried out by the Lord God unless he first reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

⁸ The lion hath roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken! Who can but prophesy? — the lion hath roared in sounding the warning of his approach, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who shouldn’t take warning?

— Amos was simply carrying out the work of his calling in announcing to his people the impending judgement. Even so the servants of God are bound to make known his holy will, regardless of the manner in which their hearers react to the truth.

⁹ Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

— and say, assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria; the metropolis of the ten tribes, Isaiah 7:9; and which was built upon a mountain and several others were about it and joined to it; and behold the great tumults in the midst; the riots of its inhabitants, the noise of the mob committing all manner of outrages and wickedness;

— in prophecy, the mountains of Samaria are the northern kingdom of Israel; that is, United States, the UK and France (more at the end)

¹⁰ For they know not to do right,” saith the Lord, “who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.” — and the oppressed in the midst thereof of their palaces; the poor, the homeless, the fatherless and the widow, injured in their persons and properties, plundered of their substance, or being defrauded.

¹¹ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: “An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be despoiled.”

— therefore, thus saith the Lord God, an adversary there shall be round about the land, literally, “and that, too, from every side of the land,” attacking Israel from all sides; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, dashing it down to the ground and thy palaces heaped with the treasures of unrighteousness shall be looted;

— or an enemy from the South, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

¹² Thus saith the Lord: “As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out, that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus on a couch.

— two legs or a piece of an ear, insignificant, useless remnants; the body of the creature being devoured by the lion, only some offal left; that is, scraps from a lion’s mouth, so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria;

— in the corner of a bed, occupying the most comfortable soft parts of California, Beverly Hills, living in carefree gossips, and in Damascus in a couch, rather, “on the damask of the bed.” The powerful men of Samaria, living a life of luxury and ease on silken couch, could save their lives only with the greatest difficulties.

¹³ “Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob,” saith the Lord God, the God of hosts, — this house of Jacob is a reference to the ten northern tribes as indicated in the next verses by the mention of the altars of Bethel; not Jerusalem;

¹⁴ “that in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. — that in the day that God shall visit the transgressions of the house of Israel with significant punishment;

— he will visit the altars of Bethel, singling out of the polluted shrine at Bethel as this was the seat of the religion of Samaria, their center of idolatrous worship, in defiance of Jerusalem being the holy city;

— and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground, thus demolishing the altars themselves and to which persons in distress fled and laid hold of for refuge; but now these should be of no use unto them, since they would be entirely demolished by the enemy and laid level with the ground.

¹⁵ And I will smite the winter house and the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end,” saith the Lord. — and God will smite their vacational winter-houses and summer-homes, for not only the kings but the noble and the rich as those with at least two establishments;

— the prophet now describes the collapse of Israel’s luxurious lifestyle; the “winter house” and “summer house” symbolize wealth and excess—multiple residences for comfort in different seasons;

— and the houses of ivory, whose walls were decorated with inlaid ivory, Cf 1 Kings 22:39, shall perish and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord. All extravagance of luxury is displeasing to the Lord, especially if it is connected in any manner with denial of the Lord’s truth.

~~~ 3:9 ~~~

For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J. H. Allen (1847-1930).

More on the Mountains of Samaria or the Mountains of Israel in Ezekiel 6:

³ and say: ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. — this message to the “mountains of Israel;” these mountains refer to the United States, UK and France. . . .

— “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

— “and to the rivers,” where during the nineteenth century, the British Royal Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British left the scene.

Amos 4

¹ Hear this word, ye cows of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their masters, “Bring, and let us drink.” — Bashan was famous for its flocks and herds, Deuteronomy 32:14; Ezekiel 39:18; and Samaria was the principal city of Ephraim, the metropolis of the ten tribes; cows and oxen are often associate with Samaria;

— in fact cows are associated with Ephraim, the head of the house of Israel; a ox or its horn is a symbol of strength; “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 (more at the end);

— “who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,” and who say to their masters, bring, and let us drink; Jewish commentators interpret these words as of the wives of great men, supposes their husbands are here addressed, who are, and acknowledged to be, their masters or lords.

² The Lord God hath sworn by His holiness that: “Lo, the days shall come upon you, that He will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fishhooks. — that, lo, the days shall come upon you; speedily, swiftly and unaware: that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish hooks;

— the enemy, or God himself, would take them out of their own land as fish out of water and carry them captive into a strange land, both them and their posterity; and which should be as easily done as fish are taken with the hook. The word for fish hooks signifies “thorns” and is by some so rendered; these perhaps being used in angling before iron hooks were invented;

— the Targum says, “the nations shall take you away with their shields, and your daughters in fishing nets.” In the midst of their security, they should on a sudden be taken away violently from the abode of their luxury, as the fish, when hooked, is lifted out of the water, and not just fish, but even “your daughters in fishing nets.”

³ And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her (each woman straight ahead), and ye shall cast them into the palace,” saith the Lord. — reference to “cow” again, that is, Ephraim;

— and ye shall go out at the breaches; not at the gates of the city as they had used to do at pleasure; but at the breaches which had been torn in the walls by the attacking enemies, every woman at that which is before her, literally “every one before her,” anxious to get away, looking neither to the right nor to the left;

— and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the Lord, or “be cast forth to Harmon” apparently the place where they were led away captive. So much having been said of the rulers of Samaria and of Israel, the Lord now, in bitter irony, turns to the entire nation, bidding the people just continue in their idolatry and transgression; the divine punishment would not be kept away by their tactics;

— the Targum of the whole is, “and they shall break down the wall upon you, and bring you out, gathered everyone before him, and exile you beyond the mountains of Hermon (or Armenia).”

⁴ “Come to Bethel and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes after three years. — come to Bethel and transgress; like a man who says to a scoundrel, “Do as you please until your measure of sin is full” for Bethel was one of the places where the calves were placed and worshipped; in defiance of Jerusalem being the holy city:

— at Gilgal multiply transgression; that is, multiply acts of idolatry: Gilgal was a place where high places and altars were erected, and idols worshipped; as it had formerly been a place of religious worship of the true God, the ten tribes made use of it in the times of their apostasy for idolatrous worship; see Hosea 4:15;

— and bring your sacrifices every morning; and offer them to your idols, as you were wont formerly to offer them unto the true God, according to the law of Moses, Exodus 29:38; that is, altogether, there is a sarcastic force of an appearance of worship, but and yet it is a form of false whorship!

⁵ And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings; for so ye love, O ye children of Israel,” saith the Lord God. — the special meat offering of the thank offering was to be without leaven, Leviticus 7:12; so ironically to “offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven” was a direct infringement of God’s commandment;

— the Targum says, “And they offer up thanksgiving offerings from what is taken by force (compulsion),” emphasizing that the offerings are not freely given, but coerced or taken under duress;

— “for so ye love” but not loved by God; the Targum says, “And they say: ‘This is acceptable,’” that is, the people declare their worship pleasing, as if God desires it.

— the Targum dramatizes their performance with music and self-justification; in full:

“And they offer up thanksgiving offerings from what is taken by force (compulsion). And they bring it with song. And they say: ‘This is acceptable.’ For thus you have loved (preferred), O House of Israel, says the Lord God.”

— this verse parallels Jeremiah 6:27’s “their houses full of deceit” where pretending Christians celebrate their festivals with songs and joy, as follows:

(a) Easters, a celebration of the Queen of heaven: Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols (like the egg and bunny) were and still are fertility and sex symbols; and to those who actually think eggs and bunnies have something to do with the resurrection; Jeremiah 7:18 the women knead their dough to make cakes to the Queen of heaven; in Egypt, Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, this is Ishtar: pronounced ‘Easter.’

(b) Christmas; Ezekiel 8:16 five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple; their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east; Christmas, which honor Mithraism, birthday on December 25th – a form of nature worship based on the Sun-Goddess Mithra who on the darkest night of the year (December 20/21), gives birth to “Light” causing each day thereafter to grow longer until the Summer solstice.

(c) Sundays; her sabbaths which is Sundays, where the original Sun- worshippers were the Samaritans, brought from Assyria: And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof, II Kings 17:24;

⁶ “And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto Me,” saith the Lord. — this is confusing, what is the cleanness of teeth? although it is hinted the “want of bread in all your places;”

— but the Targum clears this all up, by making the metaphor explicit: widespread hunger and scarcity, “And I also gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities” to mean there was no food to dirty them; follows by the “lack of food in all your places,” yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord.

⁷ “And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city. One piece was rained upon, and the piece upon which it rained not withered.

— and God caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city; so that it might appear to be not by the course of nature, or through the influence of the planets, or by chance; but was according to the direction of the hand of God.

⁸ So two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet have ye not returned unto Me,” saith the Lord. — two or three cities, that is, their inhabitants, being without water, went up and down in quest of any city or place where they could find water for themselves and cattle to drink:

— but they were not satisfied; could not get enough for their present use and much less to carry back with them to supply them for any length of time; such a scarcity in other parts; see 1 Kings 18:5;

— yet they are blind, obstinate or stiffnecked and have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord; this had no more effect upon them than the other to relinquish their former courses, and return unto the Lord by humiliation and repentance.

⁹ “I have smitten you with blight (plant disease) and mildew (mold or fungus); when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmer worm devoured them; yet have ye not returned unto Me,” saith the Lord.

— the two disasters recorded here are (1) the blasting and mildew, and (2) the invasion of the palmer-worm, or locust (as in some versions). Some doubt persists as to which insect exactly is mentioned; but whatever it is, the effect of it is totally ruinous;

— “blasting and mildew; both words are doubly intensive; they stand together in the prophecy of Moses (Deuteronomy 28:22), among the other scourges of disobedience; and the mention of these would awaken in those who would hear, the memory of a long train of other warnings and other judgements.

“The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blight, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish” (Deuteronomy 28:22)

¹⁰ “I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils; yet have ye not returned unto Me,” saith the Lord.

— two more disasters are recounted here, (1) pestilence, and (2) military disaster. God have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt, or “plagues of Egypt” so called because it was prevalent in that country;

— your young men have God slain with the sword, especially when the Israelites suffered defeats at the hand of the Syrians, Egypt or Assyria; and have taken away your horses, these also being slaughtered in battle;

— and God have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils, namely, that of the dead bodies of men and beasts; yet you have not returned unto him;

— all the calamities above are confirmed by the Targum:

“I sent among you death, as in the manner of Egypt. I slew your young men with the sword, together with the captivity of your horses. I caused the stench of your camps to rise up into your nostrils, yet you did not return to My worship, says the Lord,” Amos 4:10 Jonathan

¹¹ “I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning; yet have ye not returned unto Me,” saith the Lord.

— God have overthrown some of them as he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah; either their houses were burnt or their bodies consumed by fire from heaven with lightning; not whole cities but the habitations of some particular persons or they themselves;

— “yet have ye not returned unto him,” saith the Lord, even this repeated chastisements have no effect upon them; even though it is repeated five times (Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11), yet such solicitations to repent and return to the Lord have no effect;

— God also threw them in AD 70, but none took notice as he has overthrewn Sodom and Gomorrah; for more, see AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

¹² “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!” — therefore thus will God do unto thee; what he would do is not expressly and particularly said;

— it is commonly understood to be something in a way of judgement and worse than what he had done, since they had no effect upon them; or these things should be done over again until an utter end was made of them; Amos 3:11.

¹³ For lo, He that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is His thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth—the Lord, the God of Hosts, is His name.

— for lo, the Lord that formeth the mountains, calling them into existence by his almighty power and createth the wind and declareth unto man what is his thought; his omniscience readily penetrating into the mind of man;

— the Lord, the God of hosts, Yehovah, is his name, the Ruler of all the heavenly armies;

— God is sovereign over things visible (the mountains), things invisible (the wind), and things rational (man and his thought). He is in direct executive control of the world as is evident when he makes the morning darkness, brings about the sequence of day and night. No place is beyond his reach, even the heights of the earth being beneath his feet.

~~~ Amos 4:1~~~

More about the Ox without the Unicorn; and Ephraim and Manasseh

“His (singular) 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.

The first part of the above: the armies of Ephraim and Manasseh are majestic and fierce like a bull or a wild ox; its horns like that of a unicorn.

Rashi: and his horns are the horns of a re’em (unicorn): The ox is powerful, but its horns are not beautiful; on the other hand, a re’em has beautiful horns, but it is not powerful. Moses thus blessed Joshua with the power of an ox and the beauty of a re’em ‘s horns. — [Sifrei 33:17]

Or, Joseph is like a powerful firstling bull. His two sons are like bull’s horns; and its horns are like that of unicorns;

“I know it, my son, I know it,” Jacob said to Joseph, “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 (H1471 goyim)” Genesis 48:19; “And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.”

Or, Joseph has the strength of a firstling bull; one horn like that of a wild ox, the other like that of a unicorn. These are the ten thousands of Ephraim. And these are the thousands of Manasseh.

Today, the “Five Eyes” is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and led by the United States. After breaking out of the yoke of Europe, the UK thought they could operate independently.

Not so, and soon Americans are documented to have shouted down at the British! And Boris Johnson succumbed to the whelm of Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the many Uncle Sam’s policies they adopted.

Unlike the Saudis or the Emirates, they just refused taking up the phones, but within the Anglosphere, the British as a vassel couldn’t avoid being shouted down! Canada and Australia are no exceptions. Hence now the Five Eyes operate as One Eye with its nerve center in Washington, DC; impulsively telling lies and constantly impregnating themselves with many other abominations as they dance like a gang of drunkards along a cliff.

And when they fall, sadly, they would fall together. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. Isaiah 34:7; thus saith the Lord: which is to show the Lord God had spoken it; and it is timeless, fulfilled today as it was by ancient Israel shortly after this prophecy was written.

Posted in Minor Prophets

The prophecy of Amos, in which the prophet warns of the impending judgement of God upon no less than eight nations, beginning with the ancient house of Israel, the northern kingdom; then Israel’s surrounding neighbors (Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon and Moab) then resting upon the house of Judah, and by way of climax describing the prophetic utter ruin and devastation of the endtime house of Israel itself.

These prophecies are encrypted but it was written to be made plain, yet it isn’t plain unless we could uncover certain codes. If it were written for ancient Israel it would have little or no relevance, but this book of Amos is a prophecy about the northern kingdom, Israel, headed by Ephraim, the United States today, the most mighty nation of the earth with seven fleets plowing up and down the five oceans ever ready for a fight with an enemy.

But when the opportunity comes, it flees like one Joseph of old in Egypt, but then, for a righteous reason, but in the endtimes, Joseph favourite son, Ephraim, flees out of Saigon and more recently out of Afghanistan like one who is naked! The awful judgements, rolling like a storm in strophe after strophe or tragedy after tragedy around the world. And then we are obliged to ask why?

And God says to Ezekiel, “Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? The vision that he seeth is for many days, and he prophesieth of the times far off” Ezekiel 12:22, Ezekiel 12:27; that is, the message is for the endtime, our time.

For detailed studies, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Amos 1

¹ The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

— the text reveals Amos’s background: a herdsman from Tekoa (a town in Judah), not a professional prophet by lineage, who was among the herdsmen, a man who owned and tended sheep which he saw concerning Israel; that is, chiefly with regard to the northern kingdom;

— the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah: 767–751 BC; the tenth king of the ancient kingdom of Judah; Uzziah was 16 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 52 years. The first 24 years of his reign were as co-regent with his father, Amaziah;

— Jeroboam II (786–746 BC) was the son and successor of Jehoash (alternatively spelled Joash) and the thirteenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, over which he ruled for forty-one years in the eighth century BC. His reign was contemporary with those of Amaziah and Uzziah, kings of Judah.

² And he said: “The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.”

— the Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; not from Samaria, nor from Dan and Bethel, but from Zion and Jerusalem, where the Temple of the Lord stood; where was the seat of the Most High;

— and his voice being the roaring of a lion, which denotes his wrath and vengeance; and is expressive of some terrible threatening prophecy he would send one of his prophets, Amos; to which he compares his prophecy concerning the judgements of God on nations.

³ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron.

— for three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, is a prophetic idiom meaning repeated, excessive transgressions that have reached their limit; many or multiplied transgressions; for he will not turn away the punishment thereof; Damascus was an ancient city; it was in the times of Abraham, Genesis 15:2. It was the “metropolis” of Syria, Isaiah 7:8;

— because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron; that is, “the inhabitants of the land of Gilead,” as the Targum says; this country lay beyond Jordan.

⁴ But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. — and God will send a fire into the house of Hazael, the cruel king of Syria, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, so that both would suffer the Lord’s punishment.

⁵ I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir,” saith the Lord.

— God will also break the bar of Damascus, shattering the bolt of its gate at the conquest of the city, and cut off the inhabitant from the Plain of Avon, possibly a place near Damascus, or the valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon;

— and him that holdeth the scepter from the house of Eden, in the district of Laodicea; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, very likely a district of Assyria, saith the Lord. This prophecy, perhaps, was fulfilled when the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser took the city of Damascus and dissolved the Syrian kingdom; but this prophecy could yet be in the future!

⁶ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they carried away the whole captivity to deliver them up to Edom. — thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Gaza, the leading city-state of Philistia, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, rather;

— God would not reverse his intention of punishing this city, because they carried away captive the whole captivity, all the prisoners who had been in a certain campaign, very likely that mentioned II Chronicles 21:16-17, to deliver them. up to Edom, the archenemy of Israel, who would be sure to treat the captive Israelites with the highest degree of cruelty.

⁷ But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof. — “will” and “shall” as indicated above, this prophecy could be yet in the future!

⁸ And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn Mine hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” saith the Lord God. — and God will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, to make the city desolate, and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon, the ruler of this city-state with his people;

— and God will turn his hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, the prophecy finding its fulfillment in the repeated conquest of Philistia by the great world-powers, so that it did not retain its existence for any length of time; yet a similar one could be meant for the future.

⁹ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant.

— thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Tyre, the great metropolis and seaport of Phoenicia, Cf Isaiah 23, and for four, God will not turn away the punishment thereof, refusing to change the punishment which he had decided upon;

— because they delivered up the whole captivity, all the captives obtained from the Philistines or the Syrians as the result of one of their campaigns, to Edom and remembered not the brotherly covenant, both David and Solomon having been allied with Phoenicia by a special treaty.

¹⁰ But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, which shall devour the palaces thereof.” — Tyre, as the most important of the Phoenician cities, is taken as representing Phoenicia generally; today it is Lebanon.

¹¹ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity; and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever.

— thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom; or the Edomites, the posterity of Esau, whose name was Edom, so called from the red pottage he sold his birthright to his brother Jacob: and for four, God will not turn away the punishment thereof;

— among these three or four transgressions, not only what follows is included, but their idolatry; for that the Edomites had their idols is certain, though what they were cannot be said; see II Chronicles 25:14; because he did pursue his brother with the sword: not Esau his brother Jacob; for though he purposed in his heart to slay him, which obliged him to flee; and frightened him, upon his return, by meeting him with four hundred men;

— yet he never pursued him with the sword; but his posterity, the Edomites, not only would not suffer the Israelites their brethren to pass by their borders, but came out against them with a large army, Numbers 20:18; and in the times of Ahaz they came against Judah with the sword and smote them and carried away captives, II Chronicles 28:17; and were at the taking and destruction of Jerusalem and assisted and encouraged its destruction, Psalms 137:7; though to these latter instances the prophet could have no respect, because they were after his time:

— and his anger did tear perpetually; it was deeply rooted in them; it began in their first father Esau on account of the blessing and birthright Jacob got from him and it descended from father to son in all generations and was vented in a most cruel manner like the ravening of a lion or any other beast of prey:

— and kept his wrath for ever; reserved it in their breasts till they had an opportunity of showing it as Esau their father proposed to do, Genesis 27:41 “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then will I slay my brother Jacob.”

— the Targum version of the Genesis account says with greater insight, explaining why Esau wouldn’t not want to repeat Cain’s mistake, as after Abel’s death, Adam and Eve had another son, Seth, and the birthright slipped away from Cain; hence he was ready to wait:

“And Esau harbored hatred in his heart against Jacob, his brother, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, ‘I will not do as Cain did, who killed Abel during their father’s lifetime and then their father had another son, Seth. Rather, I will wait until the days of mourning for my father have passed, and then I will kill Jacob my brother, and I will be the sole heir.'” Genesis 27:41 Jonathan

¹² But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.” — but God will send a fire upon Teman; a principal city of Edom or Idumea, so called from Teman a grandson of Esau, Genesis 36:11; there was in his time a village called Theman, five miles from the city Petra; it signifies the south;

— so the Targum renders it, “and I will send fire into the south;” the fire will devastate the strongholds of Bozrah, a key Edomite city,

For more about a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

¹³ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. — the Scriptures follow the same pattern as earlier oracles (against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom), now Ammon;

— the children of Ammon, the ancient enemies of Israel, who lived northeast of the Dead Sea, on the edge of the Arabian Desert, now mostly identied as the Jordanians, and for four, God will not turn away the punishment thereof, not reverse his intention of punishing them severely,

— because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead (II Kings 8:12), in the unspeakably cruel manner employed in many instances in those days, that they might enlarge their border, taking possession once more of the territory gained by the tribes of Israel east of Jordan: Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh.

¹⁴ But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. — but God will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, the capital of their country, and it shall devour the palaces thereof;

— with shouting in the day of battle as soon as the enemies would enter the city with a tempest, an onset swift, sudden, and resistless as a hurricane in the day of the whirlwind for the enemies would come in a tumultuous assault and carry all before them.

¹⁵ And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together,” saith the Lord. — and their king shall go into captivity; not only the common people that are left of the sword shall be carried captive, but their king also;

— this was Baalis their last king, who was accessory to the murder of Gedaliah, Jeremiah 40:14; whom the king of Babylon had set over the remnant of the Jews left in Judea; which might provoke him to send Nebuzaradan his general against him, who put his country to fire and sword, destroyed his chief city Rabbah, and carried him and his nobles into captivity.

Amos 2

¹ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. — for three …. and for four, I will not forgive them; this pattern means an accumulated transgressions reaching a threshold beyond pardon;

— the Scriptures follow the same pattern as earlier oracles: against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon; and now Moab, closely associated with today’s Jordan;

— for three transgressions of Moab; or the Moabites, who descended from the eldest son of Lot, by one of his daughters; and though related were great enemies to the Israelites;

— they sent for Balaam to curse them when on their borders, and greatly oppressed them in the times of the judges: and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; idolatry, as well as other sins, must be one of these four transgressions: the idols of Moab were Chemosh and Baalpeor;

— because the Moabites burned the bones of the king of Edom, Esau’s descendant, into lime and by way of contempt, used it to plaster a Moabite palace; the point of violating the corpse; a mark of peculiar hatred and particularly offensive to the common conscience of mankind; this unrestrained hatred didn’t stop with death.

² But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

— but God will send a fire upon Moab; either on the whole country or on some particular city; and there was a city called Moab, now Areopolis; though it may be put for the whole country into which an enemy should be sent to destroy it, even Nebuchadnezzar:

— and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; and according to the Targum, “and shall consume the palaces of the fortified place” and so may signify all the cities of Moab, and their palaces: or however may be put for them.

³ And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him,” saith the Lord. — and God will cut off the judges, all the magistrates from the midst thereof and will slay all the princes thereof with him so that Moab would cease to exist as a nation. This came to pass at the time of the Babylonian conquests.

⁴ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept His commandments; and their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers have walked.

— God will not turn away the punishment from Judah because they have despised the law of the Lord; a law so holy, just and righteous as no other nation had; and yet was not only not observed, but condemned;

— other nations sinned, but are not charged with breaches of the law of God, which was not given them; but these from the house of Judah, the Jews had it, yet despised it; counted it as a strange thing; walked not according to it, but cast it away from them; and trampling upon God’s legislative power and authority:

— and have not kept his commandments; or “statutes” the ordinances and the law, which he appointed them to observe for the honour of his name, as parts of their worship;

— and their lies caused them to err, their idols leading them into every kind of foolishness and sin, after their fathers have walked, for idolatry had been practiced in the country almost continually, secretly hiding around their walls and doors, and not openly.

⁵ But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.” — and God will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem; the military judgements here prophesied with reference to Judah and Jerusalem were fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar:

— the royal city, Jerusalem, where stood the Temple, the palace of the Most High, and the palaces of the king and his nobles; these were burnt with fire when it was taken by the Chaldean army, about two hundred years after this prophecy; and finally a second time in the destruction by Vespasian and Titus in the AD 70 Inferno.

⁶ Thus saith the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes.

— for three transgressions of Israel; the ten tribes rent from the house of David in the times of Rehoboam and who departed from the true worship of God to set up calves at Dan and Bethel;

— but now under under the reign of Jeroboam the Second, against which the prophet Amos was chiefly sent: and for four, God will not turn away the punishment thereof; the following part of this prophecy is taken up in pointing at the sins and punishment of Israel, who is headed by their topdog, Ephraim;

— now the prophet Amos has come to the main commission he was sent to, committed in writing and because this book of Amos is prophetic, its reference of Israel is actually referring to Ephraim and who is, in essence, the United States today;

— because they sold the righteous for silver; the sense is, that the judges, or their leaders of Israel, the United States, are so corrupt, that for a piece of money they would give a cause against a righteous man, and in favour of an unjust man that bribed them:

— and the poor for a pair of shoes; that is, for a mere trifle they would pervert justice; if two men came before them with a cause, and both poor; yet if one could but give a pair of shoes, or anything he could part with, though he could not give money; so mean and sordid were they, they would take it, and give the cause for him, however unjust it was.

⁷ They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek; and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid to profane My holy name.

— the capitalistic nature of the house of Ephraim pant after the dust on the head of the poor; by oppressing the poor and their homeless so severely that they, in their misery, show their grief by placing dust on their heads, Job 2:12;

— and turn aside the way of the meek, by placing obstacles in their way, thereby causing them to stumble and fall; and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, in an excess of shameless lechery, which was regarded as being on a level with incest, to profane my holy name.

⁸ And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid in pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. — and they lay themselves down upon clothes, the upper garment of the poor, laid to pledge by every altar, although the law required that such pledges be returned in the evening, Exodus 22:25-27;

— because the garments also served as covers by night, as this being his only covering, and they drink the wine of the condemned, such as was purchased with money gotten from the poor by oppression in the house of their god being brazen enough to do this in their places of worship.

⁹ “Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath. — yet God destroyed the Amorite when Joshua overthrew them in battle, Numbers 21:24;

— whose height was like the height of the cedars, as the Amorites were strong as the oaks, a powerful people; yet God destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath, the picture of a mighty tree being retained to make the fact of his annihilation more vivid.

¹⁰ Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness to possess the land of the Amorite. — also God brought you, the children of Israel, up from the land of Egypt by the deliverance to which the prophets point time and again, Exodus 12:51;

— and led you forty years through the wilderness by Moses to possess the land of the Amorite, so the entire land of Canaan might fitly be called, as having been in the possession of this nation before the Hittite invasion; all given to the children of Israel.

¹¹ And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel?” saith the Lord.

— and God raised up of your sons for their roles as prophets; such as Moses, Joshua and the seventy elders; not only to foretell things to come but to teach and instruct the people in the doctrines and duties of religion and to warn them of their sins;

— and of your young men for Nazarites: such as Samson, Samuel and others; whose vow not only obliged them from shaving their hair, but to abstain from drinking wine and eating grapes, which the youthful age is inclined unto; as enabled them to deny themselves sensual gratifications and to be examples of piety and constant attendance on the service of God;

— the Targum adds, “of your young men for teachers,” and for instructing the people;

¹² “But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘Prophesy not.’ — but ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; contrary to their vow and calling, and in contempt of God’s instructions;

— and commanded the prophets, saying, prophesy not hard and heavy things, judgements and denunciations of vengeance, only smooth things;

— for an example, see what Amaziah said unto Amos,

¹¹ “For thus Amos saith, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.’”

¹² Also Amaziah said unto Amos, “O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread and prophesy there.” Amos 7:11-12 (more details at the end).

¹³ “Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. — behold, I am pressed under you, rather, “Behold, I will press you down.” It is unlikely that God, in this passage, should declare himself “crushed” under the weight of Israel’s sin, for in the context it is Israel, and not God, who is described as the victim;

— as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves, as a cart loaded with sheaves presses down the ground beneath; the Lord signifies he would afflict and distress this people, bring them into strait circumstances, by a close siege, and other judgements, not to ruin nor destroy them, but to straiten them;

— so the Targum says, “behold, I bring distress upon you, and it shall straiten you in your place, as a cart is straitened which is loaded with sheaves.”

The Targum is another source of the Bible. Started by Ezra for those returning from Babylon and for these returnees they could only understand in Aramaic; hence the Targum is as if Ezra is speaking to them in ancient times and to us today from the Sacred Text.

¹⁴ Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself.

— therefore, speaking of Israel, their flight shall perish from the swift; their “place of refuge” or their “place of refuge should perish from the swift,” as though it were not. He, Israel, should flee, but there would be no “place to flee unto,”

— they should be so straitened and cooped up and be so loaded with pressures that those as swift on foot should not be able to make their escape by fleeing; and the strong shall not strengthen his force; should not increase it or exert it to such a degree as to be able to defend and secure himself from the enemy.

¹⁵ Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow, and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself; neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

— neither shall Israel stand that handleth the bow; that is, safe at some distance, and can make use of his instruments of war afar off; yet will not think it safe to stand his ground, but be ready to spring as fast as he can to save himself:

— and even if Israel that is swift of foot he shall not deliver himself; this is repeated, lest any should place confidence in their agility, and to show how complete and inevitable the affliction will be:

— neither shall Israel that rideth the horse deliver himself; by fleeing on horseback, no more than he that is on foot; no ways that can be devised or thought on would preserve from this general calamity.

¹⁶ And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day,” saith the Lord. — and among the Israelites, he that is courageous among the mighty; or “strong in his heart” one that is of the bravest hero, famous for courage and bravery, that excels in it among the mighty; the most valiant soldiers and warriors;

— shall flee away naked in that day: shall throw away his armour, nay, put off his warrior clothes, changed into civilian as being both a hindrance in his flight; and that he may make the better speed under disguise; this is talking about the United States, the most mighty nation of the earth today, it flees Vietnam and Afghanistan like one who is naked in the night!

— saith the Lord: which is added to show its certainty of such prophecies; it might be depended upon that so it would be, since the Lord God had spoken it; and it is timeless, fulfilled today as it was about eighty years after this prophecy was written.

~~~ Amos 2:12 ~~~

More examples of ‘Prophesy not,’ but just say smooth things, Amos 7:12, “And Amaziah said unto Amos, “O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread and prophesy there.”

(1) Ahab, during the famine foretold by Elijah, (“Art thou he that troubleth Israel?”) sought him everywhere to destroy him, 1 Kings 18:10-12,because he had prophesied earlier, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word,” I kings 17:1.

(2) Jezebel, after the miracle at Carmel and the death of her prophets, swore by her gods to do so, 1 Kings 19:2-3. Ahab’s last act was to imprison Micaiah, 1 Kings 22:26-27, the son of Imlath, for prophesying his death, when adjured by himself to speak truly.

(3) Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, undeterred by the fire from heaven which destroyed two captains, each with his fifty, sent yet a third to take Elijah, when he prophesied that the king would not recover from his sickness, II Kings 1:9-13.

(4) Jehoram, Ahab’s second son, swore by God to destroy Elisha, II Kings 6:31, laying the evils of the siege to the prophet.

For more about a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Joel tells of a terrible calamity striking the Jewish people, brought on by locusts, caterpillars, and drought. Some believed Joel lived around the same time as Elisha, saying he prophesied during the reign of Jehoram, son of Ahab, when the land was hit by the seven years of famine that had been foretold.

It seems likely that Joel gave his prophecy after the ten tribes were taken into captivity, during the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign, since the house of Israel is only mentioned in reference to the future, with the focus solely on Judah and Jerusalem.

Joel 1

¹ The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. — the name Joel signifies “Yehovah is God,” or “whose God is Yehovah.”

— Rashi: to Joel, son of Pethuel: the son of Samuel the prophet who persuaded God with his prayer (פִתָּה לְאֵל). Some say that this prophecy was said in those seven years in which Elisha said: “For the Lord has decreed a famine etc.” and they took place during the days of Jehoram son of Ahab.

² Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

— Hear this, ye old men, whose memory reached back through generations of men and give ear in yielding a most willing and careful attention;

— all ye inhabitants of the land. It is a spirited challenge to all the people of Judah to mark the lesson of the great calamity which has befallen them. Hath this been in their days or even in the days of their fathers? A visitation of this kind and grievous to this extent had never yet been seen in Palestine.

³ Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

— tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children, passing it on from generation to generation, all of them accepting this tradition with awe, fear and trembling as being an unparalleled manifestation of God’s anger against men on account of their sins.

⁴ That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. — this could be a prophecy of plagues of locusts as yet in the future;

— that which the palmer-worm, literally, “the gnawer-off,” hath left the locust eaten, the swarming or multiplying locust of the desert;

— and that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm, the devouring grasshopper, eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten, that is, the consuming locust;

— the Targum says

“What the crawling locust left, the swarming locust ate; what the swarming locust left, the young locust ate; and what the young locust left, the finishing locust ate.”

⁵ Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. — weep and howl: signs of dark days;

— awake, ye drunkards and weep; howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, since the supply of grapes and therefore of the liquor made from them were not available; for it is cut off from your mouth. This appeal is introduced to describe the complete devastation of the land.

⁶ For a nation has come up upon my land, strong and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

— regarding the swarming locusts in the first five verses, they could be a metaphor of swarm of literal mighty armies of fierce warriors, strong and without number like swarms of countless locusts;

— that is, swarms of insects are described as a nation or people marching in order under their leaders because of their power to do mischief; the prophet Joel now urges his countrymen to mourn;

— whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek-teeth of a great lion or like the “the grinders” of teeth being hard, strong and sharp to bite off the tops, boughs and branches of trees: the jaw-teeth of a lioness protecting or avenging her young, grinding to pieces everything that came in their path.

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20.

“In latter days you will understand it fully,” that is, it means as a whole, we wouldn’t fully understand these prophecies until we’re living in the latter days; so was Joel prophesying about swarms of locusts or swarms of invading armies?

⁷ He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree; he hath made it clean bare and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. — he, the nation of locust;

— the locust hath laid the Lord’s vine waste, that is, and spoiled the vines by consuming its foliage and barked at his fig-tree; gnawing off the bark and laying bare stem and branches, so that they hath made it clean bare and cast it away; by the complete removal of the bark, stripped it of its leaves, fruit and bark also: this being the condition in which the land was left after the visit of the locusts,

⁸ Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. — personified as a woman, lamenting like a virgin, girded with sackcloth, the “daughter of Judah,” or “daughter of my people,”

— the dress of mourning for the husband of her youth, whom after their betrothal, death took away. The grief of a bereaved virgin and bride is represented also in other passages as deep and overwhelming. Cf Isaiah 54:6.

⁹ The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord’S ministers, mourn.

— the meat-offering and the drink-offering, the sacrifices in the worship of God Almighty is cut off from the house of the Lord because it was impossible to procure the necessary materials since everything was destroyed;

— the priests, the Lord’s shepherd, mourn on account of the decay resulting from the devastation which was followed also by a dearth of the animals used for sacrificial purposes;

— the Targum says

“Sacrifices and libations have ceased from the house of the LORD’s sanctuary; the priests who serve in the LORD’s temple mourn.”

¹⁰ The field is wasted, the land mourneth, for the corn is wasted; the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

— the resultant field is wasted, made desolate; the land mourneth, both the uncultivated and the cultivated sections of the land suffering in the same measure; for the corn is wasted, destroyed by the locusts, the grain completely consumed;

— the new wine is dried up, the grapes being spoiled for want of foliage on the vines; the oil languisheth because the olive-trees produced no fruit.

¹¹ Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley, because the harvest of the field is perished. — manifest by overt signs your distress;

— be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen, bearing the shame of disappointed hopes after working hard for a crop; howl, O ye vine-dressers; these two representing the agricultural classes of the land for the wheat and for the barley because the harvest of the field is perished, this being the cause of the farmers’ lament.

¹² The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree—even all the trees of the field are withered, because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

— the ravages produced by the locusts and the drought are universal; the vine is dried up and the fig-tree languisheth so that gardener and horticulturist likewise had reasons for mourning; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, the date-palm, which ordinarily escaped the onslaughts of the locust;

— and the apple-tree, or the quince, even all the trees of the field are withered; because joy is withered away from the sons of men so that there could be no rejoicing over a bountiful harvest as usual; Cf Psalms 4:7; Isaiah 9:3.

¹³ Gird yourselves and lament, ye priests; howl, ye ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God; for the meat offering and the drink offering is withheld from the house of your God.

— gird yourselves, namely, with garments of mourning and lament, ye priests; howl, ye ministers of the altar, whose chief duties were concerned with the sacrifices brought on the two altars of the Temple;

— Come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God, extending their exercises of mourning even through the night season; for the meat-offering and the drink-offering is withholden from the house of your God, so that all the usual sacrifices had to be discontinued;

— as Ahab did, when he humbled himself before Elijah (1 Kings 21:27). The sackcloth would be a token not only of grief, but also of sorrow, regret and repentance (Nehemiah 9:1; Jonah 3:5-6).

¹⁴ Sanctify ye a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord!

— sanctify ye a fast, appointing a day or a number of days for a special religious service, during which the depth of the people’s grief should be indicated by their abstaining from food;

— call a solemn assembly, such as were held in connection with the great festivals; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord, your God, and cry unto the Lord with impetuous and importunate praying;

— the Targum says

“Proclaim a fast, call an assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land, and go up to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out before the LORD.”

¹⁵ Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

— alas for the day coming near! “shall it come,” so the prophet himself laments for the Day of the Lord, the time of stern visitation is coming as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come, bringing its desolating scourge upon the land.;

— “shall it come,” for more, see What is the Day of the LORD?

¹⁶ Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

— is not the meat cut off before our eyes as their food supply was destroyed by the invading hordes of locusts? Yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God since the various sacrifices and meals of thanksgiving were no longer possible.

¹⁷ The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

— the seed is rotten under their clods, withering in the soil on account of the terrible drought; the garners are laid desolate, the granaries being empty because there could be no harvest;

— the barns, which otherwise harbored such rich crops are broken down, falling to pieces for want of money to repair them; for the corn is withered.

¹⁸ How the beasts do groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

— how do the beasts groan? since the meadows also were dried up. The herds of cattle are perplexed, restless hunting of hungry cattle because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate, bearing their sufferings as a consequence of the transgressions of the people of the land.

¹⁹ O Lord, to Thee will I cry! For the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

— O Lord, to thee will I cry; for the fire, the parching heat hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness of the great Judean steppes; indicating land which iare unenclosed and uncultivated,

— and the flame, the fierce heat of the drought hath burned all the trees of the field; all this causes the prophet to lift up his voice to the Lord in a cry for help.

²⁰ The beasts of the field cry also unto Thee; for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

— the beasts of the field, both domestic and wild animals, cry also unto thee, their dumb misery being a powerful appeal for help;

— for the rivers of waters are dried up and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. Cf Job 38:41; Psalms 104:21; 145:15; 147:9; Jeremiah 14:5-6. All creation groans and travails in pain together until now on account of the burden of man’s guilt, Romans 8:19-22.

Joel 2

¹ Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand—

— blow ye the trumpet in Zion; this signal the priests announcing the coming calamity and sound an alarm in the Lord’s holy mountain, from the Temple as the center of Yehovah’s worship and the place of his presence in the midst of his people;

— let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, shaken up out of their care-free condition; for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand, the visitation is no longer in the dim and distant future, but is an event to be expected soon;

— the whole world will be given a Mount Sinai experience as the children had when they came out of Egypt; so that the fear of the Lord will always be embedded in them, all the nations of the world to fear Him; Exodus 19:16-18, 20:18-21

— for more on “for it is nigh at hand,” see What is the Day of the LORD?

² a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains. A great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like; neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

— a day of darkness and of gloominess as when the light of the sun is shut out by immense swarms of locusts, a day of clouds and of thick darkness of heavy, dense and obscuring cloudiness;

— as the morning spread upon the mountains, a great people and a strong, the wings of the locusts reflecting the rays of the sun in a murky light before their immense numbers shut out the sun altogether. There hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations, Cf Joel 1:2.

³ A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth. The land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

— a fire, a most intense and parching heat, devoureth before them in preparing for the desolation to follow; and behind them a flame burneth, the terrible, withering heat continuing even after the swarms of grasshoppers had passed;

— the land is as the Garden of Eden before them like the beautiful park of paradise described in Genesis 2, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them, the devastation would be thorough.

⁴ The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. — the appearance of the locusts is as the appearance of horses, whom they resemble as to the shape of their heads; and as horsemen, so shall they run with uncanny swiftness.

⁵ Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

— like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains as they clatter along over rough mountain roads shall they leap; such would be the noise of their crackling movements in a great mass;

— like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble as a strong people set in battle array for there is a strong similarity to all these rushing, pounding sounds in the movements of vast swarms of locusts.

⁶ Before their face the people shall be much pained; all faces shall gather blackness. — before their face as they proceed on their path of devastation, the people all those so visited, shall be much pained, trembling and helpless with terror;

— all faces shall gather blackness, losing the glowing color of health, growing pale with conscious helplessness.

⁷ They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks.

— they shall run like mighty men, straightforward to the attack; they shall climb the wall like men of war in an advance that cannot be stopped;

— and they shall march every one on his ways and they shall not break their ranks, this peculiarity being noted by all observers. It was and is vain to resist them by the means ordinarily used to stop the progress of an invading army.

⁸ Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path; and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

— neither shall one thrust another, not pressing ahead, upon those going before; they shall walk every one in his path, like a well-drilled army; and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded for they are represented as an invincible army of the Lord.

⁹ They shall run to and fro in the city, they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses, they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

— they shall run to and fro in the city, being altogether unhindered in their advance; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief;

— when the locusts come and fill the whole space between earth and sky, they fly in perfect order, as if obedient to a divine command so that they look like the squares of a pavement; each one holds its own place, not diverging from it even so much as by a finger’s breadth. To these locusts nothing is impenetrable, fields, meadows, trees, cities, houses, even their most secret chambers.

¹⁰ The earth shall quake before them, the heavens shall tremble; the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

— the earth shall quake before them, liked before Mount Sinai, terrified by their dreadful host, the heavens shall tremble, resounding with the rushing of their flight;

— the sun and the moon shall be dark and the stars shall withdraw their shining, their light shut out by the immense hosts of locusts.

¹¹ And the Lord shall utter His voice before His army, for His camp is very great. For He is strong that executeth His word; for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide it?

— and the Lord shall utter his voice before his army, which the grasshoppers here represent; for his camp is very great, the host under his command exceedingly large; for he (the Son?) is strong that executeth his word, carrying out the will of the Lord; for the day of the Lord, his coming visitation, is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

— it is evident that the entire description is incidentally symbolical of the great and mighty Judgement Day of the Lord, which, in its preliminary features, is seen in the two destructions of Jerusalem, but which is destined to be immeasurably greater than man can conceive of when it shall come to pass.

¹² “Therefore also now,” saith the Lord, “turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

— therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, in a true repentance and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning, as outward indications of the change of heart,

¹³ And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth of the evil.

— and rend your heart in a true and unfeigned sorrow, and not your garments for the latter may be done also by hypocrites;

— and turn unto the Lord, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil, that is, he is persuaded not to let stern justice alone rule. Cf Exodus 34:6.

¹⁴ Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him—even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

— who knoweth if he will return, not carry out the threatened punishment, and repent and leave a blessing behind him, namely, when he, as men pictured him, returns to his throne in heaven;

— even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord, for by an abundant harvest which he may be persuaded to give, the people would again be enabled to bring their usual sacrifices in the Temple; in a service of prayer and supplication.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast! Call a solemn assembly, — blow the trumpet in Zion, signaling urgency and summoning the people, the call once more going forth; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly,

¹⁶ gather the people! Sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber and the bride out of her retreat.

— gather the people for a great meeting of worship and supplication; sanctify the congregation, so that no one would be Levitically unclean;

— assemble the elders, the aged people of the congregation; gather the children and those that suck the breast for no one is to be omitted in this great appeal for mercy, since all of them, from the smallest to the greatest, were guilty;

— let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet, where they were preparing for the coming wedding. The fact that even infants in arms and bride and groom were included in the appeal of the prophet shows that the guilt was universal and beyond excuse.

¹⁷ Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them say, “Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them.Why should they say among the people, ‘Where is their God?’”

— let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, who occupied the position of mediators between God and his people, weep between the porch and the altar and let them say, in a solemn litany chanted at the very door of the Holy Place;

— Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage, the people of his own possession to reproach, Cf Exodus 32:11-12, that the heathen should rule over them, or “make mockery of them.” Where is their God? thus bringing disgrace upon the holy name of the Lord.

¹⁸ Then will the Lord be jealous for His land, and pity His people.

— then, when the Lord saw that his people were truly penitent, will he be jealous for his land be filled with the zeal of his love, rather, he was so filled and acted accordingly, and pity his people.

¹⁹ Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto His people: “Behold, I will send you corn and wine and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen.

— yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, actuated with the zeal of his love for them, Behold, the Lord will send you corn and wine and oil, the richest temporal blessings made possible by the renewed fertility of the land;

— and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and the Lord will no more make you a reproach among the nations of which their prayer had complained.

²⁰ But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea. And his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up” because He hath done great things.

— but the Lord will remove far off from you the northern army, the swarms of locusts which came from that direction, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate into the desert of Arabia;

— with his face toward the East Sea, that is, the Dead Sea and his hinder part, his rearguard toward the utmost sea, that is, the Mediterranean; and his stink shall come up, the terrible stench of the decaying insects, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things;

The Message Bible offers a more colorful description:

At that, God went into action to get his land back. He took pity on his people. God answered and spoke to his people, “Look, listen—I’m sending a gift: Grain and wine and olive oil. The fast is over—eat your fill! I won’t expose you any longer to contempt among the pagans.

I’ll head off the final enemy coming out of the north and dump them in a wasteland. Half of them will end up in the Dead Sea, the other half in the Mediterranean. There they’ll rot, a stench to high heaven. The bigger the enemy, the stronger the stench!” Joel 2:18-20 MSG

²¹ Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord will do great things!

— fear not, O land, the entire country being included in this new admonition as before; be glad and rejoice, namely, over the hosts that laid waste the country; for the Lord will do great things, Yehovah is able to perform marvelous works in delivering his people.

²² Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

— be not afraid, ye beasts of the field which had been so sorely in need of food supplies; for the pastures of the wilderness of the great prairies of the South, do spring, once more verdant with an abundance of grass;

— for the tree beareth her fruit as before the terrible visitation, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength so as to bring forth fruit as of old.

²³ Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He hath given you the early rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the early rain and the latter rain in the first month.

— be glad, then, ye children of Zion, the inhabitants of Judah, the children of the Lord and rejoice in the Lord, your God, the God of the covenant, the Lord of mercy;

— for he hath given you the former rain moderately, literally, “a teacher for righteousness” or “rain in just measure” and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month, the former rain being due right after seeding-time, in the fall, and the latter rain coming just before harvest, in the spring.

²⁴ And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

— and the floors, the threshing-floors shall be full of wheat, the result of a new, rich harvest and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil, the receptacles of the vineyards being unable to hold the rich measure of blessings.

²⁵ “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, My great army which I sent among you.

— locust … cankerworm … caterpiller … palmer worm—the reverse order from Joel 1:4, where God will restore not only what has been lost by the full-grown consuming locust, but also what has been lost by the less destructive licking locust, and swarming locust, and gnawing locust;

— and the Lord will restore to you, make up the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm and the caterpillar and the palmer-worm, his great army which he sent among you, the insects of Joel 1:4 being named in the reverse order;

— the Targum reveals this was God talking, not of literal locusts, but locusts symbolic of foreign oppressors, and of an invading human army instead:

“I will repay you with good years in place of the years stolen from you by idol-worshippers, nations, tongues, rulers, and kingdoms, through the punishment of the great army I sent against you.”

²⁶ And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be ashamed.

— and ye shall have plenty to eat, having an abundance of the best food and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wondrously with you, making his wonders known through the manner in which he dealt with them;

— and the Lord’s people shall never be ashamed again, never to be heaped with mockery and disgrace, since it would be so evident that the Lord was on their side. This would, moreover, be substantiated more than ever by the fullness of spiritual blessings which he intended to pour out upon his children after their restoration to his sonship.

²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else; and My people shall never be ashamed.

— and ye shall know that the Lord is in the midst of Israel as his chosen people, and that Yehovah is the Lord, their God, the God of the covenant and none else; and his people, the true spiritual Israel shall never be ashamed again.

²⁸ “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; — the Millennium begins, and the Targum recogizes this as a new chapter, chapter 3 for them;

— and it shall come to pass afterward, in the Millennium toward which this prophecy converged, that the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, upon men of every race and nation;

— and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, openly proclaiming the great deeds of God, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, the great possibilities of the Lord’s work and the energy for carrying out the plans of the Lord coming to them and urging them forward with irresistible power, the barriers of both sex and age being removed, except as limited in other parts of the Scriptures.

²⁹ and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. — and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids, upon the lowliest of the land;

— in those days will the Lord pour out his Spirit, all social distinction being abandoned during the Millennium as far as the work of the Kingdom is concerned;

— this prophecy was fulfilled, so far as its beginning is concerned, on the Day of Pentecost, as Peter also states in the introduction to his powerful sermon held before the astonished inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem, Acts 2:17-21. But this event by no means exhausted its wonderful promises;

— for the spirit of the Lord is being poured out on the members of the Kingdom of God, which will continue to be given to all true believers; but this great and wonderful deed of the Lord is placed side by side with His judgement upon the nations.

³⁰ “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth— blood and fire and pillars of smoke.

— and the Lord will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, strange and terrifying portents, blood and fire and pillars of smoke, miracles in the sky above and signs of His majesty on the earth beneath, blood and fire and smoky vapor.

³¹ The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. — from the days of the Millennium, this looks like a flashback;

— the sun shall be turned into darkness, being changed into a dark and cold mass, and the moon into blood, as bloody wars and devastations would occur on the earth, before the great and the terrible Day of the Lord come, namely, the Day of final Judgement.

³² And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

— and it shall come to pass, throughout this great Day of the Lord’s preparation for the final Judgement, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, Yehovah, confessing the Messiah and accepting him as the one Savior of mankind, shall be delivered, saved from the wrath to come;

— for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, the Gospel-message proclaimed in and by the Chosen people of God bringing redemption and the assurance of eternal life to all believers, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call;

— namely, the remainder according to the selection by the Lord, Yehovah, the people whom the Lord has chosen from all nations of the earth. This glorious promise is held out to this day to all who turn to the Lord in keeping his commandments, repentance and faith, confessing his name as the only Savior and fervently calling upon him for deliverance from all evil, especially that of the body of sin;

— God’s name is the four-letter Hebrew word יהוה‎ YHVH Yehovah (not Jehovah since the letter J wasn’t around but only after the sixteenth century).

Joel 3

¹ “For behold, in those days and in that time, when I shall bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

— for behold, heading towards the Millennium, in those days, when the Lord of hosts shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem for forty years, by the deliverance through the Messiah, of which the return of Judah from exile was but a type;

For more into another Captivity, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline
For more about a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
An enemy from the South, The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

² I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land.

— the Lord will also gather all nations, great and mighty heathen nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, another Mount Sinai experience, which is here remade the scene of another Face to Face before the last Great Judgement and the Lord will plead with them there;

— for the Lord’s people and for his heritage Israel, in the interest of the Lord’s, whom they have scattered among the nations, in the various oppressions and captivities which have struck the Lord’s people from the earliest days, and parted his land, appropriating it or dividing it as they saw fit.

³ And they have cast lots for My people, and have given a boy for a harlot and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

— and they have cast lots for the Lord’s people, after they had taken them captive and have given a boy for an harlot, namely, as the price for which they secured the services of a prostitute;

— and sold a girl for wine, for the sake of a drunken debauch that they might drink. The description is typical of the manner with which the Lord’s enemies have ever dealt with the captive Israelites.

⁴ Yea, and what have ye to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the coasts of Palestine? Will ye render Me a recompense? And if ye recompense Me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head,

— yea, and what have ye to do with the Lord, O Tyre and Zidon and all the coasts of Palestine? that is, what object did they have in acting as they did, when not only the capitals of Phoenicia but also the state of Philistia were showing such enmity against him?

— will ye render the Lord a recompense? seeking revenge for what they consider a wrong done them? They had neither cause to seek revenge nor occasion to carry it out. And if ye recompense the Lord, swiftly and speedily will he return your recompense upon your own head, Cf Psalms 7:17,

⁵ because ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My goodly, pleasant things.

— because ye have taken silver and gold from the Lord, in the Temple-treasures and throughout the city of Jerusalem, and have carried into your temples, including also the palaces of their rulers, the Lord’s goodly, pleasant things, his most costly possessions.

⁶ The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

— the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, the Greeks, who reduced the captives to slavery, selling the Hebrew slaves that ye might remove them far from their border, to be slaves in distant countries.

⁷ Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head.

— behold, the Lord will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, delivering them from the masters to whom they had been sold, and will return your recompense upon your own head so that their revenge would react upon themselves.

⁸ And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off; for the Lord hath spoken it.”

— completes the reversal: the nations who sold Judah’s children into slavery will themselves have their children sold into slavery; and the Lord will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah;

— and their inhabitants reduced to slavery or sold to the Sabeans who are mentioned as being the remotest nation toward the east in the Arabian Desert; often associated with southern Arabia.

⁹ Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war! Wake up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.

— proclaim ye this among the nations as they get ready to wage war against the Lord’s people. Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let them arouse themselves from their inactivity, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.

¹⁰ Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am strong.”

— beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning-hooks into spears, bending every effort toward the winning of their unholy war. Let the weak say, I am strong, as when warlike excitement takes hold of a whole nation.

¹¹ Assemble yourselves and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. — the nations being summoned to a tribunal before God;

— assemble yourselves and come, all ye nations, and gather yourselves together round Lord’s people, occupying a central position in the earth; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord, to meet the invasion of the enemies with a fearless countercharge.

¹² “Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

— let the nations awake, stir up to warfare and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat just east of Jerusalem; and now a shift the imagery: the nations are not merely assembling for war, but are being drawn into God’s courtroom;

— for there will the Lord sits to judge all the nations round about, since they would have seen, or ought to have seen, all that the God of Israel had manifested before the people of Israel;

— the Targum says

“Let the nations come openly and ascend to establish judgment, for there the Lord will be revealed to judge all the nations from all around.”

¹³ Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great!”

— put ye in the sickle so the Lord shouts to his mighty champions for the harvest is ripe, the crop of the world having reached its maturity. Come, get you down, stamping the vats of gathered grapes;

— for the press is full, the fats overflow, the earth being more than ripe for Judgment; for their wickedness is great. Cf Revelation 14:15-18

¹⁴ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

— multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for the Day of the Lord, the Day of final Judgement, is also call the Valley of Decision, bound to be revealed as soon as all men would have had an opportunity to learn the Warning.

¹⁵ The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. — the Lord would be manifesting himself, he wants the whole world to fear him;

— the Targum of Zephaniah 2:3 says, “seek the fear of the Lord, all ye humble ones of the earth, who do the judgements of his will; seek truth, seek meekness; it may be there will be a protection for you on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

¹⁶ The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

— the Lord also shall roar out of Zion, with a voice of thunder terrifying his enemies, everyone given a Mount Sinai experience, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, in the Word which was proclaimed there for so many centuries;

— and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the Strength of the children of Israel. “Zion, or Jerusalem, is naturally not the earthly Jerusalem, but the Holy City of the living God, in which the Lord will be forever united with his saved and glorified congregation;”

— as in Joel 2:1 above, “the earth will shake” that is, the whole world will be given a Mount Sinai experience as the children had when they came out of Egypt; so that the fear of the Lord will always be embedded in them, all the nations of the world to fear Him; Exodus 19:16-18, 20:18-21.

¹⁷ “So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

— so shall ye know that Yehovah is your God, dwelling in Zion, his holy mountain, in the midst of the congregation of Israel, because, before, nobody seems to know him, all teaching their own imaginations;

— then shall Jerusalem be holy, a true congregation of the saints; and there shall no strangers pass through her any more, only those who have been brought over by the blood of the Messiah (the Lamb, the Christ).

¹⁸ “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk; and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim. — the Targum says ‘aged’ wine;

— and it shall come to pass in that day when the blessings of the Millennium that would be dispensed with abundance of wine and the hills shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah, most of which were dry except during the rainy season;

— shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the Valley of Shittim, east of the Jordan, otherwise an arid desert and bringing fertility even to the unfruitful places of the earth, to the hearts of unbelievers and all other nations everywhere.

¹⁹ Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

— this verse shifts focus to judgment against specific nations—Egypt and Edom—who historically oppressed Israel; Egypt and Edom shall be a desolation and a desolate wilderness, these two being representative of the Lord’s enemies, for the violence against the children of Judah and Israel.

²⁰ “But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. — Judah’s permanence is emphasized—its people and land will not be uprooted again;

— Jerusalem, the city is promised enduring sanctity and habitation “form generation to generation,” contrasting with the destruction of foreign powers in the past.

²¹ For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.”

— for the Lord will cleanse their blood that he has not cleansed before, especially those from the nations, through the atonement wrought by the Messiah; for the Lord dwelleth in Zion. The entire description clearly speaks of an earthly glorification of Jerusalem;

— Cf Revelation 22:2. The Lord is dwelling in the midst of his Kingdom and revealing himself as the King of all people, after the destruction of his enemies, after the perfection of his Kingdom;

— Shekhinah in Zion; the Targum adds the concept of the Shekhinah, highlighting the Father’s indwelling presence in Zion. This expands the Hebrew text, which simply says “the Lord dwells in Zion,” by stressing the intimate, protective presence of God among His people;

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. Jeremiah 3:17

— this during the Millennium, Jerusalem shall no longer be just a city; but it shall become the center of divine presence, “the place of the Shekhinah,” when they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord; that is, even the Father would move down from heaven with his Throne and dwell among men.

~~~ THE END ~~~

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Hosea is primarily to the house of Ephraim. Being the chief of the ten tribes, Ephraim is often used in place of Israel when referring to northern ten tribes. Elsewhere on this site Ephraim and Manasseh has been established as the Anglo-Saxons. Although Hosea may refer to situation in his time, the encrypted message of Ephraim and Israel today is specially meant primarily for the United States and secondarily its European allies.

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20.

“In latter days you will understand it fully,” that is, it means as a whole, we wouldn’t fully understand these prophecies until we’re living in the latter days; after, and only after God had executed his judgement in anger and performed the thoughts of his heart would we be able to understand these prophecies fully!

For an indepth study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Hosea 13

¹ When Ephraim spoke, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. — “when Ephraim spoke,” as the mightiest of the northern tribes, “there was trembling;”

— sounds familiar? When the United States sneezes, the world catches a cold;

— and he died; death is the penalty of sin. Ephraim “died” spiritually; because of their worshipping of Baal, and this came into use in Israel in Ahab’s time as his his wife Jezebel, daughter to Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, prevailed with him to take her country idol and add to Jeroboam’s calves;

— for the other tribes were so much weaker that they could not hold out against the top dog; he exalted himself in Israel, assuming the leadership and enforcing his will; that was yesterday, but today, when America sneezes the world may just get a chill!

— and when the United States went to war with Vietnam or Afghtanistan through false premise, her allies, Europe, went into multiple layers of resistance!

² And now they sin more and more, and have made for themselves molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the sacrificers of men kiss the calves!”

— and they sin more and more; since the times of Jeroboam, and also of Ahab, adding other deities to the calves, as follows; increasing the number of their idols, and their idolatrous sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies: Easters, Christmas and then Halloweens; and from evil to more evils;

— they stop not, but run into greater absurdities; such as in Admah or as in Zeboiim (Sodom and Gomorrah, Deuteronomy 29:23) and grosser and weirdier abominations.

³ Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

— as soon as the heat of the sun is felt, and as the early dew it passeth away, the earth is left dry;

— so these people, though they seemed to be in great prosperity, and to be very fruitful in children, and in substance, and promised themselves much more; yet in a little time their land would become desolate, and they stripped of all that was dear and valuable to them these metaphors are used in Hosea 6:4.

⁴ “Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me; for there is no savior besides Me.

— in prophetic rhetoric, God is recalling Egypt as a way of remembrance: “You’ve seen My power before; why turn elsewhere?”

⁵ “I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. — I did know thee in the wilderness; where there were no food nor drink, where scorpions, serpents, and beasts of prey; there the Lord knew them, and showed a fatherly affection and care of them;

— in the land of great drought; in the parched sands, where were no refreshing showers, no rivers or springs of water, to suffice so many cattle and men; where thou wentest as it were through flames and on sands, scorching as embers of a fire, a place fit for none but fiery serpents;

— and fed them with manna and quails, and guided and directed them in the way, and protected and preserved them from their enemies, and from all hurt and danger; so the Targum explains it, “I sufficiently supplied their necessities in the wilderness.”

⁶ According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me. — they were filled, their hearts exalted, elated with plenty, grew proud and haughty;

— they attributed their fullness not to God, but to their own merit; put their trust and confidence in their affluence; and thought themselves safe, secure, and out of any danger.

— as their pasture were full, their heart became exalted;

“If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future, and we see the danger here to all of us.” Madeleine Albright saw US as an ‘indispensable nation.’

— growing proud and haughty, their pride thumbed against God’s face; “Only the United States [that is, ignoring God’s power] had the power to guarantee global security: without our presence or support, multilateral endeavors would fail.” ~ this phase, or with small variation, used by numerous American politicians.

⁷ Therefore I will be unto them as a lion; as a leopard by the way will I observe them.

— by this and the following metaphors are set forth the severity of God’s judgements upon them for their arrogance, and utter destruction;

— the lion makes his onset more openly, the leopard more secretly; both express the various ways God would take in his judgement to chastise these people for their sins; to execute his purpose with great wrath and fury, to their utter ruin;

— see parallel Scriptures:

“For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah; I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him,” Hosea 5:14

“Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased,” Jeremiah 5:6

“Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from afar; they shall fly as the vulture that hasteneth to eat,” Habakkuk 1:8

⁸ I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion; the beast of the field shall tear them.

— God will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps; a fierce bear, but especially when deprived of its whelps; or when sensing its whelps are in danger;

— and there will I devour them like a lion; in their cities and houses, when taken by the enemy; the wild beast shall tear them, and then they will utterly destroy them; which literally is one of God’s sore judgements, as in AD 70; but that was for Judah;

— but for Israel, it would reoccured at the endtime, where Israel would fall into captivity first, then after 150 years, Judah would join the fall; and together, for another 40 years; for more, see Ezekiel 4 – 190/40 Years of captivity and The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

⁹ “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thine help. — thou hast destroyed thyself;

— after these menaces it might seem God had destroyed them, but thou thyself hast done it by thy sins; or as the Targum says You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against Me, against your help”

¹⁰ I will be thy King. Where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities, and thy judges of whom thou saidst, ‘Give me a king and princes’?

— I will be thy King, so the Lord’s offer still holds good; where is any other king that may save any of your cities? Who else could deliver you from the power of the Assyrians?

— or as the Targum says, “Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities, and your judges of whom you said: ‘Appoint for me a king and a ruler’?”

¹¹ I gave thee a king in Mine anger, and took him away in My wrath. — the first king of all Israel, king Saul was given at the request of the people; in doing so, in fact, they rejected God as their King.

¹² “The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid. — the day of reckoning would certainly come, for the sin of Ephraim was neither forgotten nor blotted out;

— unrepented sin is an evergrowing store of the wrath of God, hid out of sight in the depths of his divine judgements, but of which nothing will be lost, nothing will be left unpunished; hence the Targum says, “The sins of the house of Ephraim are stored up in the treasury, kept for repayment of all their offences.”

¹³ The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

— the sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him; the travail-pangs are violent, sudden, irresistible upon Ephraim, or the ten tribes;

— that is, afflictions and calamities, which are often compared to the pains and sorrows of a woman in childbirth; see Isaiah 13:8; the Targum says, “distress and trouble shall come upon them, as pains on a woman with child.”

¹⁴ I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues! O grave, I will be thy destruction! Repentance shall be hid from Mine eyes.”

— God’s plan of redemption would be carried out; in the very midst of a proclamation of wrath and punishment; then they would have a most glorious promise of the victory gained through redemption; as in Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones; God’s counsel for mankind established before the foundation of the world.

¹⁵ Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come; the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; He shall despoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

— an east wind shall come; a mighty enemy king shall come upon them, like an east wind;

— Rashi: A king, strong as the east wind, shall come up by the word of the Lord from the way of the desert; he shall plunder: that king shall plunder the treasures of all coveted vessels; (more at the end).

— the Targum says:

“For they are called children, but their deeds are corrupt and multiplied. Now a mighty king shall come upon them, like an east wind, by the word of the Lord. He shall rise from the way of the wilderness, destroy their treasure house, besiege the city of his kingdom, and plunder all the desirable vessels.”

¹⁶ Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

— Samaria is the abominable name for Ephraim; according to these unspeakable cruelties, things which are often done by extreme enemies;

— cities are sacked and plundered; and which Shalmaneser might have provoked into such extremes by the treachery of the king of Israel, and the city of Samaria holding out a three years’ siege;

— the Targum says:

“Samaria shall be guilty, for she has rebelled against the word of God. By the sword they shall fall, their young ones shall be dashed, and their pregnant women shall be ripped open.”

— but why does Ephraim, now named as Samaria, deserve all these unspeakable cruelties? Oh wait, perhaps the answer is in the next or last chapter?

Hosea 14

¹ O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. — for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity;

— or “though thou art fallen” into sin, and into ruin, temporal and spiritual; from a state of great prosperity and happiness, both civil and religious, into great calamities;

— yet return, consider from whence thou art fallen; be restored, notwithstanding thy fall, and the low state in which thou art in; the Targum says, “return to the fear of the Lord, for you have stumbled in your sins.”

² Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto Him, “Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, so will we offer the calves of our lips.

— so will we render the calves of our lips, literally, “and we will render as bullocks our lips,” namely, the confession of guilt and the promise to amend our ways;

— the Targum says, “Accept us, forgive our sins, and receive this as good. Let the words of our lips be accepted before You as bulls offered for favor upon the altar.”

³ Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Ye are our gods’; for in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy.”

— we will not ride upon horses; to seek for help elsewhere; or go to Egypt for them, nor Assyria, as they had done;

— as if a good prayer, the Targum says:

“The kings of Assyria will not save us; we will not rely on riding horses, and we will no longer call the work of our hands our god. From before You, mercy shall be shown to our fathers, as when they were in Egypt—behold, we are like orphans.”

⁴ “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for Mine anger is turned away from him.

— and God will response, “I will accept them in their repentance, I will forgive their sins, I will have mercy on them when they return willingly, for My anger has turned away from them.”

⁵ I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

— the Targum says, “my Word shall be as dew to Israel; they shall blossom like the lily and dwell securely on their land, like a cedar tree that sends forth its branches.”

— Israel shall grow as the lily; or like a great sunflower; to which the church and people of God are sometimes compared; “they shall shine as the lily.”

⁶ His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

— some render “as incense” called “lebonah” in Hebrew, from whence the mountain is thought to have its name, frankincense growing upon it;

— so the Targum says, “their fragrance shall be like the fragrance of the holy menorah of spices.”

⁷ They that dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine; the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

— the Targum casts the timing after the arrival of the Messiah, says,

“They shall be gathered from among their exiles, they shall dwell under the shadow of their Messiah, they shall live many days, and abundant goodness shall increase in the land. The remembrance of their goodness shall ascend and not cease, like the sound of trumpets over aged wine that is poured out in the Temple.”

⁸ Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do any more with idols?’ I have heard him, and observed him; I am like a green fir tree. From Me is thy fruit found.”

— Ephraim bemoaning himself, repenting of his sins; and confessing them; and God heard him; says the Lord;

— his prayers for pardon and this is what his idols he once served could not do, who had ears, but heard not; but the Lord not only heard, but answered and granted his request;

— the Targum says,

“The house of Israel shall say: ‘What more do we have to do with idols?’ I, by My word, will accept the prayers of Israel and have mercy upon them. By My word I will make them strong and beautiful, for before Me forgiveness for their repentance is found.”

⁹ Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein.

— who is wise, and who shall understand these things? namely, all that the prophet has written by way of warning, rebuke, admonition and correction; prudent and he shall know them?

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20; “In latter days you will understand it fully,” or even “you will understand it fully in the latter days.”

— for the ways of the Lord, particularly in the manner in which he deals with his children on earth, are right, and the just shall walk in them, finding their delight in doing the Lord’s will; but the transgressors shall fall therein;

— Rashi: who is wise and will understand these: who among you is wise and will ponder to put his heart to all these and return to Me? And the rebellious shall stumble on them: i.e. because of them, because they did not walk in them.

— and as the Targum says

“Who is wise and will understand these teachings, and discerning to know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous who walk in them shall live in eternal life, but the wicked who do not walk in them shall be delivered to Gehenna.”

~~ Hosea13:15 ~~

Wikipedia: an east wind (Hosea 13:15) is a wind that originates in the east and blows in a westward direction; and thus a strong king from the east, from areas of Jordan, Iraq and Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, will come.

Second, the descendants of Esau: Edom, Idumea and Mount Seir; where and who are they?

Unto the men of the East with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations, Ezekiel 25:10 — this prophecy against Ammon and the Ammonites has no promise of restoration.

And finally, Revelation 9: fifth angel; came out of the smoke locusts; to kill only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads; breastplates like breastplates of iron; sixth angel: “Loose the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates;” to slay a third part of men; the army of horsemen was two hundred thousand thousand; And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared, Revelation 16:12.

And finally, the East wind shall come to Ephraim (Hosea 13:15); the context is Ephraim (Hosea 13:12), the United States (Manasseh is UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand).

The Message Bible prophesies of tornadoes rampaging through the house of Israel

“God’s tornado is on its way,
    roaring out of the desert.
It will devastate the country,
    leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage.
The cities will be gutted,
    dear possessions gone for good.
Now Samaria has to face the charges
    because she has rebelled against her God:
Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks,
    pregnant women ripped open.”

~~~ THE END ~~~

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Hosea is targetted primarily to the house of Ephraim (mentions 32 times in this book of Hosea, more than in any other books of the Bible). Often, as Ephraim, being the chief tribe of the ten tribes, the name is used in place of Israel (used 41 times) when referring to the northern kingdom.

Yet, from God’s point of view, he address Israel as “thy calf, O Samaria!” This being the case because Samaria was also the capital of the northern kingdom. Second, Ephraim also indulged in many of the abomination of the Samaritans that were relocated by their conquerer, the Assyrians!

For an indepth study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Hosea 11

¹ “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt. — or “though Israel was a child” a weak, helpless, foolish, and imprudent one, “yet I loved him;”

— or “when a child” in the infancy when in Egypt as he said to Pharaoh, “Israel is My son, even my firstborn; let my son go, that he may serve me” Exodus 4:22-23;

— and in the wilderness; the Lord loved him, not only as his creature as he does all the works of his hands, but with a more special love than he loved others; choosing them to be a special people above all others; giving them his law, his statutes and his judgements.

² As they called them, so they went from them; they sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

— but they turned a deaf ear to them, and their backs upon them; or as the Targum says, “I sent the prophets to teach them, but they wandered from them. Instead of turning toward Me, they sacrificed to falsehood and offered incense to idols.”

³ I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

— I taught Ephraim and all the tribes of Israel to go; Ephraim or with the rest of the ten tribes; these the Lord instructed in the way of his commandments;

— and taught them to walk therein; he with his angel before them to lead them through the wilderness; yea, he himself went before them in the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night;

— so the Targum says, “I, by an angel sent by me, led Israel in the right way;” and the Septuagint: “Yet I bound the feet of Ephraim, I took him on my arm; but they knew not that I healed them.”

⁴ I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them as they that take off the yoke from their jaws, and I laid meat before them.

— when Israel were weak I drew them with cords of a man, as with bands which support the first weak steps of a child, with bands of love, not with chains to hold them captive against their will;

— and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, as when a man slips back the yoke on the neck of a draft animal in order to give it the liberty to eat freely, and I laid meat unto them, gently offering them food for their souls.

⁵ “He shall not return into the land of Egypt; but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

— the Septuagint says “and Ephraim dwelt in Egypt” he did so indeed with the other tribes formerly; but it is eluciated in the Targum that as he had not repent before God, he shall be a captive and into bondage again more severe than that in Egypt, even into captivity in Assyria.

⁶ And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches and devour them, because of their own counsels.

— because of their own evil counsels, the sword shall fall upon their cities, it shall kill their warriors, which their enemies took and pursued, because the acted contrary to the counsel of God, notwithstanding all the admonitions, exhortations and threats of God by his prophets.

⁷ And My people are bent on backsliding from Me; though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt Him.

— none at all would exalt him; the most high God, and give him the praise and glory due to his name; but, they extolled their idols;

— Rashi paraphrases it, “when the prophets teach them to return to Me, they are in doubt whether to return or not to return; it is with difficulty that they return to Me.”

— none at all would exalt the most high God, and give him the praise and glory; but they kept looking to their idols; who were deaf to all counsel and reproof; the Targum says, “my people are divided (or hesitate) about returning to my law.”

⁸ “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboiim? Mine heart is turned within Me; My repentings are kindled together.

— how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? two cities that were utterly destroyed by fire from heaven, along with Sodom and Gomorrah, Deuteronomy 29:23; 

— so would God even judge and put an end to Ephraim as Sodom and Gomorrah, who were so severely punished for their sins, and were never restored again? God is asking a question for reflection above, so should we?

— both the Septuagint and the Targum also uses Ephraim as if Israel; the later says

“How shall I hand you over, Ephraim? How shall I deliver you up, Israel? How shall I make you like Admah? How shall I set you as Zeboiim? My word is disturbed within Me; together My compassions are stirred.”

⁹ I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man, the Holy One in the midst of thee; and I will not enter into the city.

— then God answer the above question, that he will not return to destroy Ephraim; or “again” or “any more, destroy” him; not twice;

— he, Ephraim, might be destroyed when carried into Assyria as captives; but the remnant that shall spring from him in the latter day shall not be destroyed, but saved;

— the phase, “and I will not enter into the city” is vague, but the Targum enlightens it with wider insight,

“I will not act with the full force of My anger, nor will My word return to destroy the house of Israel. For I am God, My word endures forever, and My deeds are not like the deeds of flesh that dwell upon the earth. Thus I have decreed by My word that My holy Presence shall be among you, and I will not exchange it for another city besides Jerusalem.”

¹⁰ “They shall walk after the Lord; He shall roar like a lion. When He shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. — the remnant shall tremble and hearken to God’s call, and shall comply with his commands;

— the phrase, “from the west” or “from the sea,” meaning the Mediterranean sea, which lay west of Judea, and is often used for the west, may signify the western or European part of the world, where the house of Israel for the most part are, and from whence they will be regathered;

— the Targum says, “for he shall roar, and the captives shall be gathered from the west;” which negated those returning from Babylon, which lies to the east and north of Judea;

— for details of how the full house of Israel would come from the West, see 

Ezekiel 36 & 37 – Return of the Full House of Israel

¹¹ They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will place them in their houses,” saith the Lord.

— they shall tremble as a bird out of captivity; but from the West this time, they shall come from thence with fear and trembling;

— which may allude to the trembling of birds at the roaring of a lion, or to the trembling motion of their wings in flying to their own land, under divine influence and direction.

¹² Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

— their chief lie was the setting up of the worship of the calves, with a worldly end, yet with pretence of religion toward God; denying him, the One true God, in that they joined idols with him, yet professing to serve him;

— chronic political liars like Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, freely admitted those lies about the CIA: We lied, We cheated, We stole.

Ex-CIA director Pompeo said: “I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole,” former CIA director and now Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on April 15, 2019 at a forum at Texas A&M University. “It was like – we had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.”

Interestingly, a Christian religious news broadcaster that described Pompeo’s words with such precision as follows: “that’s not the resume of the Secretary of State… that’s the resume of Satan.”

Fore more, see Who is this lying Ephraim?

Hosea 12

¹ Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. — “after the east wind” means they are residing in the West, from hence they shall return;

— again, Ephraim is always associated with lies, falsehood and desolation while multiplying idols, which are fallacious and deceitful;

— not content with the daily increase of their idolatries among themselves, they continually persecute, spoil and plunder those who do not give into their false worship: thus the Targum says of their lies, “the house of Ephraim multiplied before Me;”

— MSG says “He tells lies nonstop, soul-destroying lies;” but the Targum explains Ephraim’s lies in greater details and deeper insight:

“The lies of the house of Ephraim multiplied before Me, and the deceit of the house of Israel; and the house of Judah strengthened themselves in worship until the people of God were exiled from their land. But those who worshiped before Me in the Temple were called a holy people, and thus they remained established.” Hosea 12:1 Jonathan

— Professor Jeffrey Sachs on Donald Trump’s 60 Minutes Interview, Nov 7, 2025. In this video, Professor Sachs breaks down Trump’s lies in this 60 Minutes interview —

² The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will He recompense him.

— and God will punish all the posterity of Jacob, whether Ephraim or Judah; according to his ways; those, “will be visited according to his ways” if right, or if wrong, a divine visiting used both ways.

³ He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God.

— Jacob took Esau by the heel in the womb in order to obtain, if possible, the privileges of the first-born; then I will not let thee go except thou bless me; intimating the strength of his faith, henceforth, Jacob’s name, meaning “supplanter,” was changed to Israel;

— and of his getting the birthright and blessing from him, so says the Targum,”prophet, say unto them, was it not said of Jacob, before he was born, that he would be greater than his brother?”

⁴ Yea, he had power over the angel and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto Him; he found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke with us,

— yea, he had power over the angel (messenger), who is identified with God, and perhaps the revelation of the Son of God, and made supplication, by stating that he would not let go without having received a blessing.

⁵ even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial. — the Lord is his memorial: or his name, Yehovah; this “angel” is most probably the Son of God, who also has the name Yehovah, carrying the name of his Father, who is the Lord God of hosts.

“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him” Exodus 23:20-21

⁶ Therefore turn thou to thy God; keep mercy and judgement, and wait on thy God continually.

— keep mercy and judgement; or “observe” them to do them; to show mercy to persons in misery, to the poor and indigent, which is what the Lord desires and delights in; and wait for the redemption or salvation of thy God continually.

⁷ Canaan is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand; he loveth to oppress.

— not Canaan, but Ephraim that should he be called; for his ideal is Canaan’s; thus Ephraim had became a Canaanite: the word also signifies a merchant; they carried on trade upon Canaanitish principles;

— Like Canaan, Israel is a merchant who uses dishonest scales — he loves to cheat people! VOICE

⁸ And Ephraim said, “Yet I am become rich, I have found myself substance; in all my labors they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin.” — this verse confirms that in the above verse 7, ‘Canaan’ was Ephraim indeed;

— here again Ephraim, or the people of Israel, vainly ascribe all their wealth and riches to their own labour, diligence, and industry,

— and take no notice of God and his providence, or of his blessing upon them; and pretend to be very upright and honest in their dealings.

⁹ “And I that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.

— and I that am the Lord, thy God, from the land of Egypt, where he first revealed the greatness toward Israel;

— will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles as in the days of the solemn feast; the Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles; which brought to the attention of the Israelites the blessings with which the Lord so richly supplied them in the Land of Promise.

¹⁰ I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes (parallelism, analogy) by the ministry of the prophets.”

— used by the prophet Hosea, taking a wife of whoredom and have children by her; and Ezekiel being bound 390 (or 190 Septuagint) days for the iniquity of Israel and 40 days for Judah (Ezekiel 4).

¹¹ Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they are vanity. They sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

— “In Gilgal they have sacrificed oxen.” Gilead represents all the country on its side, the East of Jordan; “Gilgal,” all on its side, the West of Jordan;

— in both, God had shown forth his mercies; in both, they dishonored God, sacrificing bulls to idols, as a gift to the devils; in both they had a multitude of altars that stood there, so the Targum says,”they have multiplied their altars, like heaps upon the borders of the fields.”

¹² And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

— and Jacob chose poverty and servitude rather than marry an idotatress of Canaan; he went to serve for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep;

— and so the last clause is supplied by the Targum: this was after his flight into Syria, and before he fled from Laban, whom he served seven years for Rachel; and seven years more for the same in like manner.

¹³ And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

— here, a prophet Moses is referred to, and perhaps, a hint that the Lord would yet again save Israel from worse than the Egyptian bondage where they had been bondmen two hundred and fifteen years;

— and by the words and warnings of another prophet, Joshua, they were preserved and were safely conducted through Jordan into the land of Canaan, and settled there; where the covenant of circumcision was renewed, and the first Passover was kept.

¹⁴ Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly; therefore shall He leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.

— “return unto him” it was Ephraim or the ten tribes that provoked God to stir up his wrath against them; God Himself will bring disgrace upon Ephraim, undoing their pride and exposing their corruption;

— “The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20

— this sequence would re-occured at the endtime, where Ephraim would fall into captivity first, then after 150 years, Judah would join the fall; and together, for another 40 years; (for details, see Ezekiel 4 – 190/40 Years of captivity).

Posted in Minor Prophets

Chapter 9 starts with “rejoice not” when Ephraim or Israel return to Egypt and Assyria, eating unclean food in both places where Israel have been in captivity. But another prophetic Captivity is destined for the endtime.

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20; “In latter days you will understand it fully,” or even “you will understand it fully in the latter days.”

For an indepth study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Hosea 9

¹ Rejoice not for joy, O Israel, as other people, for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God; thou hast loved for reward upon every threshing floor.

— for thou hast gone a whoring; playing the harlot with many nations; committing adultery; worshipping idols, making feasts and dancing before them; and so departing from God;

— the Targum says it this way: “for you have strayed after the worship of your God; you loved to serve idols on every threshing floor,” alluding to the hire of a harlot, prostituting herself for it on a corn floor or anywhere else.

² The floor and the wine press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

— nothing seems to satisfy her as idolatrous Israel is personified as a harlot; and wine-drinking was, in fact, so closely connected with the customs of idolatry.

³ They shall not dwell in the Lord’S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

— Ephraim returning to Egypt and Assyria. and eating unclean food in both places where they have been in captivity; the indication of this word “shall” used three time above is prophetic; reverting back into Captivity, another time in “Egypt” for 190 years perhaps.

⁴ They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto Him; their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners. All that eat thereof shall be polluted, for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord.

— in other words, the bread eaten at funeral meals; this was regarded as unclean, because the corpse defiled the mourners and then the house, and all who came in contact with it, for seven days (Numbers 19:14).

— they have gone too deep into idolatry that any sacrifices would be viewed as the bread of mourners; and instead of being acceptable to God, were abominable to him; and all that partook them should consider them as funeral feasts; God’s feasts are always joyous.

⁵ What will ye do in the solemn day (moed H4150), and in the day of the feast (cḥaḡ H2282) of the Lord?

— here “the solemn day” would the referring mō‛ēd (H4150 appointed time) and feasts of the Lord would be of a different kind: cḥaḡ (H2282);

— the three feasts at which Israel was to appear before the Lord, viz., the Passover (cḥaḡ H2282 Leviticus 23:6), Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles (cḥaḡ H2282 Leviticus 23:34), are described as chaggı̄m; and every other joyous festival is also called a chag;

— whereas mō‛ēd (H4150) simply expresses the idea of a holy assembly; the two words are synonymous, but they are so arranged that by chag the idea of joy is brought into greater prominence, and the feast-day is thereby designated as a day of holy joy before Yehovah; whereas mō‛ēd simply expresses the idea of a feast established by the Lord, and sanctified to Him;

— another word miqra (H4744 a convocation) is used very often in Leviticus 23 and elsewhere.

⁶ For lo, they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess the pleasant places for their silver; thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

— in Egypt they hope to be quiet, and survive these desolations, and to return into their own land; but they shall die in Egypt, and Egyptians shall lay them out and prepare them to their grave.

⁷ The days of visitation have come, the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad because of the multitude of thine iniquity and great hatred.

— the prophet is a fool; so Israel said, before those days came, of a true prophet of the Lord, that he was a fool for prophesying of evil things, but now they shall find it otherwise;

— so the Targum says: “they of the house of Israel shall (note the subtle change of present ‘is’ to future tense ‘shall’) know that they who had prophesied to them were true prophets;”

— but there are going to be false prophets, who, when the day of God’s visitation shall come on Israel in a way of wrath and vengeance, will appear both to themselves and others to be fools, for prophesying good things to them, when evil was at hand;

— “the prophet is a fool” indicates their prophets today don’t know much about the prophecies of the Old Testament; mainly their false prophets pretend to much inspiration and flattered their faithfuls with false hopes and vain promises of safety and prosperity.

“The days of punishment have come, the days of requital for sins have arrived. The house of Israel shall know that true prophets were prophesying to them, but they treated them as fools, and false prophets they considered delightful—because your sins multiplied and your transgressions grew strong.” Hosea 9:7 Jonathan

⁸ The watchman of Ephraim was with my God; but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.

— the watchman of Ephraim was with my God; formerly the watchmen of Ephraim such as Elijah and Elisha were with the true God, with revelations and instructions from him; and were under the inspiration of his spirits, and prophesied in his name things according to his will;

— but now the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways; these are false prophets, instead of guiding and directing Ephraim in the right way in which he should go, they lay snares for him in all the ways he takes, to lead him wrong, and draw him into sin, particularly into false doctrines and false prophecies;

— these false prophets, as well as those of Judah in her latter years, flattered the kings who supported them, misled them, encouraged them in disbelieving the threats of God, and so led to their destruction; and after everything is over, these prophets become detestable in the house of God.

⁹ They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. Therefore He will remember their iniquity; He will visit their sins.

— as recorded in Judges 19:16-22, when the abominable conduct of the men of Gibeah in connection with the concubine of a Levite from Bethlehem, Judah, took place; the consequence of which her body was cut into twelve pieces and send to all the twelve tribes of Israel; and the tribe of Benjamin was almost exterminated;

— this same depravity on the part of Israel could be equally punished; he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins: that is, God, my God, as the prophet calls him in Hosea 9:8, will not forgive and forget their sins; pardon being often expressed by a non-remembrance of sins;

— but God will make inquiry after them, who persisting in their sins, like the men of Gibeah and Benjamin; and “he will visit their sins” that is, visit them in a way of wrath and judgement,

— and punish for them (who prided themselves as “liberal” democracies, promoting their LGBTqia agenda and other filths by coercing other countries with threats and falsehoods) as they deserve: perhaps, by the same Lord in the latter days.

¹⁰ “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe of the fig tree at her first season. But they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame, and their abominations were according as they loved.

— Baalpeor was the place where Moabitic idolatry was practised. This great disgrace had burned itself into their national traditions and literature (Numbers 25; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalm 106:28-31).

¹¹ As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

— the greatest glory, perhaps, of Ephraim was their fruitfulness; “double fruitfulness” being the meaning of their blessings; now that glory of populousness was to vanish speedily: no birth, no pregnancy and no conception, like birds winging their way swiftly out of sight.

¹² Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left; yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

— yet will I bereave them; their parents of them, by the Sword, Famine, Pestilence, or by carrying them Captive into a foreign country;

— that there shall not be a man left; in the whole land of Israel, but all shall be destroyed, or carried captive; or either from being men, as though they are brought up to some ripeness, and a more adult age than others, yet arrive not to such a time and age as to be called men.

¹³ Ephraim, as I saw Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.”

— the reference to Tyre seems prophetic and read it as: “I look on Ephraim even as I look on Tyre, planted in a secure resting-place.” The impregnable fortress of Tyre was a conspicuous object in the days of Hosea; her strength, her pride, and in the end, her fall;

— so as in today’s Ephraim; the United States has seven fleets plowing up and down the five oceans effortlessly without any challenge;

— the Septuagint continues with a dark ending: “Ephraim, even as I saw, gave their children for a prey; yea, Ephraim was ready to bring out his children to slaughter.”

— a parallel Scripture in Isaiah: “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!” Isaiah 28:1

¹⁴ Give them, O Lord — what wilt Thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

— give them, O Lord; what wilt Thou give? the question interrupting the flow of thought showing the deep indignation of the prophet Hosea over the willful corruption of his people;

— give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts, sterility being considered a disgrace and a reproach, one of the sternest punishments of the Lord; population decline are prominent among the children of Israel, due to their collapse of fertility rate, especially among the countries in the northern kingdom;

¹⁵ “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them; for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of Mine house. I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.

— the wickedness of the northern kingdom had its focus there, at Gilgal, seems like it was their capital during the early years, their crimes recorded in Judges 19:16-22, were, perhaps in a provincial Gibeah, belongeth to Benjamin;

— of violating a travellor from Bethleham from Judah by certain sons of Belial of committing a sin, LGBTqia, described as “so vile a thing!” Judges 19:24. As a result concubine body was cut “into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the regions of Israel.”

¹⁶ Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.”

— Ephraim is smitten, like a plant struck by the direct rays of the sun; or suffer to be slain, either by the Sword of the enemy, or by Famine, or by Pestilence, or by some disease or another;

— their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb, by permitting their children to be killed by civil wars, conspiracies and murders among themselves.

¹⁷ My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

— and they shall be wanderers among the nations, being dispersed by their enemies, having no settled place of their own, nowhere where they can be called a people, or are for such owned: exiles, fugitives, and vagabonds. Deuteronomy 28:65.

Hosea 10

¹ Israel is an empty vine; he bringeth forth fruit unto himself. According to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. — the people of Israel are often compared to a vine, but “empty ” in the English translation is ambigious;

— Israel is an empty [or perhaps a luxuriant] vine; and such an one from whence fruit might be expected, planted in good soil, pouring out much fruits, emptying itself;

— the Septuagint understands it in a positive sense, rendering it, “a flourishing vine, her fruit is abundant” putting forth branches, leaves and fruit;

— but the Targum renders it posiviely initially and in reverse eventually:

“Israel is a luxuriant vine, established by its practice of Torah. But the fruit of their deeds brought exile. When I increased their prosperity, they increased idol worship. When I brought goodness to their land, they built altars before their images.” Hosea 10:1 Jonathan

— although Israel is likened positively to a “luxuriant vine” the fruit of their deeds caused them to be yielding unrighteousness, their abundance should bring blessing, more fruit or material wealth, the better the harvests, but it soon brings more altars to their gods; the more the obelisks or pillars to pagan gods;

— and in the context of this chapter, the Targum rendering is more complete and correct, as the text below says Israel’s hearts are divided between God and their idols, rather than wholly belonging to God.

² Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty. He shall break down their altars; He shall despoil their images.

— Israel’s heart is divided; between God and their idols, as in Ahab’s time between God and Baal; or for today, between God and the world;

— as the Targum says; their hearts were divided between God and their idols; as in Ahab’s time between God and Baal; they pretended to worship God when they worshipped the calves, as if they had done that which was right and good, and were guilty of no evil;

— or further back, the heart of “Thy calf, O Samaria” (refering to Israel; Hosea 8:5-6), are divided between worshipping the God of Israel and worshipping the Sun.

³ For now they shall say, “We have no king, because we feared not the Lord. What then should a king do to us?”

— when Israel is in captivity, they shall say, we have no king; they had none to protect and defend them.

⁴ They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant; thus judgement springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

— swearing falsely, by perjury deceiving those they treated with, in making a covenant; either among themselves, accepting a usurper, promising and swearing fealty to him; or with their allies;

— judgements, divine judgement shall prevail not as a blessing, but as a curse; not as a precious harvest, but as a poisonous plant;

for more about swearing falsely, see Who is this lying Ephraim?

⁵ The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof who rejoiced on it for the glory thereof, because glory has departed from it.

— for the people thereof shall mourn over it; either the people of Samaria [but read Israel]; who would mourn over their loss, being taken away from their land, and disposed of as in the next verse;

— again, the link between verse 5 and verse 6 shows that the golden calves of Samaria, are intrinsicaly linked with the calves of Ephraim;

— the full literal rendering from the Targum:

“Because they worshiped the calf in Bethel, the king with his army will rise against them and exile them. They will carry away from them the calf of Samaria. For its people will mourn over it, and its worshipers will tremble for its glory, because it has departed from it.”

⁶ It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to King Jareb. Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

— and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel; of giving in to such idolatry, contrary to the counsel, mind and will of God;

— or of the counsel which they and Jeroboam took to set up the golden calves at Dan and Bethel, and thereby to keep the people from going up to Jerusalem, whereby they cut themselves off from the true God.

⁷ As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

— again, this is talking of the kings of Ephraim; after three years’ siege she shall be cut off. Her king is cut off; for all the rest of the kingdom was lost, and now he is rather a prisoner than a king.

⁸ The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

— shall say to the mountains, Cover us! and to the hills, Fall on us! That is the cry of the unbelievers, mockers, when they see the judgement approaching them, when it is too late for salvation. Cf Isaiah 2:19; Luke 23:30.

⁹ “O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah. There they stood. The battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.

— O Israel, thou hast sinned; you of the ten tribes, headed by Ephraim, with such consent have sinned, that you seem to do it as one man;

— Gibeah is emblematic of gross and cruel sensuality, in allusion to Judges 19:20, just as Sodom and Gomorrah is used for unnatural vice.

¹⁰ It is in My desire that I should chastise them, and the people shall be gathered against them when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

— when I shall chastise them for their two iniquities; namely, the calves of Dan and Bethel.

¹¹ And Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corn, but I passed over upon her fair neck. I will make Ephraim to ride, Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.”

— and Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, that is teachable; and loveth to tread out the corn; like a heifer taught to bear the yoke, and to plough; but learned it not,

— as the Targum; does not like it; chooses to tread out the corn where it can feed upon it, its mouth not being then muzzled, according to the law; oxen or heifers were used both in ploughing and treading out corn;

— “to pass over,” says some commentators, especially when it is said of God, “always signifies inflictions and troubles.”

¹² Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.

— the full literal rendering from the Targum

“O house of Israel, do for yourselves good works; walk in the way of truth; establish for yourselves the doctrine of the law; behold, at all times the prophets say to you, return to the fear of the Lord; now shall he be revealed, and bring righteousness to you.”

¹³ Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity, ye have eaten the fruit of lies, because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

— Septuagint: “ye have eaten false fruit; for thou hast trusted in thy sins, in the abundance of thy power;”

— “the fruit of lies” is destruction; the lies of the law being done away with; the lies surrounding Easter rabbits and Christmas, an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25; the lies of the trinity.

¹⁴ Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be despoiled, as Shalman despoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

— all thy fortresses shall be spoiled; every one of thy strong holds, those impregnable fortifications on which thou hast laid out all that art and diligence could, to make them able to break the power of the enemy that dares besiege them, these, every one of them, shall be wasted;

— as the plunder of a peaceful people by an ambush: Like plunderers who come upon a tranquil people suddenly with an ambush, for they did not beware of them to flee from before them, and they plunder everything; (for more see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline and The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!)

— in the day of battle; the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children, in an excess of unnatural cruelty; underscoring the completeness of the calamity.

¹⁵ So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness; in a morning shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off.

— in a morning shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off; meaning Hoshea, Hosea, or Osee, the last king of Israel, and the kingdom entirely destroyed; so that afterwards there was no more king in Israel, leaving neither root nor branch.

— during the life of Hosea, it was in the days of Hezekiah (Hosea 1:1); the kingdom of Israel was already exiled into captivity or in the process of doing so, so this message is prophetic; it was meant for the last days;

— the full literal rendering from the Targum

“Thus your sins that you committed in Bethel have caused this for you, because of the wickedness of your deeds. In the end it will happen, and the king of Israel will be cut off.”

Posted in Minor Prophets

Right at the start of this chapter, the first verse, the message is directed at the “iniquity of Ephraim” and the “wickedness of Samaria.” Ephraim is referred collectively as leader of the northern ten tribes; and elsewhere Ephraim and Manasseh has been established as the United States and the United Kingdom.

And eventually Ephraim will be caught in a snare: “My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in My [not China’s nor Russia’s] snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there,” Ezekiel 12:13.

“The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly,” Jeremiah 23:20. The important point is that only “in later days” will we be able to “understand it fully.”

For an indepth study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn.

Hosea 7

¹ “When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers despoileth without.

— the house of Israel is associated with the wholedom of Samaria; troop of robbers despoileth from outside Ephraim’s borders; by a gang of robbers in the streets, or on the highway: so the Targum says: “in the night they thieve in houses, and in the day they plunder in the streets;”

— the wordings of “the iniquity of Ephraim” and “the wickedness of Samaria” are written as if they are like the attraction of the north and south poles; or Siamese twins, or as intimate as hand in glove; that is, the wickedness of Samaria is intrinsically linked with the iniquity of Ephraim!

— when I would have healed Israel; this is hypothetical and prophetic; but the thief came in; as after returning from the Babylonian captivity, when the Lord attempted to remove their corruption, then the wickedness of Samaria was discovered, when Sanballat attempted to corrupt by offering his help in building the Temple in Jerusalem; failing which, he went on to built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim;

— Tobiah, an Ammonite and an ally of Sanballet, a Samaritan, was allowed and managed to infiltrate and influence Eliashib the Jewish high priest to pollute God’s Sanctuary in Jerusalem, Nehemiah 13:4; hence not only the Temple was desecrated, but their teachings, too;

— their sabbaths, which is Sundays, where the original keepers were the Samaritans, brought from Assyria, had infiltrated the house of Judah; and even modern Israel: “And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof,” II Kings 17:24;

— today more than 98.5 percent of Christians are worshipping the Sun by observing Sunday, worshipping on a pagan sabbath. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the SUN toward the east; whose Godly judgement is to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 17:3-5) – ’till they die (for more, see the Samaritans at the end).

² And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own doings have beset them about; they are before My face.

— God remember all their wickedness; this is the root of “all their wickedness.” They would not stop to say to themselves that God not only saw, but “remembered their wickedness” and not only this but that he remembered them all;

— they are before my face; so the Targum says, “which are revealed before me;” manifesting “all their wickedness” in God’s sight, but this they did not know, and therefore they went on in their bold and daring their evil deeds as they did.

³ They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

— but what about the kings? kings in the plural as in the Septuagint, meaning the succession of the kings of Israel from Jeroboam; who were highly delighted with their priests in offering sacrifice to the calves;

— by which they hoped to secure the kingdom of Israel to themselves, and prevent the people from going to worship in Jerusalem: it made them glad to the heart to hear them say that God was as well pleased with sacrifices offered at Dan and Bethel;

— “the princes with their lies” – modern version of Princely Mike Pompeo freely admitted those lies about the CIA: We lied, We cheated, We stole. Lying, that is, deception both in word and deed towards God and man, theft and highway robbery that are openly committed and have no fear of the vengeance of God;

for more, see Who is this lying Ephraim?

⁴ They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

— they: kings, princes, priests and people, are all adulterers, all in a spiritual and corporeal sense; they were all idolaters, given to idols;

— the Targum says, “they all desire to lie with their neighbours’ wives;” Jeremiah 5:7. So after passion has once been gratified, it smoulders on for a time, but is afterwards kindled to a greater heat than before when some attractive object comes within its range.

⁵ In the day of our king, the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

— kings and princes, as in the Septuagint, have made him sick with bottles of wine, such as those named in the Espstein Files: that is, the courtiers, prominent figures among the swarms of Washington DC, who attended at court on such a day to compliment their kings upon their inauguration, birthdays, Halloweens, to drink in large glasses of good wine.

⁶ For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait; their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

— whiles they lie in wait; their king, prince and scorners being heated with wine and their lust enraged, were ready for any chance of adultery, lying in wait for any young interns to appear to debauch them;

— or for rebellion and treason against their king, and even the murder of him, made drunk by them, whom they now despised, and waited for an opportunity to dispatch him.

⁷ They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen; there is none among them that calleth unto Me.

— and have devoured their judges; that stood in the way of making impartial judgements, but instead, subject themselves to politics;

— and there is none among these kings or judges that calleth upon biblical principles.

⁸ “Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

— Ephraim is a cake not turned, like a pancake burned on the lower side, while the upper side is not yet done; the entire cake is then not fit for food; just a pretender, neither a heathen idolater nor a true worshipper of God.

⁹ Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

— signs of senility are upon him; yet he knoweth not, being blind to all evidences of the inevitable end.

¹⁰ And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this.

“If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future, and we see the danger here to all of us,” says Madeleine Albright regarding the US as an ‘indispensable nation.’

— their pride [of Israel] testifieth to his face: “Only the United States [that is, not God’s] had the power to guarantee global security: without our presence or support, multilateral endeavors would fail.” ~ this phase, or with small variation, used by numerous American politicians.

¹¹ “Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

— silly dove; birds were captured with nets spread on the ground, in traps and snares; in this powerful metaphor, no creature is less able to defend itself than the dove, which flies from the bird of prey to the net of the fowler;

— and according to the Targum; but will fall by its flying right into the net of the bird-catcher, without suspecting or observing it in its search for food; instead of being faithful to God, Israel flutters between foreign powers.

¹² When they shall go, I will spread My net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

— though they fly on high, soar aloft, God will spread my net upon them; as fowlers spread the net, watch the birds, and cast it over them to catch them, so will God do to Ephraim;

— God will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard; what was written in the law, and in the prophets, if they did not observe the laws and statutes of the Lord their God, but neglected and broke them, see Leviticus 26:1,14-39.

¹³ Woe unto them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction unto them, because they have transgressed against Me! Though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against Me.

— yet they have spoken lies against me; cast off my law and government, spoke against his being and providence, or pretending repentance for their sins, when they were hypocrites, or setting up idols in opposition to him.

¹⁴ And they have not cried unto Me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against Me.

— they howled upon their beds; lying sick or wounded there; or, as some, in their idol temples, those beds of falsehood and deceits, where they pretended to worship God in his churches, and to pray to him through them; but such idolatrous prayers were no better than the howlings of wolves at night.

¹⁵ Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they contrive evil against Me. — here we have another instance of God’s goodness and Israel’s ingratitude; devising mischief against him.

¹⁶ They return, but not to the Most High; they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

— like a deceitful bow; religious observance has the appearance of a bow with the arrow on the string, apparently aimed at some object, but the string being slack, the aim is diverted;

— the word rendered “rage” is used as of the wrath of God elsewhere; but here, of the “wrath” and “foaming” of man against God; thus their tongue was raging like a “sharp sword” against God;

— they misled the people; taught them to trust in science and security, not in God; persuaded them to believe in themselves, and to disbelieve God; to believe, that the enemy should depart from them and nothing would carry them away as captives.

~~~~

The Samaritans, they have succeeded in having their heretic teachings adopted by the Sadducees and the Boethusians in the NT time. And today, such teaching are clinging to the Churches of God communities like shit stuck to a shovel: they just couldn’t shake it off!

The Samaritans are adversaries to the returning Jews because of (a) differences in defining what time at ben ha’arbayim when the Pascha lamb should be killed: the Jewish definition of ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings” is “after noon and until nightfall,”

— whereas the Samaritans is sunset or dusk; (b) when is omer, which translated to English is rendered “wave sheaf” offering to be made: the Jews definition has it on the annual Sabbath after Pascha, whereas the Samaritans has it the day after the weekly Sabbath during the days of unleavened bread;

— (c) after counting seven weeks after the omer, on what day Shavuot is to be kept: the Jews have it on Sivan 6th, whereas the Samaritans always have it on a weekly Sabbath;

— (d) the three annual feasts are to be kept in Jerusalem, whereas the Samaritans have their feasts on Mount Gerizim, which they consider a sacred mountain; and (e) once in roughly three years, the Samaritan calendar starts one month later than the Jewish calendar.

Here is what Wikipedia says about the Samaritans: “There has been a history of genetic disorders within the group due to the small gene pool,” and as such, resulting in various reports of high incidence of autism and cripples within their community, Genesis 12:3; but of course they manage to deflect from mentioning the downside of God’s curses upon those who show hostilities to the rebuilding of the house of God in Jerusalem.

Hosea 8

¹ “Set the trumpet to thy mouth! He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.

— “Set the trumpet to thy mouth,” or, as the Targum says, “O prophet, cry with thy throat as with a trumpet, saying;” called upon to blow his trumpet bidding them a warning concerning the approach of judgement.

— or as God bids the prophet Isaiah, “Cry aloud, spare not, llft up thy voice like a trumpet” Isaiah 58:1. As watchman, the prophets were set by God to give warnings of his coming judgements.

² Israel shall cry unto Me, ‘My God, we know Thee!’ — “they shall cry unto me” Israel turns to God only when calamity strikes; these transgressors of the covenant and the law,

— these hypocrites, shall only pray to God when in trouble, saying, “my God, we Israel” or Israelites, “know thee” and to this sense is the Targum, “in every time that distress comes upon them, they pray before me, and say, now we know that we have no God besides thee; redeem us, for we are thy people Israel.”

Remember, as a recollection, the Targum could be traced to the work of Ezra, highly regarded as a second Moses, and hence has prominence and enlightenment in giving us further understanding of biblical concepts which, oftentimes, where the message in the Masoretic Text are vague, uncertain, indefinite or unclear, the Targum provides greater clarity, wider insight and deeper intellect.

The verse above is another example. The original Masoretic lacks context, and the English King James version doesn’t make much sense until enlighted and provided with deeper insight by the Targum.

³ Israel hath cast off the thing that is good; the enemy shall pursue him.

— in the past, “Israel hath cast off” that is, Israel had rebelled against God, and the enemy came from the North, the Assyrian; but in the future, the enemy shall come from the South: see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

— the Targum says of an adverse event in the future tense, “the house of Israel have erred from my worship, for the sake of which I brought good things upon them; henceforward the enemy shall pursue them.”

⁴ They have set up kings, but not by Me; they have made princes, and I knew it not. Of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

— Israel have set up kings, but not by me; not by God’s authority, order and command; not by asking advice from him, but of themselves: starting with the case of Jeroboam their first king;

— but the United States is a democracy, hence selection of its kings are not from God, but by and from wealthy campaign contributors influencing their electorates in their selection for their kings [read presidents] and princes [read governors, senators, congressmen, etc]; and is not from God.

⁵ “Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; Mine anger is kindled against them. How long will it be ere they attain to innocency? — Samaria, that is, Ephraim, is identified with a calf; or a bull;

— the subject in question (verses 2 &3) is still Israel, yet God address Israel as “thy calf, O Samaria”

— hath cast thee off; or is the cause of thy being cast off by the Lord, and of being cast out of thine own land, and carried captive into another; the past tense is used for the future, as is common in prophetic writings;

— according to Samaritan tradition, key parts of the Jewish text were fabricated by Ezra. ‘Samaritan and Islamic scholars, as well as several of the Church Fathers, argue that Ezra falsified the Bible when he rewrote it and that the Torah we have now could not be the same as the one that Moses dictated; (Wiki: Samaritans).^[t]

— God’s anger is kindled against Israel, but for how long? this could be for 190 years, for more, see Ezekiel Timeline – 390/40 Years Timeline.

For an indepth study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn.

⁶ For from Israel was it also: the workman made it, therefore it is not God; but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. — again, the calf of Samaria;

— as stated before, the wickedness of Samaria or “the calf of Samaria” is intrinically linked with the iniquity of Ephraim!

— but the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces; or the calf of Ephraim being the reason it could not be God’s; this surely be broken to pieces by the enemy, from whom it could not save itself.

⁷ For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. It hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal. If so it shall yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

— for they (Samaria and Ephraim) have sown the wind; their idolatry sun worship, which spread throughout the world like a whirlwind!

— for their idolatry and continuance in it, the whirlwind of God’s wrath would be raised up against them, thus another “Assyrian army” like a storm of wind would rush in and destroy them; so they that sow, shall reap;

— if so it shall yield, the strangers shall swallow it up; the Targum says, “if they got substance, the nations shall spoil them of it.”

⁸ “Israel is swallowed up; now shall they be among the nations as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

— when Shalmaneser took Ephraim from Samaria, he carried them as captives and placed them among the nations in the cities of the Medes, II Kings 17:6; where they lived poor and abject, and were treated with the utmost neglect and contempt; no better than a vassal state.

⁹ For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim hath hired lovers.

— “Ephraim hath hired lovers;” as head of Nato, the United States had incorporated many Central and Eastern European countries as “allies and confederates, patrons and defenders” right up to the Russian bounder into her alliance;

— and is trying to extend this alliance into the Asia-Pacific:Japan and South Korea; but eventually she will be caught in a snare: “My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in God’s [not China’s nor Russia’s] snare;

— and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there” Ezekiel 12:13; and shall dwell in captivity like a wild ass.

¹⁰ Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

— yea, though they have hired; namely, allies; that is, allies among the nations; now will God gather them and will bring those very allies against their kings and princes.

— as the Targum says, “Even if the house of Israel were to place My fear upon their hearts; or if Israel belatedly acknowledged God’s authority, it would not undo the consequences of their rebellion.” These Ephraimites shall be gathered together to be led away in chains and dispersed among the nations.

¹¹ “Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

— God had appointed only “one” altar at Jerusalem; that is, any altar in Ephraim, from Dan to Bethel, and in all high places and tops of mountains, are an abomination; they had many high places and erected altars in all of them;

— the Targum says, “for the house of Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, the altars of their idols shall he to them for a stumbling block.”

¹² I have written to him the great things of My law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

— God have written to Ephraim the great things of his Law, literally, God presented to him the goodness of his laws and statutes; his true Sabbaths and true festivals;

— Great things; for their importance, weighty; for their excellency, precious; and for multitude of precepts, counsels, and directions, sufficient; my law had all this in it for their conduct in all righteousness towards God and man;

— the many precepts by which the Israelites might fulfill his will and be blessed; but they were counted as a strange thing; as though they did not concern them, dismissing or condemning them as “ceremonial” laws or as “the ancient Mosaic law;”

— replacing it with a “covenant of grace” so as to get rid of the law, statutes, ordinances; and any thoughts about the Sabbaths.

¹³ They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of Mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not. Now will He remember their iniquity and visit their sins; they shall return to Egypt.

— they have sacrificed the choicest sacrifices, and have eaten flesh: yet Yehovah taketh no delight in them.

— they shall return to Egypt, back to Captivity, once more be delivered into extreme misery, where they suffered for 210 years in bondage; but another one is coming, cut short to 190 years.

¹⁴ For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fortified cities. But I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.”

— God himself has allowed only one Temple, and it should be in Jerusalem, but today there are many counterfeit temples, such as those Latter-days Counterfeit Temples!

— but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof; that is, from “an enemy” that will set fire to their national icons, palaces, castles or towers, particularly New York, Paris, London, Jerusalem, their chief cities;

— and palaces of their king and nobles, and all the fine houses of their great men; as were destroyed by fires in the past by Shalmaneser the king of the Assyria; and 135 years later, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Jeremiah 52:13.

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Hosea is primarily to the house of Ephraim. Being the chief tribe of the ten tribes, Ephraim is often used in place of Israel when it is referring to northern kingdom. Elsewhere on this site Ephraim has been established as the United States.

So although Hosea may refer to situation in his time, the encrypted message of Ephraim and Israel today is specially meant primarily for the United States or the “Anglosphere” and secondarily its European allies.

For an indepth study, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Hosea 5

¹ “Hear ye this, O priests! And hearken, ye house of Israel! And give ye ear, O house of the king! For judgement is against you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. —  Hosea (born in the 8th century, around 784 BC), directs his message to the “house of Israel;”

— Hear ye this, O priests, the spiritual leaders of the people; and hearken, ye house of Israel, the family of the ten tribes as such; for judgment is against you;

— and give ye ear, in paying most careful attention, O house of the king, as the temporal rulers of the nation; for judgement is against you, it is intended all of them, to strike them down in due time.

² And the revolters are deep in slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

— the revolters; all those that have cast off the law of God, both in matters of religion and civil government;

— are profound; dig deep to hide their counsels, or have taken deep root since their apostasy from God, and revolt from the house of David; to make slaughter: all their religion is but a butchering of cattle to baal, and no sacrifice to God; or, which is worse, a murdering of men;

— so the Targum says, “the people are not just guilty of idolatry, but of multiplying sacrifices to falsehood;” instead of worship directed to God, they, priests, leaders, and people alike, lavish offerings on deceptive practices.

³ I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. — “Ephraim” and “Israel” are repeatedly mentioned, for emphasis;

— Ephraim and Israel are not hidden from me; though Ephraim may cover their designs from other nations;

— and seek deep to hide their counsel from them, and make plausible pretenses for what they do, and put on a good outward appearance; yet God, who knows Ephraim and their hearts cannot be deceived.

⁴ “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

— their unclean mind and inclination stands bent and fixed upon spiritual whoredoms, and they are incited to it by the seducing evil spirit.

⁵ And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face; therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

— the way this verse is phrased, it seems like Ephraim will fall first, then Judah will fall also; which is true with historical records:

— Judah also fell into idolatry and were guilty of the same crimes as Israel, so should be involved in the same punishment, though not at the same time; for the Babylonish captivity, in which Judah was carried captive, was about 135-150 years after Ephraim;

— this sequence could re-occured at the endtime, where Israel would fall into captivity first, then after 150 years, Judah would join the fall; and together, for another 40 years; (for more, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline).

⁶ They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.

— but they shall not find God; now as a punishment, and to leave them remediless, God will not be found of them; he may not accept a sacrifice, or pardon their sin, or return to save them.

⁷ They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children. Now shall a month devour them with their portions.

— now shall a month devour; the word indicates the nearness and suddenness of God’s judgements; the term “month,” their rapidity. A “month” is not only a brief time, but is almost visibly passing away;

⁸ “Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah! Cry aloud at Bethaven! After thee, O Benjamin!

— according to the Targum, the words are directed to the prophets, “O ye prophets, lift up your voice like a trumpet”

— to declare to the house of Israel their sins and transgressions, and the punishment that would be inflicted on them for them; or it may be, this is a call of the people to fasting, mounting, and lamentation, as in Joel 2:1.

⁹ Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. — Ephraim was taken away for a long time ago; and was never restored;

— the head of the ten tribes shall be laid desolate, their inhabitants destroyed either by the Sword, or Famine, or Pestilence, and the rest carried as Captives, as they were by Shalmaneser; and again in the “days afar off” – our time, of the Lord’s rebuke and chastisement.

¹⁰ The princes of Judah were like them that remove the landmarks; therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them like water. — Judah will also go down, following Ephraim, as history recorded them;

— this sequence could be repeated at the endtime, where Israel would fall into Captivity first, then after 150 years, Judah would join the fall; and together, for another 40 years; (for a more indepth Study, see Ezekiel 4 – 190/40 Years of captivity.

¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgement, because he willingly walked after the commandment [of man].

— or as the Targum says “The nobles of the house of Ephraim are subdued in their judgments, for their judges turned aside to pursue false money,” which clarifies this uncertainty; by the tyranny of their kings or nobles, and the injustice of their judges, who looked only monetary gains, not God’s commandment.

Remember, as a recollection, the Targum could be traced to the work of Ezra, highly regarded as a second Moses, and hence has prominence and enlightenment in giving us further understanding of biblical concepts which, oftentimes, where the message in the Masoretic Text are vague, uncertain, indefinite or unclear, the Targum provides greater clarity, wider insight and deeper intellect.

The verse above is one such example. The original Masoretic is uncertain, and the English King James version doesn’t make sense until enlightened and corrected by the Targum.

¹² Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

— will I be unto Ephraim as a moth; as had been from Jeroboam’s death to this day, which eats garments, penetrates into them, feeds on them quietly, secretly, and gradually consumes them; but at last utterly, they are just of no use left.

¹³ “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to King Jareb. Yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

— then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, looking for assistance from the heathens instead of consulting the Lord; again, Ephraim is recorded first, Judah following behind in going down; its significance could be prophetic.

¹⁴ For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah; I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

— I, even I, will tear and go away, as a lion withdrawing to his den; I will take away, and none shall rescue Ephraim and Judah, for with the Lord’s merciful presence removed, there is no hope of deliverance;

— I, even I, in an emphatic way, will tear and go away; as a lion tears its prey in pieces it seizes upon, and goes away, and leaves it torn, having satisfied itself;

¹⁵ I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offense and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me early.”

— this is flashing forward, as if it is a Second Coming, where redemption becomes available again, but the house of Israel will have to go into captivity; perhaps for a period of 190 years! On reflection they were in Egypt for about 210 years, so some solemn cheers; this coming captivity is 20 years shorter.

— and those who consistently break the Law of Moses (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28) in their Judgement shall be more than horsewhipped!

— they would suffer by the Sword, by Famine, by Pestilence and spending years in Captivity to reflect; that is “till they acknowledge their offense and seek My face;” and repent (for more see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline and The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!).

Hosea 6

There is a great time gap from their detestable filthy and abominable stage in chapter 5 to one where the house of Israel would be ready to accept God’s statues, judgements and new spirits in chapter 6; in fact in the book of Ezekiel, it flashes from chapter 2 to chapter 37.

¹ Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. — sound like what Yeshua had gone through: his flesh was torn to heal us; but most translations say “he has torn us to pieces”

— it’s very prophetic, yet from a rather historical perspective as Rashi comments; he smites, and He will bind us up: Heb. It is a present tense. He smites us, and He will bind us up;

— the Targum says

“They will say: ‘Come, let us return to the service of the Lord, for He is the one who struck us and will heal us; the one who brought affliction upon us will bind our wounds and give us rest.’”

² After two days will He revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. — a fulfillment of Luke 24:46, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

— after two days; and in the third day; this and the preceding expression could be passages refering to the death and resurrection of Christ; 1 Corinthians 15:4; the Targum only hints at; which says “He will raise us up on the third day,” this interprets as a reference to techiyat hametim (resurrection of the dead, a metaphor of healing and restoration into a doctrinal statement about eschatology;

— hence, other interpretation: as a thousand years is to God a single day (II Peter 3:8); the first day is the captivity of the ten tribes by the Assyrians, and of the other two tribes under the Babylonians, considered as one judgement upon the nation and both were in the fourth millennium (1 BC to 999 BC);

— beginning with the captivity of the ten; the second day is the fifth millennium, beginning with the first coming of the Messiah and the dispersion of the house of Judah by the Romans. The third day is the sixth millennium (1000 AD to 1999 AD), scattered with some restoration of the Messiah to the house of Israel.

Flashing forward into the third millennium will bring the scene to our time, when the house of Israel will be revived; the United States gained independence on July 4, 1776 and grew into a great united nation; then the revival of many churches (Catholics, Protestants; LDS, SDA, CoGs, JW, Pentecostal, Evangelical) but toward the end, to be preceded by 190 years of captivity for the house of Israel and 40 years for the house of Judah (Ezekiel 4).

³ Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

— after the 190 years of captivity for the house of Israel; and 40 years for the house of Judah, then “shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.” Only then they would known, so today they don’t know, though they pretend very hard to know; very strange people!

⁴ “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

— God is expressing his predicament, thus asking O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee?

— for your goodness is as a morning cloud; your goodness or godliness as morning cloud; soon easily dispersed by the sun; and as the early dew; they vanish quickly and without effect;

⁵ Therefore have I hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; and [My] judgements are as the light that goeth forth.

— Rashi: Because I have hewed by the prophets: Heb. עַל-כֵּן. Because I hewed My words upon them through the prophets, but they did not take heed, therefore…the Targum is, “my judgment goes forth as the light.”

— the Targum says it clearer for the whole: “Therefore, because I warned you through the mission of the prophets and you did not return, I brought upon you those who kill, because you transgressed against the word of My will. And My judgment goes forth like a river.”

— The revelation above as to the consequence of rejecting God’s prophets is another example where the  Targum offers greater clarity and deeper insight where the Masoretic Text is subject to ambiguities.

⁶ For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

— for I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, that is, rather than sacrifice, this being spoken comparatively. I am better pleased with true goodness, ethical conduct, compassion and charity towards men, than with the most exact observance of the duties of sacrifices:

— a parallel verse in I Samuel 15:22 says “And Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams;”

— and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings; which were reckoned the greatest and most excellent sacrifices; but knowledge of God is preferred to them; not just knowing the laws of Moses as a lawgiver, judge, and consuming fire;

— but how to execute them justly and at times where situations require, mercifully; that is, to have a form and shell of godliness, but to deny its substance, is the essence of hypocrisy.

⁷ But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant; there have they dealt treacherously against Me.

— in the covenant they entered into, and then breaking it by offering sacrifices to idols, under a pretense of offering them to God, was dealing treacherously against him.

⁸ Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.

— Gilead is a city inhabited by Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh; and is polluted with blood; murders committed there have polluted it, or murderers protected there against the law of God, who provided these cities a relief; and so belonged to the ten tribes;

⁹ And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder on the way by consent; for they commit lewdness.

— “in the way of Shechem” as good people passed by Gilead to Shechem, and so to Jerusalem, to worship there at the solemn feasts, they lay in wait for them, scheming for ambush and murdered them; because they did not give into up their idolatrous worship of the calves at Dan and Bethel.

¹⁰ I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

— I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel; idolatry, starting with the calves set up at Dan and Bethel, which God saw with abhorrence and detestation;

— and later, at Mount Gerizim, they corrupted themselves with a new version of their passover at sunset, at dusk, worshipping the Sun, yet pretending to worship God!

— a parallel Scripture in Jeremiah 8:2; facing the East, worshipping the Sun: the worship of heavenly bodies was against God’s will which Moses had warned the people (Deuteronomy 4:19, 17:3, whose penalty is to be stoned to death, Deuteronomy 17:5 ’till they die).

— those 25 men in Ezekiel 8:16 corrupted themselves by worshipping the sun; and so the Targum renders it, “and, lo, they corrupted themselves, worshipping facing the east the sun; their backs toward the temple of the Lord”

— they turned their backs against the most holy place; which is an aggravation of their impiety; these pretenders casting their utmost contempt for God.

¹¹ Also, O Judah, he hath set a harvest for thee, when I returned My people from captivity.

— Israel, in verse 10 above, is always mentioned first, followed here by Judah, who didn’t have the wisdom to take the warning seriously, hence they, too, will go into captivity after Israel has gone into captivity for 150 years. Another 40 years to add towards 190 years in total (Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline).

Posted in Minor Prophets

Chapter 3 starts with a parable expressing the love of God to Israel, but their ingratitude to him would have much reflection again upon the house of Ephraim today. This chapters often flash forward when they repent or back as as the state of Ephraim now, and concludes with a prophecy of their conversion to God in the latter days.

Elsewhere on this site Ephraim has been established as the United States. So although the prophet Hosea may refer to situation in his time, the encoded message of Ephraim and Israel is meant, primarily, for the United States or the “Anglosphere” or the “Five Eyes;” and, secondarily, its European allies.

Hosea 3

¹ Then said the Lord unto me, “Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love flagons of wine.”

— then said the Lord unto me; or, as the Targum says, “Go again, prophesy about the House of Israel” for the Hebrew expression shows that this is a new vision, prophecy or parable; and is a different woman from Gomer, the person whom he had espoused before seems evidently to be intended.

² So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley and a half homer of barley.

— fifteen pieces of silver; an indication she’s made herself very cheap, for a slave would normally be sold for twice the number of silvers; Exodus 21:32.

³ And I said unto her, “Thou shalt abide for me many days. Thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man. So will I also be for thee.”

— and I said unto her; having bought or hired her; this was the covenant or agreement he made with her.

⁴ For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim.

— here begins a more plain and full explication of the symbolical action of the prophet, namely, that it signified what should befall the children of Israel; for they shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince;

— that is, in a state of captivity, but more importantly as seen from God’s point of view, no man of character of the likes of David, Hezekiah or Josiah among the northern kings.

⁵ Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.

— after almost three thousand years, “in the latter days,” the house of Israel will end their abandonment and captivity with the appearance of “My servant David” in the “valley full of dry bones” scenario (Ezekiel 36-37) where they will dwell securely.

Hosea 4

¹ Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel; for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land.

— “there is no truth;” which is extremely true; a majority (99.99%) of professing “Christians” didn’t know the simplest of what constitutes the Oracles of God; and here.

² “By swearing and lying, and killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. — the repetition of “and” builds a rhythm of relentless wrongdoing;

— by swearing, and lying; false swearing, as the Targum interprets it; for it not only takes in all cursing and imprecations, profane oaths, and taking the name of God in vain;

— and eager to be engaged in crimes of the worst kind, and blood toucheth blood, one act of mass-shooting of bloodshed following another. Mike Pompeo admitted, ‘We Lied, We Cheated, We Stole’ in the CIA;

“I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole,” former CIA director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on April 15, 2019 at a forum at Texas A&M University. “It was like – we had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.”

Interestingly, a Christian religious news broadcaster that described Pompeo’s words with such precision as follows: “that’s not the resume of the Secretary of State… that’s the resume of Satan.”

 — and blood toucheth blood; the US is on track to set record in 2023 for mass shootings and killings. No other industrialised country outside war and conflict zones experiences such habitual gun violence in civic life.

³ Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

— yea, Famine, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away; whether by drying up the waters of rivers, lakes and ponds, or by corrupting them with blood and other carcasses.

⁴ Yet let no man strive with, nor reprove another; for this people are as they that strive with the priest.

— yet let no man strive nor reprove another, that is, conditions being so bad as they are, all attempts to change the corruption would be vain.

⁵ Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.

— individuals are spoken of as children; the whole nation as their mother; their state, or kingdom and their false synagogues or churches; they were to be cut off, root and branch;

— and God will destroy thy mother; the northern Israelites; and as the Targum says, you shall stumble in the daytime; and the false prophets that are with them shall stumble as in the night.

⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me. Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

— the Christians reject that the Jews have the Sceptre, the law, hence their main pretenders altered the Sabbath to Sunday worship; others always have Pentecost on Sundays; these ‘Christians’ could not know God; his law, his judgement and his true Sabbaths! both penetrated by Samaritan teachings;

— further, the Oracles of God are inferred here; but his people reject these truths;

— the Jews are blinded as to find their Messiah (revealed plainly in Isaiah 52:13 Targum as their Messiah); Hence numerous repeats of the Son of God in the OT; repeats and reminders; but they couldn’t find their Mashiach. To God, these lacks of knowledge are serious blindness!

⁷ “As they were increased, so they sinned against Me; therefore will I change their glory into shame. — therefore will I change their glory into shame, so that their greatness and prosperity would become a mockery in the eyes of the nations.

⁸ They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

— they eat up the sin of my people; that is, the priests of Jeroboam; they ate up the sacrifices which the people brought for their sins: pastors and ministers today, they eat the sin-offering of my people in their tithes and offerings;

— but they have no concern to instruct the people in the right way; all that they regarded are good eating and drinking, and living voluptuously; and careless about instructing the people in the nature of sacrifices, and of their duty.

⁹ And it shall be: like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

— and I will punish them for their ways; their evil ways, as the Targum says;

Two parallel verses reveal more details in Ezekiel:

² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

³ Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool, ye kill the ones that are fed; but ye feed not the flock. Ezekiel 34:2-3 — but ye feed not the flock; did not govern the people well by doing justice and judgment among men, as became civil magistrates; did not deliver out words of faith and sound teachings, to feed the minds of men with, which is the duty of those that preside in the church of God.

¹⁰ For they shall eat and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom and shall not increase, because they have left off taking heed of the Lord.

— this comes true in those, who, through bodily disease, are not nourished by their food; also, including those who, through their own insatiate desires, are never satisfied, but crave the more greedily, the more they have.

¹¹ “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

— once a man turns to prostitutes and intoxicating drink for pleasure, he loses his sense of balance and judgement. Harlots and wine take away a man’s mind.

¹² My people ask counsel from their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from their God.

— my people ask counsel at their stocks; Hebrew, בעצו, at their wood, that is, the images of their idols made of wood; these they consulted as oracles, that they might foretel to them what was to come, or give them advice, what measures to take;

— for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err; a violent inclination and bias of mind to idolatry, which is spiritual adultery, and a strong affection for it, stirred up by an evil spirit, the devil; which so wrought upon them, and influenced them, as to cause them to wander from the true God.

¹³ They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good; therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

— therefore your daughters shall commit whoredoms, and your spouses shall commit adultery; or their daughters spouses;

¹⁴ I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery; for the men themselves consort with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: Therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

— God will not punish their daughters when they commit whoredoms, nor their spouses when they commit adultery; the words are rendered interrogatively, “shall I not punish your daughters?” Verily I will; and not them only, but their parents and husbands too, who deserve more severe corrections;

— the Targum says, “they associated themselves with whores, and ate and drank with harlots.”

— the people that doth not understand the law, what is to be done, and what to be avoided; the difference between true and false religion; have no knowledge of divine and spiritual things, at least are very wavering and unsettled in their minds about religion, having thought little, and know less, of the matter.

¹⁵ “Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, ‘The Lord liveth.’

— though the Ephraimites or people of the ten tribes committed adultery, both corporeal and spiritual, in their idolatrous worship, let Judah be warned of the same crimes.

¹⁶ For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer; now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

— slideth back as a backsliding heifer; rather, is stubborn like a stubborn heifer; as a stubborn cow; the object of their idolatrous worship, the calves at Dan and Bethel.

¹⁷ “Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.

— Ephraim is joined to idols; that is, the ten tribes of Israel, because Jeroboam, by whom the revolt was made, was the top dog, and Samaria, the metropolis of their kingdom, was in it: and

— so the Targum renders it, “the house of Israel has joined themselves to lustful desires;” lust and idolatry: to the calves at Dan and Bethel; to Baal, and other idols, they worshipped; leave him alone; that is, let him that is filthy be filthy still.

¹⁸ Their drink is sour; they have committed whoredom continually; her rulers with shame do love, ‘Give ye.’

— their drink is sour in their stomachs, having drank so much that they cannot digest it; hence nauseous eructations, with a filthy stench, are belched out; so it is a charge of drunkenness which Ephraim or the ten tribes were addicted to, and are accused of.

¹⁹ The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

— the wind hath bound her up in her wings; that is, the wind in its wings hath bound up Ephraim, or the ten tribes; meaning, that the wind of God’s wrath and vengeance, or the enemy, the Assyrian, should come like a whirlwind, and carry them swiftly, suddenly, and irresistibly, out of their own land, into a foreign country, into captivity;

— the Targum says, “the works of their great men are not right, as it is impossible to bind the wind in a wing;” referring to the sins of their rulers, as before: or rather the sense is, the wind shall get into the loose skirts of the garments of the Israelites.

Remember, as a recollection, the Targum, whose origin in the Aramaic language, could be traced to the work of Ezra, and hence has prominence and enlightenment in giving us further understanding of biblical concepts which, oftentimes, where the message in the Masoretic Text are vague, uncertain, indefinite or unclear, the Targum provides greater clarity, wider insight and deeper intellect.

Posted in Minor Prophets

The Prophecy of Hosea is primarily to the house of Ephraim (mentioned 32 times in this book, Hosea, which is more than in any other books of the Bible). Often, as Ephraim being the chief tribe of the ten tribes, the name is used in place of Israel (used 41 times) when it is referring to the northern kingdom.

Elsewhere on this site Ephraim has been established as the United States. So although the prophet Hosea may refer to situation in his time, the encoded message of Ephraim and Israel is meant, primarily, for the United States or the “Anglosphere” or the “Five Eyes,” and, secondarily, its European allies.

In Ezekiel, there are parallel passages expounding on what is written in Hosea:

In Ezekiel 6:2-3 it say: “Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them

³ and say: ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

— this message to the “mountains of Israel” — these mountains refer to the United States, the United Kingdom and France. . . .

— “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys” ~ the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

In Ezekiel 7:2 it says, “Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel: “An end! The end is come upon the four corners of the land.

— the Targum version for the above is: “the punishment of the end,” or “the punishment determined to come upon the four winds of the earth.” The Targum recognizes that the Israelites are all over the face of the earth, spread over the four winds at the endtime!

This landscape in Ezekiel 6:2-3 symbolizes various countries that would include Australia, New Zealand, Canada (and perhaps South Africa; that is, the Anglosphere) and numerous small islands around the world.

And in this context, “the land of Israel” and “over the face of the earth” would most probably include the modern state of Israel in Palestine.

Hosea 1

¹ The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

— Hosea; (born in the 8th century, around 784 BC), a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, whose name is the same with Joshua and Yeshua/Jesus, and signifies a savior;

— Hosea’s mission was to deliver Israel’s souls from going into the pit, as all true prophets are to be; so rouse and ripple up these drunkards of Ephraim with their crown of pride, Isaiah 28:1;

— in the days of Hezekiah: the throne of Judah had some periods of good princes: but the message was to Israel, which had no good princes at all.

² The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea: And the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms; for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.”

— for the land hath committed great whoredoms most frequently and most filthily; Ezekiel 23:2-4; Aholah, that is, Israel, played the harlot when she was mine, Ezekiel 23:5;

— the Targum interprets it, “go, prophesy a prophecy against the inhabitants of the idolatrous city, who add to sin,” for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord;

— and just a recollection; the Targum, whose origin in the Aramaic language, could be traced to the work of Ezra, and hence has prominence and enlightenment in giving us further understanding of biblical concepts which, oftentimes, where the message in the Masoretic Text are vague, uncertain, indefinite or unclear, the Targum provides greater clarity, wider insight and deeper intellect.

³ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, who conceived and bore him a son.

— the Targum, whose origin in the Aramaic language could be traced to Ezra, has the following: “and he went and prophesied against them, that if they returned, it should be forgiven them: but, if not, as fig tree leaves drop off, so should they; but they continued to do evil deeds.”

— Rabbi Rashi (1040-1105 France): that was her name by dint of her harlotry, for all would gratify their lust on her (גּוֹמְרִין) and they would tread upon her like a pressed fig (דְּבֵלָה; that is a euphemism for sexual contact). Jonathan, however, paraphrases: גֹּמֶר, that if they would return from their way, their retribution would be finished, and if not, they will be like unripe figs falling from the fig tree.

⁴ And the Lord said unto him, “Call his name Jezreel; for in yet a little while I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. — note, this is a prophecy to the house of Israel;

— and will cause to cease; that is, in the family of Jehu; his reign only for six months; and second, this could also has a reference to the utter cessation of this kingdom of the house of Israel as such in the times of Hoshea by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, II Kings 17:6;

— Rashi: name him Jezreel: Jonathan renders: Call their name the scattered ones; i.e. prophesy over them that they will be exiled, and they will be sown among the peoples.

⁵ And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” — in the valley of Jezreel: next to Samaria, and thus greatly greatly influenced by idoltary; a prophecy to the house of Israel;

— Jezreel was a beautiful and a broad valley or plain, stretching, from West to East, from Mount Carmel and the sea to the Jordan; here Ahab had a palace in his days, near to which was Naboth’s vineyard, and where God revenged his blood;

— the Targum says, “I will break the strength of the warriors of Israel in the valley of Jezreel;” that is, a prophecy to the house of Israel;

⁶ And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And God said unto him, “Call her name Loruhamah [that is, Not having obtained mercy]; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away.

— and God said unto him, call her name Loruhamah; which signifies, “she hath not obtained mercy;” no more have mercy upon the house of Israel;

— the Targum explains the same sense: “and they added and did evil works; and he said unto him call their name, who obtained not mercy by their works.”

⁷ But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.”

— no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will have mercy on the house of Judah; the three tribes of Judah, Levi and Benjamin, which retained the true worship of God among them; see Hosea 11:12;

— and though they often sinned against the Lord, God showed them mercy; and though they suffered being carried captives into Babylon, they returned after seventy years. This could be an aggravation of the perverseness and ingratitude of Israel that Judah was spared, when Israel were not.

⁸ Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived and bore a son.

— in the times of Pekah, king of Israel, who reigned twenty years; he was too powerful for Judah, and slew multitudes of them, and even assisted Rezin king of Syria against Ahaz king of Judah;

— the Targum says, “and the generation of them who are carried captive among the nations are found not to have obtained mercy by their works, but they added and did evil works.”

⁹ Then said God, “Call his name Loammi [that is, Not My people], for ye are not My people, and I will not be your God. — this, the third child, must be directed to the house of Israel, a prophecy;

— for ye are not my people; though he had chosen them to be his people; but they offered back the calves at Dan and Bethel; and therefore did not deserve the designation of God’s people;

— the Targum says, “for ye are not my people; because ye do not confirm the words of my law, my word shall not be your help,”

— this time lap to the next verse is so huge that some Orthodox Bibles (including the Chabad Bible) end Chapter 1 here and pushes the next few verses into chapter 2.

¹⁰ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, ‘Ye are not My people,’ there it shall be said unto them, ‘Ye are the sons of the living God.’

— according to the promise made to Abraham, the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, and the stars of heaven; which, as the one cannot be measured in the place where they have been carried captive;

— there seems a great time gap of over two thousand years, from “Ye are not My people,” to “Ye are the sons of the living God,” and like every Bollywood movies, they end with lots of high notes – HOOPLALA!

¹¹ Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head; and they shall come up out of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

— this is time flashing forward, into the Millennium, to the appearance of “My servant David,” in the “valley full of dry bones” scenario (Ezekiel 37) where the full house of Israel would dwell securely rather than in captivity;

— the Targum paraphrases it as: “one head of the house of David;” or “And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together as one;”

— “the day of Jezreel;” it has been a great and long day of trouble and affliction to them, signified by Jezreel; but now by the arm of God, by his power and mercy, and that in large numbers, of great comfort, joy, and happiness; so great will be on that day;

— so the Targum ended it: “for great will be the day of their [re]gathering.”

Hosea 2

¹ “Say ye unto your brethren, ‘Ammi’ [that is, My people], and to your sisters, ‘Ruhamah’ [that is, Having obtained mercy].

— these words are to be considered either in connection with the latter part of the preceding chapter, and as directed to the sons of the living God, who had not been, but now were, “Ammi,” the Lord’s people; and who had not, but now have, “Ruhamah,” obtained mercy.

² “Plead with your mother, plead; for she is not My wife, neither am I her Husband. Let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts,

— let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, namely, the shameless idolatry which was practiced throughout Israel at the time, and her adulteries from between her breasts, for Israel, in her shamelessness like a public harlot, who displays her profession with her bare breasts.

³ lest I strip her naked and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

— lest God would strip her naked as a punishment for her shameless exposure of herself in the practice of her spiritual wantonness, and set her as in the day that she was born.

⁴ And I will not have mercy upon her children, for they are the children of whoredoms.

— the above verse (and probably until verse 13) is best read:

(a) as a flashback before their repentance; or

(b) in context of the first word of the previous verse, “lest,” — lest I will not have any mercy upon her children, for they are children of whoredoms, all of them being guilty of the same shameless idolatry.

⁵ For their mother hath played the harlot; she that conceived them hath done shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.’

⁶ “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

⁷ And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then shall she say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.’

— I will go and return to my first husband; the God of Israel, whom the ten tribes departed from by worshipping the calves Jeroboam set up;

— but in the latter day will seek the Lord their God again, who was a husband to them, and shall cleave to him again, and all Israel shall be saved:

— so the Targum says, “I will go and return to the service of my first master, for it was well with me when I served him; henceforth I will not serve idols.”

⁸ For she did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

⁹ Therefore will I return and take away My corn at the harvest thereof, and My wine in the season thereof, and will recover My wool and My flax given to cover her nakedness.

¹⁰ And now will I uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of Mine hand.

¹¹ I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. — “mirth” amusements, especially as expressed with laughters; her feast days; which “Christians” understand and practice are:

(a) Christmas, which honors Mithraism – a form of pagan nature worship based on the Persian bull-slaying Sun-Goddess Mithra who on the darkest night of the year (December 20/21), gives birth to “Light” causing each day thereafter to grow longer until the Summer solstice; and Sunday was especially sacred; and

(b) Easters, a celebration of Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex; “the Queen of Heaven.” Her symbols (like the egg and bunny) were and still are fertility and sex symbols; and to those who actually think eggs and bunnies have something to do with the resurrection; and

(c) her sabbaths which is Sundays, where the original keepers were the Samaritans, brought from Assyria: And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof, II Kings 17:24.

¹² And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, ‘These are my rewards that my lovers have given me’; and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

— a parallel Scripture in Jeremiah: “The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly” Jeremiah 23:20

¹³ And I will visit upon her the days of the Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgot Me,” saith the Lord.

¹⁴ “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortingly unto her.

— parallel verses in Scripture are:

“And many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken, and be snared and be taken” Isaiah 8:15.

“And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against Me” Ezekiel 17:20.

¹⁵ And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ “And it shall be at that day,” saith the Lord, “that thou shalt call Me ‘Ishi’ [that is, My husband], and shalt call Me no more ‘Baali’ [that is, My Lord].

¹⁷ For I will take away the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

— the sense is, that idolatry shall be utterly abolished, even of every kind; not the worship of Baalim only, but of all other idols, Exodus 23:13,

— and so the Targum says, “and I will remove the name of any idols of the nations from their mouths.”

¹⁸ And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and warfare out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

— and I will break their bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth; all the instruments of war shall be no more, these mentioned being put for all the rest; the Pentagon and West Point will be demolished, swords shall be beat into ploughshares,

— and spears into pruning hooks; people will enjoy being farmers, and lots of them; some go on learning folk songs, dancing away, like Tibetan and Mongolian folk songs and dances, practicing their vocal cords praising God;

¹⁹ And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

²⁰ I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord.

²¹ “And it shall come to pass in that day I will hear,” saith the Lord, “I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth.

²² And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel.

— see, people will enjoy being farmers, and even herders, lots of them; and with plenty of good wine and time, many will go on learning folk songs, dancing away into the clouds.

²³ And I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to those who were not My people, ‘Thou art My people’; and they shall say, ‘Thou art my God.’”

~~~~~

— as said in v18,22 above, people will enjoy being farmers and herders, lots of them; and with plenty of time on hand and during in-between breaks along their open fields, they will go on learning and perfecting their folk songs, of their ethnic groups that had been accumulated over hundreds and even thousands of years, now singing and dancing away, like Mongolian, Pashtuni, Kashmiri among numerous other ethnic groups hills and valleys;

— and especially the Tibetan, among their shangri la idyllic hideaway mountains, and with good wine, their vocal cords moist and loosen further, singing and praising God with sweeter songs: “Thou art our God, too,” beaming with an even higher pitch from the roof of the world, like this Tibetan;

— and during the annual Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem: Zechariah 14, these ethnic groups singing and dancing with their finest ethnic colorful silk costumes from the enlarged outer court of a new Temple could pose a challenge to those Levites singing from inside the confine of the inner court; “Don’t be so loud,” some annoyed-looking officials appears from the inner court admonishing those singing too loud outside;

— but the loudest and most uncontrollable cheers comes upon the appearance of the dancing and singing Gypsies: “Beyond Our Wildest Dream” whose fortunes had greatly fallen since the great days of the great Pharaohs of Egypt; now their honor restored, displaying much renew joy and restraint cool pride than others, which greatly enlighten the whole world following some surrealistic chills running down their spines flooding their face with socking tears and more applause in response;

“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart” Jeremiah 3:17

— and of course, the Shekinah has returned, filling the much bigger Ezekiel Temple and its precinct with nice smell incense (five hundred cubits in length with five hundred in breadth: Ezekiel 45:2 – “875 by 875 feet”); the whole idyllic atmosphere permeanting all our five senses with surreal clouds rolling overhead and moving continuously along with the Glory of God.

Posted in Minor Prophets