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Jerry's Page - How The Jews Got Their Names & MORE!
Subject: How Jews Got Their Names
Thought that you might enjoy this.
How Jews got their Names....
Other than aristocrats and wealthy people Jews did not get surnames in Eastern Europe until the Napoleonic years of the early 19th century. Most of the Jews from countries captured by Napoleon, Russia, Poland, and Germany were ordered to get surnames for tax purposes.
After Napoleon's defeat, many Jews dropped these names and returned to "son of" names such as: MENDELSOHN, JACOBSON, LEVINSON, etc.
During the so called Emancipation, Jews were once more ordered to take surnames. In Austria The Emperor Joseph made Jews take last names in the late 1700s, Poland in 1821 and Russia in 1844. It's probable that some of our families have had last names for 175 years or less.
In France and the Anglo Saxon countries surnames went back to the 16th century.
Also Sephardic Jews had surnames stretching back centuries.
Spain prior to Ferdinand and Isabella was a golden spot for Jews. They were expelled by Isabella in the same year that Columbus left for America.
The earliest American Jews were Sephardic.
In general there were Five types of names
(people had to pay for their choice of names; the poor had assigned names):
1-- Names that were descriptive of the head of household:
Examples:
HOCH (tall) ,
KLEIN (small),
COHEN (rabbi ),
BURGER (village dweller),
SHEIN (good looking),
LEVI (temple singer),
GROSS (large),
SCHWARTZ (dark or black),
WEISS (white),
KURTZ (short)
2 -- Names describing occupations:
Examples:
HOLTZ (wood)
HOLTZKOCKER (wood chopper),
GELTSCHMIDT (goldsmith),
SCHNEIDER (tailor),
KREIGSMAN (warrior),
EISEN (iron),
FISCHER (fish)
3-- Names from city of residence:
Examples:
BERLIN,
FRANKFURTER,
DANZIGER,
OPPENHEIMER,
DEUTSCH (German)
POLLACK (Polish),
BRESLAU,
MANNHEIM,
CRACOW,
WARSHAW
4 -- Bought names:
Examples:
GLUCK (luck),
ROSEN (roses),
ROSENBLATT (rose paper or leaf),
ROSENBERG (rose mountain),
ROTHMAN (red man),
DIAMOND,
KOENIG (king),
KOENIGSBERG (king's mountain),
SPIELMAN (spiel is to play),
LIEBER (lover),
BERG (mountain),
WASSERMAN (water dweller),
KERSHENBLATT (church paper),
STEIN (glass).
5-- Assigned names (usually undesirable):
Examples:
PLOTZ (to die),
KLUTZ (clumsy),
BILLIG (cheap) Original Birth Names of Jewish Performers:
Woody Allen --- Alan Stewart Koenigsberg
June Allyson --- Ella Geisman
Lauren Bacall --- Betty Joan Perske
Jack Benny --- Benjamin Kubelsky
Irving Berlin --- Israel Baline
Milton Berle --- Milton Berlinger
Joey Bishop ---Joseph Gottlieb
Karen Black --- Karen Blanche Ziegler
Victor Borge --- Borge Rosenbaum
Fanny Brice --- Fanny Borach
Mel Brooks --- Melvin Kaminsky
George Burns --- Nathan Birnbaum
Eddie Cantor --- Edward Israel Iskowitz
Jeff Chandler --- Ira Grossel
Lee J. Cobb --- Amos Jacob
Tony Curtis --- Bernard Schwartz
Rodney Dangerfield --- Jacob Cohen
Kirk Douglas --- Issue Danielovich Demsky
Melvyn Douglas --- Melvyn Hesselberg
Bob Dylan --- Bobby Zimmerman
Paulette Goddard --- Marion Levy
Lee Grant --- Lyova Geisman
Elliot Gould --- Elliot Goldstein
Judy Holliday --- Judith Tuvim
Al Jolson --- Asa Yoelson
Danny Kaye --- David Daniel Kaminsky
Michael Landon --- Michael Orowitz
Steve Lawrence --- Sidney Leibowitz
Jerry Lewis --- Joseph Levitch
Peter Lorre --- Lazlo Lowenstein
Elaine May --- Elaine Berlin
Yves Montand --- Ivo Levy
Mike Nichols --- Michael Peschkowsky
Joan Rivers --- Joan Molinsky
Edward G. Robinson -- Emanuel Goldenberg
Jane Seymour --- Joyce Penelope Frankenburg
Simone Signoret --- Simone-Henriette Kaminker
Beverly Sills --- Belle Silverman
Sophie Tucker --- Sophia Kalish
Gene Wilder --- Gerald Silberman
Yiddish was the secret code, therefore I don't farshtaist,
A bisseleh maybe here and there, the rest has gone to waste.
Sadly when I hear it now, I only get the gist,
My Bubbeh spoke it beautifully; but me, I am tsemisht.
So och un vai as I should say, or even oy vai iz mir,
Though my pisk is lacking Yiddish, it's familiar to my ear.
And I'm no Chaim Yonkel , in fact I was shtick naches,
But, when it comes to Yiddish though, I'm talking out my tuchas.
Es iz a shandeh far di kinder that I don't know it better
(Though it's really nishtkefelecht when one needs to write a letter)
But, when it comes to characters, there's really no contention,
No other linguist can compete with honorable mentshen:
They have nebbishes and nebechels and others without mazel,
Then, too, schmendriks and schlemiels, and let's not forget schlemazel.
These words are so precise and descriptive to the listener,
So much better than "a pill " is to call someone 'farbissener'.
Or - that a brazen woman would be better called chaleria,
And you'll agree farklempt says more than does hysteria.
I'm not haken dir a tsheinik and I hope I'm not a kvetch,
But isn't mieskeit kinder, than to call someone a wretch?
Mitten derinnen, I hear Bubbeh say, "It's nechtiker tog, don't fear,
To me you're still a maven, zol zein shah, don't fill my ear.
A leben ahf dein keppele, I don't mean to interrupt,
But you are speaking narishkeit.....And A gezunt auf dein kup!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GLOSSARY
Farshtaist = (Do You?) Understand
Bisseleh = A little
Tsemisht = Confused or mixed up
Och un vai = Alas and alack
Oi vai iz mir = Woe is me
Pisk = mouth
Naches = Joy, Gratification
Shandeh far di kinder = A pity/shame for the children
Nishtkefelecht = Not so terrible
Nebbishes = A nobody or simpleton
Nebechels = A pititful person or playing the role of being one
Schlemiel = Clumsy bungler, an inept person, butter-fingered; dopey person
Schmendrik = Nincompoop; an inept or indifferent person; same as chlemiel
Schlemazel = Luckless person. Unlucky person; one with perpetual bad luck
(it is said that the shlemiel spills the soup on the Shlimazel!)
Farbissener = Embittered; bitter person
Chaleria = Evil woman. Probably derived from cholera.
Farklempt = Too emotional to talk. Ready to cry.
Haken dir a tsheinik = Don't get on your nerves
(Lit., Don't bang your teapot!)
Kvetch = Whine, complain; whiner, a complainer
Mieskeit = Ugly
Mitten derinnen = All of a sudden, suddenly
Nechtiker tog! = He's (it's) gone! Forget it! Nonsense!
(Lit., a night's day)
Zol zein shah! = Be quiet. Shut up!!
Leben ahf dein keppele = Words of praise like; Well said! Well done!
(Lit., A long life upon your head.)
Narishkeit = Nonsense
God Bless You!
Jerry
AND HE SHALL BE CALLED....
Advocate 1 John 2:1
Lamb of God John 1:39
The Resurrection & the Life John 11:25
Shepherd & Bishop of Souls 1 Peter 2:25
Judge Acts 10:42
Lord of Lords 1 Tim 6:15
Man of Sorrows Isaiah 53:3
Head of the Church Eph. 5:23
Master: Matt 5:19
Faithful & True Witness Rev. 3:14
Rock 1 Cor. 10:4
High Priest Heb. 6:20
The Door John 10:9
Living Water John 4:10
Bread of Life John 6:35
Rose of Sharon Song of Solomon 2:1
Alpha & Omega True Vine John 15:1
Messiah Daniel 9:25
Teacher John 3:2
Holy One Mark 1:24
Mediator 1 Timothy 2:5
The Beloved Eph 1:6
Branch Isaiah 11:1
Carpenter Mark 6:3
Good Shepherd John 10:11
Light of the World John 8:12
Image of the Invisible God Colossians 1:15
The Word John 1:1
Chief Cornerstone Ephesians 2:20
Savior John 4:42
Servant Matthew 12:18
Author & Finisher of Our Faith Hebrews 12:2
The Almighty Revelations 1:8
Everlasting Father Isaiah 9:6
Shiloh Genesis 49:10
Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revelations 5:5
I Am John 8:58
King of Kings 1 Timothy 6:15
Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6
Bridegroom Matt. 9:15
Only Begotten Son: John 3:16
Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9:6
Immanuel Matt 1:23
Son of Man Matt 20:28
Dayspring Luke 1:78
The Amen Revelations 3:34
King of the Jews Mark 15:26
Prophet Matt. 21:11
Redeemer Job 19:25
Anchor Hebrews 6:19
Bright Morning Star Revelations 22:16
The Way the Truth & the Life John 14:6
Subject: A Monday Thought ~ Turning Problems Into Possibilities
Turning Problems Into Possibilities
by: Dr. Adrian Rogers
Do you have any problems?
You do? Well, congratulations! Because, as Christians, we have a relationship with God that gives us insight, wisdom, and power to see an opportunity in every difficulty!
As we explore this topic, I want us to look at the life of Nehemiah, who despite towering problems that could have overwhelmed most people became a towering man of faith.
The Need To Visualize
Nehemiah was a Jewish exile serving King Artaxerxes and one day Nehemiah met with some of his Jewish brethren who had recently returned from Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 1:1-3). He was eager for news, so he asked them, "What has happened to the city of God. Tell me so I can visualize it."
As Nehemiah's brethren described the desolation of the walls, he saw this sad picture in his mind and heart, and he wept. Why? Because the walls were not only literal, they were also symbolic of the protection of God over His people.
In response, Nehemiah could have said, "Stop. Don't say another word. I don't want to know the truth. Just let me picture Jerusalem the way I remember it." But, what would have happened if he had said this? We don't know for sure, but if he had refused to see the problem, I suspect Nehemiah would never have become the great wall builder.
The Need To Agonize
In Nehemiah 1:4 we are told, "And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."
What kind of a prayer did Nehemiah offer? First, it was a prayer of contrition.
Nehemiah wept salty tears over the condition of Jerusalem. When was the last time you spent a night in prayer?
When was the last time you shed a tear over some soul that was mortgaged to the devil?
Not only was Nehemiah's prayer one of contrition, it was also a prayer of confession (see Nehemiah 1:6). His prayer was for both national and personal sins. Nehemiah said, "Israel has sinned and I have sinned." If we don't repent, we are part of the problem.
Third, Nehemiah's prayer was a prayer of confidence (see Nehemiah 1:8-10).
Nehemiah reminded God of what He said in His Word. Real prayer is finding a promise in the Word of God and standing on it.
Nehemiah also prayed a prayer of commitment (see Nehemiah 1:11). As he prayed, Nehemiah felt God calling him to get involved. He asked God to bless him as he committed himself to do whatever it took to accomplish the task.
Too many of us don't want to leave our secure comfort zones. Instead, we want God to turn our problems into possibilities while we sit by and watch Him work. Friend, our problems will remain problems as long as we refuse to commit to whatever God asks us to do.
The Need To Organize
It had been four months since Nehemiah had received the bad report about Jerusalem. When King Artaxerxes saw that Nehemiah's countenance had become saddened, he asked Nehemiah what he wanted (see Nehemiah 2:1-4).
Nehemiah offered a quick prayer to God for courage he needed to ask King Artaxerxes for three things.
First, Nehemiah asked for the king's permission (see Nehemiah 2:5). Before we do anything in the name of Jesus, we must get His permission. It is as dangerous to run ahead of God as it is to run behind Him.
Second, Nehemiah asked for the king's protection (see Nehemiah 2:7). He knew that along the way to Jerusalem, the authorities would question his trave. He needed letters of authority to show these authorities that King Artaxerxes had sent him.
Third, Nehemiah wanted the king's provision (see Nehemiah 2:8). He needed building materials, so he asked for them.
And because King Artaxerxes was a tool in the hand of the King of kings, Nehemiah got his supplies.
Your Great Possibility
What does the example of Nehemiah mean to you today? No matter what your hurt, God can turn it into a hallelujah. He can turn every tear into a pearl and every dark night into a sunrise. Christianity is not the subtraction of problems; it is the addition of power to overcome the problems.
May God help you to see the possibilities for great exploits in your problems!
Subject: THE 400 YEARS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS by Ray C. Stedman
THE 400 YEARS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
by Ray C. Stedman
At the close of the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is back again in the land of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity, but they are under the domination of the great world power of that day, Persia and the Medio-Persian empire. In Jerusalem, the temple had been restored, although it was a much smaller building than the one that Solomon had built and decorated in such marvelous glory.
Within the temple the line of Aaronic priests was still worshipping and carrying on the sacred rites as they had been ordered to do by the law of Moses.
There was a direct line of descendancy in the priesthood that could be traced back to Aaron.
But the royal line of David had fallen on evil days. The people knew who the rightful successor to David was, and in the book of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, his name is given to us. It was Zerubbabel, the royal prince, yet there was no king on the throne of Israel, they were a puppet nation, under the domination of Persia. Nevertheless, although they were beset with weakness and formalism as the prophets have shown us, the people were united. There were no political schisms or factions among them, nor were they divided into groups or parties.
Now when you open the New Testament to the book of Matthew, you discover an entirely different atmosphere -- almost a different world. Rome is now the dominant power of the earth. The Roman legions have spread throughout the length and breadth of the civilized world.
The center of power has shifted from the East to the West, to Rome. Palestine is still a puppet state -- the Jews never did regain their own sovereignty -- but now there is a king on the throne. But this king is the descendant of Esau instead of Jacob, and his name is Herod the Great.
Furthermore, the high priests who now sit in the seat of religious authority in the nation are no longer from the line of Aaron. They cannot trace their descendancy back, rather, they are hired priests to whom the office is sold as political patronage.
The temple is still the center of Jewish worship, although the building has been partially destroyed and rebuilt about a half-dozen times since the close of the Old Testament. But now the synagogues that have sprung up in every Jewish city seem to be the center of Jewish life even more than the temple.
At this time the people of Israel were split into three major parties. Two of them, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were much more prominent than the third. The smaller group, the Essenes, could hardly be designated as a party. Not long ago, however, they came into great prominence in our time and took on new significance because they had stowed away some documents in caves overlooking the Dead Sea -- documents which were brought to light again by the accidental discovery of an Arab shepherd boy and are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Now, what happened in these four hundred so-called "silent" years after the last of the inspired prophets spoke and the first of the New Testament writers began to write? You remember there is a word in Paul's letter to the Galatians that says, "When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law." (Gal. 4:4) In other words, the time of our Lord's birth was God's appointed hour, the moment for which God had been long preparing.
Some of the exciting preparations took place during that time of "silence," however, and you will understand your New Testament much better if you understand something of the historic events during the time between the Testaments.
After Malachi had ceased his prophesying and the canon of the Old Testament closed -- that is, the number of the books in the Old Testament was fulfilled and the inspired prophets ceased to speak -- God allowed a period of time for the teachings of the Old Testament to penetrate throughout the world. During this time, he rearranged the scenes of history, much as a stage crew will rearrange the stage sets after the curtain has fallen, and when the curtain rises again there is an entirely new setting.
In about 435 B.C., when the prophet Malachi ceased his writing, the center of world power began to shift from the East to the West. Up to this time, Babylon had been the major world power, but this was soon succeeded by the Medio-Persian empire, as you remember from ancient history. This shift had been predicted by the prophet Daniel, who said that there would rise up a bear who was higher on one side than the other, signifying the division between Media and Persia, with the Persians the predominant ones (Dan. 7:5).
At the height of the Persian power there arose in the country of Macedonia (which we now know as Greece), north of the Black Sea, a man by the name of Philip of Macedon, who became a leader in his own country. He united the islands of Greece and became their ruler. His son was destined to become one of the great world leaders of all time, Alexander the Great. In 330 B.C. a tremendous battle between the Persians and the Greeks entirely altered the course of history. In that battle, Alexander, as a young man only twenty years old, led the armies of Greece in victory over the Persians and completely demolished the power of Persia. The center of world power then shifted farther west into Greece, and the Grecian empire was born.
A year after that historic battle, Alexander the Great led his armies down into the Syrian world toward Egypt. On the way, he planned to lay siege to the city of Jerusalem. As the victorious armies of the Greeks approached the city, word was brought to the Jews in Jerusalem that the armies were on their way. The high priest at that time, who was a godly old man by the name of Jaddua (who, by the way, is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Nehemiah) took the sacred writings of Daniel the prophet and, accompanied by a host of other priests dressed in white garments, went forth and met Alexander some distance outside the city.
All this is from the report of Josephus, the Jewish historian, who tells us that Alexander left his army and hurried to meet this body of priests. When he met them, he told the high priest that he had had a vision the night before in which God had shown him an old man, robed in a white garment, who would show him something of great significance to himself, according to the account, the high priest then opened the prophecies of Daniel and read them to Alexander.
In the prophecies Alexander was able to see the predictions that he would become that notable goat with the horn in his forehead, who would come from the West and smash the power of Medio-Persia and conquer the world. He was so overwhelmed by the accuracy of this prophecy and, of course, by the fact that it spoke about him, that he promised that he would save Jerusalem from siege, and sent the high priest back with honors. How true that account is, is very difficult at this distance in time to say; that, at any event, is the story.
Alexander died in 323 B.C. when he was only about thirty-three years old. He had drunk himself to death in the prime of his life, grieved because he had no more worlds to conquer. After his death, his empire was torn with dissension, because he had left no heir. His son had been murdered earlier, so there was no one to inherit the empire of Alexander.
After some time, however, the four generals that had led Alexander's armies divided his empire between them. Two of them are particularly noteworthy to us.
One was Ptolemy, who gained Egypt and the northern African countries; the other was Seleucus, who gained Syria, to the north of Palestine. During this time Palestine was annexed by Egypt, and suffered greatly at the hands of Ptolemy.
In fact, for the next one hundred years, Palestine was caught in the meat-grinder of the unending conflicts between Syria on the north and Egypt on the south.
Now if you have read the prophecies of Daniel, you will recall that Daniel was able, by inspiration, to give a very accurate and detailed account of the highlights of these years of conflict between the king of the North (Syria) and the king of the South (Egypt). The eleventh chapter of Daniel gives us a most amazingly accurate account of that which has long since been fulfilled. If you want to see just how accurate the prophecy is, I suggest you compare that chapter of Daniel with the historical record of what actually occurred during that time. H. A. Ironside's little book, The 400 Silent Years, gathers that up in some detail.
During this time Grecian influence was becoming strong in Palestine. A party arose among the Jews called the Hellenists, who were very eager to bring Grecian culture and thought into the nation and to liberalize some of the Jewish laws. This forced a split into two major parties. There were those who were strong Hebrew nationalist, who wanted to preserve everything according to the Mosaic order. They resisted all the foreign influences that were coming in to disrupt the old Jewish ways. This party became known as the Pharisees, which means "to separate." They were the separationists who insisted on preserving traditions. They grew stronger and stronger, becoming more legalistic and rigid in their requirements, until they became the target for some of the most scorching words our Lord ever spoke.
They had become religious hypocrites, keeping the outward form of the law, but completely violating its spirit.
On the other hand, the Hellenists -- the Greek lovers -- became more and more influential in the politics of the land. They formed the party that was known in New Testament days as the Sadducees, the liberals. They turned away from the strict interpretation of the law and became the rationalists of their day, ceasing to believe in the supernatural in any way.
We are told in the New Testament that they came again and again to the Lord with questions about the supernatural, like "What will happen to a woman who has been married to seven different men? In the resurrection, whose wife will she be?" (Matt. 22:23-33) They did not believe in a resurrection, but in these questions they were trying to put Jesus on the spot.
Now there was also a young rebel Jewish priest who married a Samaritan, went down to Samaria, and in rebellion against the Jewish laws, built a temple on Mount Gerizim that became a rival of the temple in Jerusalem. This caused intense, fanatical rivalry between the Jews and the Samaritans, and this rivalry is also reflected in the New Testament.
Also during this time, in Egypt, under the reign of one of the Ptolemies, the Hebrew scriptures were translated for the first time into another language, in about 284 B.C. A group of 70 scholars was called together by the Egyptian king to make a translation of the Hebrew scriptures.
Book by book they translated the Old Testament into Greek. When they had finished, it was given the name of the Septuagint, which means 70, because of the number of translators. This became the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible.
From it many of the quotations in the New Testament are derived. That is why New Testament quotations of Old Testament verses are sometimes in different words -- because they come from the Greek translation. The Septuagint is still in existence today, and is widely used in various parts of the world. It is still a very important document.
A little later on, about 203 B.C., a king named Antiochus the Great came into power in Syria, to the north of Palestine.
He captured Jerusalem from the Egyptians and began the reign of Syrian power over Palestine. He had two sons, one of whom succeeded him and reigned only a few years. When he died, his brother took the throne. This man, named Antiochus Epiphanes, became one of the most vicious and violent persecutors of the Jews ever known. In fact, he is often called the Antichrist of the Old Testament, since he fulfills some of the predictions of Daniel concerning the coming of one who would be "a contemptible person" and "a vile king."
His name (which he modestly bestowed upon himself) means "Antiochus the Illustrious." Nevertheless, some of his own courtiers evidently agreed more with the prophecies of Daniel, and they changed two letters in his title. from Epiphanes to Epipames, which means "the mad man."
His first act was to depose the high priest in Jerusalem. thus ending the long line of succession, beginning with Aaron and his sons through the many centuries of Jewish life. Onias the Third was the last of the hereditary line of priests.
Antiochus Epiphanes sold the priesthood to Jason, who was not of the priestly line.
Jason, in turn, was tricked by his younger brother Menelaus, who purchased the priesthood and then sold the golden vessels of the temple in order to make up the tribute money. Epiphanes overthrew the God-authorized line of priests. Then, and under his reign, the city of Jerusalem and all the religious rites of the Jews began to deteriorate as they came fully under the power of the Syrian king.
In 171 B.C. Antiochus invaded Egypt and once again Palestine was caught in the nutcracker of rivalry. Palestine is the most fought-over country in the world, and Jerusalem is the most captured city in all history. It has been pillaged, ravished, burned and destroyed more than 27 times in its history.
While Antiochus was in Egypt, it was reported that he had been killed in battle, and Jerusalem rejoiced. The people organized a revolt and overthrew Menelaus, the pseudo-priest. When report reached Antiochus (who was very much alive in Egypt) that Jerusalem was delighted at the report of his death, he organized his armies and swept like a fury back across the land, falling upon Jerusalem with terrible vengeance.
He overturned the city, regained his power, and guided by the treacherous Menelaus, intruded into the very Holy of Holies in the temple itself. Some 40,000 people were slain in three days of fighting during this terrible time. When he forced his way into the Holy of Holies, he destroyed the scrolls of the law and, to the absolute horror of the Jews, took a sow and offered it upon the sacred altar.
Then with a broth made from the flesh of this unclean animal, he sprinkled everything in the temple, thus completely defiling and violating the sanctuary. It is impossible for us to grasp how horrifying this was to the Jews. They were simply appalled that anything like this could ever happen to their sacred temple.
It was that act of defiling the temple which is referred to by the Lord Jesus as the "desolating sacrilege" which Daniel had predicted (Matt. 24:15), and which also became a sign of the coming desolation of the temple when Antichrist himself will enter the temple, call himself God, and thus defile the temple in that time. As we know from the New Testament, that still lies in the future.
Daniel the prophet had said the sanctuary would be polluted for 2300 days. (Dan. 8:14) In exact accordance with that prophecy, it was exactly 2300 days -- six and a half years -- before the temple was cleansed. It was cleansed under the leadership of a man now famous in Jewish history, Judas Maccabaeus. He was one of the priestly line who, with his father and four brothers, rose up in revolt against the Syrian king. They captured the attention of the Israelites, summoned them to follow them into battle, and in a series of pitched battles in which they were always an overwhelming minority, overthrew the power of the Syrian kings, captured Jerusalem, and cleansed the temple. The day they cleansed the temple was named the Day of Dedication, and it occurred on the 25th day of December.
On that date Jews still celebrate the Feast of Dedication each year.
The Maccabees, who were of the Asmonean family, began a line of high priests known as the Asmonean Dynasty.
Their sons, for about the next three or four generations, ruled as priests in Jerusalem, all the time having to defend themselves against the constant assaults of the Syrian army who tried to recapture the city and the temple. During the days of the Maccabbees there was a temporary overthrow of foreign domination, which is why the Jews look back to this time and regard it with such tremendous veneration.
During this time, one of the Asmonean priests made a league with the rising power in the West, Rome. He signed a treaty with the Senate of Rome, providing for help in the event of Syrian attack.
Though the treaty was made in all earnestness and sincerity, it was this pact which introduced Rome into the picture and history of Israel.
As the battles between the two opposing forces waged hotter and hotter, Rome was watchful. Finally, the Governor of Idumea, a man named Antipater and a descendant of Esau, made a pact with two other neighboring kings and attacked Jerusalem to try to overthrow the authority of the Asmonean high priest.
This battle raged so fiercely that finally Pompey, the Roman general, who happened to have an army in Damascus at the time, was besought by both parties to come and intervene. One side had a little more money than the other, and persuaded by that logical argument, Pompey came down from Damascus, entered the city of Jerusalem -- again with terrible slaughter -- overthrew the city and captured it for Rome. That was in 63 B.C. From that time on, Palestine was under the authority and power of Rome.
Now Pompey and the Roman Senate appointed Antipater as the Procurator of Judea, and he in turn made his two sons kings of Galilee and Judea. The son who became king of Judea is known to us a Herod the Great. ("Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?'" (Matt. 2:1, 2)
Meanwhile, the pagan empires around had been deteriorating and disintegrating. Their religions had fallen upon evil days. The people were sick of the polytheism and emptiness of their pagan faiths. The Jews had gone through times of pressure and had failed in their efforts to re-establish themselves, and had given up all hope. There was a growing air of expectancy that the only hope they had left was the coming at last of the promised Messiah. In the East, the oriental empires had come to the place where the wisdom and knowledge of the past had disintegrated and they too were looking for something. When the moment came when the star arose over Bethlehem, the wise men of the East who were looking for an answer to their problems saw it immediately and came out to seek the One it pointed to. Thus, "when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son."
It is amazing how God utilizes history to work out his purposes. Though we are living in the days that might be termed "the silence of God," when for almost 2,000 years there has been no inspired voice from God, we must look back -- even as they did during those 400 silent years -- upon the inspired record and realize that God has already said all that needs to be said, through the Old and New Testaments. God's purposes have not ended, for sure. He is working them out as fully now as he did in those days.
Just as the world had come to a place of hopelessness then, and the One who would fulfill all their hopes came into their midst, so the world again is facing a time when despair is spreading widely across the earth. Hopelessness is rampant everywhere and in this time God is moving to bring to fulfillment all the prophetic words concerning the coming of his Son again into the world to establish his kingdom. How long? How close? Who knows? But what God has done in history, he will do again as we approach the end of "the silence of God."
Prayer:
Our Father, we are constantly encouraged as we see the fact that our faith is grounded upon historic things; that it touches history on every side. It is integrally related to life. We pray that our own faith may grow strong and be powerful as we see the despair around us, the shaking of foundations, the changing of that which has long been taken to be permanent, the overthrowing of empires and the rising of others. Lord, we are thankful that we may look to you and realize that you are the One who does not change. The One whose word is eternal. As the Lord Yeshua himself said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall never pass away." We pray in Messiah's, Amen.
Subject: Yitzhak and Saddam Hussein
Two Rabbis..... Yitzhak and Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was sitting in his office wondering who to invade next when his telephone rang.
"Hallo! Mr. Hussein," a heavily-accented voice said. "This is Yitzhak down in Tel Aviv, Israel. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"
"Well, Yitzhak," Saddam replied, "This is important news! Tell me, how big is your army?"
"At this moment in time," said Yitzhak after a moment's calculation, "there is me, my cousin Saul, my next-door neighbor Shlomo, and the entire pinnochle team from the deli -- that makes eight!"
Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Yitzhak, that I have 1 million men in my army waiting to move on my command."
"Oy vey!", said Yitzhak, "I'll have to ring you back!"
Sure enough, the next day Yitzhak rang back. "Right, Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some equipment!"
"And what equipment would that be, Yitzhak?" Saddam asked.
"Well, we have two combine harvesters, a bulldozer and Goldberg's tractor from the kibbutz."
Once more Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Yitzhak, that I have 16 thousand tanks, 14 thousand armored personnel carriers, and my army has increased to one and a half million since we last spoke."
"Really?!" said Yitzhak, "I'll have to ring you back!"
Sure enough, Yitzhak rang again the next day. "Right, Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've modified Moshe's ultralight with a couple of rifles in the cockpit and the bridge team has joined us as well!"
Saddam was silent for a minute, then sighed. "I must tell you Yitzhak that I have 10 thousand bombers, 20 thousand MIG-19 attack planes, my military complex is surrounded by laser-guided surface-to-air missile sites, and since we last spoke, my army has increased to two million."
"Oy gevalt!", said Yitzhak, "I'll have to ring you back."
Sure enough, Yitzhak called again the next day. "Right, Mr Hussein, I am sorry to tell you that we have had to call off the war."
"I'm sorry to hear that" said Saddam.
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Well," said Yitzhak, "We've all had a chat, and there's no way we can feed two million prisoners.
Subject: Happy New Year
To my Dear Family in Yeshua/Jesus, How many times, around the first of January, have you resolved to make a fresh start in some area of your life? Perhaps you decided to lose weight, exercise or save money, only to go back to your old habits after a few weeks. And then you felt guilty that you had fallen short of your goals.
This year, consider taking the focus off yourself, and make some resolutions to be kinder and gentler to those around you. If you love and give with a tender, Christlike heart, you’ll feel better about yourself. And who knows, you might even lose weight and start exercising!
Resolve to . . .
Listen carefully. Take time to hear what those around you are saying. As they’re talking, try to think about what they feel and need, instead of what you feel and need. Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Share a smile. It’s amazing how much positive impact a simple smile can have on those around you. Share it generously.
Toss out the magnifying glass. Instead of scrutinizing other’s faults, look for what you like about them. Turn your thinking from who they are now to who they can become if given plenty of love and encouragement.
Relax. Try not to take your life, job, kids or circumstances so seriously. If things are tough, remind yourself, “I may be in the valley, but I’m only passing through.�
Breathe deeply. When stress is piling up around you, you can regain your perspective if you’ll just stop, take a deep breath and put your mind on Christ.
Extend an olive branch. Forgive an old grudge. Be the first one to say, “I’m sorry.�
Give compliments. One kind word can lift a person’s spirit for an entire day. If you’re thinking something nice about someone, verbally express it.
Maintain an eternal perspective. When you are aggravated by people or circumstances, ask yourself, “What will this matter in light of eternity?�
Laugh more. Ask God to give you a new sense of joy in life so you can give the gift of laughter to others. A cheerful heart is like good medicine.
Be childlike. Take time to play. Be curious. Live in the moment. Don’t spend today’s precious time worrying about tomorrow.
Pray now. When someone has a need, say, “Can we pray about that right now?� Don’t hesitate to take a need before the Father.
Forgive others. Forgive yourself. If someone else has messed up, forgive them. If you have messed up, repent. If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need God!
God Bless You and Have a Happy New Year!
With Love in Him,
Jerry
Subject: A Jewish Son
A Jewish Son
A Jewish father was concerned about his son who was about a year away
from his Bar Mitzvah but was sorely lacking in his knowledge of the Jewish
faith.
To remedy this, he sent his son to Israel to experience his heritage. A year later the young man returned home.
"Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers," the son said. "It was wonderful and enlightening, however, I must confess that while in Israel I converted to Christianity."
"Oy vey," replied the father, "what have I done?"
So in the tradition of the patriarchs, he went to his best friend and sought his advice and solace.
"Funny that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I, too, sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian."
So in the tradition of the patriarchs, they went to their Rabbi. "It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I, too, sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons?"
"Brothers," said the Rabbi, "we must take this to the Lord."
They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts to the Almighty.
As they prayed, the clouds above opened and a Mighty Voice stated, "Funny that you should ask, I too sent My Son to Israel......."
Subject: Hidden Facts Regarding Purim That Most Believers Don't Know About!
1) Several million Jews lived in Iran during the times of "The Book Of Esther" and this story takes place over a twelve year period. It shows us "The Providence (Greek: provideo which means `before I see´) Of G-D."
2) Although "The Name Of G-d" does not appear to the untrained eye in this book, Jehovah is found four times in an acrostic and Ehyeh ("I Am That I Am") once as JeHoVaH in 1:20; 5:43; 5:13; 7:7 and 7:5. In the first and third Scriptures, G-d is mentioned by Gentiles and in the second and fourth verses by Hebrews.
3) The King is revealed to be The Son of Darius. His Name in Persian is Khshayarsha, Greek: Xerxes, Hebrew:
Akhashverosh and in English: Ahasuerus (GOD Bless You! :)
4) This Is A Book Of DRAMA
Chapters 1-5: The Crisis Is Anticipated
Chapters 6-10: The Crisis Is Overruled By G-D
5) Vasti means "Beautiful Woman."
Though most would give her a bad name, because she did not obey her husband's, The King's Command to show herself and ALL of her beauty to His Guests, she was not "The Founder of `The National Organization of Women,´" but in fact refused to expose herself naked before her husband (who should have been protecting her) and his drunken friends.
6) Esther in Hebrew means "Myrtle" and in Persian: "Star." You can check out The Book Of Zechariah to read about "The One Who Walks Among The Myrtles." Sly and The Family Stone sang, "Everybody Is A Star" and in the case of ALL Believers everywhere, we should Be letting our Star Shine For The Glory Of The Lord Yeshua, Jesus!
7) Haman was in "The Family" Line of Esau and Amalek and The Word "Gallows" used to describe his killing machine for Mordecai means "A Tree." Ex. 17:8, 14; Deut. 25:17-19
8) Ezra 1:2-4: Cyrus proclaims to ALL The Jews, "Return To Israel (The Promised Land)" fifty years before The Book Of Esther was written in fulfillment of Jeremiah's Prophecies in Jer. 29:10 and Jer. 25:11, 12. Isaiah 44:28 speaks of Cyrus before he was ever born. G-d is constantly Calling His People to Come Out, Be Separate and To Shine As "Stars!" Many, Many will cry, "Lord, Lord," but few will hear from The Lord's Lips, "Come, Ye Blessed Of The Father!"
9) This Book PROVES That G-d Is Faithful and Yeshua / Jesus NEVER fails! ALL His Promises are YES and AMEN In Christ, Messiah, The Anointed One. Gen. 12:3:
G-d Blesses those who Bless His People and curses those who curse them!
10) Facts On Haman (The Man Of Sin)
a) Haman The Wicked (Esther 6:6) in Hebrew is the numerical value of 666 which is found in Revelation 13:18.
b) Haman's Power in chapter 3 is that of The Beast in Rev. 13.
c) Haman's Pride in 5:2, 11, 13; 6:2-9 is that of "The Little Horn" in Dan. 7:8 and "The Exalted Self" of 2 Thes. 2:4-8.
d) Haman's Hate in 3:10; 8:1; 9:10, 24 is confirmed in 1 Sam. 15:8; Gen 36:12, he was an Agagite 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24 and Num. 24:17-20 declares, A Star out of Jacob will destroy Amalek!
e) Haman's Plotting of 3:4 is the same as "The Evil Prince" of Dan. 9:26, 27.
f) Haman's Doom of 2:16; 3:7 shows that ALL will perish with him 9:7, 14 (his 10 sons, just as with the 10 king being destroyed in One hour as written in Dan. 7 and Rev. 17).
11) Esther represents G-d's Church, His Spotless Bride as in Eph. 5:27. She shows The Grace Of G-d in chapter 5:1 and confirms to us what The Prayers of The Saints can accomplish as in Rev. 5:8!
12) Mordecai refuses to bow down to anything contrary to G-d and His Holy Word (chapter 3:4)! He (Like True Believers) was sealed and saved as recorded in Rev. 7. Unlike Haman, Mordecai humbled him"self" in The Sight Of The Lord and he was lifted up, Exalted By G-d in the last chapter of Esther!
What is your "Lot" (PUR) In Life, Eternal, Everlasting, The Abundant Life In Yeshua / Jesus? Be ALL that He has Called, Made and Created you To Be In Yeshua's / Jesus' Name.
Amen.
G-d bless and Love to ALL,
<')))>< Your Brother and Friend In Him, Mark
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simplechurchfellowship
Copyright 2004-2012
ALL Rights Reserved.
Pray about sending a check or money order for our Missions around the World Today to:
Rev. Mark Tross
5561 Gladstone Drive North East
Rio Rancho, NM
87144
USA
Thanks for your daily prayers and continual giving, Mark and The Simple Church Fellowship Team
Subject: Hidden Facts!
Sorry Brother.
The Prince of Daniel 9.26 is Titus,the Roman General who destroyed the temple,Jerusalem and the people in A.D 70.
Daniel 9.27 relates to the ministry of Messiah for 3.5 years from A.D 27 to A.D 31 and the ministry of the Apostles for 3.5 years from A.D 31 to A.D 34. Bro.Sam
**********************************************
Subject: How Jews Got Their Names
Thought that you might enjoy this.
How Jews got their Names....
Other than aristocrats and wealthy people Jews did not get surnames in Eastern Europe until the Napoleonic years of the early 19th century. Most of the Jews from countries captured by Napoleon, Russia, Poland, and Germany were ordered to get surnames for tax purposes.
After Napoleon's defeat, many Jews dropped these names and returned to "son of" names such as: MENDELSOHN, JACOBSON, LEVINSON, etc.
During the so called Emancipation, Jews were once more ordered to take surnames. In Austria The Emperor Joseph made Jews take last names in the late 1700s, Poland in 1821 and Russia in 1844. It's probable that some of our families have had last names for 175 years or less.
In France and the Anglo Saxon countries surnames went back to the 16th century.
Also Sephardic Jews had surnames stretching back centuries.
Spain prior to Ferdinand and Isabella was a golden spot for Jews. They were expelled by Isabella in the same year that Columbus left for America.
The earliest American Jews were Sephardic.
In general there were Five types of names
(people had to pay for their choice of names; the poor had assigned names):
1-- Names that were descriptive of the head of household:
Examples:
HOCH (tall) ,
KLEIN (small),
COHEN (rabbi ),
BURGER (village dweller),
SHEIN (good looking),
LEVI (temple singer),
GROSS (large),
SCHWARTZ (dark or black),
WEISS (white),
KURTZ (short)
2 -- Names describing occupations:
Examples:
HOLTZ (wood)
HOLTZKOCKER (wood chopper),
GELTSCHMIDT (goldsmith),
SCHNEIDER (tailor),
KREIGSMAN (warrior),
EISEN (iron),
FISCHER (fish)
3-- Names from city of residence:
Examples:
BERLIN,
FRANKFURTER,
DANZIGER,
OPPENHEIMER,
DEUTSCH (German)
POLLACK (Polish),
BRESLAU,
MANNHEIM,
CRACOW,
WARSHAW
4 -- Bought names:
Examples:
GLUCK (luck),
ROSEN (roses),
ROSENBLATT (rose paper or leaf),
ROSENBERG (rose mountain),
ROTHMAN (red man),
DIAMOND,
KOENIG (king),
KOENIGSBERG (king's mountain),
SPIELMAN (spiel is to play),
LIEBER (lover),
BERG (mountain),
WASSERMAN (water dweller),
KERSHENBLATT (church paper),
STEIN (glass).
5-- Assigned names (usually undesirable):
Examples:
PLOTZ (to die),
KLUTZ (clumsy),
BILLIG (cheap) Original Birth Names of Jewish Performers:
Woody Allen --- Alan Stewart Koenigsberg
June Allyson --- Ella Geisman
Lauren Bacall --- Betty Joan Perske
Jack Benny --- Benjamin Kubelsky
Irving Berlin --- Israel Baline
Milton Berle --- Milton Berlinger
Joey Bishop ---Joseph Gottlieb
Karen Black --- Karen Blanche Ziegler
Victor Borge --- Borge Rosenbaum
Fanny Brice --- Fanny Borach
Mel Brooks --- Melvin Kaminsky
George Burns --- Nathan Birnbaum
Eddie Cantor --- Edward Israel Iskowitz
Jeff Chandler --- Ira Grossel
Lee J. Cobb --- Amos Jacob
Tony Curtis --- Bernard Schwartz
Rodney Dangerfield --- Jacob Cohen
Kirk Douglas --- Issue Danielovich Demsky
Melvyn Douglas --- Melvyn Hesselberg
Bob Dylan --- Bobby Zimmerman
Paulette Goddard --- Marion Levy
Lee Grant --- Lyova Geisman
Elliot Gould --- Elliot Goldstein
Judy Holliday --- Judith Tuvim
Al Jolson --- Asa Yoelson
Danny Kaye --- David Daniel Kaminsky
Michael Landon --- Michael Orowitz
Steve Lawrence --- Sidney Leibowitz
Jerry Lewis --- Joseph Levitch
Peter Lorre --- Lazlo Lowenstein
Elaine May --- Elaine Berlin
Yves Montand --- Ivo Levy
Mike Nichols --- Michael Peschkowsky
Joan Rivers --- Joan Molinsky
Edward G. Robinson -- Emanuel Goldenberg
Jane Seymour --- Joyce Penelope Frankenburg
Simone Signoret --- Simone-Henriette Kaminker
Beverly Sills --- Belle Silverman
Sophie Tucker --- Sophia Kalish
Gene Wilder --- Gerald Silberman
Yiddish was the secret code, therefore I don't farshtaist,
A bisseleh maybe here and there, the rest has gone to waste.
Sadly when I hear it now, I only get the gist,
My Bubbeh spoke it beautifully; but me, I am tsemisht.
So och un vai as I should say, or even oy vai iz mir,
Though my pisk is lacking Yiddish, it's familiar to my ear.
And I'm no Chaim Yonkel , in fact I was shtick naches,
But, when it comes to Yiddish though, I'm talking out my tuchas.
Es iz a shandeh far di kinder that I don't know it better
(Though it's really nishtkefelecht when one needs to write a letter)
But, when it comes to characters, there's really no contention,
No other linguist can compete with honorable mentshen:
They have nebbishes and nebechels and others without mazel,
Then, too, schmendriks and schlemiels, and let's not forget schlemazel.
These words are so precise and descriptive to the listener,
So much better than "a pill " is to call someone 'farbissener'.
Or - that a brazen woman would be better called chaleria,
And you'll agree farklempt says more than does hysteria.
I'm not haken dir a tsheinik and I hope I'm not a kvetch,
But isn't mieskeit kinder, than to call someone a wretch?
Mitten derinnen, I hear Bubbeh say, "It's nechtiker tog, don't fear,
To me you're still a maven, zol zein shah, don't fill my ear.
A leben ahf dein keppele, I don't mean to interrupt,
But you are speaking narishkeit.....And A gezunt auf dein kup!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GLOSSARY
Farshtaist = (Do You?) Understand
Bisseleh = A little
Tsemisht = Confused or mixed up
Och un vai = Alas and alack
Oi vai iz mir = Woe is me
Pisk = mouth
Naches = Joy, Gratification
Shandeh far di kinder = A pity/shame for the children
Nishtkefelecht = Not so terrible
Nebbishes = A nobody or simpleton
Nebechels = A pititful person or playing the role of being one
Schlemiel = Clumsy bungler, an inept person, butter-fingered; dopey person
Schmendrik = Nincompoop; an inept or indifferent person; same as chlemiel
Schlemazel = Luckless person. Unlucky person; one with perpetual bad luck
(it is said that the shlemiel spills the soup on the Shlimazel!)
Farbissener = Embittered; bitter person
Chaleria = Evil woman. Probably derived from cholera.
Farklempt = Too emotional to talk. Ready to cry.
Haken dir a tsheinik = Don't get on your nerves
(Lit., Don't bang your teapot!)
Kvetch = Whine, complain; whiner, a complainer
Mieskeit = Ugly
Mitten derinnen = All of a sudden, suddenly
Nechtiker tog! = He's (it's) gone! Forget it! Nonsense!
(Lit., a night's day)
Zol zein shah! = Be quiet. Shut up!!
Leben ahf dein keppele = Words of praise like; Well said! Well done!
(Lit., A long life upon your head.)
Narishkeit = Nonsense
God Bless You!
Jerry
AND HE SHALL BE CALLED....
Advocate 1 John 2:1
Lamb of God John 1:39
The Resurrection & the Life John 11:25
Shepherd & Bishop of Souls 1 Peter 2:25
Judge Acts 10:42
Lord of Lords 1 Tim 6:15
Man of Sorrows Isaiah 53:3
Head of the Church Eph. 5:23
Master: Matt 5:19
Faithful & True Witness Rev. 3:14
Rock 1 Cor. 10:4
High Priest Heb. 6:20
The Door John 10:9
Living Water John 4:10
Bread of Life John 6:35
Rose of Sharon Song of Solomon 2:1
Alpha & Omega True Vine John 15:1
Messiah Daniel 9:25
Teacher John 3:2
Holy One Mark 1:24
Mediator 1 Timothy 2:5
The Beloved Eph 1:6
Branch Isaiah 11:1
Carpenter Mark 6:3
Good Shepherd John 10:11
Light of the World John 8:12
Image of the Invisible God Colossians 1:15
The Word John 1:1
Chief Cornerstone Ephesians 2:20
Savior John 4:42
Servant Matthew 12:18
Author & Finisher of Our Faith Hebrews 12:2
The Almighty Revelations 1:8
Everlasting Father Isaiah 9:6
Shiloh Genesis 49:10
Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revelations 5:5
I Am John 8:58
King of Kings 1 Timothy 6:15
Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6
Bridegroom Matt. 9:15
Only Begotten Son: John 3:16
Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9:6
Immanuel Matt 1:23
Son of Man Matt 20:28
Dayspring Luke 1:78
The Amen Revelations 3:34
King of the Jews Mark 15:26
Prophet Matt. 21:11
Redeemer Job 19:25
Anchor Hebrews 6:19
Bright Morning Star Revelations 22:16
The Way the Truth & the Life John 14:6
Subject: A Monday Thought ~ Turning Problems Into Possibilities
Turning Problems Into Possibilities
by: Dr. Adrian Rogers
Do you have any problems?
You do? Well, congratulations! Because, as Christians, we have a relationship with God that gives us insight, wisdom, and power to see an opportunity in every difficulty!
As we explore this topic, I want us to look at the life of Nehemiah, who despite towering problems that could have overwhelmed most people became a towering man of faith.
The Need To Visualize
Nehemiah was a Jewish exile serving King Artaxerxes and one day Nehemiah met with some of his Jewish brethren who had recently returned from Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 1:1-3). He was eager for news, so he asked them, "What has happened to the city of God. Tell me so I can visualize it."
As Nehemiah's brethren described the desolation of the walls, he saw this sad picture in his mind and heart, and he wept. Why? Because the walls were not only literal, they were also symbolic of the protection of God over His people.
In response, Nehemiah could have said, "Stop. Don't say another word. I don't want to know the truth. Just let me picture Jerusalem the way I remember it." But, what would have happened if he had said this? We don't know for sure, but if he had refused to see the problem, I suspect Nehemiah would never have become the great wall builder.
The Need To Agonize
In Nehemiah 1:4 we are told, "And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."
What kind of a prayer did Nehemiah offer? First, it was a prayer of contrition.
Nehemiah wept salty tears over the condition of Jerusalem. When was the last time you spent a night in prayer?
When was the last time you shed a tear over some soul that was mortgaged to the devil?
Not only was Nehemiah's prayer one of contrition, it was also a prayer of confession (see Nehemiah 1:6). His prayer was for both national and personal sins. Nehemiah said, "Israel has sinned and I have sinned." If we don't repent, we are part of the problem.
Third, Nehemiah's prayer was a prayer of confidence (see Nehemiah 1:8-10).
Nehemiah reminded God of what He said in His Word. Real prayer is finding a promise in the Word of God and standing on it.
Nehemiah also prayed a prayer of commitment (see Nehemiah 1:11). As he prayed, Nehemiah felt God calling him to get involved. He asked God to bless him as he committed himself to do whatever it took to accomplish the task.
Too many of us don't want to leave our secure comfort zones. Instead, we want God to turn our problems into possibilities while we sit by and watch Him work. Friend, our problems will remain problems as long as we refuse to commit to whatever God asks us to do.
The Need To Organize
It had been four months since Nehemiah had received the bad report about Jerusalem. When King Artaxerxes saw that Nehemiah's countenance had become saddened, he asked Nehemiah what he wanted (see Nehemiah 2:1-4).
Nehemiah offered a quick prayer to God for courage he needed to ask King Artaxerxes for three things.
First, Nehemiah asked for the king's permission (see Nehemiah 2:5). Before we do anything in the name of Jesus, we must get His permission. It is as dangerous to run ahead of God as it is to run behind Him.
Second, Nehemiah asked for the king's protection (see Nehemiah 2:7). He knew that along the way to Jerusalem, the authorities would question his trave. He needed letters of authority to show these authorities that King Artaxerxes had sent him.
Third, Nehemiah wanted the king's provision (see Nehemiah 2:8). He needed building materials, so he asked for them.
And because King Artaxerxes was a tool in the hand of the King of kings, Nehemiah got his supplies.
Your Great Possibility
What does the example of Nehemiah mean to you today? No matter what your hurt, God can turn it into a hallelujah. He can turn every tear into a pearl and every dark night into a sunrise. Christianity is not the subtraction of problems; it is the addition of power to overcome the problems.
May God help you to see the possibilities for great exploits in your problems!
Subject: THE 400 YEARS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS by Ray C. Stedman
THE 400 YEARS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
by Ray C. Stedman
At the close of the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is back again in the land of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity, but they are under the domination of the great world power of that day, Persia and the Medio-Persian empire. In Jerusalem, the temple had been restored, although it was a much smaller building than the one that Solomon had built and decorated in such marvelous glory.
Within the temple the line of Aaronic priests was still worshipping and carrying on the sacred rites as they had been ordered to do by the law of Moses.
There was a direct line of descendancy in the priesthood that could be traced back to Aaron.
But the royal line of David had fallen on evil days. The people knew who the rightful successor to David was, and in the book of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, his name is given to us. It was Zerubbabel, the royal prince, yet there was no king on the throne of Israel, they were a puppet nation, under the domination of Persia. Nevertheless, although they were beset with weakness and formalism as the prophets have shown us, the people were united. There were no political schisms or factions among them, nor were they divided into groups or parties.
Now when you open the New Testament to the book of Matthew, you discover an entirely different atmosphere -- almost a different world. Rome is now the dominant power of the earth. The Roman legions have spread throughout the length and breadth of the civilized world.
The center of power has shifted from the East to the West, to Rome. Palestine is still a puppet state -- the Jews never did regain their own sovereignty -- but now there is a king on the throne. But this king is the descendant of Esau instead of Jacob, and his name is Herod the Great.
Furthermore, the high priests who now sit in the seat of religious authority in the nation are no longer from the line of Aaron. They cannot trace their descendancy back, rather, they are hired priests to whom the office is sold as political patronage.
The temple is still the center of Jewish worship, although the building has been partially destroyed and rebuilt about a half-dozen times since the close of the Old Testament. But now the synagogues that have sprung up in every Jewish city seem to be the center of Jewish life even more than the temple.
At this time the people of Israel were split into three major parties. Two of them, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were much more prominent than the third. The smaller group, the Essenes, could hardly be designated as a party. Not long ago, however, they came into great prominence in our time and took on new significance because they had stowed away some documents in caves overlooking the Dead Sea -- documents which were brought to light again by the accidental discovery of an Arab shepherd boy and are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Now, what happened in these four hundred so-called "silent" years after the last of the inspired prophets spoke and the first of the New Testament writers began to write? You remember there is a word in Paul's letter to the Galatians that says, "When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law." (Gal. 4:4) In other words, the time of our Lord's birth was God's appointed hour, the moment for which God had been long preparing.
Some of the exciting preparations took place during that time of "silence," however, and you will understand your New Testament much better if you understand something of the historic events during the time between the Testaments.
After Malachi had ceased his prophesying and the canon of the Old Testament closed -- that is, the number of the books in the Old Testament was fulfilled and the inspired prophets ceased to speak -- God allowed a period of time for the teachings of the Old Testament to penetrate throughout the world. During this time, he rearranged the scenes of history, much as a stage crew will rearrange the stage sets after the curtain has fallen, and when the curtain rises again there is an entirely new setting.
In about 435 B.C., when the prophet Malachi ceased his writing, the center of world power began to shift from the East to the West. Up to this time, Babylon had been the major world power, but this was soon succeeded by the Medio-Persian empire, as you remember from ancient history. This shift had been predicted by the prophet Daniel, who said that there would rise up a bear who was higher on one side than the other, signifying the division between Media and Persia, with the Persians the predominant ones (Dan. 7:5).
At the height of the Persian power there arose in the country of Macedonia (which we now know as Greece), north of the Black Sea, a man by the name of Philip of Macedon, who became a leader in his own country. He united the islands of Greece and became their ruler. His son was destined to become one of the great world leaders of all time, Alexander the Great. In 330 B.C. a tremendous battle between the Persians and the Greeks entirely altered the course of history. In that battle, Alexander, as a young man only twenty years old, led the armies of Greece in victory over the Persians and completely demolished the power of Persia. The center of world power then shifted farther west into Greece, and the Grecian empire was born.
A year after that historic battle, Alexander the Great led his armies down into the Syrian world toward Egypt. On the way, he planned to lay siege to the city of Jerusalem. As the victorious armies of the Greeks approached the city, word was brought to the Jews in Jerusalem that the armies were on their way. The high priest at that time, who was a godly old man by the name of Jaddua (who, by the way, is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Nehemiah) took the sacred writings of Daniel the prophet and, accompanied by a host of other priests dressed in white garments, went forth and met Alexander some distance outside the city.
All this is from the report of Josephus, the Jewish historian, who tells us that Alexander left his army and hurried to meet this body of priests. When he met them, he told the high priest that he had had a vision the night before in which God had shown him an old man, robed in a white garment, who would show him something of great significance to himself, according to the account, the high priest then opened the prophecies of Daniel and read them to Alexander.
In the prophecies Alexander was able to see the predictions that he would become that notable goat with the horn in his forehead, who would come from the West and smash the power of Medio-Persia and conquer the world. He was so overwhelmed by the accuracy of this prophecy and, of course, by the fact that it spoke about him, that he promised that he would save Jerusalem from siege, and sent the high priest back with honors. How true that account is, is very difficult at this distance in time to say; that, at any event, is the story.
Alexander died in 323 B.C. when he was only about thirty-three years old. He had drunk himself to death in the prime of his life, grieved because he had no more worlds to conquer. After his death, his empire was torn with dissension, because he had left no heir. His son had been murdered earlier, so there was no one to inherit the empire of Alexander.
After some time, however, the four generals that had led Alexander's armies divided his empire between them. Two of them are particularly noteworthy to us.
One was Ptolemy, who gained Egypt and the northern African countries; the other was Seleucus, who gained Syria, to the north of Palestine. During this time Palestine was annexed by Egypt, and suffered greatly at the hands of Ptolemy.
In fact, for the next one hundred years, Palestine was caught in the meat-grinder of the unending conflicts between Syria on the north and Egypt on the south.
Now if you have read the prophecies of Daniel, you will recall that Daniel was able, by inspiration, to give a very accurate and detailed account of the highlights of these years of conflict between the king of the North (Syria) and the king of the South (Egypt). The eleventh chapter of Daniel gives us a most amazingly accurate account of that which has long since been fulfilled. If you want to see just how accurate the prophecy is, I suggest you compare that chapter of Daniel with the historical record of what actually occurred during that time. H. A. Ironside's little book, The 400 Silent Years, gathers that up in some detail.
During this time Grecian influence was becoming strong in Palestine. A party arose among the Jews called the Hellenists, who were very eager to bring Grecian culture and thought into the nation and to liberalize some of the Jewish laws. This forced a split into two major parties. There were those who were strong Hebrew nationalist, who wanted to preserve everything according to the Mosaic order. They resisted all the foreign influences that were coming in to disrupt the old Jewish ways. This party became known as the Pharisees, which means "to separate." They were the separationists who insisted on preserving traditions. They grew stronger and stronger, becoming more legalistic and rigid in their requirements, until they became the target for some of the most scorching words our Lord ever spoke.
They had become religious hypocrites, keeping the outward form of the law, but completely violating its spirit.
On the other hand, the Hellenists -- the Greek lovers -- became more and more influential in the politics of the land. They formed the party that was known in New Testament days as the Sadducees, the liberals. They turned away from the strict interpretation of the law and became the rationalists of their day, ceasing to believe in the supernatural in any way.
We are told in the New Testament that they came again and again to the Lord with questions about the supernatural, like "What will happen to a woman who has been married to seven different men? In the resurrection, whose wife will she be?" (Matt. 22:23-33) They did not believe in a resurrection, but in these questions they were trying to put Jesus on the spot.
Now there was also a young rebel Jewish priest who married a Samaritan, went down to Samaria, and in rebellion against the Jewish laws, built a temple on Mount Gerizim that became a rival of the temple in Jerusalem. This caused intense, fanatical rivalry between the Jews and the Samaritans, and this rivalry is also reflected in the New Testament.
Also during this time, in Egypt, under the reign of one of the Ptolemies, the Hebrew scriptures were translated for the first time into another language, in about 284 B.C. A group of 70 scholars was called together by the Egyptian king to make a translation of the Hebrew scriptures.
Book by book they translated the Old Testament into Greek. When they had finished, it was given the name of the Septuagint, which means 70, because of the number of translators. This became the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible.
From it many of the quotations in the New Testament are derived. That is why New Testament quotations of Old Testament verses are sometimes in different words -- because they come from the Greek translation. The Septuagint is still in existence today, and is widely used in various parts of the world. It is still a very important document.
A little later on, about 203 B.C., a king named Antiochus the Great came into power in Syria, to the north of Palestine.
He captured Jerusalem from the Egyptians and began the reign of Syrian power over Palestine. He had two sons, one of whom succeeded him and reigned only a few years. When he died, his brother took the throne. This man, named Antiochus Epiphanes, became one of the most vicious and violent persecutors of the Jews ever known. In fact, he is often called the Antichrist of the Old Testament, since he fulfills some of the predictions of Daniel concerning the coming of one who would be "a contemptible person" and "a vile king."
His name (which he modestly bestowed upon himself) means "Antiochus the Illustrious." Nevertheless, some of his own courtiers evidently agreed more with the prophecies of Daniel, and they changed two letters in his title. from Epiphanes to Epipames, which means "the mad man."
His first act was to depose the high priest in Jerusalem. thus ending the long line of succession, beginning with Aaron and his sons through the many centuries of Jewish life. Onias the Third was the last of the hereditary line of priests.
Antiochus Epiphanes sold the priesthood to Jason, who was not of the priestly line.
Jason, in turn, was tricked by his younger brother Menelaus, who purchased the priesthood and then sold the golden vessels of the temple in order to make up the tribute money. Epiphanes overthrew the God-authorized line of priests. Then, and under his reign, the city of Jerusalem and all the religious rites of the Jews began to deteriorate as they came fully under the power of the Syrian king.
In 171 B.C. Antiochus invaded Egypt and once again Palestine was caught in the nutcracker of rivalry. Palestine is the most fought-over country in the world, and Jerusalem is the most captured city in all history. It has been pillaged, ravished, burned and destroyed more than 27 times in its history.
While Antiochus was in Egypt, it was reported that he had been killed in battle, and Jerusalem rejoiced. The people organized a revolt and overthrew Menelaus, the pseudo-priest. When report reached Antiochus (who was very much alive in Egypt) that Jerusalem was delighted at the report of his death, he organized his armies and swept like a fury back across the land, falling upon Jerusalem with terrible vengeance.
He overturned the city, regained his power, and guided by the treacherous Menelaus, intruded into the very Holy of Holies in the temple itself. Some 40,000 people were slain in three days of fighting during this terrible time. When he forced his way into the Holy of Holies, he destroyed the scrolls of the law and, to the absolute horror of the Jews, took a sow and offered it upon the sacred altar.
Then with a broth made from the flesh of this unclean animal, he sprinkled everything in the temple, thus completely defiling and violating the sanctuary. It is impossible for us to grasp how horrifying this was to the Jews. They were simply appalled that anything like this could ever happen to their sacred temple.
It was that act of defiling the temple which is referred to by the Lord Jesus as the "desolating sacrilege" which Daniel had predicted (Matt. 24:15), and which also became a sign of the coming desolation of the temple when Antichrist himself will enter the temple, call himself God, and thus defile the temple in that time. As we know from the New Testament, that still lies in the future.
Daniel the prophet had said the sanctuary would be polluted for 2300 days. (Dan. 8:14) In exact accordance with that prophecy, it was exactly 2300 days -- six and a half years -- before the temple was cleansed. It was cleansed under the leadership of a man now famous in Jewish history, Judas Maccabaeus. He was one of the priestly line who, with his father and four brothers, rose up in revolt against the Syrian king. They captured the attention of the Israelites, summoned them to follow them into battle, and in a series of pitched battles in which they were always an overwhelming minority, overthrew the power of the Syrian kings, captured Jerusalem, and cleansed the temple. The day they cleansed the temple was named the Day of Dedication, and it occurred on the 25th day of December.
On that date Jews still celebrate the Feast of Dedication each year.
The Maccabees, who were of the Asmonean family, began a line of high priests known as the Asmonean Dynasty.
Their sons, for about the next three or four generations, ruled as priests in Jerusalem, all the time having to defend themselves against the constant assaults of the Syrian army who tried to recapture the city and the temple. During the days of the Maccabbees there was a temporary overthrow of foreign domination, which is why the Jews look back to this time and regard it with such tremendous veneration.
During this time, one of the Asmonean priests made a league with the rising power in the West, Rome. He signed a treaty with the Senate of Rome, providing for help in the event of Syrian attack.
Though the treaty was made in all earnestness and sincerity, it was this pact which introduced Rome into the picture and history of Israel.
As the battles between the two opposing forces waged hotter and hotter, Rome was watchful. Finally, the Governor of Idumea, a man named Antipater and a descendant of Esau, made a pact with two other neighboring kings and attacked Jerusalem to try to overthrow the authority of the Asmonean high priest.
This battle raged so fiercely that finally Pompey, the Roman general, who happened to have an army in Damascus at the time, was besought by both parties to come and intervene. One side had a little more money than the other, and persuaded by that logical argument, Pompey came down from Damascus, entered the city of Jerusalem -- again with terrible slaughter -- overthrew the city and captured it for Rome. That was in 63 B.C. From that time on, Palestine was under the authority and power of Rome.
Now Pompey and the Roman Senate appointed Antipater as the Procurator of Judea, and he in turn made his two sons kings of Galilee and Judea. The son who became king of Judea is known to us a Herod the Great. ("Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?'" (Matt. 2:1, 2)
Meanwhile, the pagan empires around had been deteriorating and disintegrating. Their religions had fallen upon evil days. The people were sick of the polytheism and emptiness of their pagan faiths. The Jews had gone through times of pressure and had failed in their efforts to re-establish themselves, and had given up all hope. There was a growing air of expectancy that the only hope they had left was the coming at last of the promised Messiah. In the East, the oriental empires had come to the place where the wisdom and knowledge of the past had disintegrated and they too were looking for something. When the moment came when the star arose over Bethlehem, the wise men of the East who were looking for an answer to their problems saw it immediately and came out to seek the One it pointed to. Thus, "when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son."
It is amazing how God utilizes history to work out his purposes. Though we are living in the days that might be termed "the silence of God," when for almost 2,000 years there has been no inspired voice from God, we must look back -- even as they did during those 400 silent years -- upon the inspired record and realize that God has already said all that needs to be said, through the Old and New Testaments. God's purposes have not ended, for sure. He is working them out as fully now as he did in those days.
Just as the world had come to a place of hopelessness then, and the One who would fulfill all their hopes came into their midst, so the world again is facing a time when despair is spreading widely across the earth. Hopelessness is rampant everywhere and in this time God is moving to bring to fulfillment all the prophetic words concerning the coming of his Son again into the world to establish his kingdom. How long? How close? Who knows? But what God has done in history, he will do again as we approach the end of "the silence of God."
Prayer:
Our Father, we are constantly encouraged as we see the fact that our faith is grounded upon historic things; that it touches history on every side. It is integrally related to life. We pray that our own faith may grow strong and be powerful as we see the despair around us, the shaking of foundations, the changing of that which has long been taken to be permanent, the overthrowing of empires and the rising of others. Lord, we are thankful that we may look to you and realize that you are the One who does not change. The One whose word is eternal. As the Lord Yeshua himself said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall never pass away." We pray in Messiah's, Amen.
Subject: Yitzhak and Saddam Hussein
Two Rabbis..... Yitzhak and Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was sitting in his office wondering who to invade next when his telephone rang.
"Hallo! Mr. Hussein," a heavily-accented voice said. "This is Yitzhak down in Tel Aviv, Israel. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"
"Well, Yitzhak," Saddam replied, "This is important news! Tell me, how big is your army?"
"At this moment in time," said Yitzhak after a moment's calculation, "there is me, my cousin Saul, my next-door neighbor Shlomo, and the entire pinnochle team from the deli -- that makes eight!"
Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Yitzhak, that I have 1 million men in my army waiting to move on my command."
"Oy vey!", said Yitzhak, "I'll have to ring you back!"
Sure enough, the next day Yitzhak rang back. "Right, Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some equipment!"
"And what equipment would that be, Yitzhak?" Saddam asked.
"Well, we have two combine harvesters, a bulldozer and Goldberg's tractor from the kibbutz."
Once more Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Yitzhak, that I have 16 thousand tanks, 14 thousand armored personnel carriers, and my army has increased to one and a half million since we last spoke."
"Really?!" said Yitzhak, "I'll have to ring you back!"
Sure enough, Yitzhak rang again the next day. "Right, Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've modified Moshe's ultralight with a couple of rifles in the cockpit and the bridge team has joined us as well!"
Saddam was silent for a minute, then sighed. "I must tell you Yitzhak that I have 10 thousand bombers, 20 thousand MIG-19 attack planes, my military complex is surrounded by laser-guided surface-to-air missile sites, and since we last spoke, my army has increased to two million."
"Oy gevalt!", said Yitzhak, "I'll have to ring you back."
Sure enough, Yitzhak called again the next day. "Right, Mr Hussein, I am sorry to tell you that we have had to call off the war."
"I'm sorry to hear that" said Saddam.
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Well," said Yitzhak, "We've all had a chat, and there's no way we can feed two million prisoners.
Subject: Happy New Year
To my Dear Family in Yeshua/Jesus, How many times, around the first of January, have you resolved to make a fresh start in some area of your life? Perhaps you decided to lose weight, exercise or save money, only to go back to your old habits after a few weeks. And then you felt guilty that you had fallen short of your goals.
This year, consider taking the focus off yourself, and make some resolutions to be kinder and gentler to those around you. If you love and give with a tender, Christlike heart, you’ll feel better about yourself. And who knows, you might even lose weight and start exercising!
Resolve to . . .
Listen carefully. Take time to hear what those around you are saying. As they’re talking, try to think about what they feel and need, instead of what you feel and need. Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Share a smile. It’s amazing how much positive impact a simple smile can have on those around you. Share it generously.
Toss out the magnifying glass. Instead of scrutinizing other’s faults, look for what you like about them. Turn your thinking from who they are now to who they can become if given plenty of love and encouragement.
Relax. Try not to take your life, job, kids or circumstances so seriously. If things are tough, remind yourself, “I may be in the valley, but I’m only passing through.�
Breathe deeply. When stress is piling up around you, you can regain your perspective if you’ll just stop, take a deep breath and put your mind on Christ.
Extend an olive branch. Forgive an old grudge. Be the first one to say, “I’m sorry.�
Give compliments. One kind word can lift a person’s spirit for an entire day. If you’re thinking something nice about someone, verbally express it.
Maintain an eternal perspective. When you are aggravated by people or circumstances, ask yourself, “What will this matter in light of eternity?�
Laugh more. Ask God to give you a new sense of joy in life so you can give the gift of laughter to others. A cheerful heart is like good medicine.
Be childlike. Take time to play. Be curious. Live in the moment. Don’t spend today’s precious time worrying about tomorrow.
Pray now. When someone has a need, say, “Can we pray about that right now?� Don’t hesitate to take a need before the Father.
Forgive others. Forgive yourself. If someone else has messed up, forgive them. If you have messed up, repent. If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need God!
God Bless You and Have a Happy New Year!
With Love in Him,
Jerry
Subject: A Jewish Son
A Jewish Son
A Jewish father was concerned about his son who was about a year away
from his Bar Mitzvah but was sorely lacking in his knowledge of the Jewish
faith.
To remedy this, he sent his son to Israel to experience his heritage. A year later the young man returned home.
"Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers," the son said. "It was wonderful and enlightening, however, I must confess that while in Israel I converted to Christianity."
"Oy vey," replied the father, "what have I done?"
So in the tradition of the patriarchs, he went to his best friend and sought his advice and solace.
"Funny that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I, too, sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian."
So in the tradition of the patriarchs, they went to their Rabbi. "It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I, too, sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons?"
"Brothers," said the Rabbi, "we must take this to the Lord."
They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts to the Almighty.
As they prayed, the clouds above opened and a Mighty Voice stated, "Funny that you should ask, I too sent My Son to Israel......."
Subject: Hidden Facts Regarding Purim That Most Believers Don't Know About!
1) Several million Jews lived in Iran during the times of "The Book Of Esther" and this story takes place over a twelve year period. It shows us "The Providence (Greek: provideo which means `before I see´) Of G-D."
2) Although "The Name Of G-d" does not appear to the untrained eye in this book, Jehovah is found four times in an acrostic and Ehyeh ("I Am That I Am") once as JeHoVaH in 1:20; 5:43; 5:13; 7:7 and 7:5. In the first and third Scriptures, G-d is mentioned by Gentiles and in the second and fourth verses by Hebrews.
3) The King is revealed to be The Son of Darius. His Name in Persian is Khshayarsha, Greek: Xerxes, Hebrew:
Akhashverosh and in English: Ahasuerus (GOD Bless You! :)
4) This Is A Book Of DRAMA
Chapters 1-5: The Crisis Is Anticipated
Chapters 6-10: The Crisis Is Overruled By G-D
5) Vasti means "Beautiful Woman."
Though most would give her a bad name, because she did not obey her husband's, The King's Command to show herself and ALL of her beauty to His Guests, she was not "The Founder of `The National Organization of Women,´" but in fact refused to expose herself naked before her husband (who should have been protecting her) and his drunken friends.
6) Esther in Hebrew means "Myrtle" and in Persian: "Star." You can check out The Book Of Zechariah to read about "The One Who Walks Among The Myrtles." Sly and The Family Stone sang, "Everybody Is A Star" and in the case of ALL Believers everywhere, we should Be letting our Star Shine For The Glory Of The Lord Yeshua, Jesus!
7) Haman was in "The Family" Line of Esau and Amalek and The Word "Gallows" used to describe his killing machine for Mordecai means "A Tree." Ex. 17:8, 14; Deut. 25:17-19
8) Ezra 1:2-4: Cyrus proclaims to ALL The Jews, "Return To Israel (The Promised Land)" fifty years before The Book Of Esther was written in fulfillment of Jeremiah's Prophecies in Jer. 29:10 and Jer. 25:11, 12. Isaiah 44:28 speaks of Cyrus before he was ever born. G-d is constantly Calling His People to Come Out, Be Separate and To Shine As "Stars!" Many, Many will cry, "Lord, Lord," but few will hear from The Lord's Lips, "Come, Ye Blessed Of The Father!"
9) This Book PROVES That G-d Is Faithful and Yeshua / Jesus NEVER fails! ALL His Promises are YES and AMEN In Christ, Messiah, The Anointed One. Gen. 12:3:
G-d Blesses those who Bless His People and curses those who curse them!
10) Facts On Haman (The Man Of Sin)
a) Haman The Wicked (Esther 6:6) in Hebrew is the numerical value of 666 which is found in Revelation 13:18.
b) Haman's Power in chapter 3 is that of The Beast in Rev. 13.
c) Haman's Pride in 5:2, 11, 13; 6:2-9 is that of "The Little Horn" in Dan. 7:8 and "The Exalted Self" of 2 Thes. 2:4-8.
d) Haman's Hate in 3:10; 8:1; 9:10, 24 is confirmed in 1 Sam. 15:8; Gen 36:12, he was an Agagite 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24 and Num. 24:17-20 declares, A Star out of Jacob will destroy Amalek!
e) Haman's Plotting of 3:4 is the same as "The Evil Prince" of Dan. 9:26, 27.
f) Haman's Doom of 2:16; 3:7 shows that ALL will perish with him 9:7, 14 (his 10 sons, just as with the 10 king being destroyed in One hour as written in Dan. 7 and Rev. 17).
11) Esther represents G-d's Church, His Spotless Bride as in Eph. 5:27. She shows The Grace Of G-d in chapter 5:1 and confirms to us what The Prayers of The Saints can accomplish as in Rev. 5:8!
12) Mordecai refuses to bow down to anything contrary to G-d and His Holy Word (chapter 3:4)! He (Like True Believers) was sealed and saved as recorded in Rev. 7. Unlike Haman, Mordecai humbled him"self" in The Sight Of The Lord and he was lifted up, Exalted By G-d in the last chapter of Esther!
What is your "Lot" (PUR) In Life, Eternal, Everlasting, The Abundant Life In Yeshua / Jesus? Be ALL that He has Called, Made and Created you To Be In Yeshua's / Jesus' Name.
Amen.
G-d bless and Love to ALL,
<')))>< Your Brother and Friend In Him, Mark
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simplechurchfellowship
Copyright 2004-2012
ALL Rights Reserved.
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Subject: Hidden Facts!
Sorry Brother.
The Prince of Daniel 9.26 is Titus,the Roman General who destroyed the temple,Jerusalem and the people in A.D 70.
Daniel 9.27 relates to the ministry of Messiah for 3.5 years from A.D 27 to A.D 31 and the ministry of the Apostles for 3.5 years from A.D 31 to A.D 34. Bro.Sam
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