February 22, 2014 Shabbat Bible Study

February 22, 2014 Shabbat Bible Study

Exodus 7:8 – 8:19 – Joel 3:1-7 – Psalm 45 – Revelation 16:1-17

Links:

www.waytozion.org/teachings/Mark%20-%20Isaiah%2023-27%20Commentary.mp3

Shemoth7.8- – So Moshe and Aharon, under orders from Y’hovah, go to speak to Paroh. They were to prove that they were there in his Name by the miracles he had given them to perform. When Aharon cast down his rod and it became a serpent, Paroh called his magicians/sorcerers to duplicate the feat. I just noticed that Paroh wasn’t surprised by the rod becoming a serpent, as Moshe had been on the mount of Elohim. Do you suppose that Paroh’s sorcerers did this kind of magic all the time? Or that Moshe recognized this as a Satanic ‘trick’ and THAT was why he ran from the serpent on the mount? I think it’s possible and that that was Y’hovah’s purpose in doing this sign first. Schottenstein’s Interlinear Chumash has a very interesting comment on this on pp.39-40. Maybe the Egyptian sorcerers had been ‘wowing’ the crowds with this trick to prove the power of their gods, and Y’hovah was going to show those gods up. Anti-Messiah and his false prophet (Aharon is Moshe’s prophet, as Moshe is a ‘god’ to Paroh) will perform lots of ‘wonderful miracles’. I see haSatan, the Beast and the False Prophet in Rev.13 as the counterfeits of Y’hovah, Moshe and Aharon here. The people of the world system will be fooled by their lying wonders:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (II Thessalonians 2:9)

4 And they worshipped the dragon (haSatan) which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who like unto the beast (Mika Mocha?)? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty-two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Rev.13.4-15

As Aharon did all the signs before Moshe, so the False Prophet can only work his signs in the presence of the Beast, who is under the direct control of haSatan. Was Aharon only able to work the miracles of Y’hovah in Moshe’s presence? I don’t know. What I DO know is that he never did perform a miracle except in Moshe’s presence.

When the sorcerers came to duplicate the sign from Y’hovah, and they produced their own serpents from their rods, Y’hovah made the sorcerers look silly by having Aharon’s serpent swallow all the sorcerers’ serpents whole. And I suspect that, like the lean kine of Paroh’s dream that Yoseph interpreted over 100 years before, Aharon’s serpent didn’t look as if he’d eaten anything. Chumash also has an interesting comment on v.12, pg.40. This particular miracle – Aharon’s rod devouring the necromancer’s rods represents the ‘malkuth’, that Yah controls the kingdoms of the earth.

I think there may be an allusion to the Tree of Sephiroth[i] here. Y’hovah may be showing those 10 manifestations of his power in order of their revelation to men – from the bottom [malkuth] up. Chumash makes the point, pp.40-41, that the plagues that Yah sent after he made the sorcerers look silly are given in 3 sets of 3 [9], culminating in the destruction of the bikkurim of Egypt [10]. If I remember, I will follow that analogy as we go. The analogy is not perfect, but I think it generally fits. The 3 plagues we see today will correspond to The ‘Yetzirah’, the world of formation, the Foundation of Moshiach’s manifestation of Y’hovah. It culminates with the necromancers/sorcerers acknowledging that their power is inferior to Y’hovah’s, which is the foundation of faith in him.

When Paroh saw these things, Y’hovah allowed Paroh’s pride to kick in, and used it to harden his heart against his Word and Moshe. Q&C

Vv.14-25 – Next day, Moshe and Aharon went to Paroh again, this time to show him that Y’hovah had power over the ‘river god(s)’. Y’hovah told Moshe to take Aharon and his rod that had turned into a serpent, and to turn the water into blood in every river, creek, lake, pot or wooden vessel into blood and that all the fish would die and the waters stink to high heaven (reminds me of Louden Wainwright’s Dead Skunk song of the 70s). But Paroh’s sorcerers were able to mimic this sign, as well (and BTW, making the plague that much worse), and Paroh hardened his heart with pride once more. What is interesting is the mercy shown by Y’hovah in this sign. The Egyptians were able to dig down to the water table and draw drinking water from the ground. Only the water that had been open to the air was affected in this plague. That which was underground was still clean to drink.

This is important information, folks! Let me repeat it – ONLY THE WATER THAT WAS OPEN TO THE AIR WAS AFFECTED! GROUND WATER WAS STILL CLEAN! Think chemtrails?

3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a death: and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, Y’hovah, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Y’hovah El Shaddai, true and righteous are thy judgments. (Rev.16.3-7)

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (1Cor.10.1-4, 11-12)

In the Time of Ya’acov’s Trouble, when you are here on earth and NOT raptured like we’ve been lied to about all these years, remember that YOU may have the only H₂0 on your block because YOU were prepared. BTW, those little bags of survival water for your backpack will empty quickly, and they are not refillable. Do you know how to make a small survival ‘still’ in your backyard or in the field or woods, with a few sticks, a tarp, a stone, a bucket and a trenching tool? H₂O is THE most important food. You MUST have it or you will die in a few days. Most of us Americans can live for weeks on our stored fat, but ingesting water is a necessity. Learn to provide yourself w/H₂O and how to store it for use. We may be weeks or months before we get marching orders from on High. Can you catch your rainwater in barrels for filtering/distilling in your home? A couple of 30 gallon garbage cans with a hole cut in the lid for your downspouts will keep you in water for a few days or a week, depending on your usage. BTW, did you know that is now ILLEGAL to catch the rainwater off your roof in barrels at the ends of your downspouts? ANY rain that touches any surface and runs to ground [that includes your roof] is UN property. Now, if you catch it directly into a rooftop catch basin, you are legal. But before doing that, make sure your roof can handle the weight of the basin when full of water.

By now, anyone who has been listening to me (or anyone else who knows) should have a Berkey water filter for their home, and a Katedyne filter for his go-bag. The Berkey was designed by a Christian man in England some 200 years ago to send into the bush with missionaries. It has a 2-micron filtration stone impregnated with silver that filters out almost all living organisms and effectively kills the rest. All that comes through a Berkey filter is water and minerals dissolved in it below the 2 micron size. It has been tested for over 200 years. Malaria infested waters are rendered harmless at the rate of about 1-1.5 gallons/hr. Pour disease infested, mud puddle water in the top and an hour later drink it without worry. Startpage (don’t track your searches, like Google does) Berkey. Q&C

8.1-19 – Egypt lived with water out of holes in the ground for a week and then Y’hovah told Moshe to take Aharon and his rod to Paroh once again, and to tell him to “Let my people …GO!” and to warn him of the consequences of refusal – frogs. Lots of Frogs! The river and all the open fresh water sources would vomit out frogs in such abundance as to be inescapable anywhere in Egypt. Well, Paroh must have refused, because Y’hovah ordered Moshe to have Aharon stretch forth his rod over all the open fresh water sources and, sure enough, frogs. To comply with this order, Aharon would have to stretch out his rod and then turn 360º. I think it was a lot like Gen.1.3, where Elohim said “Light!” and light just was, no waiting. I think that when Aharon stretched out the rod and turned, the frogs just came up out of the waters from that direction. Without prompting, the sorcerers duplicated this one, as well.

Now, I told you that I thought the sorcerers had done the ‘rod into a snake trick’ often enough that it didn’t even phase Paroh, and I think it was the same for the water to blood and the frogs from out of the water tricks. But I also think that Paroh was used to the sorcerers being able to make the water change back from blood to water and to make the frogs return to the water – until now. All they did with their counterfeits was make the plagues worse, and without any relief. When he saw the fresh water all turn to blood and his sorcerers unable to change it back, as they had in the past, he was shook (shaken?). When he saw that they could duplicate the frogs, but couldn’t reverse it, as they had in the past, he asked Moshe to entreat Y’hovah to end the plague, which would definitely set Y’hovah apart from the all the Egyptian gods he’s already shown up. If Y’hovah would kill off ALL the frogs, he’d let Israel go to worship and serve Y’hovah. Moshe told him to name the time for the removal of the frogs, so he would know that it was Y’hovah who’d done it. And when Moshe had entreated Y’hovah (I assume in Paroh’s presence), sure enough, when the time came, the frogs croaked (pun intended) ‘out of the houses, villages and fields’ and the living ones remained in the rivers.

The frogs died in all those places, and the people heaped them up, which stank up the place. The blood stank and had killed off the fish, which stank; drove out the frogs, which died and they stank. I imagine Y’hovah is giving the Egyptians a taste of the stench of sin that Y’hovah had to smell rising out of Egypt all those years. I’d guess it was not as pleasant as the ‘sweet-smelling savor’ of the ‘prayers of the saints’ or the incense that represents them in the Mishkan/Mikdash. But when Paroh saw that the frogs were removed from all those inconvenient places, like his bed and his cereal bowl and his underwear drawer, he hardened his prideful heart once again and refused to allow Israel to go as he’d promised.

And so, Y’hovah told Moshe to take Aharon with his rod to Paroh once again. Aharon had smitten the water with his rod and it turned to blood. Then he’d stretched out his rod over the waters and brought forth frogs. Now he was told to stretch out his rod, again turning 360º, and then smite the dust of the earth with it. When he did so, all the dust in all the land of Egypt became lice. As Elohim had turned a handful of dust into a man, so he now turned dust into lice to infest man. The sorcerers, trying to preserve their heads in their respective natural perches, immediately did a 450 prophets of Baal number, trying to get their gods to create life from dust. OOPS! There’s only ONE source of Chai – Y’hovah! No matter how powerful the demonic forces are, they cannot create life. All they can do is manipulate physical things and make it LOOK like life – and that only sometimes, like the snakes and the frogs – or the video of the ‘pale rider’ a few years ago. THIS was entirely above and beyond their paygrade. They haven’t that kind of authority.

As the witch of Endor knew that when she called out Samuel for Sha’ul it was NOT her familiar spirit mimicking Samuel, but ACTUALLY Samuel, so these sorcerers knew that this was a sign from a power of which they had no knowledge. And they acknowledged that this was “the finger of Elohim”! And yet, Paroh’s heart was hardened. Perhaps it was hardened because the plague of lice had no let-up. Noone asked Y’hovah to lift it and there is no record that he did. The rabbis think that as happened with the 1^st plague that ended after 7 days, so it was with ALL of them, except the ones Paroh asked to be shortened. Was Y’hovah getting Israel ready for the ‘Shabbat training’ they would receive in the Wilderness? Could be.

Let’s recap the hardening of Paroh’s heart so far:

1) And he hardened Paroh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as Y’hovah had said. (Exodus 7:13)

2) And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Paroh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as Y’hovah had said. (Exodus 7:22)

3) But when Paroh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as Y’hovah had said. (Exodus 8:15)

4) Then the magicians said unto Paroh, This is the finger of God: and Paroh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Y’hovah had said. (Exodus 8:19)

It looks as though the 1^st time and the 4^th, Y’hovah hardened Paroh’s heart. It looks as though the 2^nd time either Paroh hardened his own heart or haSatan did it (I lean toward haSatan’s building Paroh’s pride by spirit to spirit communication) but the 3^rd time Paroh hardened his own heart. So right now its 2:1:1 Y’hovah:Paroh:haSatan, IMO. If I remember, I’ll keep the running total going next week, but I think this will be the longest odds. I think in the end it will be close to 5:5:1, but that will include actually letting Israel go due to Paroh’s grief over the loss of his bachor. Q&C

Yoel 3.1-7– 2.28 says that ‘Whosoever shall call on the Name of Y’hovah shall be delivered.’ This prophecy will fulfill before the regathering of Ephraim to Zion. There is no mention of Ephraim, just Yehudah and Yerushalayim. It looks as though Y’hovah will bring all the nations of the earth against Yehudah and Yerushalayim to the valley of Yehoshapat – Y’hovah Judges. In the valley of his judgment, he will plead with them to let his people Israel go, which has been scattered among the nations. Y’hovah’s pleading for his people puts me in mind of Is.27.1-5 – especially v.5:

1 In that day Y’hovah with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. 2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. 3 I Y’hovah do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. 4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. 5 Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

Here’s part of a study I shared a couple of years ago at Beit Yacov on Is.23-27, you can find the whole thing archived at www.waytozion.org/teachings/Mark%20-%20Isaiah%2023-27%20Commentary.mp3 :

… Here (YeshaYahu 27.1) he is the ‘piercing serpent’ and the ‘crooked serpent’ that is ‘in the sea’. In the sea speaks of his control of the nations of the earth. He lives in the sea of humanity, in the hearts of men, which hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked – like the serpent.

In the zodiac, Leviathan is called Draco. Draco wraps around ½ of the night sky. During the month of September its head rises at sundown and sets at sunrise, kind of depicting the 2000 years between Yeshua’s ascension, when Satan began to wedge himself into the Way by deceiving believers into compromising the pure faith of Messiah, and his return, when he will cast Satan to the earth. Draco’s tail pierces between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, what the Hebrew dendera calls the Greater and Lesser Sheepfolds that represent Ephraim and Judah. It is Leviathan who works his deceitful ways to keep the brothers apart. He has twisted our thinking so that we have ALL gone out of the Way. We need to take him by his tail, as Moshe did the serpent that devoured the Satanic counterfeits of Y’hovah’s rod. Moshe showed that Y’hovah has control of the serpent and that he trusted Y’hovah to protect him by picking up that serpent by the tail, as Y’hovah had told him. Y’hovah had used Satan to devour his own devilish servants in Egypt, and then showed that the man fully given to Y’hovah has nothing to fear from the Adversary.

Vv.2-3 speak of Y’hovah’s protection of his people through the storm. His remnant is the vineyard, Yisrael. ‘Her’ = Y’hovah’s bride whom he protects. Yisrael is the vineyard and the red wine = the blood of Moshiach applied to the hearts of his people, Yisrael. Y’hovah keeps, guards and tends his vineyard. He gives us all we need to survive while he makes the earth ready for us to occupy. Noone will hurt us because Y’hovah protects us night and day.

Vv.4-5 shows the deliberate and methodical manner of Y’hovah’s judgment AFTER his wrath is appeased. Notice that after the days of awe, there is no fury left in him. He gives the armies of the earth who come against him a choice.

4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

‘Briers’ is from Heb8068 shamiyr, literally a thorn that pricks or scratches. I think it’s interesting that the late PM of Israel was Yitzchak Shamir. His name fit his personality to a ‘T’. In our verse, Yah sees it as an irritant. ‘Thorn’ is from Heb7898 shayith, scrub or trash, wild growth of weeds or briers. I see them in this prophecy both as terrorists and as tares sown among the wheat, good for nothing except to be burned. So the minor irritants that do nothing but choke the spiritual life out of his people are about to be burnt in the fire of judgment. This judgment is not meted out in fury, remember, but in objective, deliberate righteousness. Those who would destroy Y’hovah’s bride will be dealt with in decisive calm.

BUT, before he does so, he understands that among the tares are those who have heard and understood the gospel, so he throws in,

5 Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

Y’hovah actually offers his salvation to the ones arrayed against him in battle, and it is not an idle offer. IF they will take hold of his Strength (Moshiach is Y’hovah’s right hand and right arm), not only MAY he have peace with Y’hovah, but he SHALL have peace with Y’hovah. To have peace with Y’hovah is the gospel in a nutshell, the simplest way to put humanities need. We need to be at peace with our Creator. Moshiach is that peace. Do you see the mercy of Y’hovah here? I do, in spades. Those who were sent by their legal authorities to make war with Y’hovah are offered peace – last chance. This proves 2Pe.3.9 is true, Y’hovah is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. These are the ‘erev rav’, the mixt multitude’ of the end of days, like the ‘erev rav’ of the Egyptian exodus. Taking hold of Y’hovah’s strength is like painting your lintels and doorposts with lamb’s blood. Any that turn to him at this time will prove the parable of the 11^th hour workmen, because in v.6 we see,

6 He shall cause them that come of Ya’acov to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

When a person makes peace with Yah, he is immediately graffed into the root of Yisrael, Moshiach Yeshua. These who have turned from their own ways to walk in peace with Y’hovah will take root and fill the face of the whole earth in the Kingdom to come. Finally, Yisrael will do what Israel was supposed to do in the days after the Egyptian exodus, destroying the pagan high places and groves and being priests to the world by teaching them Torah and the corresponding love for Y’hovah, our redeemer. All the world will learn Torah. Their descendants will learn it, too, but most of them will not believe it.

The fact that Y’hovah pleads with these who are coming up against his land and his people to release his own to him again shows that 2Pe.3.9 is not an idle word. These have sold his people into servitude as if they were worthless, and treated them like red-haired step children. He is going to return their treatment of his people upon their own heads (Rev.16.7) – what goes around; comes around. As Ephraim and Yehudah were sent afar off, so will be the Edomites who sold them. I think that Y’hovah allowed the KJV xlators to use Palestine instead of the proper xlation – Philistia – so that we could easily see that we are in the end of days, KNOWING the end from the beginning. The Edomite Plishtim will receive exactly what they exact, an eye for an eye. Q&C

Ps.45 – King David writes about HIS King, the King of kings. Ps.45 is a Messianic Psalm. It speaks of King Moshiach. David’s King is blessed of Elohim forever. This is the prayer of every believer of all time – that Moshiach would come and rule his Kingdom NOW! Of course, we know prophetically that there is a LOT that needs to fulfill before he can, but it is a LOT that COULD fulfill in a matter of days or weeks, not necessarily years or decades. Moshiach will fight for his inheritance against the nations of the earth, as he is the sword of Y’hovah. He will ride in truth, meekness and righteousness, which seems to me to be the Truth, the Life (Mat.5.5) and the Way – just a different order than Yeshua used in Jn.14.6. V.9 speaks of Moshiach Bride, the Queen of Melech Yeshua, ornamented in the finest gold of Ophir. When we ‘incline our ear – hearken and consider’ what our King Moshiach says we will ‘forake all others’ and cleave to him. We will then have become overcomers. We will be beautiful in the sight of our King. Our ‘clothing of wrought gold… raiment of needlework’ sounds reasonably like Ex.26.31ff:

31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place . 35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. 36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood , and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

V.14 brings the parable of the 10 virgins to mind. The virgins are not the Bride, but are her companions who await the bridegroom almost as anxiously as the Bride does. The word ‘companions’ brings to mind Ez. 37.16-19:

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith Y’hovah GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

The Bride surely = overcomers. Her companions (the wise ones, anyway) MAY be, as well. But the King’s Name and his Bride’s name will be remembered forever. Q&C

Rev.16.1-17 – Do you see that the vials about to be poured out are designated the vials of the Wrath of Elohim? In only 4 passages (other than in ch.16) is the wrath of Elohim poured out for all to see. It’s referred to, but never pointed out except in

The wrath of Elohim came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. (Psalms 78:31)

That one is referring to the quail that b’nei Israel ate without preparing it for consumption, they just grabbed it and ate it raw and without bleeding it. That was why they received the ‘Wrath of Elohim.

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of Elohim. (Revelation of John 15:1)

And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of Elohim, who liveth for ever and ever. (Revelation of John 15:7)

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before Elohim, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. (Revelation of John 16:19)

But if we look at these plagues and juxtapose them with the plagues in our Torah portion, we may see some similarities (like the ones I pointed out in the Torah portion).

The sign of the followers of Y’hovah in Egypt was the blood on the lintels and doorposts. It was kinda hard to miss. So will be the grievous sore that will develop on those who will accept the mark of the beast. Y’hovah says, “You want the mark of the Beast? Well, here ya go!” cf. the Appendix Humanism on pg.854 of the AENT.

As Y’hovah turned the waters of Egypt to blood, so he will turn the waters of the whole earth to blood, first the sea water will became ‘as the blood of a dead man.’ Enzymes cause blood to coagulate and then to outgas – it becomes a bubbling, gelatinous, stinking mass. Y’hovah says, “You want blood? Well, here ya go!” Q&C

Then the 3^rd vial’s contents turn the fresh water into blood, not AS blood, but BLOOD! I love the angel of the waters’ response to that bit of justice –

5 Thou art righteous, Y’hovah, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Y’hovah El Shaddai, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Y’hovah says, “You want to drink blood? Well, here ya go!”

If you want to know if a person is trustworthy, ask him what he thinks of the judgments and works of Y’hovah in the Tanakh (OT), and what he thinks of Yeshua. A person’s view of the character of Y’hovah is a good reflexion of his own character. Cf.2Sam.22.26-27.

26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. 27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

When the 4^th vial is poured out, we see what the average beast worshipper thinks of Y’hovah and his judgments. When they are scorched with the heat of the sun they will blaspheme his Name and refused to repent and esteem him above themselves. The heat of the sun was seen in Is.30.26:

26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that Y’hovah bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Is.24.4-6)

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Y’hovah says, “You want to see men burn, smell the burning flesh? Well, here ya go!”

The 5^th vial will be a darkness that can be felt, so dark that it hurts.

And Y’hovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. (Exodus 10:21)

Their pains and sores are still on them from vial #1. “Full of darkness” = no righteousness anywhere. The saints have been moved to a place of safety from the Wrath of Elohim. Y’hovah says, “You want to walk in darkness? Well, here ya go!”

The 6^th vial dries up the Euphrates so that the kings of the east can invade Israel and the Middle East. Y’hovah says, “You want war? Well, here ya go!”

Unclean spirits like frogs come out of the dragon (British monarch? Pope?), the Beast (Islamic false Messiah/12^th Madhi? American president?) and the false prophet (Benny Hinn? Rick Warren? One like?). These frog spirits go out to gather the nations for the Battle when Y’hovah will fight for Yisrael. The garment of v.15 is the linen garment which represents the righteousness of Moshiach, by which we are made acceptable in the eyes of Y’hovah. To keep them is to eschew our own righteousness and cling to his finished work of redemption.

When the 7^th vial is poured out, the Voice of Y’hovah calls out, ‘It is Done.’ This is technically not the same as “It is finished”, because they are entirely different words in Greek, ginomai here and tetelestai there. But the ideas are very similar.

[i] http://tzion.org/Tree_Sefiroth.htm

Fulfilling Torah Ministries