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HAFTARAH SHEMOT  Broken Into Leadership

12/28/2021

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והיה ביום ההוא יחבט יהוה משׁבלת הנהר עד־נחל מצרים ואתם תלקטו לאחד אחד בני ישׂראל׃ 
 והיה ביום ההוא יתקע בשׁופר גדול ובאו האבדים בארץ אשׁור והנדחים בארץ מצרים והשׁתחוו ליהוה בהר הקדשׁ בירושׁלם׃  

On that day Adonai will beat out the grain between the Euphrates River and the Vadi of Egypt; and you will be gathered, one by one, people of Isra'el! On that day a great shofar will sound. Those lost in the land of Ashur will come, also those scattered through the land of Egypt; and they will worship Adonai on the holy mountain in Yerushalayim. 
(Isa 27:12-13 CJB)
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ISAIAH
The haftarah this week is the calling of Moshe to be the deliverer of Israel. It also introduces us to the elements that constitute this miraculous and powerful deliverance.

The prophet Isaiah, who is a great poet and also comes from a priestly family, writes about the fate of Israel. In his days, Israel consisted of two kingdoms: Judah in the South and Ephrayim in the North. 

Though himself a Judean, Isaiah prophesied much concerning the coming deportation of the northern kingdom. He also was quite concerned with Judean affairs.

CONTEXT OF THE HAFTARAH
Our haftarah comes on the heels of a series of unconnected oracles. At that time, Israel was split into two adversarial kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom was in constant war with Judea and its allies.. It was so bad that Ahaz, the King of Judah, sought an alliance with the Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser, which eventually turned against him (2 Chron 20). In the end, Ahaz was paying tribute to Assyria and Judea became its vassal. This is what happens when the people of God rely on their own wisdom rather than the commandment of God. 

When Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, took the throne of Judea, it was still under Assyrian domination. Here is an overview of the situation in the words of Daniel Lancaster:

 “In the beginning of his tenure, Hezekiah found the priesthood in disarray. The Temple had been closed up by his father Ahaz. The priests were no longer conscientious in matters of ritual purity (2 Chron 29:34). In this haftarah portion, Isaiah brings harsh rebuke against the priests and prophets of Jerusalem. Hezekiah tried to reverse the mischief his father had created for Judah. He led a massive forearm, reconstituted the Levitical worship system, and campaigned against apostasy. He also wanted to escape Assyrian control. He and the leadership of Judah looked to Egypt for political and military alliance. In this haftarah, Isaiah rebukes the Judean leadership for spiritual insobriety and political alliances with foreign powers. … Isaiah pronounces doom and woe upon Israel (Northern Kingdom) and Judah, but his fearful prophecies are punctuated with glimpses of redemption.”

After a series of gloom and doom warnings, in the style of Moses as he looked upon the glorious future of Israel, Isaiah prophecies:

The time is coming when Ya`akov will take root; Isra'el will bud and flower, and fill the whole world with a harvest. (Isa 27:6 CJB)

The prophecy was about Israel flourishing and filling the world, not just the land. The Hebrew word used in the original is “tevel/תבל”, a word that refers to the earth as the globe, not just the land. This statement connects us to the parasha that begins the Book of Exodus, which tells us that Jacob/Israel came to Egypt and took root and flourished in Egypt. Isaiah’s prophecy presents us with the idea that one day, Israel will flourish in the Land, as well as spread its presence into all the world.

As he speaks to Israel’s rocky future due to its disobedience, Isaiah makes a difference between the oppression of the enemy and the disciple of HaShem. He puts it this way:

[Adonai] will not strike Isra'el, as he did others who struck Isra'el; he will not kill them, as he did the others. (Isa 27:7 CJB)

The striker, the whip, the instrument HaShem uses to strike and punish Israel, is the Assyrian Empire--thus meaning that the punishment of Israel was not an annihilation as HaShem did with other nations, but a temporary exile. Many countries who HaShem has allowed to strike Israel as a punishment do not exist anymore. Israel still does! Then says:

Your controversy with her is fully resolved by sending her [into exile]. He removes her with a rough gust of wind on a day when it's blowing from the east. (Wind blowing from the East goes West.) So the iniquity of Ya`akov is atoned for by this,

Then, almost as if borrowing a page from John the Immerser when he asks for the Sadduccean priests to produce fruit for repentance (Mat 3:8):

 and removing his sin produces this result: he chops up all the altar stones like chalk -- sacred poles and sun-pillars stand no more. (Isa 27:8-9 CJB)

In the literal reading of the text, the prophet describes the future of Shomron (Samaria), the capital city of the Northern Kingdom. He sees her desolate and in ruins. Of course, this also has cosmic repetitions into the endtime where the desolated city is implied to be Rome. For now, it is Samaria.

For the fortified city is alone, abandoned and deserted, like the desert. Calves graze and lie down there, stripping its branches bare. When its harvest dries up, it is broken off; women come and set it on fire. For this is a people without understanding. Therefore he who made them will not pity them, he who formed them will show them no mercy. (Isa 27:10-11 CJB)

As is the nature of Biblical prophecy, the oracle takes us far away in the future, to a time when Israel will exist according to the borders given to Abragam: "I have given this land to your descendants -- from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River -- (Gen 15:18 CJB). And Moses: I will set your boundaries from the Sea of Suf to the sea of the P'lishtim and from the desert to the [Euphrates] River, for I will hand the inhabitants of the land over to you, and you will drive them out from before you.” (Exo 23:31 CJB)

Isaiah says,

After On that day Adonai will beat out the grain between the Euphrates River and the Vadi of Egypt; and you will be gathered, one by one, people of Isra'el! (Isa 27:12 CJB)

Continuing on the endtime, the prophet sees the ingathering, a very appropriate theme for our current parasha. While Isaiah speaks of the post-Assyria/Babylone exile, the text also alludes to the great ingathering following the present Roman Exile.

On that day a great shofar will sound. Those lost in the land of Ashur will come, also those scattered through the land of Egypt; and they will worship Adonai on the holy mountain in Yerushalayim. (Isa 27:13 CJB)

More of the same can be found in:

I will whistle for them and gather them, because I have redeemed them; they will be as numerous as they were before; and I will sow them among the peoples. In distant lands they will remember me; they will rear their children and then return. I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and gather them out of Ashur. I will bring them into Gil`ad and the L'vanon, until there is no more room for them. 
(Zec 10:8-10 CJB)

But immediately following the trouble of those times, the sun will grow dark, the moon will stop shining, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in heaven will be shaken. "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. He will send out his angels with a great shofar; and they will gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 
(Mat 24:29-31 CJB)

Look, I will tell you a secret -- not all of us will die! But we will all be changed! It will take but a moment, the blink of an eye, at the final shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed. 
(1Co 15:51-52 CJB)

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God's shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. 
(1Th 4:16-17 CJB)

In the days of the sound from the seventh angel when he sounds his shofar, the hidden plan of God will be brought to completion, the Good News as he proclaimed it to his servants the prophets." 
(Rev 10:7 CJB)

REBUKE TO EPHRAYIM/NORTHERN KINGDOM
Isaiah 28 starts a new oracle. Scholars refer to Isaiah 28-33 as the Book of Woes. Let’s go back to Daniel Lancaster to give us a sense of historical context:

 “As Isaiah 28 begins, Isaiah is in the court is in the city of Jerusalem attending a court function at which priests, prophets, and nobility of Judah have gathered for a ritual meal. He begins by pronouncing an oracle of woe against the city of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom. 

Isaiah prophecies:

Woe to the haughty crown of Efrayim's drunks, to the fading flower of its proud splendor, located at the head of the rich valley belonging to people overcome by wine! (Isa 28:1 CJB)

Adonai has someone strong and powerful. He comes like a hailstorm, a destructive tempest, like a flood of water, rushing, overwhelming; with his hand he hurls them to the ground. The haughty crown of Efrayim's drunks is trampled underfoot; and the fading flower of its proud splendor, located at the head of the rich valley, is like the first ripe fig of summer -- whoever sees it picks and eats it. (Isa 28:4 CJB)

Isaiah saw the prediction fulfilled within his lifetime, probably just within a year or so,

It was in the fourth year of King Hizkiyahu, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Isra'el, that Shalman'eser king of Ashur advanced against Shomron and laid siege to it. At the end of three years they captured it -- that is, Shomron was captured in the sixth year of Hizkiyahu, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Isra'el. 
(2Ki 18:9-10 CJB)

Isaiah also sees the restoration of Samaritain the Messianic Age:

On that day, Adonai-Tzva'ot will be a glorious crown, a brilliant diadem for the remnant of his people. He will also be a spirit of justice for whoever sits as a judge, and a source of strength for those repelling enemy attacks at the gate. (Isa 28:6 CJB)

This restoration is echoed in, 

On that day, Adonai's plant will be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the land will be the pride and splendor of Isra'el's survivors. Those left in Tziyon and remaining in Yerushalayim will be called holy, and everyone in Yerushalayim written down for life. 
(Isa 4:2-3 CJB)

REBUKE TO JUDAH/SOUTHERN KINGDOM
Isaiah gave his woeful message concerning Samaria to the safe audience of Judean leaders. But now, he will turn his attention to the ultimately intended audience itself. He will utters HaShem’s words of rebuke to Judah, who he will call “scoffers, composing taunts for this people in Yerushalayim!” (Isaiah 28:14).

The word “scoffer” is a well chosen word, as Solomon said, “Wine is a mocker” (Prov 20:1), and the first thing that the prophets address is the drunkenness of priests during service. The Torah forbids priests to serve in the Temple while inebriated. ("Don't drink any wine or other intoxicating liquor, neither you nor your sons with you, when you enter the tent of meeting, so that you will not die. This is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations”Lev 10:9 CJB)

But there are others reeling from wine, staggering about because of strong liquor; cohen and prophet reel from strong liquor, they are confused by wine. Led astray by strong liquor, they err in their visions and stumble when judging. (Isa 28:7 CJB)

 Rabbi Shimon said: If three have eaten at one table and have not spoken over it words of Torah, it is as though they had eaten of the sacrifices of the dead, for it is written (Isaiah 28:8) “All tables are covered with filthy vomit; no place is clean.” But if three have eaten at one table and have spoken over it words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten from the table of God, for it is written (Ezekiel 41:22) “He said to me, ‘This is the table that stands before the LORD.’ ” (m.Avot 3:4) , 

Now we can understand what Isaiah says:

All tables are covered with vomit and feces, not a single place is clean. (Isa 28:8 CJB)

The prophet exposes the priests and prophets of Jerusalem for not executing their duties responsibly.

Everyone thinks that they are so smart on their own and righteous in their own eyes that they refuse to be taught anything. As such, they refuse the words of the prophet. HaShem, through Isaiah, asks:

Can no one be taught anything?
Can no one understand the message? 

They then accuse Isaiah of treating them like children, teaching them through nursery rhymes as we teach a barely weaned toddler (about 3 years old). The prophet continues:

Must one teach barely weaned toddlers, babies just taken from the breast, so that [one has to use nursery rhymes]? -- Tzav la-tzav, tzav la-tzav, kav la-kav, kav la-kav z`eir sham, z`eir sham [Precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line, a little here, a little there]. So with stammering lips, in a foreign accent, [Adonai] will speak to this people. (Isa 28: 9-11 CJB)

This sounds similar to the writer of the Book of Hebrews who challenged the Israeli believers of his days with:

You have become sluggish in understanding. For although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the very first principles of God's Word all over again! You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby, without experience in applying the Word about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise to distinguish good from evil. Therefore, leaving behind the initial lessons about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of turning from works that lead to death, trusting God, and instruction about washings, s'mikhah, the resurrection of the dead and eternal punishment. And, God willing, this is what we will do. 
(Heb 5:11-6:3 CJB)

As he tries to make the Corinthian believers understand that the gift of tongues was the gift of the ability to speak another identifiable language that one has not learned (Acts 2: 6-8) and not some sort of humanly incomprehensible language composed of nonsensical syllables not unlike those a baby would make nor as what Isaiah describes in Is 28: 10, Paul loosely uses that iluustration in,

 “Brothers, don't be children in your thinking. In evil, be like infants; but in your thinking, be grown-up. In the Torah it is written, "By other tongues, by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people. But even then they will not listen to me," says Adonai. 
(1Co 14:20-21 CJB)

As a rule, the haftarah has to end on a positive note. The text therefore stops here to continue at the end of the oracle, where HaShem reminds Israel of his irrevocable promise made to Abraham:

Therefore, here are the words of Adonai, who redeemed Avraham, concerning the house of Ya`akov:"Ya`akov will no longer be ashamed, no longer will his face grow pale. When his descendants see the work of my hands among them, they will consecrate my name. Yes, they will consecrate the Holy one of Ya`akov and stand in awe of the God of Isra'el.” 
(Isa 29:22-23 CJB)

But with respect to being chosen, they are loved for the Patriarchs' sake, for God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable.
(Rom 11:28-29 CJB)

My own signature for this promise will be,

So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God's people. 
(Heb 4:9 CJB)

and

... all Isra'el will be saved.
(Rom 11:26 CJB)
 
AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS
One of the big takeaways from this haftarah behind the promised redemption. Isa 27:8-9 says "removing his sin produces this result: he chops up all the altar stones like chalk -- sacred poles and sun-pillars stand no more."

This means that that which removes sin produces a change of behavior. A person who claims to have been redeemed is a different person. It is a person who does not practice the old things he used to practice before.

The sages of Israel say that pride is the highest form of idolatry as it is the worship of self.  What the verse teaches us is that if a person used to be dishonest, they now strive for integrity; that if a person was angry, they now reach for the peace that can fill their hearts; that if a person was covetous, they are now learning to be satisfied with what HaShem gives them; that if a parson was lustful, they now do what is necessary to have self-control; that if a person had a tendency to be proud, critical, divisive, and arrogant, that person is now embracing the values of being meek, understanding, and humbly able to work in consensus with others, all very important things in our congregations.



MAY WE ALL LET HASHEM DO TO US WHAT HE SIAD REDEMPTION DOES TO ISRAEL.

MAY WE ALL GIVE HIM PERMISSION TO "CHOP UP ALL OUR ALTAR STONES, SACRED POLES, AND SUN-PILLARS OF SELF LOVE LIKE CHALK.
(By the way, He does generally wait for our permission to do it!)
SHABBAT SHALOM!!!

R' Gabriel
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HAFTARAH VAYECHI HaShem's Cosmic Plan for Messiah

12/15/2021

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ויקרבו ימי־דוד למות ויצו את־שׁלמה בנו לאמר׃ 
אנכי הלך בדרך כל־הארץ וחזקת והיית לאישׁ׃

The time came near for David to die; so he commissioned Shlomo his son as follows: "I am going the way of all the earth. Therefore, be strong; show yourself a man. 
(1Ki 2:1-2 CJB)
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 THE CONNECTION
The haftarah again this week takes us to the early, intermediate, and final fulfillment of the cosmic time-transcendent reality of the advent of Messiah. It starts with King David growing old and being ready to die, thus giving instructions to his son Solomon. Similarly in the connected parasha, Jacob/Israel is getting ready to die and thus gives instructions to his son Joseph:

The time came near for David to die; so he commissioned Shlomo his son as follows: (1Ki 2:1 CJB)

The time came when Isra'el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, .... (Gen 47:29 CJB)

Though slightly different in the CJB version, the Hebrew wording in the beginning of both verses is the same:


Gen 47:29 ויקרבו ימי־ישׂראל למות
1Ki 2:1     ויקרבו ימי־דוד
למות

Similarly, in the haftarah, King David leaves the responsibility of the kingdom with his son Solomon tied with the command:

Therefore, be strong; show yourself a man. Observe the charge of Adonai your God to go in his ways and keep his regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe; so that you will succeed in all you do and wherever you go. If you do, Adonai will fulfill what he promised me when he said, 'If your children pay attention to how they live, conducting themselves before me honestly with all their heart and being, you will never lack a man on the throne of Isra'el.'
(1Ki 2:2-4 CJB)

THE COSMIC JOSEPH, SOLOMON, AND MESSIAH CONNECTION
These two sections are tied in several ways. The basic story of Joseph is that Jacob his father appointed him as heir to the custody of the covenant. His brothers, with Reuben at the head as the oldest and natural recipient for that title, were jealous and planned a coup, thereby getting rid of Joseph.

In the same manner, as we read in 1 Kings 1, while Solomon, who was not the oldest son, was the David-appointed inheritor of the crown, Adonijah planned a coup to try to put the crown upon himself (1 Kings 1).

At the end of time, Yeshua, who has been appointed by HaShem to be the ruler of His people, will be faced with an antichrist supplanter planning a coup to take the Kingdom.

COMMANDS TO THE HEIR
A long time before, Jacob had shown his choice of successor by giving a special coat to Joseph (Gen 37:3). Also, King David had promised Bat Sheba that her son Solomon would be king (1 Kings 1:17). Similarly, from before the foundations of the earth, HaShem had established Yeshua to be the King for His people, Israel (Rev 13:8; Ps 2).
  • Before starting in the fulfillment of his divinely appointed responsibilities, Jacob had to deal with his brother Esau.
  • Before starting in the fulfillment of his divinely appointed responsibilities, Joseph had to deal with Reuben and his brothers who federated with him.
  • Before starting in the fulfillment of his divinely appointed responsibilities, Solomon had to deal with Adonijah his brother as well as with the people who federated with him.


David gives Solomon instructions that help establish his kingdom. Get rid of the disloyals, but keep the promises I made to some people:

Moreover, you are aware of what Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah did to me, that is, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Isra'el, Avner the son of Ner and `Amasa the son of Yeter -- he killed them, shedding the blood of war in peacetime, putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and the shoes on his feet. Therefore, act according to your wisdom; don't let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. "But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gil`adi. Include them with those who eat at your table, because they came and stood with me when I was fleeing from Avshalom your brother. "Finally, you have with you Shim`i the son of Gera the Binyamini, from Bachurim. He laid a terrible curse on me when I was on my way to Machanayim; but he came down to meet me at the Yarden; so I swore to him by Adonai that I would not have him put to death with the sword. Now, however, you should not let him go unpunished. You are a wise man, and you will know what you should do to him -- you will bring his gray head down to the grave with blood."
(1Ki 2:5-9 CJB)

In the same manner, when Messiah comes, as John the Immerser says:

If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! ... Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire! It's true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I -- I'm not worthy even to carry his sandals -- and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. He has with him his winnowing fork; and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the straw with unquenchable fire!" 
(Mat 3:8-12 CJB)

Also the other John, John the disciple, prophecies that at the end of times, the Messiah will come and rid himself of the pretender who tried to steal His crown.

Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD." The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations -- "He will rule them with a staff of iron." It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven's armies. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, "Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!" I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. 
(Rev 19:11-21 CJB)

The aftara ends with:

Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. David had ruled Isra'el for forty years -- seven years in Hevron and thirty-three years in Yerushalayim. Shlomo sat on the throne of David his father; and his rule had become firmly established,
(1Ki 2:10-12 CJB)

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS
We must remember that it is Messiah who establishes His Kingdom, not us. And like Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, He does it by answering His Father's call and taking care of the opposition.
Our sole mandate is to share the Good News of the advent of the Kingdom by sharing the same message Yeshua and John the Immerser both proclaimed, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." HaShem doesn't need us to protect His reputation by us trying to fulfill His promises. He does that Himself. We just need to be the messengers with the herald of the coming Kingdom of God.

OH, JUST ONE MORE THING ...
The connection between the parasha and the haftarah this week is the passing on of the leadership baton alongside instructions.
The instructions from Jacob to his son Joseph were to not bury Jacob in Egypt but to bring him back to his family in the Cave of Machpela. By the time Jacob was ready to die, the famine was already over for many years, so this was probably Jacob's attempt at reminding his descendants who settled in Egypt that they were not to stay there but return to Canaan. But they didn't.

The instructions King David left to his son King Solomon were to properly deal with the opposition and to live according to HaShem's commandments.

HaShem's instructions to His Son Yeshua might be the same.
As Jacob gave an instruction to Joseph that reminded the children of Israel to leave Egypt behind, Yeshua came with a commandment to take us out of the world:

If you belonged to the world, the world would have loved its own. But because you do not belong to the world -- on the contrary, I have picked you out of the world -- therefore the world hates you. 
(Joh 15:19 CJB)

It is easy to condemn the children of Israel for their compromise with the Egyptian culture that caused them to settle in Egypt, but we need to ask ourselves if we are guilty of the same. Do we feel comfortable in this world? Do we pine for the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic of Egypt, while we complain of the simple manna he provides us daily from Heaven? (Numbers 11:5)

The commands King David left to His son were to deal with the opposition and to live a pure life worthy of his calling as king. We must notice here that the opposition his father was speaking of was not people from foreign nations. They were part of Israel, some of them even of government. In the same manner, when he comes, Yeshua has the command to take care of the opposition. It is important to realize that the opposition is not part of other religions or political parties. The opposition he takes care of is part of His people and, who knows, maybe even part of the leadership of His people. One of the most challenging statements Yeshua made is:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' Then I will tell them to their faces, 'I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'
"So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the winds blew and beat against that house, but it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the wind blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed -- and its collapse was horrendous!" 

(Mat 7:21-27 CJB)

James taught the congregations in Israel in the following words:

Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing. The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world. 
(Jas 1:26-27 CJB)




May we in that day be found leading a life worthy of the calling
​to which we have been called.
 (Eph:4:1)

​SHABBAT SHALOM!!!

​R' GABRIEL LUMBROSO


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HAFTARAH MIKETZ  The Two as One ... at Last!

12/8/2021

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והיו־לי לעם ואני אהיה להם לאלהים׃

" 'They will never again defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have been living and sinning; and I will cleanse them, so that they will be my people, and I will be their God. 

(Eze 37:23 CJB)
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THE MYSTERY OF THE TWO STICKS
Many interpretations have been proposed concerning the passage of the two sticks from Ezekiel 37. As usual, the Aftara enlightens us as to the meaning of the prophecy.

This Aftara was chosen to accompany Parasha Vayigash, the Torah portion where Judah (from the House of Leah) approaches Joseph (from the House of Rachel, who will later be addressed as the House of Ephraim after Joseph's second son), in order to resolve a conflict that they have concerning Benjamin, Rachel’s second son and Joseph’s brother. 

Then Y'hudah approached (VAYIGASH) Yosef and said, "Please, my lord! Let your servant say something to you privately; and don't be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. (Gen 44:18)

From the day of Jacob’s surprise acquisition of both Leah and Rachel, the two women launched a child-bearing competition in order to secure Jacob’s affection. This contest between the two sisters became the portent of the future divided relationship of the nation of Israel becoming two separate kingdoms, sometimes even at war with each other. The prophets saw the reunification of the kingdom as it was under Kings David and Solomon as a sign of the preparatory initiation for the Messianic Age.

EZEKIEL, THE PROPHET OF THE RETURN
The prophecy of Ezekiel 37 doesn’t stand on its own. It comes at the heel of Ezekiel 34, introducing David (Yeshua) as the future good shepherd of Israel who will sincerely care for the people unlike the bad shepherds of His days. Ezekiel 35 prophecies the annihilation of the Kingdom of Seir (Edom) and Ezekiel 36 prophecies the return of the people of Israel to their ancestral lands, as is pictorialized in Ezekiel 37:1-13.

At the end of the dry bones prophecy, right before the prophecy of the two sticks, HaShem says:

 Then you will know that I am Adonai -- when I have opened your graves and made you get up out of your graves, my people! (14) I will put my Spirit in you; and you will be alive. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Adonai, have spoken, and that I have done it,' says Adonai."
(Eze 37:13-14 CJB)

Thus making the return of the people of Israel the signal that it is the time when they will acknowledge the Lord. This prophecy is being fulfilled in front of our very eyes. The six-Day War when Jerusalem returned into Jewish hands marked the time when many Jews started to understand Yeshua as their Messiah. That era launched the modern-day Messianic movement, as is written in:

. . . because it has been given to the Goyim, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months. (Rev 11:2 CJB)

Ezekiel's wording, “ Then you will know that I am Adonai . . . “ addressed to Israel continues throughout the next two chapters.

MESSIANIC ISRAEL
Ezekiel’s prophecy of the two sticks tells the story of Messianic Israel from its beginning. It follows:
  • the introduction of Messiah in chapter 34
  • the destruction of Edom in chapter 35
  • the call for Israel to return, accomplished through Herzl’s zionist movement after the Dreyfuss Affair in the late 1800’s.


Ezekiel starts with the reunification of both kingdoms. 

The word of Adonai came to me: "You, human being, take one stick and write on it, 'For Y'hudah and those joined with him [among] the people of Isra'el.' Next, take another stick and write on it, 'For Yosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Isra'el who are joined with him.' Finally, bring them together into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand. When your people ask you what all this means, tell them that Adonai Elohim says this: 'I will take the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efrayim, together with the tribes of Isra'el who are joined with him, and put them together with the stick of Y'hudah and make them a single stick, so that they become one in my hand.' The sticks on which you write are to be in your hand as they watch. 


This reunification started to happen some time after the prophecy was given, when in 538/537 BCE, Cyrus the Persian decreed that any captives of Israel disseminated throughout his kingdom from the beginning of the Assyrian Exile could return to Israel if they so desired to help rebuild the Jerusalem Temple.

In the first year of Koresh king of Persia, in order for the word of Adonai prophesied by Yirmeyahu to be fulfilled, Adonai stirred up the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, which he also put in writing, as follows: "Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: Adonai, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth; and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! He may go up to Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah, and build the house of Adonai the God of Isra'el, the God who is in Yerushalayim. 
(Ezr 1:1-3 CJB)

It is noted by historians that, by the time of Yeshua, the kingdom was not divided in 2 and that there were representatives of all the tribes in Israel proper.

Using the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, the prophet alludes to the greater future Roman Exile.

Then say to them that Adonai Elohim says: 'I will take the people of Isra'el from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Isra'el; (Ezekiel 37:21)

This has happened through the Balfour Declaration at the end of WW1, and Israel’s Declaration of Independence in 1948. The prophecy continues with the Messianic Age when Yeshua rules from Jerusalem in Israel.

...and one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms. (Eze 37:15-22 CJB)

The prophecy then takes us further in the Messianic Age, a time as described by Jeremiah as a time when:

"No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, 'Know Adonai'; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more." (Jer 31:33-34 CJB)

Of that time, Ezekiel says:

" 'They will never again defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have been living and sinning; and I will cleanse them, so that they will be my people, and I will be their God.”

Indeed, Yeshua will rule as king over Israel as is written:

“My servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my regulations. They will live in the land I gave to Ya`akov my servant, where your ancestors lived; they will live there -- they, their children, and their grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader forever. 

At that time also, the Temple will be rebuilt…

I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever. My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

It is at that time when Israel is restored as one nation under one king, with its own Temple that the powers of atheism, replacement theology, and antisemitism will be confounded and vanish. The existence of God and of His purpose for the nations though Israel will be an established fact, as Ezekiel continues:

The nations will know that I am Adonai, who sets Isra'el apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.' " (Eze 37:23-28 CJB)

May it be soon HaShem, even in our days.

AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
  • We need to realize that we are part of a cosmic reality that started even before the foundations of the world (Rev 13:8). 
  • As Jewish and Gentile believers, we also need to realize that we are the firstfruit and the spearhead of the soon-coming Messianic Age and that we need to live and act like it.
  • We need to remember that we are not here to do as we please. We need to be true to our mandate as ambassadors of the coming Kingdom of God.
  • As John did, and Paul exhorted, we must live a life worthy of our calling of telling people to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand! As Paul said, "Therefore I, the prisoner united with the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of shalom. (Eph 4:1-3 CJB)
  • We need to acknowledge what Yeshua said, "The Kingdom of God does not come with visible signs; Because, you see, the Kingdom of God is among you." (Luk 17:20-21 CJB)
  • This all also means that the nations need to see the reinstatement of the State of Israel as a sign that the end is near and that He is with His people.
  • That whereas peace will not come to the world until the Prince of Peace reigns in a peaceful Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God is already within us through the presence of His Spirit in us.
  • And that we can have the peace of the Kingdom of Heaven with us right now by living according to the tenets of the Torah.


Just like it was told to certain shepherds on a certain night (probably around the time of Tabernacles),

כָּבוֹד בַּמְּרוֹמִים לֵאלׂהִים וּבָאָרֶץ שָׁלוֹם בְּאַנְשֵׁי רְצוֹנוֹ׃

"In the highest heaven, glory to God! And on earth, peace among people of good will!" 
(Luk 2:14 CJB)

WARNING!
Don’t let that peace be stolen from you. Even Yeshua said that when we see all these things we are seeing now.

"What I am leaving with you is shalom -- I am giving you my shalom. I don't give the way the world gives. Don't let yourselves be upset or frightened. (Joh 14:27 CJB)

You will hear the noise of wars nearby and the news of wars far off; see to it that you don't become frightened. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come. (Mat 24:6 CJB)


SHABBAT SHALOM!!!

R' Gabriel
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HAFTARAH MIKETZ, Shlomo, the Righteous Judge!

12/2/2021

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ויהי המלך שׁלמה מלך על־כל־ישׂראל׃

King Shlomo was king over all Isra'el, 
(1Ki 4:1 CJB)





SHLOMO: "HIS PEACE!"
We are told later in the book of 1 Kings that peace was the hallmark of Shlomo's rule in Israel:

(5:4) For he ruled all the area this side of the [Euphrates] River, from Tifsach to `Azah. He was over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace all around him, on every side. (1Ki 4:24 CJB)

This idea was reinforced by his very name, which means, "His peace." The peace referred to was a foreshadowing of the peace, happiness, and abundance of the Messianic Age when Yeshua will rule on earth. The text of 1 Kings actually describes it in the following words:

(5:5) From Dan to Be'er-Sheva, Y'hudah and Isra'el lived securely, every man under his vine and fig tree, throughout the lifetime of Shlomo. (1Ki 4:25 CJB)

The theme of "every man under his vine and fig tree" would be later used by Micah to represent the Messianic Era:

Each person will sit under his vine and fig tree, with no one to upset him, for the mouth of Adonai-Tzva'ot has spoken. (Mic 4:4 CJB)

SHLOMO'S RIGHTEOUS PRIORITIES: THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD
In a dream, Shlomo was given a test, a test which he passed with flying colors. In the test, HasShem gave him a blank check to ask for whatever he wanted. What would we do with a blank check like that alongside the divinely ordained power of kingship? This is a lot of power, the sort that usually corrupts those who possess it.
Shlomo's request is not the heads of his enemies, nor wealth and riches, but simply that he would be a good shepherd over the people of God. As a result:

God said to him, "Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies' death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice; I am doing what you requested. I am giving you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever again be anyone like you. I am also giving you what you didn't ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life. 
(1Ki 3:11-13 CJB)

SILVER AS COMMON AS STONES
Under Shlomo's reign, Israel became very rich. It is said that through the wealth brought to Israel from the nations around him:

The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees are in the Sh'felah. (1Ki 10:27 CJB)

ALONG WITH PEACE AND ABUNDANCE, MESSIANIC TRUE JUSTICE WAS ALSO A HALLMARK OF SHLOMO'S REIGN
His wisdom was so widespread that people came from all over to listen to Shlomo's wise advice, a true foreshadow of the justice of Messiah coming from Zion in the Messianic era.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah all speak of the Messiah coming to exercise judgment on the earth (Jer 23:5; Is 11:3-4); Micah 4:3). But this role of judge was not Messiah's first-coming role, which he didn't fulfill when He came 2000 years ago. Of that first coming, it is said:

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. 
(Joh 3:17 CJB)

But at the time of the second coming, HaShem does send Messiah to come as a judge:

"In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins. For he has set a Day when he will judge the inhabited world, and do it justly, by means of a man whom he has designated. And he has given public proof of it by resurrecting this man from the dead." (Act 17:30-31 CJB)

Isaiah describes the type of justice provided by Messiah at the end of times:

The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai --he will be inspired by fearing Adonai. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but he will judge the impoverished justly; he will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips. (Isa 11:2-4 CJB)

THE JUSTICE OF THE KING
Our Aftara has a passage that exemplifies the type of justice described by Isaiah in the Messianic Age. The written records tell us that:

There came to the king two women who were prostitutes. After presenting themselves to him, one of the women said, "My lord, I and this woman live in the same house; and when she was in the house, I gave birth to a baby. Three days after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were there together; there was no one else with us in the house except the two of us. During the night this woman's child died, because she rolled over on top of it. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from next to me, while your servant was sleeping, and put it in her arms; and she laid her dead child in my arms. When I awoke in the morning to feed my child from my breast, there it was, dead. But when I took a closer look later in the morning, why, it wasn't my son at all -- not the one I gave birth to!" (1Ki 3:16-21 CJB)

The king listened carefully to the first woman's account of the event, then allowed the second woman to make her defense:

The other woman broke in, "No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son!" The first one said, "No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son!" This is how they spoke in the presence of the king. (1Ki 3:22 CJB)

The king wisely reiterated what he heard to make sure all the details of the case were clear to him:

Then the king said, "This woman says, 'The living one is my son; your son is the dead one'; while the other says, 'No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.' (1Ki 3:23 CJB)

At its best, this is a case of "she said-she said!" There were no witnesses. What will the king do? The wise king did exactly what Isaiah would describe as messianic justice a few hundred years later. A justice that:

...will be inspired by fearing Adonai. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but he will judge the impoverished justly; he will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips. (Isa 11:3-4 CJB)

Unable to get the lying party to tell the truth, the king then takes the only weapon that is able to bring the truth out--the sword described by the writer of the book of Hebrews:

The Word of God ... sharper than any double-edged sword -- it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. (Heb 4:12 CJB)

Sitting on his throne, his sword is not at his side, so Shlomo asks for one to be given to him:

Bring me a sword," said the king. They brought a sword to the king. The king said, "Cut the living child in two; give half to the one and half to the other."

It did the trick!

At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son: "Oh, my lord, give her the living child; you mustn't kill it!" But the other one said, "It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it up!" (1Ki 3:24-26 CJB)

The wise king gives his verdict.

Then the king answered, "Give the living child to the first woman, don't kill it, because she is its mother." All Isra'el heard of the decision the king had made and held the king in awe, for they saw that God's wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly. (1Ki 3:28 CJB)

THE JUSTICE OF MESSIAH
The reign of Messiah will be a time of reckoning. It will be like a giant justice audit for all people, from all generations. At that time, those who put their trust in HaShem that revenge was His will have their day in court with the King of kings, Judge of all the earth. He will wield the sword that is sharper than any double-edged sword which cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart for justice that will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but he will judge the impoverished justly; but will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips. (Hebrews 4, Isaiah 11)

CONNECTION WITH THE PARASHA
As we have just read, this aftara uses the establishment of Shlomo as King over Israel to foreshadow the establishment of Messiah over the whole world through His wise judgment at the second coming. This idea comes as a companion to the parasha that tells us of Joseph's establishment over Egypt through His wise judgment (Gen 41:41). Thus, with the parasha and the aftara, we have Messiah ben Joseph, and Messiah ben David.

King Shlomo was king over all Isra'el, (1Ki 4:1 CJB)

A NOTE FROM RABBI GABRIEL
Before His temporary departure from the physical realm of man, Yeshua told His disciples, and thereby all those who decide to disciple after Him, "What I am leaving with you is shalom -- I am giving you my shalom. I don't give the way the world gives. Don't let yourselves be upset or frightened. (Joh 14:27 CJB).

In Matthew 24, He even told His disciples that when they see all the signs of the endtimes, they should not worry (Mat 24:6). Having therefore given us His peace, He also gave us the commandment to not worry nor be frightened by these things.
I have noticed that in spite of this gifting of peace, and of this command not to be frightened or worried, many of us these days tend to let that Yeshua-promised-and-given peace be stolen by giving heed to messages of both truth and lies. True there are worrisome things happening today, and true there are some people intent on using them for their own agendas. The truth is that it is not new, it has always been happening, it is just more propagated now in our days when information is more widely available.
At the end of the day, (or the Day!), we do own the promise of peace and we have been given the commandment not to worry.

MAY WE NOT LET THE GRINCH STEAL OUR PEACE FROM US.

MAY WE HOLD ON TO "HIS PEACE!"
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HAFTARAH VAYESHEV  Sing, Daughter of Zion!

12/2/2021

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רני ושׂמחי בת־ציון כי הנני־בא ושׁכנתי בתוכך נאם־יהוה׃ 
(2:14) "Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you," says Adonai.
(Zec 2:10 CJB)

PARASHA VAYESHEV BEFORE CHANUKAH
On the years when par'shat Vayeshev coincides with Chanukah, the haftara for that week relates the oil menorah in the Zechariah prophecy. In that oracle, Zechariah speaks of the time of the building and dedication of the second Temple, replacing the first Temple that had been burned by the Babylonians.

This period in time carries strong resemblance with the rededication of that same second Temple after it had been defiled by the Greeks. The similarity between the two events is the reason why the sages of Israel chose this passage to be read at Chanukah.

Zachariah was a priest at the time of the return from Babylon. His prophecies speak of the reestablishment of Jerusalem, the Temple, the priesthood, and the monarchy. In his time, not too much unlike today, the Jewish nation struggled to keep a foothold in the Promised land. Two prominent figures appear in the oracle: Joshua the High Priest and Zerubbabel, the heir of the Davidic monarchy.

"REJOICE, I AM COMING!"
The oracle starts with a rallying cry for Jerusalem:

(2:14) "Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice!

A prophecy follows about HaShem's presence returning to the people:

For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you," says Adonai.
(Zec 2:10 CJB)

The Temple was built, the very Temple that became the place where the Master revealed Himself to his people. That revelation brought the Gentiles to join with Israel as covenant people:

(2:15) When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to Adonai. "They will be my people, and I will live among you." Then you will know that it was Adonai-Tzva'ot who sent me to you.
(Zec 2:11 CJB)

(2:16) Adonai will take possession of Y'hudah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again make Yerushalayim his choice.
(Zec 2:12 CJB)

May it be soon HaShem, even in our days.

(2:17) Be silent, all humanity, before Adonai; for he has been roused from his holy dwelling.' "
(Zec 2:13 CJB)

Then all the people on the earth will be silenced and give you glory!

THE ACCUSER ACCUSED
HaShem continues leading Zechariah in the oracle. The prophet sees the current high-priest in soiled garments being harassed by the HaSatan.

In this vision, Joshua represents the Judean community in its sinful state, a sinful condition that HaSatan is all too happy to point out to HaShem, as he always does in his role of prosecutor-in-chief (the Accuser of the Saints). Adonai then accuses the Accuser:

He showed me Y'hoshua the cohen hagadol standing before the angel of Adonai, with the Accuser [Hebrew: Satan] standing at his right to accuse him.Adonai said to the Accuser, "May Adonai rebuke you, Accuser! Indeed, may Adonai, who has made Yerushalayim his choice, rebuke you! Isn't this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"Y'hoshua was clothed in garments covered with dung; and he was standing before the angel,
(Zec 3:1-3 CJB)

For the sake of His great compassion, HaShem restores Jerusalem:

who said to those standing in front of him, "Take those filthy garments off of him." Then to him he said, "See, I am taking your guilt away. I will clothe you in fine robes."I said, "They should put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and gave him fine robes to wear, while the angel of Adonai stood by.
(Zec 3:4-5 CJB)

HaShem gives His admonition to restored Judah:

Then the angel of Adonai gave Y'hoshua this warning:"Adonai-Tzva'ot says this: 'If you will walk in my ways, obey my commission, judge my house and guard my courtyards; then I will give you free access among these who are standing here.
(Zec 3:6-7 CJB)

This post-Babylonian exile restoration of Judah by HaShem's mercy becomes a sign that a greater messianic restoration is on its way through the One called, "the Branch", the Messiah. His name on earth will be Yeshua, which is an Aramaic colloquial version of the name Joshua.

Listen, cohen gadol Y'hoshua, both you and your colleagues seated here before you, because these men are a sign that I am going to bring my servant Tzemach [Sprout].For look at the stone I have put in front of Y'hoshua: on one stone are seven eyes; I will engrave what is to be written on it,' says Adonai-Tzva'ot; 'and I will remove the guilt of this land in one day.
(Zec 3:8-9 CJB)

This time will be a precursor to the peace and abundance of the promised Messianic Era.

When that time comes,' says Adonai-Tzva'ot, 'you will all invite each other to join you under your vines and fig trees.' "
(Zec 3:10 CJB)

A MESSIANIC MENORAH
The angel that was speaking to Zechariah continues with the messianic oracle. He shows Zechariah a vision using the Temple menorah, an intricate menorah with tubes feeding it oil coming from two olive trees flanked at its sides.

Then the angel that had been speaking with me returned and roused me, as if he were waking someone up from being asleep, and asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I've been looking at a menorah; it's all of gold, with a bowl at its top, seven lamps on it, and seven tubes leading to the lamps at its top. Next to it are two olive trees, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left."
(Zec 4:1-3 CJB)

Zechariah wants to know, what is the meaning of the vision?

I then asked the angel speaking with me, "What are these, my Lord?" The angel speaking with me said, "Don't you know what these are?" I said, "No, my Lord."
(Zec 4:4-5 CJB)

The vision is a prophetic representation of the return of Israel's existence with its Levitical priesthood and Davidic monarchy. A mountain of obstacles stands before this beautiful realization. The angel then gives Zachariah the admonition that this vision will not be accomplished by the strength of man, but by the work of the Spirit of HaShem:

Then he answered me, "This is the word of Adonai to Z'rubavel: 'Not by force, and not by power, but by my Spirit,' says Adonai-Tzva'ot. 'What are you, you big mountain? Before Z'rubavel you will become a plain; and he will put the capstone in place, as everyone shouts, "It's beautiful! Beautiful!" '
(Zec 4:6-7 CJB)

ANOTHER REDEDICATION, IN THE FUTURE
Chanukah tells us of another time when HaShem mightily worked through His people to reestablish the Jerusalem Temple that will less than 200 years later receive the "Branch", Yeshua the Messiah. He came to teach us to let go of our pride; of our rebellious individualistic and selfish attitudes: of our baseless hatred that caused the destruction of the both the first and second Temples: that we may learn to live by the Torah that He teaches us. He came to tell us to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, the one that comes,

"Not by force, and not by power, but by my Spirit,' says Adonai-Tzva'ot.

At the time of the end, may we be there for the Chanukah of all Chanukahs, for the Dedication of all Dedications, the Dedication of the 3rd Temple in the presence of our Yeshua our Master, Priest and King of Israel.

​R' Gabriel Lumbroso

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