WAR ON SUKKOT! (Part 4 - The Nations Come Up to Jerusalem)

18 Tishrei 5778
3rd Day Chol Hamoed Sukkot

Part 3

At Sukkot, we read prophecies about the nations coming up to Jerusalem. The famous one that Christians and their Jewish supporters like to quote is Zechariah 14.2...

"...it will come to pass that everyone left of the nations who came up against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to prostrate himself to the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the festival of Tabernacles."

It suits their purposes to pretend that the Christian "love-invasion" at this time of year is a fulfillment of that prophecy. Nowhere is that more evident than the so-called Jerusalem March, but that is the subject of tomorrow's blog post.

Here you can see a variation on the theme...

"Believers" means those who believe in the Christian man-god.

The reality is that the prophet very clearly describes that this comes only AFTER the War of Gog uMagog has ended.

It is much more likely that what we are seeing here is the fulfillment of two earlier prophecies of Zechariah which take place in the lead-up to Gog uMagog... 

Zechariah 12.3: "And it shall come to pass on that day that I will make Jerusalem a stone of burden for all peoples; all who bear it shall be gashed, and all the nations of the earth shall gather about it."

Zechariah 14.2: "...I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to wage war...."

I have no doubt that Gog uMagog is a multi-faceted war that will be fought not only militarily, but also in the political, economic, religious and social realms. 

The Christian invasion is just one aspect of this war, but it is a very important one for the very simple reason that few Jews have a clue that a battle is being waged for their hearts and minds - the most dangerous battlefield of all. 

And, in this case, our own sources are being used against us!

Going back to the issue of these Ephraimite Christians who are the worst because they intend to settle here permanently among us and claim our entire inheritance as their own, Hayovel is famous for quoting Yeshayahu 61.5:

 "...and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers."

So which are they - "lost tribes" or "foreigners"? They will call themselves whatever is most expedient for their purposes at the moment. But, never forget that they are the same old Christians we have been dealing with since the Greek (New) Testament was written just with some new twists.

Another prophecy now being quoted in regard to Ephraimite Christians is Zechariah 8.23: 

"In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

They are calling the Christian outpouring of "love" and stated desire to connect with Jews a "fulfillment" of this prophecy. They are calling it a "phenomenon" and a Christian "awakening". But, it is nothing of the sort. The idea that millions of disconnected Christians all over the globe are independently experiencing some spiritual epiphany that is drawing them in is patently false.

Here, in the words of one of the Ephraimite movement's founders is the proof that it has been orchestrated over the course of at least 20 - 30 years...

The modern Ephraimite movement is an independent grass-roots movement. The INDEPENDENT movement was initially inspired in the 1970's, 1980's and the early 1990's by various books written by Batya and Angus Wooten. It really didn't catch on until the days of the internet in the late 1990's. Perhaps people like myself and Monte Judah can be regarded as "fathers" of the independent grass-roots movement as we began to share with Christians that the New Testament teaches that believers in Yeshua as the Messiah SHOULD follow Torah and that Yeshua died on the tree to gather and unite the 12 tribes of Israel. BOTH of our ministries started in the mid 1990's. The MIA (Messianic Israel Alliance) was not birthed until 1999. So, the MIA is SEPARATE from my ministry and the ministry of Monte Judah. We have INDEPENDENT ministries. In order to further spread this message, I wrote my book, "Restoring the Two Houses of Israel" which opened up the eyes of many to this understanding. In addition, as the internet made communicating the message easier to others, there were people all around the world especially in the USA who were ready to hear the message. (Source)

Here is another explanation of how this "awakening" is being purposefully brought about by false teachers bent on spreading another false "gospel"... 

Al McCarn (Hebrew Nation Radio): ...the Hebrew Awakening happening across the globe. In Pakistan, for example, Pastor Qaiser Ilyas shared by video his work in building Hebrew language and Torah teaching programs in Urdu for children and adults. Valerie Bulkunu, representing the Aboriginal people of Australia, shared the revival that is beginning among the youth of her people, and the awakening among Aboriginals to their Hebrew roots and Israelite identity. A similar phenomenon is happening among the Mizo people of northeast India, as Margot Crossing related in her report about the descendants of exiled Israelites who migrated across the Silk Road into South Asia. These developments are happening simultaneously with the better-known Torah awakenings in Europe and North America, and in time will have an even more significant impact as tens of millions of Ephraimites come into the understanding of their covenant identity.

These exciting reports have been tempered with sobering elements. In Pakistan, Hebrew believers are a twice-oppressed minority: first as followers of Yeshua in a Muslim nation, and then by the church in Pakistan, which has largely shunned them. Fernandino Ibo related a similar story of persecuted Christians and Hebrew believers in Papua, Indonesia. Persecution is not prevalent in Australia, but the established church has resisted the Hebrew awakening among Aboriginals. Reports from every country carry the same elements of isolation, with Hebrews finding it difficult to connect with like-minded believers due to their relatively small numbers in each country and the large distances between them. Most of the reports contained sobering news of poor governmental relations with the State of Israel, although in many countries the people – particularly Christians – are far more favorable to Israel and the Jewish people than their governments. (Source)

Daniel Botkin takes it a step further...

...Christians need to be made to understand that they cannot be a partaker of the new covenant unless they are part of the house of Israel or the house of Judah. They may be of 100% Gentile ancestry, but they have to join themselves to one of the two houses in order to lay claim to any new covenant privilege or status. Even the true Gentile "companions" had to be in one of Ezekiel's two sticks. There was no third stick called "the stick for the Gentiles." The twelve gates of the New Jerusalem have the names of the twelve tribes written on them. There is no gate labeled "Gentiles." If Gentiles wish to enter the New Jerusalem, they will have to identify with one of the twelve tribes and pass through that tribe's gate. Once a Christian has been awakened to his spiritual identity as a full-fledged member of the house of Israel, it will be easier for him to relate to his Israelite heritage - Israel's Torah, Israel's Sabbath, Israel's history. Because the Christian is joined to Israel's Messiah, he is also joined to Israel. Israel's Torah, Israel's Sabbath, and Israel's history also become his Torah, his Sabbath, his history. He has not stolen these things from the Jews. He has inherited them as a join their by means of his adoption into the house of Israel through Israel's Messiah." (Source)

B"H, most of our rabbis are not fooled and have taken a strong position on this matter and are doing their best to provide leadership and direction.

Rabbis Opposed

In a reference to Hayovel...

Shilo’s Rabbi Elhanan Bin Noon, called for a halachic ruling on the issue of accepting help from Evangelical Christian groups. “When these people are invited to perform acts of assistance, for them it’s a religious worship. How can you be interested in something like that?” He also accused the group of blurring the distinction between Judaism and Christianity.

Shortly before Rosh HaShanah, Rabbi Dov Lior, another prominent settler rabbi, issued a general halachic ruling against accepting material assistance beyond money from Christian groups because they practice idolatry.

However, the Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, the rabbi of Har Bracha, the settlement where the volunteers are based, has said that they aren’t missionaries. (Source)

Rabbi Sholom Gold

...it is not our role as Torah-true Jews to grapple with, to accommodate, or to incorporate the prophetic views and shifting theology of various Christian sects. There is no rationale for jeopardizing or compromising the Jewish faith by openly embracing and encouraging evangelical designs for Israel.

Committee of Binyamin Region Rabbis

A document of principles regarding the acceptance of monetary and manpower assistance from Christian organizations or individuals has been formulated by the Committee of Binyamin Region Rabbis. Members of the committee include Rabbis Yechezkiel Kupfeld, Jonathan Blass, Elchanan Bin Nun, Ben Zion Amar, and Yair Frank.

Shiloh’s Rav Elchanan Bin Nun, Rav Shlomo Aviner, Rav Yaacov Ariel, Rav Chaim Druckman, Rav Tzfanya Drori, Rav Dov Lior, Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, Rav Zalman Melamed, Rav Gidon Perl.

The tremendous influx of monetary and voluntary support emanating from gentile sources convinced the rabbis to present a much needed and clear halachic response with which to guide the Jewish community in Israel. The scope of the rabbinic treatise goes beyond the questions of accepting monetary and hands-on assistance from gentile sources. Very sensitive prohibitions with regards to avodah zarah, empowering Christianity, participation in Jewish-Christian gatherings, expressing admiration for Christian belief, and expressing gratitude are addressed in an unequivocal manner by the committee. The rabbis involved express great concern about the blurring of the line between Christianity and the Jewish faith, the dangers of strengthening Christianity in Eretz Yisrael, and problems inherent in becoming dependent on Christian sources.

Rav Moshe Tzuriel

HaRav Moshe Tzuriel, a prominent rav affiliated with the dati leumi community, has issued a stern warning against the growing trend of non-Jewish volunteers working in yishuvim throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

...The rav warns even the loss of one neshama is too costly and he feels that befriending gentiles living in communities is a recipe for disaster. In his publicized letter the rav quotes the Rambam’s ruling on the prohibition of employing an idol worshiper.

Now if we can just get our people to accept their da'at Torah and halachic rulings.

Part 5

(To be continued, iy"H...)