Israel – a Nation

Natural disasters, epidemics, electronic money, and the near-future National Identity Card are signs and precursors to a one-world government and cashless society that will usher in the reign of the antichrist. The most telling signs, though, are in connection with the Nation of Israel.

The Nation itself was literally ‘born in a day’ as prophesied by Isaiah (66:8). Jesus told His followers that the generation that witnessed the fig tree blossom would be the generation that would see His return (Matthew 24:32-34). Jesus said this concerning the birth of the Nation of Israel, G-d’s fig tree. 

[The fig tree is a biblical symbol of the Nation of Israel. See the article “Parable of the Trees” in “Jewish Roots” Section of this website.]

Israel, at the time the Jews began returning from their long exile, was a wasteland as Moses said it would be (Leviticus 26:31-33). In fact, in 1869, after his journey there, Mark Twain wrote that Israel was a “G-d-forsaken land”. The Bible promised, however, that Israel’s desolation would end. Both Ezekiel (36:34-35) and Isaiah (35:1) record the prophesied blossoming of the Land.

The Jews who returned to Israel in the last century filled in the swamps and planted trees and crops to reclaim the wastelands. Today, the Negev desert is blooming and Israel is able to export produce to many countries of the world.

Mark Twain’s fascination with the Jews sparked him to write:

“Everything is mortal except the Jew. All other powers perish but he remains. What is the mystery of his immortality?”

Persecution

No one could have imagined that persecution of the Jewish people and the Nation of Israel would erupt on the world scene once again. Today we are living in the age that Zechariah described:

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.  (Zechariah 12:2, 3)

The battle for Jerusalem and all the land of Israel is on the minds of the people of the entire world.

Oil in Israel

Even though the Land of Israel is not remarkable in foliage or beautiful mountains or other features that make a land 'desirable' or 'beautiful', all who visit Israel testify that there is a beauty there that cannot be perceived with the eye. It is not filled with natural riches or rescources that would cause other nations to want to plunder it for 'booty' of any kind. Yet, Ezekiel tells us that the Northern Army [Gog] will come to plunder the land of Israel. Today, we can see that the riches of Israel lies in their knowledge of how to provide water out of seawater and in the promise of gas and oil that has been uncovered in recent years. As such, Ezekiel's prophecy has new meaning.

“In the latter years … You [Gog] will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land [of Israel] like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.…You will say, ‘I will go up… to take plunder and to take booty…[from] a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land’….‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’” (Ezekiel 38:8-13)

Russia deeply desires to have a warm seaport in its 'possession' as well as oil that is easy to access. With the 'help' of the nations listed in Ezekiel 38, Russia would hope to plunder Israel.

Knowledge Explosion

Then, there is the ‘knowledge explosion’ prophesied by Daniel (12:4), which began when Jews started moving back in large numbers to the Land of Israel in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Scientists point out that for almost 6000 years men lived rather primitive lives. Then, in the middle of the eighteenth century, G-d began stirring in the European Jews a longing to return to Israel. From that time, from 1750 to 1900, spanning only 150 years, knowledge doubled.

In 1897, Theodore Herzl held the first Zionist Congress to establish a homeland for Jews in the former Israel. Within only fifty years from that time, knowledge doubled again. Then, when Israel became a nation in 1948, within only a ten-year period, knowledge doubled once more. Since then, scientists say, knowledge has been doubling every two years!

Signs are also appearing in connection with Israel’s spiritual restoration. When the Temple Mount was returned to Jewish hands in 1967, observant Jews began a campaign to see the Temple rebuilt. Since that time, amazing things have been occurring that would make possible the restoration of worship in a rebuilt Temple––the Third Temple.

Songs Of The Levitical Choir

The morning and evening services of the priesthood were accompanied by those Levites assigned to Temple worship. The Levitical choir stood in the Court of Israel facing the bronze altar of sacrifice and sang a special song each day of the week as the priest poured the morning and evening wine libations onto the altar. At three points in their song, they would pause while the priests sounded the silver trumpets and all the people in the Court would prostrate themselves before the Presence of G-d. There was a mystical significance, which each song had in connection with the particular day it was sung. The six weekday songs correspond to the original six days of creation.

On Sunday, the first day of the week, they sang Psalm 24; on Monday, Psalm 48; on Tuesday, Psalm 82; on Wednesday, Psalm 94; on Thursday, Psalm 81; on Friday, Psalm 93; and on Saturday, the holy Sabbath, they sang Psalm 92.

The Jewish historian Josephus records that the Temple was destroyed on Saturday evening while the Levitical choir was in the midst of accompanying the priests in the evening Temple service. Instead of singing the Sabbath Psalm 92 which is a song for the future rectified world, they were singing Psalm 94, Wednesday’s song:

“O L-rd G-d, to whom vengeance belongs......shine forth!

The Jewish sages believe that at that moment, the Levitical choir had a prophetic revelation of the future rebuilding of the Temple. These Levites perceived that Israel’s redemption, hinging on the rebuilding of the Temple, would begin again on a Wednesday, so they sang the song of Wednesday. 

Wednesday, June 7, 1967 was the day that the Temple Mount was liberated. This day could be considered the first step towards the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, the day that the circle was closed between this generation and the generation of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. 

The Red Heifer and the Priesthood

In order to resume Temple worship, many preparations must be made. While the birth of a Red Heifer in Israel, a breed of cow thought to have been extinct, may give the priesthood the ability to prepare the necessary ‘waters of separation’, first there must be a priesthood. Priests could only come from the tribe of Levi and only from the sons of Moses’ brother Aaron. The carefully archived records of the genealogies of the priests has been lost for millennia. Recently, though, a most unexpected and unusual sign has appeared.

Through a genetic study of modern-day cohanim (priests), scientists now have evidence proving that the descendants of the first high priest, Aaron, have an identifiable DNA structure that is peculiar to them alone. This will allow the establishment of a legitimate priesthood in preparation for the resumption of Temple worship.

The Chilazon and the Shani

Another momentous sign was the return of the chilazon that disappeared from the Mediterranean waters for almost 2000 years. It is the sea creature that secretes a lavender/blue liquid used to produce the dye for the garments of the high priest. It has once again appeared, allowing the garments to be prepared for Temple service. It is said that the color blue represents the presence of G-d. The return of the chilazon is a sign that the presence of G-d is returning to Israel!

The Shani, the coccid (scale insect) used to produce the scarlet dye during the biblical and second Temple periods for both sacred and secular purposes, has been found. Dr. Zohar Amar of the Bar-Ilian University said, “We never knew what it was…but we have now shown that it [the dye] is made from something commonly found in the Land of Israel, right under our noses. It is very exciting to bridge over 2,000 years of history…” Josephus, who was the last one to describe and document the existence of the ‘shani’ in the Temple describes the color as symbolizing fire, which is orange – as opposed to the red that many think it is. The ‘shani’ was used in the Temple for the curtain over the Ark, the High Priest’s clothes, and in preparing the ashes of the Red Heifer.

Temple Artifacts

It has been reported that Israel’s Religious Affairs Minister met with the Pope in Rome to ask the Vatican’s cooperation in locating the 60 kg. gold menorah from the Second Temple that was brought to Rome by Titus in 70 CE. Research at the University of Florence indicated that the menorah could be among the treasures in the catacombs of the Vatican.

Harps for Worship

Modern-Day miracles seem to surface daily in connection with Israel’s spiritual restoration. A young Jewish couple that made aliyah to Israel discovered a 3500 year old drawing of a small harp in a cave located at Megiddo. From this drawing, her husband, Micah, a guitar maker, fashioned a lap harp for his wife. A journalist neighbor, who decided to research the harp, discovered that it was the biblical harp known as the Nevel and had not been made for almost 2000 years. To musicologists, historians, and Bible scholars, the return of the harp is interpreted as a miracle.

Micah also constructed a second harp known as the Kinnor. The Kinnor is the lyre of David that had 3 to 12 strings. He chose 10 strings for his. An elderly rabbi who heard of Micah’s interesting trade paid him a visit. When he saw the Kinnor, the rabbi told Micah of an ancient portion of the Talmud that states: “The harp of the ten strings is reserved for the day when the world that is to come is united in one harmonious whole.” Its reappearance signifies the soon coming of the Messiah and the redemption of Israel.

Barukh HaShem (Blessed is the Name of the L-rd)t