INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Battle Over Jerusalem ... . . . 3

The Camp David conference is over. Israel and the Palestinians could not reach an agn.>ement. Yassir Ararat threatens to declare a Palestinian State on September 13. Gary Sleannan reminds us of an ancient proph­ecy discovered in the "War Scroll" found in a cave near the Dead Sea. It tells of a battle between the children of light and the children of darkness. It might be important to note that the Camp David debacle occurred during: Israel's historic "Dark Time" and that the len days between the Feast ofTnunpcts (September 29, 2000) and the Day of Atonement are called the "Days of Awe." What will happen next?

J. R. Church Honored with a Doctor 01 Divinity Degree . ..... 4 On July 21, 2000,1. R. Church delivered the Commencement

Address to the graduating class at Immanuel Bible College and Bap. tist Theological Seminary in Sharpsburg, Georgia, just southwest of Atlanta. College president, Dr. James I. Stewart, conferred the Hon· orary Doctor of Divinity degree upon 1. R. in recognition of his lifetime of service in the Gospel ministry.

The Hebrew Package . ..... 7 Want to learn more about the Hebrew language? Here is your op·

portunityl We are offering a spccial package that includes seven videos on the use of the Hebrew alphabet in the conslrUction of the Bible; our book, The Mystery of tire Menorah and the HebrewAlpha­bel; and best of all, a CD·ROM computer program that will teach you to read and translate the Hebrew language. It is called the Hebrew Tutor and actually takes you through a college course. The voice of a Hebrew scholar will teach you. Find out more on page 7.

Revealing Revelation (Par-t Two) ... The P"ophecies of S t. John tire Divine .... . . 8

Without a working knowledge of ancient Jewish prophetic teach­ings, it is virtually impossible to understand the Book of Revcla­tion. As mankind approaches Ihe seventh millennium, it is prudent that we layout various tools of Jewish interpretation and apply them to this final book of the Bible, thus opening up insights that have heretofore not been published in any Christian commentaries. This is the second in a series of articles on Revelation.

Isaiah 's Miniature Bible (part Five) ...... . l7 Gary Stearman continues his series in Isaiah's 66 chapters, com­

paring them with themes covered in corresponding books of the Bible. The remarkable emerging pattern shows that Israel's chief prophet laid out the Word of God before its writing was fi nished.

Countdown to Apocalypse ... .. .. 21 invitation to an Unprecedented Evcnt - 1. R. Church received an

invitation from Mikhail Gorbachev to attend the "State of the »Qrld Forum" to be held in New York this month as the "United Nations Millennium Summit of Heads of State .. gets Wldetway. Will there be an announcement Qf g lobal government in the works?

Clinton Plac(:s Clllmp David Summit ."ailureonArafat - and more!

1 Prophecy in Ihe News

Page 4 •• . J. R. Church Ho'nq,red with a Doctor of'Di1~inj'tyl!Oe.li~ree

Page 8 ... Revealing RI,,'elation Tile ProplJel..'ies ufSt Joli~ ,lie DMIJr (P.Jrt Two)

By J . R . C hlUrch

By Gary Stearman

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, a document dubbed the "War Scroll" tclls of a future battle between the sons of "light" and the sons of "darkness." 11 is predicted to be an end-time war that will be won by the ap­pearance of Israel 's Messiah. Just how close are we to those grim days? Christians have an intrinsic sense that global crisis carulOt

be far in the future. Prophets of both the

Old and New Testa­ments speak of judg­ment day. Recent dcvel­opments at Camp David aod Jerusalem have re­minded us once again that those prophesied

events are very close. In the parade of Jew­ish festiva ls, we find that judgment day is represented with remarkable clarity. This month, we would do well to review these festivals.

The Days of Awe Rosh HaShanah (September 29) intro­

duccs tcn "Days of Awe," a period that the Jews call Yomim Noraim. These autumn fes­tivals mark thc second major grouping of holy days in the anoual cycle.

The spring festivals arc Passover, Unleav­ened Bread and Firslfruits. Their combined themes produce a picture of God's grace and sacrifice, in the slaying of the Paschal lamb and the giving of the bread of life.

The fall cycle, however, begins with the blowing of the shofar in a way that engen­ders foreboding, darkness and fear. "Awe" is a term fraught with the exhi larating rami­fications of God's glory.

On the positive side, it speaks of wonder, admiration, respect, veneration and even reverence. However, on the negative side, it implies dread, terror, surprised astonish­ment and amazement. All of these clements evoke images of the coming day of judg­ment.

This awesome period begins with the two days of Rosh HaShanah, then cxtends for eight more to the tenth day - Yom Kippur. These are thcHigh Holy Days, when obser-

The white dome (left), covering the main hall In Jerusalem's Museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls, typifies the "sons of light," while the black column (right) stands for the "sons of darkness," two metaphors used in the ''War ScroW' to describe Israel's final battle. Between these two monuments stands the Israeli Knessel in the distance-a fitting picture of the dilemma now facing Israel over who will control Jerusalem.

vant Jews look inward to examine them­selves in the light of God's righteousness.

The prominent themes of this period are repentance, j udgment and atonement on the basis of the preceding year's trans· gresslOns.

It is perhaps the deepest of ironies that during this time, the faithful wish each other L'Shanah Tovah - Happy New Year! This festival introduces the Jewish New Year. Furthermore, they exhort each other with the words, "May you be inscribed for a good year in the Book of Life!"

[n the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, the greeting often includes an additional blessing: "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good life." As we shall see, there is good reason for such greetings.

The Dark Time To bring full dimension to our under­

standing of the "Days of Awe," one must look at the weeks that precede them. Follow­ing the spring festivals, Pentecost arrives in early swnmer. It typifies the work of the Holy Spirit, and the redemption of believers.

Then come the "dog days" of summer, when rain ceases; the ground shrinks and cracks; water runs low; and vegetation turns brown. Activity slows and living creatures seek solace from the burning sun. This is the time of late July and early August.

This period is branded by a fonnal time of mourning, which Jews call the "Three Weeks." It is also referred to as "between the strai ts," since it is bracketed by two major

Prophecy in Ihe News 3

fasts . The fi rst is named after its date, "The Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz." The second is called Tisha B 'Av, which in En­glish means "The Ninth of Av."

The three-week period between them is a time of general mourning and solenmity. No weddings or joyous events are sched­uled then. This also includes celebrative events such as choral or instrumental mu­sic. Those who seriously keep the Jewish calendar refrain from personal grooming such as haircuts, attending movies, home remo~eling or buying new clothing. Dur­ing this time, Sabbaths are characterized by Scripture readings that center upon themes of destruction and divine retribution.

Within the Three Weeks, the final nine days leading up to Tisha B 'Av. are espe­cially sci apart as a time of anguish. No meat or wine is consumed. The seriously observant even shun bathing, shaving and laundering clothes - during the heat of sum­mer! Those observing "between the straits" remind themselves of the disasters that have befaJlen Israel down through the ages.

The fast on Tammuz 17 recalls Israel 's sorrow over the infamous golden calf; and later, the breaching of Jerusalem's walls by an invading army. The next fast, on Av 9, sadly marks the day when both Temples were destroyed - first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and later by the Romans in A.D. 70. It also hearkens back to the defeat of the Bar Kochba rebellion inA. D. 135. The Ninth of Av is also associated with the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290 and Spain in 1492.

Jewish teaching states that the fast of Av 9 conunemorates the incident of the spies in the wilderness. As recorded in Numbers 13, Moses sem a reconnaissance team into the Promised Land. After forty days, the major­ity came back with the faithless report that it would be impossible to conquer the Prom­ised Land. The people wept and regretted that they had ever left Egypt. Because of their lack offaith and resolve, the Lord pun­ished them with a forty-year exile in the wilderness - one year for each day that the spies had stayed in the Prontised Land.

The Dark Time, 2000 This year, the "Fast of the Seventeenth of

Tammuz" fell on July 20, the day President Clinton left the Camp David talks for his annual meeting with the historic "Group Seven" (lately termed 08) - the leaders of the world's largest industrial nations. One can only marvel at the "coincidence" that this fast fell upon the eigp.th day of the Camp David talks between Vassir Arafat and Ehud Barak. In spite of PLO intransigence, President Bill Clinton had urged the two

4 Prophecy in the Nfm's

J. R. Church Honored with a Doctor of Divinity Degree

On July 21, 1. R. Church delivered the COllunencement Address to the graduat­ing class at Immanuel Bible College and Baptist Theological Seminary in Sharps­burg, Georgia, just southwest of Atlanta.

College president, Dr. James l. Stewart, conferred the Honorary Doctor of Divin­ity Degree upon Rev. Church in recogni-

factions to find some sort of agreement. At Clinton's persistent urging, Barak tried

everything - in effect, "giving away the store" in an effort to secure an agreement. Virtually the entire territory of Judea and Samaria was offered, if only Arafat would not press the issue of Jerusalem . But Arafat insisted upon the stipulation that East Jerusa­lem be made the capital of Palestine. Barak, already in a weakened position because of Knesset challenges to his position as prime minister, was drreatened wid1 a government shutdown if he conceded to Arafat.

Because of a prior commitment to ap­pear at the conference in Japan, Clinton was forced to leave the meetings. Hope of agreement was all but abandoned. Just af­ter he left, on the 17th of Tammuz (July 20), the talks sprang to life. For a brief pe­riod it was hoped that some agreement might be reached, but the conference col­lapsed. Barak returned home to face a Knesset divided by vitriol and disagree­ment. His Labor Party government clung to existence only by the thinnest of mar­gins. Days went by, as the religious parties continued to call for new elections.

Then, on July 30, almost midway through the Three Weeks, Barak and his supporters were deeply embarrassed when the Knesset voted 63-57 to elect a new Israeli presi­dent, Moshe Katsav, an Iranian-born legis­lator from the opposition Likud Party.

A Knesset member since 1977, he is an outspoken opponent of the U.S.-inspired Labonte movement to attain peace with the PLO at any price.

His election defeated -a stunned Shimon

tion of his lifetime of service in the Gos­pel ministry.

The college and school of theology also celebrated its 50th year of training ministers and missiQnaries for service worldwide. The school has campuses in several countries, including Korea, India and Nigeria.

Immanuel is a charter member of the Georgia Federation of ChI:istian Colleges and Universities -- a division of the American Federation of Christian Col­leges and Schools.

Immanuel is committed to the author­ity of the inerrant Word of God; to the Premillennial positioll; to genuine Chris­tian living through the empowennent of the Holy Spirit; and to training the indi­vidual for serving God in the ministry. For more information on thcir acadcmic program, call 1-770- 253 -1671.

Peres, who, as a Nobel Peace laureate and former prime minister, was a favorite to win the post. As this is Wlitten, the Knesset has narrowly survived a selies of attempts to over­throw the mling Labor Party. On August 2, the Knesset ended its summer session and won't reconvene until late October.

"Saladin" Comes Home In stark contrast, Yilssir Arafat arrived in

Gaza to the equivalent of a ticker-tape pa­rade. He was held alon as a conquering hero who had kept his demands to the end. There were Arabic banners everywhere, hailing Arafat as the "new Saladin." And who was Saladin?

In the twelfth centu ry, he was the sultan of Egypt and Syria who conquered the coastal cities of "Palestine," as it was then called. Finally, he laid siege to Jerusalem, itself, conquering (he land completely. During the Crusades, after a series of battles with Richard the Lion-Hearted, he negoti­ated a truce, which left him in control of Jerusalem and most of Palestine. He was "Saladin the Conqueror."

Among the ranks o f the PLO, it is clear that they now view Arafat as their conqueror in the grand tradition of Saladin. Among Arab pundits, there were many proclama­tions that their time had finally come. PLO leaders have repeatedly declared their in­tention to eventually possess all of Jerusa­lem. As witnessed by their recent heavy excavations beneath the Temple Mount, they believe that their co ntrol of the ancient Temple site is now complete. Can Jerusalem, then the coastal cities,. be far behind? •

Revealing Revela J. R. Church and Gary Stearman

Twelve Studies on Three VHS Video jl'apes This study in the book of Revelation promises 1(1 be one of the most rCl'rsrding series we 'have ever done. We

approach the book through the eyes oCthe Jewish sages. Early rabbinical writings add a dimension to John's adven­ture into the future that simply escapes mosl commentaries. Tn our rel'iew ofR(wclation we will follow:

• The alphabetic design of each chapter - The Menorah structure of the various sewns in Revelation • The chapler b}' chapter comparisnn \\;th John's other masterpiece-his Gospel ( f Gur Savior's first Advent

- The tapestry drawn from the liturgy and ritual oflbe High Holy lJays These and much more wiD guide us through each chapter in twelve msian! that cover the entire book. We im'ite

you to follow along and review tbislinal book oflbe Bible in an entirely new and refresbing series. Three VHS Videos - (approx. 90 minutes each = 4 112 hours)

Ilem # V117 • $49.95

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The Hebrew Package Review by Bob Ulrich

About seven years ago, the pieces of a mysterious puzzle started fa ll ing into place. We learned that the letters of the Hebrew alphabet otlered a key to the divine nature of the Word of God.

Each Hebrew letter has a meaning - a piece of the theological puzzle that can open our minds to new, incredible Bible studies. The entire Bible is designed around those twenty-two supernatural letters! Cer­tain chapters, like Psalm 119, are designed to match up with the meanings of the He­brew letters.

When we first learned this, we realized that we were on to something too incredible for words - something divinely inspired ­something that no Christian theologian had ever written about before. But the rabbis had known about it for centuries!

Once we had the key to the puzzle, the new discoveries kept coming. We quickly learned that Genesis was an alphabetic book. So was Leviticus and the other books of Moses. We learned that Jeremiah had designed Lamentations as an alphabetic book. So was Isaiah - as you can see from Gary Stearman's continuing series each month in this magazine!

The entire Bible, all 66 books. are de­signed according to the meanings of those letters in the Hebrew alphabet! Genesis pre­sents the theme of the first letter of the He­brew alphabet. aleph. Exodus presents the theme of the second Hebrew letter, bejt. This pattern continues all the way through to the book of Revelation! Amazing!

Our ministry is looking for people who are serious about studying God's Word. Paul wrote, "Study to show thyself approved unto God" (II Timothy 2:15). Daniel 12:10 says, "the wise shall understand. "Would you like to be considered wise by the Lord? Well, here is your opporrunity. You are never too old to start leaming about Hebrew.

We have put together a great package of products to help you become proficient in biblical Hebrew. The entire package is available for a contribution of $ I 00 and contains almost $200 worth of unique prod­ucts. The fi rst item is your own personal Hebrew professor, the Hebrew TIIlor. This Interactive CD-ROM for the PC (Windows 98) will let you leal1l the Hebrew language at your own pace, from the comfort of your

home. If you will take just an hour a day to listen to the interactive lessons and review the flash cards, you could soon know how to read and translate the Bible from its na­tive language of Hebrew.

The Hebrew Tutor will take you through a typical, first-year college-level course in biblical Hebrew. By the time you finish, you will be able to read and translate the entire book of Ruth - all by yoursclf1 Just think! You could be the first person in your church to read and speak Hebrew!

In addition to the Hebrew Tutor there are several other attractive parts to our "He­brew Package."

We have included our own videotape series, "The Mysteries of the Hebrew Al­phabet." As you view them, you will find 1lIi1 l1y allla:£illg ui:i!..:uvl:ril:lS that wt: havt: made over the years - among them, a study in the book of Revelation and its Hebrew design; a study on the alphabetic design of the musical scale; and much more! We have also included some amazing studies on Yahweh, the Hebrew nanle of God.

God gave a letter of His name to Abraham and Sarah, and it conveys a crucial mes­sage for all believers. There are 28 fQ\lOda­tional studies in all thai will give you a terrif ic education into God 's amazing aleph-beir.

We will also provide you with a one-year subscription to our magazine as well as a copy of our book, The Mystery of the Menorah and the Hebrew Alphabet. You can learn about the spiritual meanings of the Hebrew letters.

What an awesome collection of resource material: a Hebrew CD-ROM that will teach you the inner workings of the Hebrew lan­guage ($49.95 value), our seven-tape video series on The Mysteries of the Hebrew AI­phabel ($99.95 value), a one year subscrip­tion to Prophecy in the News ($29.95 value) and a copy of our book The Mystery of the Menorah and the Hebrew Alphabet ($1 1.95 value).

Your $ 100 gift will enable our ministry to remain on television channels all across Arnt:rica. Millions of people, many of them unsaved, have the opportunity to hear about Jesus - some for the first time.

If you enjoy our television program and would like to continue watching us on The Inspiratjonal Network. this is a great way 10 help with your support.

Once you discover these incredible tools you will never look at the Bible the same way again. The Hebrew Package Item # PK2002 - $100.00 contribution See our spec/sl sci on psge 51

Prophecy ;'1 the News 7

-------------------------- -------------------------------------------------

a.., ••••••... IfJI". T:C(J~

By J. R, Church and Gary Stearman (Part 2)

In OUf first installment of this study. we took note that John alluded to certain theo­logical concepts which we feel are neces­sary for a proper und~:rstanding orlhe book of Revelation. After giving a reference to each of these concepts, John reminds us that we can go no further until we have ac­quired a worklltg knowledge of those skills

" ... 'which tholl hast see,," (v. 19). Without these concepts, which I consider to be tools of interpretation, it is far morc d ifficult to comprehend the mes­sage of thi s apocalyp­tic book.

Among those foun­daiiQi'aioooc.;pii all"d"d to in the open­ing chapter are:

I. A chaptcr-by-chaptcr comparison with John's other masterpiece- the Gospel story of our Savior's First Advcm (v. 2);

2. The alphabetic design of each chapter (v. 8);

3. The solid or "spirit" level of Jewish interpretation (v. 10);

4. The Jewish concept concerning "the doy oJthe Lord'" (v. 10);

5. The menorah structure of various sev· ens in the book (v. 12);

6. The verbal tapestry drawn from the lit· urgy and ritual of the Jewish Holy Days (v. 13); and ...

7. The most ancient of all divine mes­sages, namely the story in the stars -twelve major constel!ations that make up Ihe Jewish Mazzarolh (v. 16).

These seven concepts may not necessar­ily be in the order of their importance, but are listed in the order of their first reference in chapter one. In our last issue. we imro­duced three of these concepts - the alpha­betic design of each chapter; the doctrine concerning "the day of the Lord "; and the Menorah structure of various sevens in the book. In Ihis installment, we shall explain how John used the same structural outline to write both his Gc,spel and the book of Re ve lation .

8 Prophecy i" the Newt

John was perlulps the most mystical of all the New Te5tament writers. His Gospel is not considered "Synoptic" with the other three. It is a rather mysterious pmsentation and relates more to the Revelation than it does to Matthew, Mark and Luke. In fact" its design helps us to understand the prophecies of John's final book.

A Duplication of Design "Who bare record oj the word oj God,

and of the testimony of JesliS Chrisl. and of all things lhal he saw" (v. 2).

During our studies in both the Gospel of John and Rcvelation, a similarity of design emerged, which, though quite simple, amazed us for never having seen it before. In fact, to our knowledge, no theologian has ever before published this type of com~ parison of John's first and last works.

In this introduction to the concept, we will only review two chapters (I & 19) to give you an idea of this remarkable design. We shall cite the rest of our comparisons as we study each succeeding chapter in the book of Revelation in future issues.

The Holy Spirit led John to follow the same literary design in writing both his Gospel and the book of Revelation. In

John 's Gospel, we are told about the First Advent of Christ and in the book of Rev­elation, we are IOld about His Second Ad­vent. Together, both books reveal the God­man, His mission, ministry, and final vic­tory. Onc book is really not complete with­out the other.

As we compare each ofthesc chapters in the Gospel of John with its corresponding chapter in the book of Revelation, we will note thai somewhere in each chapter, John wi ll mention the same subjcct or theme used in the other book.

For example, in chapter one of each book, John uses the seven lights of the Menorah. in each case a spiritual illumination is com­mencing. In John's Gospel, we are enlight­ened about our Savior's First Coming to suffer for our sins. In. the hook of Revela­tion, we are enlighte:ned about His prom­ised return to redeem our fallen human race.

Seven Lights in Chapter One to both opening chapters, John displays

a Menorah design. We are all familiar with the seven-lamp Menorah in Revelation one, but John also used seven "lights" in the opening chapter of his Gospel:

"In h/lll was life; and the fiJe was the /igltt of men.

''And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness compl'ehended it not.

"There was a mall sent from God, whose name was John.

"The same came for a witness, 10 bear witness of the Light. that all //len through him might believe.

"He was not thai Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

"That was the true Light, which ligltteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:4-9).

The fi rst chapter of Revelation also dem­onstrates the seven lights of the Menorah :

"And I turned 10 see the voice that spake with me. And being tllrned, I saw seve" go/dell calldlesticks;

"And in the midst 0/ the seven candle­~·ticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the fOOl, and girt abollt the paps wilh a golden girdle.

"'His head and his hairs were while like wool. as white as snow; and his eyes were as a j/ame of fire;

''And his foel like unto fine brass, as if they bllrned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

'lind he had in his right hand selle" stars: and Ollt of his mOllth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the SlIn shineth in his strength" (Rev­elation I : 12-16).

John used the seven lights of the Menorah in the opening chapter of each book - his Gospel and the Revelation. This can be no coincidence. Such duplication of design continues to occur chapter after chapter.

The Word: A Alpha & Q Omega In Chapter One

Here is another duplication in John's de­sign. In his Gospel, Jesus is introduced as the "Word" of God:

"In Ihe beginning was rhe JftJrd. and the Word was with God. and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

in the opening chapter of Revelation, John informs us that he was incarcerated on the island of Patmos for teaching about this "Word";

"[ John, who also am your brother. and companion in tribulation, and in the king­dom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle Ihal is called Patfllos,fol' the word

of God, alld for the testimony of Jesus Christ " (Revelation 1:9).

In the fo llowing verses, Jesus refers to Himself as the entire alphabet from which the " Word " is derived - "A Alpha and Q

Omega." The terminology may be differ­ent, but the underlying concept is the same:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and, What thou seest, write in a book. and send it IInto the seven churches which are;nAsia ... "(Revelation 1:11).

This is on ly the beginning. The Holy Spirit impressed John to use this duplica­tion of design throughout his Gospel and in Revelation.

Behold the M an! .In Chapter Nineteen

We shall touch upon chapter 19 as our final demonstration of this concept before launching into a lengthy review of the Bible's final book. The 19th chapter ill each book (John and Revelation) focuses upon Christ. In John 's Gospel, Christ wears a purple robe and a crown of thorns. Pilate brings Him forth before the crowd and de­clares, " .. , Behold the man!"

"Then Pilate therefore took Jest/s, and scollrged him.

''A nd the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, alld p llt it on his head, and they pllt on him a Pllrple robe.

"And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

"Pilate therefore weill forth again. and saith unlO fhem, Behold, I bring him Jorth to yO Il, that ye may know that I find no failit in him.

" Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith ulllo them, Behold the man!" (John 19: 1-5).

On the other hand, in the book of Rev­elation, chapter 19, John turns our atten­tion toward heaven and presents Christ with royal diadems - a series of crowns so be­decked with jewels, it is referred to as "many crowns." It is a royal headdress for the King of kings!

''And [ saw heaven opened, and behold a while horse; and he that sat IIpon him was called Faithful and True, and in righ­teousness he doth judge and make war.

"His eyes were as oj/arne offire. and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, bill he himself" (Revelation 19: 11,12).

The Vesture of Christ The soldiers divided up Christ's gar­

ments. There was one garment, ho\\.'ever, that they did not wish to rip apart - the Savior's tallit. Instead, they gambled fo r it:

"Then the soldiers. when they had cru­cified Jesus, took his garments, and made fOllr parts, 10 every soldier a part; and a/so his coat: noll' the coat was withollt seam, woven from the lOp throughout.

"They said therefore among themselves. ut liS not rend it, but cast lots/or it. whose it shall be: that the scripture might be ful­filled, which sailh, They parted my raiment among them. and for Illy ve.~ture they did cast lots. These things therefore the sol­diers did" (John 19:23,24).

John continues the theme in Revelation 19. We are told that when Christ returns, He will be wearing His blood-spattered tallit:

"A nd he was clothed with a veSlllre dipped in blood, .. " (Revelation 19: 13).

Pilate bad a poster made that declared Jesus to be "THE KINGOF71iE JEWS":

'lind Pilate wrote a tille, and pul it on the cross, And Ihe wrjting was, JESUS OF NAZAJl.ETH THE KING OF THE JEWS" (John 19:19).

John continues this subject in his view of the returning Savior:

':And he hath all his vesture alld on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16).

We will give a full cOITlllleniary oillhese subjects in futu re studies, but these com­parisons will suffice to show that John used the same subjeCT material as a framework in the writing of both books.

Levels of J ewish Interpretation Since we explored this concept in out

December 1999 magazine, we shall not of­fer a complete explanation here, but sim­ply review its main points. Rabbinical views divide the levels of biblical inler­pretation into four areas. They are:

Peshat - the simple level, Remez - the hint level,. Drosh - the regal level and Sohd - the secret level. The first letter in each of these four meth­

ods of interpretation - PROS - combine to spell OUI the Hebrew word for Paradise. In other words, these Jewish levcls of inter­pretation are designed to take the student back into the Garden - past the flaming sword - to reach the tree of life.

Peshat - the Simple Level Peshat refers to the e lementary level -

the plain writing of the Scriptures. This is the same IlIlo!thod Wlo! caU primary interpre­tation . We must begin by reading the book! There is no excuse why eve!)' Christian cannot become fa miliar with the Bible in a relatively short period of time. Only then can the serious srudent of the Word move to the second level of biblical interpreta-

Prophecy In Ihf! News 9

tion. We must first master the pes/wI or simple level of understanding.

Remez - the Hint Level Remez is similar to what wecaillhe prac­

tical application of Scripture. It is the hint level. If I quote a portion of Scripture. but do not tell you where it is located, you are supposed to know. I don't have to explain everything to you bf:cause "you can take the hint." You already have a working knowledge of Scriprure. Remez might be explained as. "a word to the wise is suffi­cient."

This is also the aJlegorical and philo­sophica1level. It goes beyond mere elcmen­tary knowledge and imparts wisdom - the ability to assimilate knowledge and apply it to our daily living as we develop integ­rity and character.

The remez level was written for the aris­tocracy and was higher in its goals and more polished in its content. It was the level of the professional - the doctor, lawyer, phi­losopher and teacher. This level did not re­place the simple pesAial, but rather added a philosophical flavoring or seasoning to it.

Drosh - the Regal Level The conunentary for the drosh level is

called Midrash. The term comes from the process of thrashing grain - separating the kernel from the chaff. It is a far more so­phisticated method of interpretation than the remez level. Remez may be ailegorical, but drosh deals with parables or riddles.

The drosh level of biblical interpretation is decidedly political as well as prophetic. The Jews have alwa.ys held to the divine prophecy that they were chosen to produce the Messiah - scion of David - who will establish a world kingdom.

The concept that Christ would become King of kings is the subject of the dros" level ofinterprcliltioll. Therefore, drosll not only represents thc highest fonn of wisdom or what we might call advanced practical application, but als!) spills over into the plain prophetic teachings of Scripture.

Solrd - the Secret -Level The solid level of biblical interpretation

goes beyond this realm of existence. It lifts us into the heavenly places to view the glory aspects of the Scriptures. Solid is nOI of this world. We call see the solid level in the story of the flaming sword at the east gale of Eden; Moses' encounter with God atop SiJlai for 40 days; Elijah 's heavenly chariot; and John's translation in the Spiri t (Rcv. I: 10). The solid level is definitely prophetic. The rubbis describe it as one standing in the darkness of the early mom-

10 Prophecy In thl! NI!""'~

ing and seeing the finger- like radiance of the sun that announces its imminent ris­ing. Once the sun lifts above the eastern horizon, the radiance disappears. It is the radiance or aura that speaks of sohd - the secret level. It can best be seen if one does not look directly at it, but rather catches it out of the comer of the eye.

Both John 's Gospel and his later work, Revelation, present the sohd level. He opcns his Gospel by telling us that Jesus is the personification of the "H'ord" of God, thaI He is the "Light" that shines in the darkness that cannot comprehend it. In Revelation, he presents Christ as the A A/­pha and n Omega. These are teachings that cannot be scientifically explained. They are not of this world. However, if you read the sages of Israel, though they may deny the Deity of Christ, they go to great lengths to discuss these aspects of the Scriptures.

Rituals of the Jewish Festivals The next concept needed for a proper in­

terpretation of the book of Revelation can be found in a study of the liturgy in the Jewish festivals. There are seven festivals given in Leviticus. They are:

I. Passover 2. Feast of Unleavened Bread 3. Feast of Firstfruits 4. Pentecost 5. The Feast ofTrumpets 6. The Day of Atonement 7. The Feast ofTabernacJes In writing his Gospel account of the life

of Christ, John followed the rituals of the spring festivals - Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits. However, as we shall see ill our continuing study in next month's issue, in giving us the Revelation, John fol­lowed the rituals of the autumn festivals ­the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atone­ment, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Three days before Passover, a sacrificial lamb is chosen and staked out in the front yard of each Jewish home for examination. It must be a male wi thout blemish. Over the next three days the chosen creafUre is introduced to all passers-by as the Passover lamb. Being the first in the order of Pass­over events, we are introduced to Israel's Lamb in John's opening chapter:

"The nexi day John seelh Jesus coming IInto him. and saith, Behold the lAmb oJ God, which laketh away the .fill oJ the world" (Jolm 1:29).

Jesus is introduced as the Passover Lamb. He is examined for the next three years, then sacrificed. As the "Lamb o/God." Jesus is the central figure around which all of history revolves. In the book of Revela­tion, we see this Lamb at the throne of God.

With perfect authority, He opens the sealed book and masterfully launches a sequence of events that will bring human history to a momentous climax. Later, He stands before the 144,000 of Israel and a multitude of the redeemed to receive their adulation and praise. We behold His majesty, as He min­isters in the heavenly Templc. The rrum­pets blare, the bowls are poured and Mys­tery Babylon is destroyed. As the plan draws near to its completion, the Lamb hosts His great Marriage Supper. FimLlly, He is eter­nally instituted in the New Jerusalcm. In this magnificent, sweeping panorama, He is the same Lamb first identified and wor­shipped by John the Baptist.

The Passover Haggadah Passover recounts the la~l night ofl srael's

bondage in Egypt. Its theme illustrates the transition from bondage to freedom. Cen­tral to its observance is a small manual called the Haggadah, front the Hebrew \\IOrd

meaning "to tel!." This reflects the major purpose of the feast . .. to remember the story of the Exodus. The narrative is highly for­malized and includes Scripture readings, blessings and ritualized group participa­tion directed by the host.

Various articles are used in the com­memoration of the festival. They include wine Guice of the grape), matzos (unleav­ened bread), zeroah (a roasted lamb shank bone), karpas (a green vegetable symbol­izing rebi rth), charose( (symbol izing mar· tar used by the Israelite slaves to make brick), salt Wlller(representing tears), maror (bitter herbs) and beitza" (a roasted egg).

These articles are used to re-enact the Exodus. Since Passover also includes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the matzos plays a major role in the ceremonies. In Leviticus 23:4-8, the festivals of Passover and Un­leavened Bread are commanded as holy convocations.

The myriad of detailed observances in the two festivals had not yet been fully in­stituted. There was only the commandment to eat unleavened bread and make offer­ings by fire fo r seven days. By the first century, the four cups - vegetables, fruits, an egg and salt water had been added to the festivaL

Together with the wine, the unleavened bread ha s become established among Christians as lhe Lord's Supper, or Com­munion. It almost goes without saying that in John's Gospel, the bread and wine are major symbols.

Preparations for Passover As Passover approaches, Jews begin in

eamest to acquire the neccssary articles of

food and drink for the celebration. There is a carefully observed checkl ist of items that are "kosher " for Passover.

TIle Sabbath before Passover is called the ·'Great Sabbath."The Scripture reading forthis Sabbath includes a prophecy by Malachi:

"Behold, I will send my messengel: alld he shalf prepare (he way beJore /lie: and the I"ord, whom ye seek. shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger oj the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold. he shalf COllie, saith the LORD of hosts.

"Bill who may abide Ihe day of his com­ing? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner s fire, and like flillers' soap:

"A lid he shall sit as a refiner alld puri­fier of silver: and he .~h all pUl'ifjl the ~'ons of Levi. ami purge them as gold and silvel: fhal they lIIay offer IInto the LORD an of­fering in righteousness" (Malachi 3:1-3).

Malachi names this mysterious messcn­ger to be none other than Elijah :

"Behold. I will send YOIl Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great alld dread fill day oJthe Lord" (Malachi 4:5).

Jewish thoughts turn to the awesome, fi ­nal day of redemption. They believe that before that day is realized, Elijah will come to announce the "day of the Lord"

On the day before Passover, the homes of ob~ervanc Jews are syscematically given a last cleansing, called the "search for leaven" (hall/elz). Writing in The Jewish Holidays. a Gllide and Commentary , Michael Strassfeld describes the process as follows:

"The search is conducted at night, since that is when everyone is at homc. Thcre are bedikal hamelz (search for leaven] ki ts in­cluding a candle, a feather for bl1.lshing the hametz, and a spoon into which the Iwmetz is brushed. All of the kit can be burned the next day with the humfttz. WillIe a candle is customary. a nashlight can also be used. You must search everywhere in the house where nllmetz migbt ha ve been eaten or used during the year. The leaven bavi ng been discovered and ritual ly destroyed, the home is now ready for Passover."

John Preaches Repentance In John's Gospel, we see virtually this

same pattern. First, there are the opening passages concerning the incarnat ion o r Christ, in which the true "Light" came to men, only to be rejected:

',llId the Won/was madeflesh, and dwell among liS, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as oj the only begotten oj the Po­ther.) filII of grace and truth.

"Johll bare witness of Irim. alld cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake. He that cOllleTh after me is preferred before

me: for he was before me" (John I: 14, 15). Ln the surprisingly terse and compact

narrative of John 's first chapter, John the Baptist is prominently featured as the man who authenticates the coming Messiah.

In the Synoptic Gospels, his ministry is referred to as, " .. . prwlching Ihe baptism of repentance for the remi~'sion vfsins " (Luke 3:3). But here, to the priests, Levites, Phari­sees and other listeners, John announces the coming of the Lord:

"He said. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make slraight tire way oj the Lord, as said tire prophet E.mias" (JOWl 1023).

Furthermore, as already noted, he an­nounces Christ as the " ... Lamb of God, which iuketh away the sin oj the world" (John 1:29).

His brief appearance does two things that are highly suggestive of the Passover ritual. First, in calling for national repentance, Christ is seeking out and purging the leaven of sin, just as is done in every annual fam­ily observance of the ritual. In this same context, it should also be pointed out that Jesus cleansed the Tcmple (John 2:13) at the first Passover of His public ministry.

Second, he brings to mind the corning of Elijah. At the Passover table, Elijah is hOIl­ored by being given a place setting of his own. His cup is filled with wine; he is in­vited, even expected to attend the ritual (called a Selier, the Hebrew word for "or­der"), in memory of the previously quoted Old Testamelll prophecy.

The religious authori ties in Jerusalem began to ask John the Baptist, "Art thou Elias?" (Jolm 1:21). It is clear that they were aware of the ancien! prophccy. In facl, they are recorded asking him this not once, but twice. No doubt, they were familia r enough with t.he prophecy to suspect that he was thc promised Elijah.

Thus, John 's Gospel begins with a call to purge out the old leaven, just as would be donc in preparation for Passover. Also, Elijah arrived for the celebration, in keep­ing with what has become the traditional observance. In Manhew's Gospel, Jesus openly likens John the Baptist to Elijah:

"Forallthe prophets mId the law proph­esied IIntil John.

"And if ye will receive it. this is Elias. which was Jor to come.

"He thalltath ears to hear. lei him hear" (Matthew 11:13- 1:5).

Again in Matthew I 7: I 0- 13, Jesus clearly tells Hi s disciples that John has fu l­fi lled the role of Elijah:

"And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that E lias mllst first cOllie?

':And Jesus answered and said IInto them. Elias tl'lIly shall firST come. and restore all things.

"But I say IInfo YOII, That Elias is come already. Gild they knew him 1I0t, bllt have dOlle lInto him whatsoever they listed. like­wise shall also lhe Son a/man suffer o/them.

"Then the disciples understood ,har he spake IIIItO them of John IheBaptist" (Mat­thew 17:10-13).

With the leaven having been cleansed, the Passover ceremony now turns to the celebration itself. There is the buzz of ac­tivity and an air of tension as the moment arrives in which silence falls, the blessing is given, and Israel remembers the great power of God to deliver His people.

The Four Cups The meal is readied. The Seder plate is

prepared, along with the unleavened bread and wine. Hayyim Schauss in his book, The Jewish Festivals, suggests the wine is mixed with water. Here, he describes part of the first-cen tury ritual:

" First a glass of wine mixed with water is taken. Then the right hand is washed and all partake of lettuce dipped in a tart liq­uid. Then the sacrificial animal is served and eaten with matzoh and bitter herbs, dipped ill charoset, a mixture of ground nuts and fruits in wine. Then begins the second part . .. a second glass of di luted wine is drunk."

Since the days of our Lord and berore, it has been a requirement of Passover that each person who participates in the celebration is required to drink ·'four cups," that may be either kosher wine or kosher grape j uice. We will demonstrate that each of the four Passovers in the Gospel of John reprcsents one of tbe four cups on the Passover table!

John's second chapter recounts the epi­sode of Jesus' fi rst miracle, which also fea­tured water and wine. Thc miracle took place at a marriage ceremony in Cana of Gal ilee. In the well-known account, the wedding party called for wine. Jesus' mother infom1ed Him of their request, instructing the servants to do whatever He asked.

Then they brought Him six huge stone watcrpots and filled them with water. Mi­raculously, the water became wine! In the process, two prominent scriptural symbols emerged. Onc, the waterpots, being six in number, remind us of mankind. Created on the sixth day, man would ever aller be linked with this number. Two, the wine is symbolic of the blood of the Lamb, by which sinful mankind is cleansed. This is another reminder of the wine mixed with water, because OUI of the Savior's riven side came forth "". blood and water" (John

Prophecy In the Ntm '1 J t

19:34). At Passover, four cups are f illed ­one after another - to illustrate the Lord's method of redemption.

Each of the cups, to be consumed at its specific time in the Seder, has a specific meaning. The most common explanation for their meaning is that the Scripture given in Exodus 6:6,7 will be forever remembered:

" Wherefore say IInto the children of Is­rael, I am the LORD, and 1 will bring you Ollt from under (he burdens of the Egyp­tians, and I will rid YOII out of their bond­age, and I will redeem yOIl with a stretched Ollt arm, and wilh great judgments:

''And I will take YOIl to me for a people, and / will be to YOIl a God: and ye .~;hall know thar I al/l rhe LORD your God, which bringeth yOIl 0111 from under Ihe bllrdens of the Egyptialls."

To the Jews, the four cups are reminders of the process of the Israelites being freed from the Egyptians. Today's Jews also see the liberation of modem Ismel as the ulti­mate conclusion of the celebration. Based upon the above Scripture, the cups are la­beled as follows:

The first cup is called the Cup of Sancti­fication: "/ will bring yOIl ollL"

The second cup is called thc Cup of Thanksgiving: "I lIIiII rid YOIl Ollt of their bondage."

The trurd cup is called the Cup of Re­demption: "I will redeem YOII."

The fourth cup is called the Cup of Completion: "/lIIiI/ take YOII to me for a people."

The First Passover: Sanctification At the beginning of the Passover meal,

Kiddush (the sanctification of the day) is recited . The word Kiddush mcans "to sanc­ti fY," and can be interpreted as a command, "SanctifY (cleanse) yourself." It hearkens back to the pre-Messianic ministry of John the Baptist. This was bis message to Israel. Then, the first cup of wine is taken. Inter­estingly, the ritual begins by recounting the story of the Creation. God is exalted in His majesty and sovereignty:

"The sixth day ... the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their array. On the seventh day God completed His work, which He had done, and He abstained on the seventh day from all His work .... God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it He abstained from all His work which God created to make."

IEd. Note: This and all succeeding quo­tations from the Haggadah are from Shaar Press edition of The Passover Haggadah.}

Observant Jews are urged to remember that those who deny God's literal creation of the heavens and the earth see no real

12 Prophecy In the News

purpose in existence. Those who believe in evolution out of some primordial stew see the world as the product of somt: celes­tial "accident." In all its ri tuals, Passover urges its participants to acknowledge that life has purpose and is headed toward a fore­ordained prophetic outcome.

It is extraordinarily striking that John's Gospel begins with a similar recitation. It, too, exhorts man to remember that God is holy and sanctified.

"In the beginning was the Word. and the Word was lIIith God, and the Won/was God.

"The same was in the beginning wilh God.

"Ailihings were made by him; and lIIith· alit him was not any thing made that was made.

"In him was life; and the fife was the light of men " (John 1:1-4).

These words authoritatively establish an inunense concept: the incamation of Christ took place so that men could also hecome holy and sanctified creatures. In other words, the creation of man, as recounted in this por­tion of the Haggadah , would not be com­plete without the final redemption of man.

At this point in the Seder, a blessing is read and the first cup of wine is consumed:

"Blessed are You, 0 Hashem, our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from all nations , exalted us above all tongues, and sanctified us with Hi s com­mandments. And You, 0 Hashem, our God, have lovingly given us appointed times for gladness, feasts and seasons for joy, this Feast of Unleavened Bread, memol;am of the Exodus (rom Egypt. For You have cho­sen and sanctified us above all peopl.es, and Your holy festivals , in gladness a.nd joy have You granted us as a heritage. Blessed are You, 0 Hashem, who sanctifies Israel, and the festive seasons."

This blessing links lhe creation Qf man with the sanctification of Is rae!, God 's holy nation. There are other blessings associated with the first cup, but they are all based on tbe sanctity and holiness of Israel and the Passover.

As we look at the four Passovers in the Gospel of John, it becomes progressively clear that each ofthem, in proper order, car­ries the theme of each of the four cups. Among other things, this amazing m lth teUs us once again and for the thousandth time that the Bible cannot be solely the product of human intelligence. It is laid out in large­scale patterns that provide the fOUl1(iation fo r its teachings and prophecies.

The first Passover in John (2: 13-25) tells of the cleansing of the Temple. As with the first cup, the theme is cleansing and purifi­cation, or sanctification. Jolm the Baptist

has already called for a purging out of the old leaven in repentance. Jesus now carries trus theme right into the heart of the Temple ministry and its priesthood.

As He made the pilgrimage on this par­ticular Passover, Jesus discovered crooked businessmen within the Temple precincts. They were making exorbitant profits by selling sacri fi cial animals and changing money. Weaving a whip of cords, He drove the moneychangers and their animals out of the Temple.

Immediately, the Jews demanded to know under what authority He did this. They asked for a sign. John 2: 19 gives His terse response: ''Jesus answered and said unto them. Oestmy this temple, and in three days I will r(lise it liP," In a prophetic metaphor, Christ referred to His own body.

They failed to understand His cryptic mealling. Naturally, they interpreted the remark in the context of Herod's Temple, a magnificent edifice that had been under construction for 46 years. In their reckon­ing, it would truly be a miracle if someone could ercct such an edifice in a mere tlu'Ce days - too much of a miracle. They scoffed at His saying.

Nevertheless, Jesus had sanctified the Passover by offering His own body in the place of the profane Jdumean structure raised by the Herods. And, as seen in John 2:23, He displayed various signs and won­ders that spoke of His divine origin:

"Now IIIhen he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did" (John 2:23).

Thus, at trus first Passover in Jolm's Gos­pel, the first cup is consumed and the feast is sanctified.

The Afikomen Shortly after the taking of the first cup,

comes th e ritual or ceremony of the afikomell. Earlier, as the meal was prepared, three unbroken pieces of unleavened bread (matzos) were bound together in a special cloth container cal led the matzoh tash. Now, the middle piece is removed from the group and broken in two. The smaller half is placed back between the two whole matzos. The larger half is wrapped in a napkin and hid­den - to be recovered and used at the end of the Passover meal.

Jews teach that matzos are the bread of affliction; tbe food of Egyptian slaves. To them, the ritual of the afikomen speaks of the bread of slaves becoming the suste­nance of a free people. Michael Strassfeld writes, "Matzoh changes from leI/em oni (the bread of affliction) to the afikomen, from slave past to Messianic future. All the

blows of the taskmasters can be seen on its pockmarked surface; yet fragile as it is, matzoh survives unbroken (unt il we are ready to break it). Matzoh, in its vcry plain­ness, is the symbol of change for alL"

It is most interesting that the word, itself - afikomen - docs not have a Hebrew orig in. Rather, it is Greek. Jews say the best guess as to its origin is that its name comes from a blurring of the Greek word, epikomios, meaning "the after dish," or "that which comes last." This is because the hidden half of the matzoh is not recov­ered until long after the Passover Seder and the dinner which follows it, are completed. When the plates are ckared, children search for the afikomen in a little game of hide and seek. The finder knows, that he will receive a reward for it.

When viewing the Passover for the first time, Christians are always struck by the symbolism of the three matzos (represent­ing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The upper matzoh represents the Father. The middle matzoh represents the Son. The breaking of this middle matzoh speaks of Christ's sacrifice. In I Corinthians 11:24, the Communion service records Christ's own words: "Take, eat: this is my body which il' broken/or YOII: thi.s do in remem­bronceofme." Finally, the third matzoh rep­resents the Holy Spirit. Together, they do the work of redemption and dcliverance­the vcry subject of the- Passover.

But what about tbal name ajikomen, and the game in which the broken half is " res­urrected" at lhe end of the meal? One can hardly resis t thinking about the resurrec­lion of Jesus and of His Second Coming.

Actually, there is no mystery. Any stu­dent of New Testament Greek can look in a standard lexicon and discover that the word is clearly presented under the declension of verbs meaning, "to come."There, we find that OO\luoollllv (afikomen) is the Greek word that directly translates as " I come!"

How much clearer could it be? The middle matzoh points to the broken body of Christ, resurrected w ith the promise that He will come again. Hallelujah!

The Second Passover: Thanksgiving The second cup of Passover, in a detailed

recounting of events, celebrates Israel's del iverance from Egypt. The ten plagues are recited in great detail, each one repre­sented by a drop of wine splashed on a plat­ter. The dayeinu (" It would have been enough ... ") is offered as a responsive read­ing. It celebrates God's gracc, saying in ef­fect that if God had only broughllsrael out of Egypt, it would have been enough, but He did so much more.

Partic ipants then rcnect that in every generation, it is one's duty to regard him­self as baving personal ly gone out of Egypt. Before drinking the Cup of Thanksgiving, the following recitation is given:

"Therefore it is our duty to thank, praise, pay tribule, glorify, exalt, honor, bless, ex­tol, and acclaim Him who perfonned aU these miracles for our fathers and for us. He brought us forth from slavery to freedom, from grief to joy, from mourning to fest iv­ity, from darkness to great light, and from servitude to redemption. Let us, therefore, recite a new song before Him! Hallelujah!"

The fifth chapter of John tells of the sec­ond Passover in Jesus' public ministry. Here, Christ goes again to Jerusalem and is at the pool of Bethcsda on the Sabbath. The lame and blind crowded about the pool in the bclicfthat if they could only get into the water when an angel moved it, they would be healed.

Here, we have troubled waters and a man who can't cross them to be released from his bondage. In a way, he symbolically re­minds us of Israel before its crossing of the Red Sea. In bondage to the Egyptians, they awaited rescue and the subsequent cross­ing of troubled waters to freedom.

The lame man in Ihis account was appar­ently 50 crippled that he couldn 't even get to the water without being carried. Jesus asked him whether he desired to be made whole. Whcn he answered that he could do nothing by himself, Jesus said, " ... Rise, take up thy bed alld walk.

''A nd immediately the mall was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the .sabbath" (John H,9).

This was no random, indiscriminate ac­tion on Jesus' part. It was nothing less than a declaration of His lordship over the Sab­bath. In fact, thc rest oflhe chapter declares His equality with the God of heaven and earth: ", .. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5: 17).

He a lso equates Himself with God in power: "For as the Father roi.seth lip the dead, alld quickellefh them; even so the Son quickenetll whom he will" (John 5:2 1).

Then, Jesus proclaims that His authority is the same as that of the Father in heaven:

"For the Father judgeth no mall, bllt hath committed all judgment unto the Son " (John 5:22).

Following these announcements, John records the words and works of Christ and the witness of John the Baptist , He also speaks ofllie witness of tile heavenly Father and the witness of the Scriptures:

"Do not think thllt , will accuse YOII to the Father: there is olle that acclI.seth yOtl,

even Moses, in whom ye trust. "For had ye believed Moses, ye would

have believed me: for he wrote of me. "811t ifye believe nO! his writings, how

shall ye believe my words?" (John 5:45-47). This chapter recounts the story of a son of

Israel who was powerless to save himself. Jesus delivercd him from his bondage, both of the rigorously imposed law of the Phari­sees and the consequences of his own sin.

''Afterward. Jesus Jindeth him in the temple. and .said IIntO him. Behold. thou art made whole: sin no more, fest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5: 14).

Likc Israel in the wilderness, this man had lain with an infirmity for 38 years. His affliction corresponds to the 38 years Is­rael languished in the wilderncss aftcr re­jecting the message of Joshua and Caleb at Kadesh Bamea. Jesus reminded thc man not to sin again, "lest a worse thing come ... " infcrring that Israel failed again and again, only to find more judgment from God.

This, and Jesus' declaration of divinity, is pcrfectly in keeping with the theme of the second Cup of Thanksgiving: '" will rid you out of ... bondage."

The Third Passover: Redemption On the Passover related in the sixth chap­

ter of John, Jesus is teaching ncar the Sea of Gali lee. Those who resided furthcr than ) 5 miles from the Temple were not required to make the pilgrimage. Jesus, therefore, ad­ministered this particular Passover by the sea.

In this passage, the sea is a lso called "Tiberi as," its Gentile designation. We are, therefore, given a view of Christ's great work of redemption that would encompass the Gentile world, as well as that ofthe Jews. Upon this, His third observed Passover, Jesus deliberately separates Himself from Jewry, to initiate the elements that would evcntually become the very core of the re­demptive process - His body and His blood. His actions would come to cover the entire earth.

At this Passover, He miraculously feeds 5,000 people, walks on the watcr of the sea and delivers His great message: '~I am that bread of life" (John 6:48).

It is thus quite remarkable that thc third cup of Passover (called the Cup ofRcdcmp­tion) contains a blessing that speaks of this great Passover miracle:

"Blcssed are You, 0 Hashem , our God. King of the uni verse, who nourishes the entire world, in His goodness- with grace, with kindness and with mercy. He gives nourishment to all flesh, for His kindncss is cternal. And through His great goodness, we havc never lacked, and may we ncver lack, nourishment, for all eternity. For the

Prophecy In the Nel<'s 13

sake of His great Name, because He is God who nourishes and sustains all, and ben­efits all, and He prepares food for a\1 of His crearures which He has created. Blessed are You, 0 Hashem , who nourishes all."

How amazing that Jesus chose this, His third Passover, to expound upon the iden­tical theme - spiritual nourishment.

After His phenomena! feeding of 5,000, Jesus walked upon and calmed the troubled waters of Galilee. His disciples had encoun­tered a grear wind on the sea while rowing toward the sea's northwestern shore. It be­came dark and they had rowed over three miles, filled with fear that they would not make their destination.

Then J csus came across the water - walk­ing! He e1imbed into their boat and imme­diately they were transported to their des- . tillation. Again , we are reminded of the troubled waters of the Red Sea and the mi­raculous crossing made by the Israelites. The symbols of that first Egyptian Pass­over are found interwoven throughout this Gospel.

How wonderfully mysterious is the fact that Jews often take bits of the afilwmen with them after the Passover meal. They keep them through the year as treasured re­membrances - sometimes even regarding them as something of a good-luck amulet.

The Jews of Morocco carry this idea even farther. Hayyim Schauss writes, "These Jews of Morocco carry away with thcm from the Seder a piece of thc afikomen, the maf­zoh saved for the end of the meal. They carry it as a safeguard on ocean voyages and throw it into the water in times of storm, claiming that it has powers to calm the sea."

Their action is a symbolic casting of the Bread of Life upon troubled watcr. Now, where could they have gotten such an idea? Obviously, Christ, as the fulfillment of the afikomen, calmed the stonn-tossed sea!

Before the third cup is consumed, there arc. severnl more blessings, concluding with the one that follows. Like the others, it is structured around the theme of redemption:

" Fear Hashem, you - His holy ones ­for there is no deprivation for His reverent ones. Young lions may want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord wil! not lack any good. Give thanks to God for He is good; His kindness endures forever. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of evcry living thing. Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem , then the Lord wiU be his security. I was a youth and also have aged, and [ have not seen a righteous man for­saken, with his children begging for bread. Hashem will give might to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace."

As the third cup is raised to the lips, par-

14 Prophecy 1ft {he News

ticipants remember that God is the Re­deemer; that God wilJ strengthen. bless and sustai.n His pcople. Once again, wc find a rema:rkable synchronization between the Passover Haggadah and the sixth chapter of John, since this is the place where Jesus gives the great dissertation in which He tells Israel that He is the Bread of Life. As He began telling them who He was, He knew that many would not accept Him:

"Then said they IInlo him. Lord, ever­more give LIS this bread.

"And Jesus said IInfo them. I a/11 the bread of fi}?: he Ihal comelh 10 me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shalf neve,. thirst.

"But I said unto YOII, That ye also have seell lI1e, and believe lIot" (John 6:34-36).

The Jews, instead of accepting I-lim, con­tinued to murmur and contend among themselves. They desired mere food, not spiritual wisdom.

'"Jesus therefore answered and said unto them. Murmur 1101 among yourselves.

"No man can come to me. except the Fa­Iher which halh sent me draw him: and I will raise him up al the last day.

"It is written ill tlte propltets, And tltey shall be all taught of God. EvelY man there­Jore that hath heard. and hath learned oj the Father, cometh Ullio me.

"NOlllwt any man halh seen the Falher, save he which is oJGod. he halh seen the Falhw:

"M~rily. verily, I say unlo YOll. He thai believeth on me hath everlasting life.

··I,'lln that bread offife" (John 6:43-48). Here, during His third observed Passover,

Jesus made thc great announcement that His body represents the unleavened bread of the festival. Furthennorc, He proclaimed H is body to bc the source of tile most im­pOliant clements of the Passover, tile cup and the bread:

"Whoso ealeth my flesh. alld drinketh my blood, hath eterllallife: and I will raise him up at Ihe lasl day" (John 6:54). Th~ blood of the Passover Lamb is noth­

ing if it is not the very source of redemp­tion. In this obscrvancc, we havc the Com­munion Cup of Redemption.

The Fourth Passover: Completion On the eve of His fourth observed Pass­

over, as given in Jolm 13, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Once again it is aston­ishing to observe the juxtaposition be­tween the events of this Passover and those leading up to the drinking of the fourth Passover cup. This is the Cup of Comple­tion, in which God reminds the redeemed, "I will take you to me for a people."

Here we have a statement of relationship

- the theme of this cup. We have all the clemcnts of human drama - induding be­trayal, separation, sorrow and death. But it is a death that is consummated in victory!

Ultimately, in the sense of the establish­ment of the Kingdom, Christ will reign be­fore His people on the throne of David. They will relate to Him as King. But in the indi­vidual sense, each of the redeemed will have a personal relationship with the Lord.

In the Passover Seder , following the drinking of the third cup, the door is opened and a separate cup is poured for Elijah. The prophet is welcomed into each Jewish home, with regard to the prophecy that in the days of Messiah, he will return as a watchman to the House of David. Then the door is dosed, as the fourth cup is poured.

Then the second portion of the Halle! (psalms 115-118) is reci ted. Four times, these four psalms repeat the pluase, "Praise ye the Lord." In Hebrew, of course, this is the word "hallelujah." These psalms also feamre the theme of the Lord's persopal, watchful care and of the coming of the Messiah.

At this, His fourth observed Passover, Jesus took the ritual washing of hands that accompanies a nonnal Seder and expanded it into a foot-washing ceremony. He liter­ally acted out the role of a bondservant as He girded Himself with a towel and humbled H imsclf before them. The God of the uni­verse even washed the feet of Judas!

Here, He displayed the authcntic picture ofpuTe, self-effacing service. What an ex­traordinary example of Christian relation­ship. Just as stated in the Cup of Comple­tion, He took them " ... fOl" a people."

But even as this action was completed, during their evening meal, Jesus sent Ju­das on his evil mission. Writing about Pass­over as it would have been observed in the first century, Hayyim Schauss paints a graphic picture:

"It is, however, not enough just to buy a sheep or goat in order to be ready for [Pass­over] eve. The sacrificial animal is not eaten alone, but in groups that are made up in advance, for one man cannot eat an entire animal and it is forb idden to leave any part of the animal for the next day. So Jews rush about making arrangements to fonn a group or to become part of one. A group cannot consist of less than ten people, for it takes at least that many to eat an entire sheep at one sitting. But some Jews form huge groups, numbering so many that each mem­bercan get no more than a mere taste o f the sacrificial animal, a piecc no larger than an olive entirely too small to satisfy one's hun­ger. It is customary, then, for such a group to slay another aninml, an additional festive

offcring called chagigah. This animal is al­ways useful. Unlike the official sacrifice, which had to be ealen before dawn, the chagigah may be held for a second day."

Latcr, Mr. Schauss adds another interest­ing note: " It was customary in those days for two main courses to be served at festive banquets of the rich, and thcse two courses were interpreted as reminders of the [pass­over] sacrifice and the chagigall, the sec­ond or supplementary sacrifice. Thcse two courses usually consisted ofa piece of roasted meat on the bone, and a roasted egg."

Judas left the evening gathering after Jesus presented him with the sop:

"Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when f have dipped it. Alld when he hall dipped the sop, he gave it (0 Judas [scoriot, the son oj Simon.

"And ajier the sop Satan ellfered into hill/. Then said Jesus unto him, Thai thou doest, do quickly.

"Now 110 ilion at tile lable knew for what intent he spake this unlo him.

"For some of them thollghl, because Ju­das had the bag, that Jeslls had said unto him, Buy those fhings Ihat we have lIeed of against the feasf: or. that he should give something to the poor" (John 13:26-29).

As far as the disciples knew, Judas was sent out to buy provisions for the next day's sacrifice - the chagigall. And indeed, in an ironic reversal. that is exactly what he did. For thirty pieces of silver, he treacher­ously arranged for Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, to be slain.

The Eschatology of the Fourth Cup tn John 15:13, Jesus says, "Greater love

hmh 110 111011 than this, that a mall lay dow/! his life/or his Jriends." This is relationship in its highest sense.

But true relationship between God and His people implies something else. It also incorporates the completion and full real­ization of a long and complex prophetic plan. As we examine the events of thi s fourt h Passover, we discover ilto be so im­portant in God's plan that five fu ll chapters - John 13 through t 7 - are devoted to it!

Here, in a spectacular conclusion to the four Passovers, Jesus teaches a lesson in which relationship and His redempti vc plan are beautifully intertw ined. Without a doubt, this is the Cup of Complction.

Following the foot-washing ceremony in chapter 13, He reveals Judas (scariot, the betrayer, who immediately goes out into the night. Jesus then announces thai He will soon dcpan, telling the disciples that they cannot follow. Upon this occasion, He givcs them 1\ new commandment. Not surpris­ingly, its theme is relationship;

"A new commandmellf T give I/IltO you. 17wt ye love one ollother; as f have loved you. thaI ye also love one another.

"By this shall 011 men kllOw thar ye are my disciples, if ye have love one 10 011-

other" (John 13:34,35). The Haggadah preceding the founh cup

contains these words, from Psalm I 16: " I love Him, for Hashem hears my voice,

my supplications. As He has inclined Hjs ear to me, so in my days shall I calt. The pains of death encircled me; the confines of the grave have found me; trouble and sorrow r would find. Then I would invoke the Name of Hashem: ;Please Lord, save my soul: Gracious is the Lord and righteous, our God is merciful. Hashem protects the simple; I was brought low, but He saved me. Return, my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has been kind to you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before Hashem in the lands of the living. I have kept faith although I say: ' I suffer ex­ceedingly.' I said in my haste, 'All mankind is deceitful.'"

In John 14: 1-3, Jesus gives the disciples the first teaching, conceming His plan to take home the called-out body of believers:

"Let nol your heart be trollbled: ye be­lieve in God, believe also in me.

"Tn my Fathers house are many mall­sions: if it were flOt so, I would have told YOlt. I go to prepare a place for YOIl.

''And ifl go alld prepare a placefor )1'011, [

will come again, and receive )'Ou IIJ110 m)'­self: rhat where I am, there ye may be aIsQ."

All of us, like Abraham, look for " ... Q

city which hathfollnda/ions, whose builder alldmaker is God"(Hcb. II: 10). Here, Jesus refers to that city. He is its planner and builder. Furthermore, He promises to come and take us home to our eternal dwelling place. In Revelation it is called, "New Jerusalem." The Haggadah surrounds the fourth cup with readings that prophetically speak of this sublime realization, as the subject of Jerusalem begins to be heard in its celebration:

"How can J repay Hashem for all His kind­ness to me? I will raise the Cup of Salva­tions and the Name of Hashem I will in­voke. My vows to Hashem I will pay, in the presence, now, of His entire people. Diffi­cult in the eyes of Hashem is the death of His devout ones. Please, Lord - for I am your servant, son of your handmaid - You have released my bonds. To You I will sacri­fice thanksgiving offerings, and the Name of Hashem I will invoke. My vows to Hashem I will pay, in the presence, now, of His entire people. 1 n the counyards of the House of Hashem , in your midst, 0 Jerusa-

lem, Hallelujah!" The "Cup of Salvations" mentioned in

this recitation is found in the closing verses of Psalm 116 in the context of a restored Jerusalem. As the Passover Seder builds to­ward its conclusion, this becomes the cen­tral themc. IT almost goes without saying that this cup is the one ultimately taken by Christ as He went to the Cross.

Fol1owing Hi s reference to the New Jerusalem in John 14, Jesus continues to comfon His disciples. Here, we find a record of perhaps the most intimate conversations in all Scripture. Jesus has fi nally made it elear to His inner circle that He is about to die. Amid their flood of anxieties and un­certainties, He is thei:r pillar of strength.

In John 14:6, toThomas, He says, "I am the way." Ln vcrse 20, to Philip, He says, "I am in my Father. and ye in me, GIld [ ill you." Fie reassures Judas (not Iscariot) by saying in verse 26, "But the ComJorler. which is fhe Holy Ghost, whom the Father will selld in my nome, he shall/each you all thillgs, alld bring all things to your remem­brance, whatsoever lhave said Illlfo you."

The entire 15th chapter is a dissertation upon relationship. Tn verses I through 11, Jesus speaks as the "trlle vine." Those in relationship with Him are the branches. In verses 12- 17, He calls those who believe in Him, ·yriends.·' In verses 18 through 24, He tells believers that the world will hate them, just as it hated l-lim. Nevertheless, in the concluding verses (J ohn 15:26,27), He gives them this assunmce:

·'Bur when the COII~rorter is come, whom [ will send unto you Irom the rathe/; even rhe Spirit ofmlth, which proceedelh from the Father. he shalf testifj' oJllle:

"A nd ye 01:"0 shall bear willless, becallse ye have been with meJi-01ll the begillllillg."

In Chaptcr 16, He continues to leach them on the dctails of the Comforter's ministry. He does this, even while continuing to gen­tly inform them [hat He will soon depa":

"Nevertheless I tell yOIl fhe 'ruth; II is expedient/or you that I go away:for ifl go nor (l)vay, the Comfort.er willnof cOllie unro you; bill if I depart, I will send him unto YOIl" (John 16:7).

This chapter concludes <IS He tells His disciples that He will soon be returning to His heavenly Father.

The Haggadah picks up this note of dis­tress, even while amplifying the theme of the Lord's ultimate victory over the nations:

" From the straits did I call upon God; He <lnswered me in the broad places of Hashem. Hashem is with me, I have no fear; how can man affect me? Hoshem is with me through my helpers; therefore J can face my foes. It is better to take refuge in Hashem than to

Pruphec.y lit /he Nen, I J

rely on nobles. All the nations surround me; in the Name of Hashem I cut them down! They encircle me, they also surround me; in the Name of Hashem I cut them down! They encircle me like bees, but they are extinguished as a rirc on thorns; in the Name of Hashem I cut them down! You pushed me constantly that I might fall, but Hashem assisted me. God is my might and my praise, and He will be a salvation for me. 111e sowld of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: Hashem s right hand docs valiantly. Hashem s right hand is raised triwnphantly; Hashem s right hand does val iantly! I shall not die! But I shall live and relate the deeds of God. God has chastened me exceeding ly, but He did not Je t me die. Open fo r me the gates of righ­teousness ... I will enter them and thank God. This is the gate of Hashem; the righ­teous shall enter through it. I thank You for You have answered me and become my sal­vation. The stone the builders despised has become the cornerstone ... :'

With these words from Psalm 118, the Passover reading draws closer to the taking of the final cup. And so it is with Jesus in that fina l Passover. He leaves His disciples with the high-priestly prayer that is the en­tire 17th chapter of John. He prays for Him­sel f, His disciples, and all who would ever come to believe in Him.

He does this on the basis of the close relationship, which will ultimately be de­veloped through thc ministry of His Holy Spirit. In this prayer, He uners the seven words said by many to be the most cryptic uneranccs in the entire Biblc. Yet they are only seven one-syllable words: "j in Ihem. alld Ihou in me ... "(John 17:23). The mys­tical union between Jesus and Hi s follow· ers stretches out across eternity with His promise that one day, He will take us to be with Him in the place of His building.

To Israel in the Kingdom, th is means Jerusalem and the Third Temple, built by Messiah, Himself. To the faithfu l in the church, it means the heavenly New Jerusa­lem. But whether on earth or in heaven, Jerusalem is the Lord's home; it is a place of endless rejoicing, praise and worship. The important fact is that He is coming!

With the cJosingcry of Psalm 118, the Pass· over now draws near to its final moments.

"Please, Hashem, save now! Please, Hashem, save now! Please, Hashem, bring success now! Please, Hashem, bring success now! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of Hashem."

This is the traditional Mcssianic greet­ing. The Jews teach that these words will one day welcome Him as He enters Jerusa­lem to build the Third Temple.

As the fourth cup is consumed, a fi nal

I (J Prophecy In rhe NI!IY$

blessing is given. In a plea to rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem,the bless­ing reads as follows:

"Have mercy, we beg You, Hashem, OUf

God, on Israel Your people; on Jerusalem, Your city; on Zion, resting place of Your glory; Your Altar, and YourTemplc. Rcbuild Jerusa· lem the city of holiness, speedily in our days."

With that, the Passover concludes with the victorious shout, '"Next year in Jerusa· lem!" The Cup of Completion anticipates that the Lord will come and take His people 1'0 Himself.

Four: the Kingdom Number When Jesus accepted the ditficult work

that His Father had given Him to do, He knew that He would be completing a com­plex, foreordained plan. But even though the plan was complete, it would be quite difficult. As given in Matthew 26:39, we get a glimpse of the emotional intensity that our Lord must have felt:

"And he wenl a Iitt/efarther. andfell on his face, and prayed, saying, ° my Father, if it be possible, let this Clip pass ji"O/II me: nevertheless 1101 as I will. hut U.!J· thou wiil."

This symbolic cup represented the des· tiny of Jesus; it was to be filled with His own blood, the blood of the Lamb. Thus, Passover is the necessary prelude to the bringing in ofthe Kingdom. Four, the num­ber associaled with the earth and its four winds, four points ofthe compass, fou r sea­sons, etc., is also the number of the King­dom. Seen in this context, the fo ur cups of Passover are a powerful symbol.

All these years, the Jews have remem­bered the ult imate sacrifice. Year after ycar, their festival calendar tells and retells the story of His First Coming at Passover. At the end of the meal, the afikomen literally speaks Ihe word, " I come!" The only thing left is for them to fi nally know the name of their Messiah, j ust as we do:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed ii, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said. Take, eat; (his is my body.

':And he took fhe cup, and gOl'C thanks, alld gave it fa them, saying. Drink ye oil of it:

"for this is my blood of the new testa· mem, which is shed for mOllY for the remis· sioll of sins.

"But I say unto you, I will not drink hence­forth of this froit of the ville, /Inti/that day when J drink it new with you in my Father s kingdom.

''And when they had sung an hymn, they wenl alit into the mOllnt of0!iyes" (Mat. thew 26:26-30).

Here, Jesus takes the fourth Clip and an­nounces that this will be His final Pass-

over, until thc prophcsied events leading to the Kingdom Age are complete.

To the Apostle John was g iven the pro· phelic pattern of the four cups. The four Passovers he records a re the pattern of Christ 's First Coming. His message leads ultimately to the Revelation and the work of the Lamb, as He stands before the Throne of God and enacts Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe.

We will one day drink of the frui t of the vine in the Kingdom of Heaven:

"Lei us be glad and rejoice, alld give !rOllor to him:for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

"And to her was gronted that she should be anuyed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is Ihe righteousness of saints.

"And he saith unto me, Write. Blessed are they which are called unto Ihe mOl'·

doge slipper oflhe Lamb. And he saUl! UIIIO me, nlese are Ihe troe sayings Of God" (Rev. elation 19:7·9).

What a Passover celebration that will be! And just as promised, we can say, "Next year in the New Jerusalcm!" As given in Revelation 2 1:23, the Lamb will bc there:

''And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the mOOIl, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it. and the Lamb is the light thereof"

Numerical Value of Passover-IS3! The Number of Redemption

In John 21, we f"md the famous account in which the resurrected Jesus stood on the shore at the Sea of Galilee and told His dis· ciples \0 fish in a certain place. They did as He bid them and suddenly their nets were full to bursting, even after a whole night of unsuccessful fishing. Once on shore, a coul)! of the fi sh revealed that their nurn· ber was exactly 153. Ever since, theolo· gians have been intrigued by this nwnber.

Long ago, E. W Bullinger noted that the gematria (numerical total) of the Hebrew expression "sons of God," or b 'nai haElohim lC';,\'N;,\ 'J::lJ is 153. Since the redeemed become the sons of God by adoption, he came to think of this as the numerical sym· hoI of redemption. We might also note that the Hebrew word for " Passove r" -haPesach [noD"] also bas a gematria of 153. Thus, Passover reveals the number of re· demption! This, of course, is its major theme. lis cryptic signature is subtly placed at the end of the book of John - the book offour Passovers.

Next month, we shall continue our study in the Jewish Holy Days - John's use of the spring and autumn festivals as the struc­tures upon which h is Gospel and Revcla­tion were written .•

Part Five:

Isaiah's Miniature Bible By Gary Stearman

In this instaUment of our continuing study we will discuss the first four of twelve Minor Prophets - Hosea through Malachi. They correspond in meaning and symbol­ism with Isaiah, chapters 28 through 31.

Originally, the Minor Prophets were bound together as a single book - the 22nd and f inal book of the original Old Testa­ment. They conclude the first of two divi­sions into which Isaiah is divided.

The first division (Isaiah 1-39) corre­sponds with Old Testament Law, while the second (Isaiah 40-66) sets forth the con­cept of New Testament Grace.

The Minor Prophets concl ude the Old Testament and, in effect. provide a pro­phetic transition from Law to Grace. Since all twelve were originally bound together, they are represented by a si ngle Hebrew letter, n [o llv, meaning ' 'truth and perfec· tion." This emphasizes a surprising truth: chapters 28 through 39 oflsaiah are linked together in the promise of final perfection under God.

In our last issue, we continued our re­view of Isaiah as a miniature Bible. As pre­viously stated, the re are 66 chapters in Isaiah, corresponding with 66 books in tbe Bible. In short, it is a microcosm of the Bible as a whole. Each chapter reflects a theme or idea that is actually embedded in each cor­responding book of the Bible.

Part onc of this study covered the firs t five chapters of Isai ah, represcming the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy and symbolized by the lettcrs ~ aleph, ~ beif. J gimel. 1 dalel and n hay.

Pan two investigated the next f ive let­ters -1 vav, 1 zayin, n chet, ~ tet and ' yod, representing the ongoing struggles of the ri ghteous man. lllese symbolize the themes of Isaiah 6 through 14 and the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.

Part three detailed Isaiah 15 through 19, and thc books ofEzralNehemiah. Esther, Job and Psalms. This section is symbolized in the lettcrs :! kaph, , lamed, c mem and J mill, the letters dedicated to accomplishment, revelation and faith.

Pan four was a study ofIsaiah 20 through 27, representing the books of Proverbs, Ecc lesiastes, Song of Soiomon, Isaiah,

The Hebrew Aleph-beit I

I K Aleph. head, as In Creator, King; the head of. bull appointed for sacrfflce, etc. I :l Belt· house, duality as In husband and wife; also dMsion between good and evil, etc. J GimeI·lo~ culmination. as In planting a seed and caring'Of' It until it matures. . , Dalet . door; way. n Hay. breath; Spirit 0' God. , Vav· hook; redemption and transformation. Stands for IMn created on the tilth day. ate' j T Zayln· tocal point of sustenance and stnlggl .. n CHf· new beginning; new IHej a metaphysical letter above this eKistence. tQ T~t· serpent; obiective good • that which appears evil but is for our improvement. , Yod . a metaphylicaland cHvlna leUer muning hand • the right hand ot God. ~ , Kat· crowning accomplishment; drawn a.' when used at the end of a sentence. r;, Lamed · teaching and IMming.

It!O Mem· revelation; revealed as in 0; COfiCU .. edllS in 0 when used at the end ofa sentanc.. l l lfun • faithfulness; lOIlIi downfall and riling again. o Samac'" divine presence and support; stands for the Holy of Holies of the Temple.

i j) Alin · eyei spiritual insight. I "I El q I'eII· mouth; closeda. In ill open as inq whenused.ttheendofa senttnC8. I " ~ y r_. __ ....... ~; ............ y_ ......... endol ...........

I p I(apII. holiness; cycles of growth; summary and Judgment at the end of the cycle of life. , Rash • wickedness; the wickeel.

I ttl SIIi"· divine powetj provlalon; protection. n Tahv· truth; perfection.

The chartlabove} lists the twenty·two leH~rs of the Hebrew alphabet with a brief explanation of each meaning, Five 01 the lette,s - ~ 1 Ka', 0 0 Mem,l l Nun, D q I'~" and:; Y Ttaddi­appear with a companion leHer. Actually, the second laUer is simply anoUlar way of drawing the same leUar, except that it is used only if that letter appears at the end of a sentence, The companion letter is called "sofflt" - or "final fonn." It holds basically the same meaning,

JcrellliahlLamentations, Ezekiel and Damel. This covered the symbolic values of the let­ters C sl1mech, l' ayin, :.:l peh, ~ tzaddi, P koph. , resh and tv shin. These letters are cen­tered upon the ideas associated with the summation of God's redemptive plan and the prophecies that conclude human de­velopment. God 's judgment and His righ­teousness are the major features found in the Old Testament prophets.

Theologians have long noted the simi­larity between Isaiah and the construction of the Bible. Not until recently, however, have we had the key that explains the com­parison. Namely, the Bible has a structure or outline fixed by the meanings of the let­ters in the Hcbrew alphabct.

The key to understanding tbe link be­tween Isaiah and the Bible lies in these 22 leners, plus their five final forms. These characters create a skeletal outl ine. Each

aspect bas a given meaning - and Isaiah conforms to that outline.

You will find that the contents of each chapter in Isaiah correspond with the vari­ous themes covered in each book of the Bible. Through these chapters, we will show how God had a hand in the placement of each book in its proper place in both the Old and New Testaments. Though some contend that earl y church councils organized the Bible, this study shows a divine design.

In our book, The Mystery ofThe Menorah And The Hebrew Alphabel, we have pre­sented each Hebrew letter with a lengthy study of its meaning. To help you bettcr understand the meanings of the Hebrew letters, we recommend the book to you.

The fundamental meaning of n tahv is " final truth and perfection." It is said to be rcprcsented in the tenninal lettcr of the Hcbrew word, emet 1'I0X, meaning "truth."

Prophecy III rhe News 17

It is taught that this concept, like the plan of God, encompasses the entire alphabet. That is, H aleph is the first letter, il tahv is the last and 0 mem is ncar the center.

The ancient Jewish sages taught that truth is absolute. However, we know that absolute truth is only found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jo1m recorded this concept in a single statement made by our Lord:

"Jesus saith unto him. J am the way, the tnith. and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). It was He who created all that is. Truth began with Cre· ation, symbolized with the first letter of the alphabet. Psalm 119: 160 supports this idea: "Thy word is true/rom the beginning ... "

II is also taught that the letter il tahv is the seal ofthe Lord, who marks His elect on the forehead with the mark oftruth.·This is borne out in Ezekiel's vision of the slay­ing throughout Jerusalem:

"And the glory oj the God oj Israel was gone up Jrom the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold oJthe house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writed· inkhorn by hi.'l side:

"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem. and set a mark upon 'he fore­heads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof" (Ezekiel 9:3,4).

In the original Hebrew, the "mark" that is p laced upon the fo reheads of those mourning over Jerusalem is the tahv. The Hebrew text in Ezekiel 9:4 shows the word "mark" as li'lit (n hay, n tallv, I vav) and is literally translated from Hebrew as "the tahv!" Thus, the "mark" in ink is the letter of truth - the seal of the Lord!

As we look toward the future, we are im· mediately reminded of the 144,000 from the Twelve Tribes of lsrael mentioned in the book of Revelation. It seems most likely that they are sealed with God's own mark of truth and perfection. By the way, in the days of Ezekiel, the il tallv was not drawn in the "block style" as it is today. The ancient Hebrew letter tahv was drawn as a X cross!

This particular Hebrew letter style dates as early as Moses and as late as the Babylonian captivity. The block style of Hebrew was developed after the Babylonian captivity and was in common use by the first century.

Again, let us be reminded that the il tahv is the symbol of perfection. Writing in Psalm 18:30, David said, ''As for God. his way is perfect ... " He has been perfect since time immemorial. One day, His Creation will be brought to the same state of perfec­tion. This is the thrust of each of the twelve Minor Prophets.

/8 Plvph",y i" ,he Ne.l<JY

Isaiah 28 - 39: n Tahv Chapters 28 through 39 oflsaiah are out·

lined and defined by il tahy, the letter of truth and perfection. It is the 22nd and last of the letters, except for the five final forms, which will be discussed later. In these twelve chapters, Isaiah pronounces a series of six woes:

" Woe 10 the crown a/pride, fo fhe drunk­ards of Ephraim, whose g/oriol/s beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them thaI are overcome wilh wine!" (Isaiah 28:1).

"Woe to Ariel. 10 Ariel. the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; lei them kill sacrifices" (Isaiah 29: I).

"Woe unto them that seek deep 10 hide their coul/sel FOil! the LORD, and theil· works are in Ihe dark, and they say. Who seeth liS? alld who klloweth liS?" (Isaiah 29015).

" Wo e to the rebellious children. sailh the LORD. Ihat take counsel. bllt not of me; and thaI cover with a covering, bitt not of my spirit. Ihat they may add sin to sin" (Isaiah 30: I).

"Wo£ to them thaI go down to Egyptfor help; and slay on horses, and tl"llst il/ chari· OIS, because they are many: and in horse­men. because they are velY strong; hut they look no! IInto the Holy One of JsmeJ. nei­ther seek the LORD!" (Isaiah 31: I).

"Woe to thee that spoilest, and tholl wast not spoiled; and deafest treacherously. and they dealt no! treacherously with Ihee! wilen thou shalt cease to spoil, tholl shall be spoiled: and when tholl shalt make all end to deal treacherollsly, they shall deal treacherously with Ihee" (Isaiah 33:1).

In a remarkable way, these six woes coin­cide with the themes of the twelve Minor Prophets. As we consider each prophet in order, we shall observe these "woes" in context.

Isaiah 28 The "woe" of Isaiah 28: I is pronounced

upon Ephraim, a designation for Isracl. This tribal name, meaning "doubly fruitful," was originally given to the younger of two sons born to Joseph in Egypt. Even though he was not the first· born of Joseph, Ephraim was chosen for the greater blessing.

His land grant included . the areas now encompassed in central Israel, as Sheehem and Samaria. It lay between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The tribes of Benjamin and Dan lay to the south; Manasseh was directly to the north.

During the era of Joshua and the Judges, Israel's religious center was at Shiloh, in the territory of Ephraim. And, indeed, for a

time, Ephraim was doubly hlessed. How· ever, as is often the case, comfort leads to spirittml complacency, then to apostasy.

In Isaiah and Hosea, as well as other prophets, Ephraim is used to designate the ten tribes of the northern kingdom. Spe­cifically, this chapter is a prophecy against the proud and drunken Samaria.

Isaiah laments the fact that their initial blessing had turned to an arrogant and in­toxicated spirit of idolatry. In effect, he says, they have made a peace pact with the dark forces of the underworld:

·"Becallse ye have said, We have Illude u covenant wilh death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come U/IIO liS: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid Ollrselves" (Isaiah 28: 15).

He who was once doubly blessed is now cursed. God 's truth and perfection now de­mand judgment upon those who have for· gotten Him. In effect, this sets the theme that is developed throughout the twelve divi­sions marked out by the Minor Prophets.

The Hosea Theme The comparison hctween Isaiah 28 and

the book of Hosea is more obvious than one would first assume. Not, however, when one remembers that Ephraim - the largest tribe - is a designation for the northern kingdom.

Hosea, whose name is a Hebrew variant of the word for "salvation," was a propbet called to minister to the northern kingdom. He was called to prophesy to this wealthy kingdom that was the very example of ex· pansion and prosperity. Unfortunately, it had also become corrupt and idolatrous. Its faith in the one true God and the Torah had been aU but forgotten in the forest of idols: Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech and their panoply of lesser deities.

Hosea was caned to convict them of their spiritual adultery. The Lord told him to marry a harlot, whose name was Gomer. Her adultery would become an example of l srael's unfaithfulness to the Lord.

At the beginning of Hosea's ministry, Is­rael was at the height of her glory under Jereboam II . Toward the cnd - about forty years later - a series of assaults by the Assyrians had destroyed the northern king­dom. The last king, Hoshea, witnessed the total destmction of a nation once strong and faithful.

Hosea's book is a perfect reflection of Isaiah 28, which opens with the words, "Woe to . .. Ihe drunkards ofEph/'aim."

Hosea 7:11-13 also resounds with this theme, reflecting the reason for the Lord's

I

I

judgment upon the :northern kingdom: "Ephmilll also is like a silly dove with­

alit hearl: fhey call (0 Egypt. 'hey go 10 Assyria.

"When (hey shall go, I will spread m)' net lIpon them; I wiff bring them down as the jowls of 'he heaven: I will chastise them, liS their congregation halll heard.

"Woe 111/10 them! jor they havefledfi"Om me: destrllction 1111((' them! because they have (rallSgressed against lIle: though 1 have redeemed (hem , yelthey have spoken lies against me."

In chapter 9, Hosea repeats his woe against Ephraim:

'"As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, ji"OflI the birth, and jium the womb, and from the conception ,. (Hosea 9: 11 ).

Read again the statement in Isaiah 28: I and observe the "woe" pronounced against Ephraim:

"Woe to Ihe crown ()[pride. to the drunk­ards of Ephraim. whose gloriolls be(lIIty is a jading flower. which are on the head of the Jal valleys oj them Ihal are overcome with wille!"

It compares perfectly with the theme found in Hosea. In both cases, God's truth rings forth . Here, as i.n the e leven prophets to follow, the letter n tllhv. reflective of truth and perfection, states the basis of God's judgment .

Isaiah 29 Isaiah 29 gives a p rophetic view of Ar­

mageddon. Dr. C. I. Scofield writes in his notes, ';The fa r view is that of the final gath­ering of the Gentile bosts against Jerusa­lem at the end of the Gr.eat Tribulation, when a still greater deliverance will he wrought." Verses 1-3 set the scene:

"Woe to Ariel. 10 Ariel. Ihe city where David dwel,! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

"Yet i will distres:,' Ariel. and there shall be heaviness alld sorrow: and il shall be IIl1to me as Ariel.

"A"d I will camp agaillst thee round about. Gild will fay siege against thee with a mount, and I wil/ miseJorts against thee" (Isaiah 29:1-3).

The name ':4 riel" is another name for Jemsalem. Its approximate meDning is "a lion of God." lts word roots also carry the meanings of "God's hearth" o r "God's heigh!." Its real sense is the Jerusalem that serves as a bastion of protection for the faithful during the day of God's judgment.

In this chapter, Jerusalem is besieged., theo at the last, is saved and elevated: "For the terrible one is brought to n01lght, alld the scomer is consullled ..... (lsa. 29:20).

"Jacob shall 1101 I!OII' be ashamed. nei­ther shall hisJace /lOW W(LX pale" (Isa. 29:22).

Verse 8 tclls us that all nations will be involved in this final battle against Jerusa­lem. The "day oJthe Lord" is clearly in­tended:

" .. so shull the mllltitude oj all 'he na­tions be. that fight against mOUllt Zioll" (Isaiah 29:8).

This siege will be a virtual nightmare to Jerusalem, as expressed in verses 7 and 8:

''And the mliitill/de of all the nations thai fight against Ariel, evell all (hat fight against her and her III/l11itiol1. and Ihat dis­tress her. sha/l be as a dream of a night vision.

"It shall evell be as whell all hungry man dreamelh, (II/d, behold, he eatelh; but he awaketh, alld his s01l1 is empty: or as when a thirsly mall dreame!h. and, behold, he drinketh: but he all'ake!h, alld, behold, he is fainl, alld his soul hath appetite: so shall the muitilllde oj all the nations be. thaT fight against mount Zioll.·'

The quality of the struggle is supernatu­ral in scope, reflecting a time when the dark forces are released to tonnent men on the surface of the earth.

T he Joel T heme The little book of Joel elaborates upon

the importam theme of the coming "day oJ the Lord."

Joel, whose name means "the Lord is God," is the defining prophet of the "day ojthe Lord," His prophecy carries a mes­sage that is virtually identical to the one in Isaiah 29. He, too, speaks of the final siege against Jerusalem:

"For, behold. in tI/O~'e days, and in that lime. whell I shall bring agaill the captiv­ity of Judah and Jerusalem,

"I will also gather all IIatiollS, (III(/ ",ill bring them do",,, into the valley of JehoshapJwt. 'Illd will plead with them there jar my people and jar my heritage Israel, whom they /rave scal1ered among tile na­tiolls. alld parted Illy land" (Joel 3: I ,2).

This prophet sounds an alarm th at is meant to wake up the sleeping faithful. It specifically deals with Jerusalem:

''Blow y'i' the tl1llllpet in Zioll, and sound an alam! in II1Y holy mountain: let all the inhabit­ants oJthe land tremble:for fhe day a/the Lord collleth, il is nigh 01 hand" (Jocl 2: 1).

"Proc/aim ye this amollg the Gentiles; Prepm'e wm; wake lip lite mighty men, let all the mell of war droll' Ilea/,: lei them come lip" (Jocl 3:9).

It is marvelous to open these chapters in Isaiah and sec them address the same theme as each Old Testament book which corre­sponds to the number of the chapter. Joel,

the 29th book of the Ol d Testament, fol­lows the theme of the 29th chapter of Isaiah!

The "multitudes" observed to gather about Jerusalem in Isaiah 29 are seen again in the prophecy of Joel.

"Mu/tiludes, mllititudes ill the valley of decisioll: Jar the day of the LORD;s near ill the valley of decisiOIl.

"The SUII Gild the mooll shall be dark­ened, and the stars shall withdraw Iheir shining.

"The LORD also shall roar out oJZion, WId ulfer his voice from Jerusalem; alld the heavel1s and Ihe earth shall shake: but the LORD wi/I be the hope of his people, alld the strength oj the children oj Israel" (JocI3:14- 16).

Isaiah 30 Isaiah 30 opens with another "woe." .. Woe to Ihe rebellious children. !mith fhe

LORD, that take cOllmel. bUI not of me: alld Ihal cover with a coverillg, bUI not oj Illy spirit, fhal they lIIay add sin to sin:

"that walk 10 go down i/flo Egypt, and hove not asked at my moulh: 10 strengthen them­selves in rhe strength oj Pllamoh. and 10 II1l5t ill the shadow oJEgypt" (Isaiah 30:1,2).

In biblical typology, Egypt is a type of the world and the world system. The faith ­rul are warned against p lacing any faith in this system. The prophets continually warn against placing trust in Babylon, Egypt, Assyria (which destroyed the ten northern tribes) and later, Rome, which the Jews re­fer to as "Edom."

This chapter of Isaiah is a diatribe agai nst an apostate people who p lace trust in their enemies, even when their prophets have warned against doing so. They are called:

" ... children that will 1101 hear the law of the Lord:

"Which soy to t/ze see/'s, See 1I0t; and to the prophets. Prophej,Y 1101 1IIItO liS right t/Zings, .speak 1II1to liS sll100lh things. proph­esy deceils" (Isaiah 30:9, 10),

Isaiah 's prophecy describes a general condition. Throughout Israel's history, the nalion has had a tendency to fall into idola­try and apostasy. then into destruction and captivity. After judgment, the apostate na~ tioll then repents and the kingdom is re­vived once aguin. Evidently, this pattern continues on into the future and includes the final endtime episode. Verse 25 speaks of " ... the day of the great slaughte/; when the towers Jail." Verse 26 follows with what must surely be described as a "day oj the Lord" passage:

"Moreover the light of Ihe moon shall be as the light oj Ihe SIll1, and Ihe light of the Slill shall be sevenJold, as Ihe light of the seven days, in the day that the Lord

Prophf!C')' ill Ihe Neil'S 19

bindeth up the breach of his people. and hea/eth the stroke of their wound."

Here, the continually-repeated prophecy is clearly stated once again. God promises to chastise His people, then bind up their wounds. Tbis is the Yfessianic promise.

The theme is the same - both here and in the book of Amos. Isaiah has a near and far Fulfillment, of course, as do most prophetic passages. Sermacberib and his Assyrian army are the near threat, but the "day of the Lord" wil l see its flnal fulfillment.

The Amos Theme Amos was a poor farmer, commissioned

by the Lord to travel to Bethel. In the days of Jereboam (about 755 8.c.) the Assyrian captivity was still over thirty years in the future. At the time, Israel was experiencing an economic boom and expanding influ­ence. In rapid-fire fashion, Amos opcns by leveling e ight prophccies against Dam­ascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah and Israel . In his third, fourth and fifth chapters, Amos shows why Israel's judgment is well deserved - past, present and future.

In the same manner as found in Isaiah 30, Amos also has both a near and far ful­fillment. He pronounces judgments upon Damascus, Tyre, Moab and others; but the main view is far reaching - to the "day of the Lord" - which many believe will be the seventh millenniwn. In referring to that fu­ture day of judgment, Amos also speaks of "J.1.'Oe" to those rebellious children of Israel:

"Woe ulllO you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is itfor YOII? the dayof the LORD is darkness, and not light" (Amos5: 18).

Isaiah's prophecy promises the ultimate restoration of Israel. In Amos, God a lso promises to restore the nation:

''Alld I will brillg agaill the captivity of my people of Israel, alld they shall bllild the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards. and drink the wille thereof; they shall also make gardens. and eat the fruit afthem.

''And I will plant them upon their/and, and they shall no more be plllled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God" (Amos 9; 14, I 5).

Many believe the present regathering of Israel is the beginning fulfillment of this prophecy. First, however, there must be the judgment of the Lord. Then, in the seventh millennium, deliverance wi!! come.

Isaiah 31 In this chapter, Isaiah pronounces an­

other "woe." He turns once again to the fa lse alliance with Egypt. This prophecy is directed against Judah and its reliance upon

20 Prophecy in the Newt

having made an alliance with Egypt. "Woe to them that go down 10 Egyptfor

help; and stay on horses, and frllst in chari­ots, becallse they are mOllY: alld in horse­men, because Ihey are very strong; bl/t they look not IInto the Holy Olle of Israel. nei­ther seek tire LORD!" (Isaiah 3 1: 1).

Jerusalem is warned against placing any faith in this system. They are urged to throw away their idols and trust in the Lord. Nev­ertheless, He promises to be their del iverer:

'ifs bil'dsjlying. so will the lord ofllOsls defend Jerusalem. defending also he will deliver it; alld passing over he will pre­serve it" (Isaiah 31 :5).

The Obadiah Theme Several metaphors arc used in Isaiah 31

and in its corrcsponding book of Obadiah. Though the enemy differs in these passages, the futu re deliverance of Jerusalem is in view. To begin with, Isaiah pronounces an-other "woe:"

This "woe" is against the leaders of Jerusalem. In Isaiah 31, we find the Cho­sen People petitioning Egypt for help against Sennacherih. But in Obadiah, the city is conquered by an unnamed enemy. Though Obadiah is believed to have been written as early as 887 B.C. and is regarded as the earliest of the Minor Prophets, the invading anny is difficult to identify.

Some have conjectured that il could be the Babylonians who would come some 300 years later. Olher candidates for this infamy arc the Philistines and Arabians. Whatever the case, the children of Esau re­joiced over the captivity of Judah and laid themselves open for God's judgment.

The most fasci nating aspect of Obadiah 's brief2l · verse prophecy is that it opens with a pronouncement of doom upon Edam: "]hilS saith the Lord God concerning Edam ... "

The Idumean (Edomite) eagle was the

symbol of the offspring of Esau: "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle.

and thollgh Iholl set thy nest among the stars. thellce will I bring Ihee down, saith the LORD" (Obadiah 4).

To the Jews, Esall and Edom are far more than the opposition of Jacob's combative twin. Over the years, Esau becomes the embodiment of opposition against Israel. The best-known example of Idumean usur­pation is seen during the time of Christ, in the dynasty of Herod. Ultimately, the off­spring of the Idumeans intemlarried with the offspring of Rome's royal dynasties.

Perhaps for this reason, today's Jews say that ''Edam is Rome" and will be Israel's final great enemy. Certainly, Obadiah evokes images of the last days as, in verse 15, he writcs, "For the day a/the Lord is lIear lipan all the heathen: as Ihol/ hast done, it shall be done IInto thee: Ihy re­waI'd shall rerum lipan thine own head."

Between Isaiah and Obadiah, there are many sim ilar images. For example, isaiah uses the metaphor of Jerusalem becoming a weapon of "fire" in the hand of God:

';4, lId he shall passover to his strollg holdfor foor; and his pdnces shall be afraid of the en­sign. saith the WRD, whosefire is in Zion, and his fitnwce in JelUSl11em ,. (Isaiah 31 :9).

Obadiah uses the same metaphor: ':And the hOllse oj Jacob shall be afire. and

the house of Joseph aflame" (Obadiah 18). Both Isaiah 3 1 and Obadiah speak of the

battle over Jerusalem in the end-time. Isaiah 31:7 calls it "that day" while Obadiah (with Joel) was among the earliest prophets to use the term "Ihe day of Ihe Lord." Obvi­ously, Armageddon is in view throughout this entire section of Isaiah, as well as the Minor Prophets.

In our next issue, we shall continue this study of the linkage between Isaiah, the Mi­nor Prophets and the Hebrew alphabet. •

Countdown to Apocalypse Edited by J, R. Church

Invitation to an Unprecedented Event The beast is about to rise OUI of the sea of

humanity. 1 received an invitation to par­ticipate! - From Mikhail Gorbachev!

From: Mikhail Gorbachcv & CoChairs To: 1. R. Church We wish to extend to you a unique invi­

tation - to personally participate in an unprecedented historic event.

Working with partners worldwide, the State of the World Forum will convene a high level gathering of international lead­ers ofbusincss and civil society at the New York Hilton & Towers this Sepl'ember 4 through 10. I-orum 2000 is timed to coin­cide with the "United Nations Millennium Summit of Heads of State," which is pre­dicted to be the largest gathering of gov­ernment leaders in modern rustory.

OUf intent in juxtaposing Forum 2000 with the UN Millennium Summit is to crc­ate a "g lobal town meeting" in which prominent leaders in business, finance, la­oor, science and technology, the environ­ment. human rights, religion, and civil so­ciety will join in substantive dialogue with selected "Heads of State" on the great is­sues confTOnting all of us as we enter the era of globalir.ation.

We do not know of another occasion when so many leaders from so many regions ofthe world and so many diverse disciplines will bc gathered together for a common dialogue about issues of such import.

You are invited to participate. ~il(bail Ciorbachev

Clinton _Places Camp David Summit Failure on Arafat

u.s. President Bill Clinton in his public statement announcing the failure of the Camp David n Summit placed the blame on Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman, Yassir Ararat.

President Clinton stated that Prime Min­ister Ehud Barak was willing to make the painful concess ions while protecting Israel's vilal security interests, but his PA partner was unwilling to meet him halfway.

Mr. Barak has returned to Isruel and is finding the reaclion to the failed summit is mixed. Proponents of the Camp David U Summit feel that the prime minister may have been able to make a better offer or done something different to entice Arafat

inlO signing a peace deal. Opponents are angered over the prime

minister's "betrayal" of his sclf-imposed red lines, adding that Mr. Barak was the first Jewish leader willing to hand over sover­eignty of the Jewish capitai. In addition, they explain that even if future attempls to arrive at an agreement wilh the PA continue, Mr. Barak already placed too much on lhe table and Mr. Arafat will never agree to less than what was already offered him, namely sovereignty over portions of the capital.

(Israel Wire, July 26, 2000)

Palestinians Threaten Violence The Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli

organization monitoring the Palestinian Authority media, claims that the tone there is one of "on the brink of war."

Threats against Israel and the selders abound. Palestinian Authority Cien. Osama Ali is quoted as saying, "The Pales:inian nation will defend itself with all means at its disposal, fro m a kitchen knife to a Kalaclmikov rifle, in the even! of an Israeli al1ack."

The Khan Yunis governor announced, "The Palestinian nation will purifY its land from the contamination of the senleB."

The Palestinian newspaper AI Hayat al­Jodida quoted Temple Mount mufti Akrama Sabari as follows: "Jerusalem con­quest mayor, Ehud Olmert, will bear the re­sponsibility for his incitement and for his declarations Ihat Jerusalem is the etemal capital oflhe Jewish people .. ' Jewish prayer in the Al Aksa mosque will lead to unimag­inable acts of slaughter ... a sea of blood." (Arutz 7, July 24, 2000)

Albright Sees Vatican as Critical To Agreement on Jerusalem

U.S. Secretary of State MadcleineAlbright arrived in Rome July 3 I, ahead of a meeting in which she sought the Vatican's help in fmd­ing ways to narrow the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians over Jerusalem, themain stumbling block to a fmal peace accord.

Albright lold reporters traveling with her to talks with Vatican Foreign Secretary Jean-Louis Tauran thai while the Roman Catholic Church could not dictate or veto a solution to the fate of the Holy City, its input would be key to any agreement

Albright said, "They clearly have an in­terest in the holy places and ... since we are obviously going to go on with these talks

in some format, it would bc useful to meet with the Vatican, I think they're in a posi­tion to be helpful."

Albright conferred twice with the Vatican during the marathon Camp David Summit that failed after 15 days of intense negotia­tions. The day after the talks broke down the Pope made a personal appeal for the eity to be granted" special status with in­ternational guarantees."

Jewish Writer, Harry Melkman Has Strange View on Prophecy From the Internel: Shimon Perez is the

pivotal cause Ismel's sovereignty has been ceded to the Vatican, one oflhe verbal agree­ments Arafat was referring to at Camp David U. Peres essentially has acceded to the Kotel being directed by a three-religion commit­tee under the aegis of the UN, thc central wish of the Vatican in order to debar any Jew­ish rights over Jerusalem for the future.

[Read ing the Fundamental Agreement between the Vatican and Israel of23/12/93 conjointly with the Legal Personality Agree­ment article 3(3) of this Agreement dated 10/ 11197, which litemlly states Israel rec­ognizes de illre canon law over the whole of the Holy Llind it is prima jacie, when substantiating with the Iillican-PLO Agree­ment re: Jerusalem calling for a special stat­ute of the so-called holy places.

Peres acts as the Vatican agent. He be­lieves in Christian eschatology saying the Jewish state has to be destroyed spiritually before Rosh HaShana 576 1. This is due to the following calculation 5760/16 = 360, which is the numerical value of Mithras. The anti christ cycle of the Vatican started in 1984-2000 = 16.

The number 16 is related to Yom Kippur. In the Hebrew calendar, 1984: 5744/16 = 359 =shin, mm, tet=satan. There is a Chris­tian forecast from the 6th Century A.D., probably taken from stolen Temple scrolls originally, that says before the end of the second millennium Christianity will be pierced through being of Mithraical ori­gins default of authentic Jewish adherence.

A 11 Western leaders are completely su­perstitious. In Peres they found their Erev Rav. Rabbi Aryeh Nissan Novick in his book, "Torah Prophecies CUTTelllly Unfolding" NY (1997), proved beyond doubt Peres is Annelus whose duty it is to bring the sev­enty nations up against Israel in a secret agreement with Esav and Ishmael.] •

Prophecy in the Neil'S 11

Dear Prophecy in the News, Today I received my June issue of Proph,.

eey in the News in the mail. 1 had never heard of your magazine but I was very glad to get it. I could not put it down! I am vcry interested in Hebrew and plan to go to Is­rael in November. The article, "Isaiah s Miniature Bible," by Gary Stearman was very helpful.

Enclosed, please find a check for one year and please begin the subscription in July. AJso included is a check for the June issue so that I may have the study '~New Look at the Tower of Babel."

It was no accident that I received this magazine. Thank YOll for sending it. It 's a comfort to know that people know the truth about Clinton and the Waco cover-up. Did I like the magazine or what!

Sincerely, M.M. Round Top, TX

Dear J. R. & Gary, , want to thank you for letting the Lord

use you as He does. The monthly magazine is such a blessing. We get the telecast all Friday night at \0:30 P.M. on The Inspira­tiollal Network. Always waiting for the pro­gram and when not at: home, 1 set the VCR and tape it. Thanks again and may God con­tinue to bless the ministry. Please pray fo r us and please send the video, "The Days of Old." We would love to see it. We pray ev­eryday for you and your staff and the min­istry there. Thanks.

W.&C.S. Buena Vista, VA

Dear Brothers in Christ, 1 f'Mely get a chancl~ to watch your show,

but it has been v1ry il1fonnative when I've seen it. Also, this is the first time J have been able to read your magazine and 1 m ust say I have learned so much from it. Thank you fo r the opportunity to receive an issue of your magazine for free and most of aU for being obedient 10 God with your minis­try. I have enclosed a gift to help out in your ministry. Again, thank you and God bless you and yours.

Sincerely, N. L. Oklahoma City, OK

Dear Sirs, It is unfortunate that finances pose a

problem to your mission and work. But it keeps us humble. A gift is enclosed to help you catch up.

Your ministry has had a great impact. Wc wiU never know until we get to heaven. It is probably fruitless to try and measure the results because it never turns out like you expect. However, sometimes we do gel a glimpse from God and at least one of those in a lifetime is enough.

Please, please believe this: A constant purpose, focus on the Lord and an eye to­ward eternity will produce magnificent re­sults. I would much ratber be an '\mknown" today and regularly bring people to Christ - who stay in Christ - than famous and draw many people to Christ only to have them fall away.

The small, struggli.ng ministries may ul­timately generate fa r better results than the big names. St'ay true to your calling. Only the "wise" truly understand what you are presenting. There are not too many wise men today. God bless you all.

J. S. Palmerton, PA

Dear Prophecy in the News, Once again we pmy that you be encour­

aged and know that your continued dili­gence and faithfulness is, to many, the only source of consistent, mature discipleship that is occurring!

I am so saddened by the lack of churches that are ministering the Word! So, without your vital ministry, my family and I would be surely empty! Thank you!

In Christ Jesus, M.M. Reno, NY

Dear 1. R. Church & Gary Stearman, This is un fortunately my first letter to tell

you how much I appreciate your research and teaching. Our ministry has taught many of the same topics and I get so excited when L see a similar teaching on your program. Your ministry is the first I have heard teach on Old Testament references to the Rapture in Psalms 12: I , Isaiah 57: I and Micah 7:2. I found Ihis correlation in my studies around

1990, showed it to a learned minister and he smiled and commented, but could not see it. Bible study groups, however, are amazed. J have a great love for the Lord and His Word and greatly appreciate the gleanings from your work and service to Him.

I am excited to request the special of­fer of the Mysteries afthe Hebrew Alpha­bet along with the Hebrew Tlltar. I would like to request the Mystery of the Menorah (incredibly good book) and the one-year subscriplion. Enclosed is $100.00 for this offer and to help your program. I live in a suburb of St. Louis and we receive your program on Friday evenings on INSP.

God bless aU involved at Prophecy in the News. We hope ro meet you sometime and will continue to :support your work and pray for you. Please pray for us as well that we fulfill the mission that Jesus has called us to do. Be encouraged! You have many appreciative listeners - you just don't know them. God's rn!st to you.

Related in Christ Jesus, L.J. Florrisant, MO

Editor's Note: I'm so pleased to see that our friends are taking advantage of our of­fer for The Hebrew Package. You don 't have \0 become a nuent Hebrew scholar to ap­preciate the Hebrew alphabet. The Hebrew Tlltor will provide you with a good work­ing knowledge of biblical Hebrew and give you a new appreciation for the construc­tion of the Word of God. Just understand­ing each leller, its meaning and relationship to God, will give you a new appreciation for our Savior and Hjs Word.

You can see the ad on pages 7 & 26. Your gifts help us keep Pmphecy in the News on the airwaves as we re:ach into the homes of thousands of people each week.

Brothers 1. R. Church & Gary Stearman, I look forward each month to the maga­

zine. When it comes in themail.lsit down and read it front to back.

Usually, Ire-read ita few days later and then pass it on to my sister; but I always ask fo r it back! I keep the issues and use them for reference.

I would hke to know the reference, ifit is a book, for the article in the June 2000 issue, '}4 New Look at the Tower of Babel." I really did learn a lot and enjoyed thc ar­ticle immensely.

I am not able to get your programs any­more so I'm seriously thinking about get­ti ng the tapes. Keep up the good work. 1 also believe the Lord is coming again soonl

M.L. Powell, TN .

Prt)ph~y i l l 'he News 2)

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nlay order the entire package (If six prophetic \ideo presentations for only S49.95! Wha~ ReaDy Happened to the Ark of the Covenar"? - J. R. Church eJplortS the possibility that the Ark

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up-Io-dale guide 10 Ihe Bible -===- Harold L. Wi/lmingto/1 .•. provides you \\fth pl'llcli.

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Twol.«rures presented rrr tht Tampa, florida, Prophecy Conferetll'e

By 1 R. Cllllrell

Two yean ago, J. R. Chureh delivered the hl(l(kbuster lecture, Tickling Ike Tail o/the Dragon, before a live audience in Tampa, Florida. This year, he ga~e the second lecture in thu continuing saga on the background and acthi· lies of William Jeffcmn Clinton.

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Dm_ 1"" no. M))ItIloiliot A:eo

If you missed any issues from the last two years, hm is your opportunity to replace them. ~bny people k('tp their magazines for future study. Some of the articles l\iU neHr he puhlished ~nywhere else. These 24 magazines offer some of our Ix>st Tl'54!arch. The cover price of each magazine wu $2.95, but you may order a set of 12 for only $12.00! Item * NBK98 • $12.00 Item * NBK99 • $12.00

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' Tickling tbe Tail of tbt Dnlg£ln (P1II11) • Revealed in this lecture; Bill Clinton appears to be a desctrxlant oflbe fust<entury Antichrist Nero. His actions appear to be almost like a rerun of Nero's life.

• 1M Da)'~ of<Hd • Six daysofCreation are believed to be prophetic of six thousand years ofltuman history. A small Hebrew lener hay is located in Genesis 2:4, while a latge musiz.td hay is fOWK! in !)(uteronomy 32:6 .

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Revealing Revelation I. - 4. Revealing Revelation (paris 7,8,9,&10) - This srudy in the book of Revelation promises to be one afthe most rewarding series we have ever done. We approach the book through the eyes oflhe Jewish sages. Early rabbinical writings add a dimension to John's adventure into the future that simply escapes most commentaries. In our review ofRevclation we will follow:

oThe alphabetic design oreach chapter • The mcnornh structure of tile various sevens in Revelation • The chapler by chapter comparison with John's other masterpiece---his Gospel of our Savior's flISt Advent

• The tapestry drawn from the liturgy and ritual oCthe High Holy Days These and much more will guide us through each chapter in what will eventually become twelve sessions that cover the entire book. We invite you to follow along and review this fmal book of the Bible in an entirely new and refreshing series. These four studies (Pans 7-10) cover R~e!at ion 13-19. Part 7 gives our view of chapter \3; Pan 8 covers chapters 14-16; Pan 9 reviews cbapters 17&18; and Part 10 is a study in chapter 19.

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