Isaiah 56 to 60
We must keep the Sabbath and act righteously, doing justice and good deeds. The Oppressors of Judah will be shown the error of their ways. God will always be with HIS people even when they are not aware of it. The Lost Ten Tribes will be in the Isles of the Sea and the West. First Judah will return then the Ten Tribes in stages. The return will be by air travel.
The Book of Isaiah
Chapters 56 to 60
A Brit-Am
Biblical Commentary
Summary of Individual Chapters:
Chapter 56: We are called upon to do justice (56:1). The Sabbath must be kept (56:2). The stranger who joins themself to Israel (Isaiah 56:3 cf. Ezekiel 47:22) will be counted as one of Israel (Isaiah 56:4-7). Isaiah 56:8 refers to the Order of Redemption: First Judah will be ingathered, then those who remain from the Lost Ten Tribes will be brought back by stages.
The leaders of Israel mislead us (56:9), and worry mainly about themselves
(56:10-12).
Chapter 57:
They also cause the righteousness to perish (57:1). They who are immoral in one direction will also be sinful in others. There is nothing romantic about evildoing (57:3). In ancient times Israelites killed children in human sacrifice. Nowadays we do the same through abortions (57:5). God will not keep quiet for ever nor overlook our transgressions for an eternity (57:6-11). Trust in God and you will be saved (57:13). They who endeavor to speak well to others, who radiate hope, good feelings, and a positive attitude will bring a blessing to the world and to themselves (57:19).
Chapter 58:
Jacob always seeks God (58:2) but our ways of worship and behavior are not acceptable to the
Almighty (58:3-5) since social justice is lacking. Charity begins at home (58:6-7).
Do good and good will come unto you (58:8).
The destroyed areas of ancient times will be rebuilt.
If you merit to participate in this then you are especially blessed (58:12).
The Sabbath must be dedicated to God. We must take pleasure in this holy day (58:13) which
is part of the Israelite heritage (58:14).
Chapter 59: God wants us to be heard by Him but our iniquities prevent it (59:2). Our present society breeds sin and oppression (59:7). Do you realize that tolerance for homosexuality means allowing children and the weak to be coerced into a way of life they would not chose if given the choice? That most women who have abortions do not really want to do so? The "liberal" permissive society is one of tyranny and oppression. THE WAY OF PEACE THEY KNOW NOT (59:8). Israel is sinning and evil (59:9-15).
God will send a savior who by force of arm will establish righteousness (59:16-17). The saviour will establish his rulership over the islands and take vengeance from the sinful (59:18). The Name of God will be feared by those in the West (59:19).
A redeemer shall come to Zion (59:20) [which in some contexts can connote Joseph, Midrash Tanchuma]
and they who repent in Jacob.
God has made a covenant that HIS spirit will not depart from they who are chosen but always
HIS word will be in their mouth and in the mouth of their seed for ever (59:21).
Go with God and HE will be with you and with your children.
Chapter 60: The light of God will shine upon Judah and all those associated with her (60:1). Gentile leaders will come to Judah for instruction and enlightenment (60:3). "Captive" (Assimilated) Jews and Lost Israelites will return (60:4).
The Lost Ten Tribes who were exiled to the Isles of the Sea (and other places) will return (60:5). The riches of the world will be brought unto you (60:5-7). The Exiles of Judah and of the Lost Ten Tribes will return by air travel (60:8).
They will come back from the Islands and the Atlantic Ocean area (60:9). Other peoples will serve you willingly (60:10-11). Nations that will not serve you will be destroyed (60:12).
The persecutors of the Jews shall repent. Their descendants shall request forgiveness and acknowledge the basic relative innocence and righteousness of the Jewish people (60:14-16). Great prosperity will prevail (60:17). Human nature will change. There will be no more violence (60:18). Through being righteous Israel shall merit to be blessed (60:21). If you are meritorious the Messianic Age will come sooner but if not there is a time-limit after which the End Times will come at all events (60:22).
Chapters with Brit-Am Commentary:
Isaiah 56 to 60
Chapter 56
[Isaiah 56:1] THUS SAITH THE LORD, KEEP YE JUDGMENT, AND DO JUSTICE: FOR MY
SALVATION IS NEAR TO COME, AND MY RIGHTEOUSNESS TO BE REVEALED.
[Isaiah 56:2] BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT DOETH THIS, AND THE SON OF MAN THAT
LAYETH HOLD ON IT; THAT KEEPETH THE SABBATH FROM POLLUTING IT, AND KEEPETH HIS
HAND FROM DOING ANY EVIL.
[Isaiah 56:3] NEITHER LET THE SON OF THE STRANGER, THAT HATH JOINED HIMSELF TO
THE LORD, SPEAK, SAYING, THE LORD HATH UTTERLY SEPARATED ME FROM HIS PEOPLE:
NEITHER LET THE EUNUCH SAY, BEHOLD, I AM A DRY TREE.
The stranger who is not an Israelite
but identifies with Israel will be rewarded with Israel.
[Ezekiel 47:21] SO SHALL YE DIVIDE THIS LAND UNTO YOU ACCORDING TO THE Tribes OF
ISRAEL.
[Ezekiel 47:22] AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT YE SHALL DIVIDE IT BY LOT FOR AN
INHERITANCE UNTO YOU, AND TO THE STRANGERS THAT SOJOURN AMONG YOU, WHICH SHALL
BEGET CHILDREN AMONG YOU: AND THEY SHALL BE UNTO YOU AS BORN IN THE COUNTRY
AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; THEY SHALL HAVE INHERITANCE WITH YOU AMONG THE
Tribes OF ISRAEL.
[Isaiah 56:4] FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD UNTO THE EUNUCHS THAT KEEP MY SABBATHS,
AND CHOOSE THE THINGS THAT PLEASE ME, AND TAKE HOLD OF MY COVENANT;
[Isaiah 56:5] EVEN UNTO THEM WILL I GIVE IN MINE HOUSE AND WITHIN MY WALLS A
PLACE AND A NAME BETTER THAN OF SONS AND OF DAUGHTERS: I WILL GIVE THEM AN
EVERLASTING NAME, THAT SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF.
[Isaiah 56:6] ALSO THE SONS OF THE STRANGER, THAT JOIN THEMSELVES TO THE LORD,
TO SERVE HIM, AND TO LOVE THE NAME OF THE LORD, TO BE HIS SERVANTS, EVERY ONE
THAT KEEPETH THE SABBATH FROM POLLUTING IT, AND TAKETH HOLD OF MY COVENANT;
[Isaiah 56:7] EVEN THEM WILL I BRING TO MY HOLY MOUNTAIN, AND MAKE THEM JOYFUL
IN MY HOUSE OF PRAYER: THEIR BURNT OFFERINGS AND THEIR SACRIFICES SHALL BE
ACCEPTED UPON MINE ALTAR; FOR MINE HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED AN HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR
ALL PEOPLE.
[Isaiah 56:8] THE LORD GOD, WHICH GATHERETH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL SAITH, YET
WILL I GATHER OTHERS TO HIM, BESIDE THOSE THAT ARE GATHERED UNTO HIM.
This was understood to refer to the
Order of Redemption: First Judah will be ingathered, then those who remain from
the Lost Ten Tribes
And even that will be by stages.
THE STAGES OF REDEMPTION
in Isaiah and Hosea:
THE INGATHERING OF THE EXILES, THE LOST TEN TRIBES, AND THE
BUILDING OF THE THIRD TEMPLE
Isaiah 56:8 is understood to refer to the Stages of Redmption
THE LORD GOD, WHICH
GATHERETH
THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL SAITH,
YET WILL I GATHER OTHERS TO HIM, BESIDE THOSE THAT ARE GATHERED UNTO HIM
[Isaiah 56:8] .
First Judah will be ingathered, then those who remain from the Lost Ten Tribes
And even that will be by stages:
The following extract is found in "Am Habonim Smaycha". The author was
writing during the Holocaust and was quoting by memory from the works of Rabbi
Zvi Kalisher. Rabbi Kalisher understands the Prophets Isaiah and Hosea as
intimating that at first the Jews (Judah) will return and prepare the land so
that it ultimately will be able to support a great community. Then part of the
Lost Ten Tribes will return and together with the Jews build the Third Temple.
Then the remainder and numerically greater part of the Lost Ten Tribes will also
come back. The Messiah, son of Joseph appears and reigns in Jerusalem prior to
and then together with the Messiah son of David. The Great End-Time War of Gog
and Magog follows at the conclusion of which the name of God is hallowed by all
and all worship Him in unison with one tongue:
In "AM HABANIM SMAYCHA" it says: "S.79: I saw in the book "Drishat Tsion" [by
Rabbi Zvi Kalisher] an inquiry concerning the words of Nachmanides ["Ramban"] on
Isaiah 56;8:
"THE LORD GOD WHICH GATHERETH THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL SAITH, YET WILL I
GATHER OTHERS TO HIM, BESIDES THOSE THAT ARE GATHERED UNTO HIM (Isaiah 56:8).
"This verse is explained: In the beginning will be gathered many of the
outcasts of Israel but not all of them. After the War of Gog and Magog the
above-quoted expression, "Yet will I gather others to him", be pertinent: This
means that the Dispersed will once again be ingathered together with those who
were gathered previously. This applies to those who were lost in the Land of
Assyria (Isaiah 27;13) from the Lost Ten Tribes. They will be regathered.
"If a great community of those who were lost in the Assyrian Exile would be
ingathered right at the beginning, how could they have been brought to a wasted
and desolate country? Without doubt they will have to be preceded [by their
brothers from Judah] in order that the land may bring forth bread. Afterwards
all of them will be able to come to a country full of the blessing of the
Almighty..
"The wilderness shall be a fruitful field" (cf. Isaiah 32:15), full of
fields and vineyards restored by the hand of Israelites.
The Prophet Hosea says:
[HOSEA 6:1] COME, AND LET US RETURN UNTO
THE LORD: FOR HE HATH TORN, AND HE WILL HEAL US; HE HATH SMITTEN, AND HE WILL
BIND US UP.
[HOSEA 6:2] AFTER TWO DAYS WILL HE REVIVE US: IN THE THIRD DAY HE WILL RAISE US
UP, AND WE SHALL LIVE IN HIS SIGHT.
"IN THE THIRD DAY": Rashi: at the time of the Third
Temple.
[HOSEA 6:3] THEN SHALL WE KNOW, IF WE
FOLLOW ON TO KNOW THE LORD: HIS GOING FORTH IS PREPARED AS THE MORNING; AND HE
SHALL COME UNTO US AS THE RAIN, AS THE LATTER AND FORMER RAIN UNTO THE EARTH.
[HOSEA 6:4] O EPHRAIM, WHAT SHALL I DO UNTO THEE? O JUDAH, WHAT SHALL I DO UNTO
THEE?"..
[HOSEA 6:10] I HAVE SEEN AN HORRIBLE
THING IN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL: THERE IS THE WHOREDOM OF EPHRAIM, ISRAEL IS
DEFILED.
[HOSEA 6:11] ALSO, O JUDAH, HE HATH SET AN HARVEST FOR THEE, WHEN I RETURNED THE
CAPTIVITY OF MY PEOPLE.
And so the Prophet Hosea predicted,
"ALSO, JUDAH HAS SET A HARVEST FOR
YOU, WHEN I RETURNED THE CAPTIVITY OF MY PEOPLE" (HOSEA 6:11)
[Note by Brit-Am: The verse is
translated here literally in accordance to the context. The KJ renders this
verse "Also, O Judah, he has set a harvest for you, when I returned the
captivity of my people" (Hosea 6;11) but
Rav
Kalisher
correctly explains it to mean that Judah will have prepared a harvest [i.e.
infrastructure] for the Ten Tribes who will return at a later date.]
"[Commentators in the past found the above verse difficult to explain] but
in my view it is easily understandable according to the context [since the
preceding verses] speak of Ephraim who beyond doubt represents the Lost Ten
Tribes throughout the relevant chapter. Hosea [in this same chapter six] also
says "in the third day he will raise us up" (Hosea 6:2) which according to Rashi
is referring to the "Building of the Third Temple". After that the Prophet
continues his exhortation and says, "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee?"
(Hosea 6:4) and continues in the same vein he had previously began [which was
connected with the "third day" and interpreted as applying to Building the Third
Temple]. The Prophet then says [Hosea 6:11], addressing himself to Ephraim,
"Also, Judah has set a harvest for you,
when I will have returned the captivity of my people" (i.e. of Ephraim).
Prior to the coming of a great community, Judah [i.e. the Jews] will prepare a
harvest [infrastructure] before you (Ephraim), after that there will be a great
ingathering, and afterwards indubitably will come the [preliminary] Messiah, Son
of Joseph, and rule in Jerusalem. Some time later, will arrive Gog [who will
wage war against Israel and be defeated] and so the Name of the Almighty will be
sanctified:
"IN THAT DAY SHALL THERE BE ONE LORD, AND HIS NAME ONE" (Zechariah 14:9).
"FOR THEN WILL I TURN TO THE PEOPLE A PURE LANGUAGE, THAT THEY MAY ALL CALL
UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD, TO SERVE HIM WITH ONE CONSENT" (Zephaniah 3:9).
(-Extracted from "Am Habonim Smaychah" p.280 ff.)
Suggested Conclusions from the Above Sources as Supplied by Israel Feld: (Israel
Feld is the brother of Rabbi Avraham Feld. Israel Feld was probably the first
person apart from Yair Davidiy to seriously realize the importance of the
Brit-Am message.)
"Historically, it may be claimed that to a significant degree the initial
arousal of the Jewish people to return and re-build the Jewish State of Israel
was preceded by British thinkers. This is documented in such works as "The
Vision Was There" by Franz Kobler, U.K., 1956. In this case part of the
emotional arousal came from Ephraim and so fits an aspect of Ephraim [who will
initiate an emotional arousal] noted by Rabbi Dessler ["Miktav me'Eliyahu"].
Ephraim in this case did provide part of the initial arousal and psychological
"push" that was needed initially in setting the Zionist Enterprise on its feet
and helping it along to some degree after that. Ephraim however did not go far
enough or push hard enough in the way that was needed.
After the Six Days War the Jews may have been able to begin
building the Temple and establishing a State based on Biblical principles. This
did not happen partly because the Tribes of Joseph (Britain and North America,
etc.) did not have a movement of their own working in that direction. They did
not provide the psychological and material support for such a step. Both
authorities quoted above suggest that Judah needs the participation of the Lost
Ten Tribes in building the Third Temple. "
"Prerequisites for re-building the Temple entail support for certain policies of
the Israeli State that are connected with the country's survival and welfare as
well as being Biblical injunctions. An example is Israel's control of the West
Bank territories of Judah and Samaria. In practice, Israel is often limited in
its possibility of action due to its dependence on overseas aid, its sensitivity
to world opinion, and manipulation of the media inside and outside of Israel.
Elements within Israel that America desires to strengthen receive direct and
indirect material and other support. The groups and individuals that are
encouraged in this way are not necessarily those that have the true interests of
the Jewish people at heart."
"If there would be stronger outside support and identification from
Bible-believers in the Western World, the Israeli public may well be enabled to
further their own uniqueness and destiny and thus come closer to realizing
Biblical ideals."
Regarding the Future redemption, the Midrash (Yalkut Shimeoni on Song of Solomon
1:16) states:
"..THE TEN Tribes WHO WERE EXILED
BEYOND THE SAMBATION
RIVER ARE THEY WHOM THE EXILED OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN ARE DESTINED TO GO UNTO AND
TO BRING THEM BACK IN ORDER TO MERIT WITH THEM THE DAYS OF THE MESSIAH AND LIFE
IN THE WORLD-TO-COME, AS IT SAYS,
"IN THOSE DAYS THE HOUSE OF JUDAH SHALL *GO UNTO* THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, AND
THEY SHALL COME TOGETHER OUT OF THE LAND OF THE NORTH TO THE LAND THAT I HAVE
GIVEN FOR AN INHERITANCE UNTO THEIR FATHERS" (Jeremiah 3:18).
*GO UNTO* in Hebrew
Yelcu-al
translated in the King James as "WALK WITH".
The above passages are understood to mean that towards the End Times people
from amongst Judah and Benjamin (i.e. the Jews) will go out and bring the Lost
Ten Tribes back. In addition many of those amongst the Lost Ten Tribes who have
began to realize the truth of Israelite Identity are descendants of Jews. Their
ancestors frequently were those who were forced to change their religion (i.e.
"Captive Jews") or for some other reason became lost amongst the nations.
Brit-Am attempts to forge links both with the Captive Jews of Judah and with the
Lost Ten Tribes of Ephraim.
We see from the above that Judah will prepare the way by
establishing the infrastructure (Hosea 6:11) for the Ten Tribes who will follow
after them (Isaiah 56:8). The Return will pass through several stages that
involve both the initial participation of Ephraim encouraging Judah on the one
had with Judah later going out to bring Ephraim back (Jeremiah 3:18) on the
other.
Article adapted (with minor changes) from chapter ten of
"Ephraim. The Gentile Children of Israel" by Yair Davidi
Isaiah ch.56 continues:
[Isaiah 56:9] ALL YE BEASTS OF THE FIELD, COME TO DEVOUR, YEA, ALL YE
BEASTS IN THE FOREST.
This is a different theme. The beasts of
the field are the enemy.
[Isaiah 56:10] HIS WATCHMEN ARE BLIND: THEY ARE ALL IGNORANT, THEY ARE ALL DUMB
DOGS, THEY CANNOT BARK; SLEEPING, LYING DOWN, LOVING TO SLUMBER.
The leaders are all blind and given over
to their lower impulses.
[Isaiah 56:11] YEA, THEY ARE GREEDY DOGS WHICH CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH, AND THEY
ARE SHEPHERDS THAT CANNOT UNDERSTAND: THEY ALL LOOK TO THEIR OWN WAY, EVERY ONE
FOR HIS GAIN, FROM HIS QUARTER.
The leaders have failed in their duty.
[Isaiah 56:12] COME YE, SAY THEY, I WILL FETCH WINE, AND WE WILL FILL OURSELVES
WITH STRONG DRINK; AND TO MORROW SHALL BE AS THIS DAY, AND MUCH MORE ABUNDANT.
The leaders are drinking and indulging
themselves and disregarding the impending calamity.
Chapter 57
[Isaiah 57:1] THE RIGHTEOUS PERISHETH, AND NO MAN LAYETH IT TO HEART: AND
MERCIFUL MEN ARE TAKEN AWAY, NONE CONSIDERING THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS TAKEN AWAY
FROM THE EVIL TO COME.
The above translation fits the
Hebrew
and the words of the Commentators.
The last expression however, "THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EVIL TO
COME" can also be translated from the Hebrew as saying that "the righteous is
taken away due to evil". It sometimes happens that righteous people suffer due
to the sins of others. In the case of this verse the first explanation seems to
fit the context best, i.e. the righteous dies before his time (or does not
have his time prolonged as he may otherwise have had) in order not to see the
coming disasters.
[Isaiah 57:2] HE SHALL ENTER INTO PEACE: THEY SHALL REST IN THEIR BEDS, EACH
ONE WALKING IN HIS UPRIGHTNESS.
The righteous people who died before
their time will rest in peace.
EACH ONE WALKING IN HIS UPRIGHTNESS: ["holech
nocakho"]
also translateable
as "moving onwards".
[Isaiah 57:3] BUT DRAW NEAR HITHER, YE SONS OF THE SORCERESS, THE SEED OF THE
ADULTERER AND THE WHORE.
People who engage in witchcraft are
often also immoral in other ways.
[Isaiah 57:4] AGAINST WHOM DO YE SPORT YOURSELVES? AGAINST WHOM MAKE YE A WIDE
MOUTH, AND DRAW OUT THE TONGUE? ARE YE NOT CHILDREN OF TRANSGRESSION, A SEED OF
FALSEHOOD.
[Isaiah 57:5] ENFLAMING YOURSELVES WITH IDOLS UNDER EVERY GREEN TREE, SLAYING
THE CHILDREN IN THE VALLEYS UNDER THE CLIFTS OF THE ROCKS?
This is a reference to human sacrifice
in ancient times. It is also referring to infanticide. The fruit of adulterous
unions was the frequent victim of murder by their parents. Nowadays abortion is
practiced. Abortion is also forbidden and should be forbidden and those who
practice it punished.
[Isaiah 57:6] AMONG THE SMOOTH STONES OF THE STREAM IS THY PORTION; THEY, THEY
ARE THY LOT: EVEN TO THEM HAST THOU POURED A DRINK OFFERING, THOU HAST OFFERED A
MEAT OFFERING. SHOULD I RECEIVE COMFORT IN THESE?
This is a reference to idolatrous
practices.
[Isaiah 57:7] UPON A LOFTY AND HIGH MOUNTAIN HAST THOU SET THY BED: EVEN
THITHER WENTEST THOU UP TO OFFER SACRIFICE.
[Isaiah 57:8] BEHIND THE DOORS ALSO AND THE POSTS HAST THOU SET UP THY
REMEMBRANCE: FOR THOU HAST DISCOVERED THYSELF TO ANOTHER THAN ME, AND ART GONE
UP; THOU HAST ENLARGED THY BED, AND MADE THEE A COVENANT WITH THEM; THOU
LOVEDST THEIR BED WHERE THOU SAWEST IT.
Israel is sometimes represented as the
bride of the God of Israel. When Israel commits idolatry it is as if she
committed adultery and btrayed
her husband!
[Isaiah 57:9] AND THOU WENTEST TO THE KING WITH OINTMENT, AND DIDST INCREASE
THY PERFUMES, AND DIDST SEND THY MESSENGERS FAR OFF, AND DIDST DEBASE THYSELF
EVEN UNTO HELL.
"AND THOU
WENTEST
TO THE KING WITH OINTMENT": Also
translateable as saying: "You
sent a present to the king with oil".
"PERFUMES" [rikuchaykh"]
or "chemical concoctions".
"MESSENGERS" [Hebrew root: "Tsir"]
or "medicines, chemicals".
You bribed the king with oil, you increased your chemical activity, you sent
your chemical products afar.
Is there a hint here to the present situation?
[Isaiah 57:10] THOU ART WEARIED IN THE GREATNESS OF THY WAY; YET SAIDST THOU
NOT, THERE IS NO HOPE: THOU HAST FOUND THE LIFE OF THINE HAND; THEREFORE THOU
WAST NOT GRIEVED.
THOU ART WEARIED: "Yagat"
i.e. endeavored.
[Isaiah 57:11] AND OF WHOM HAST THOU BEEN AFRAID OR FEARED, THAT THOU HAST
LIED, AND HAST NOT REMEMBERED ME, NOR LAID IT TO THY HEART? HAVE NOT I HELD MY
PEACE EVEN OF OLD, AND THOU FEAREST ME NOT?
You went in your ways and feared not
God.
[Isaiah 57:12] I WILL DECLARE THY RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THY WORKS; FOR THEY SHALL
NOT PROFIT THEE.
You did do good works and had good
intentions BUT these were mixed with other things that should not have been.
Your good deeds will not help you when you have to pay the bill for your other
attributes.
[Isaiah 57:13] WHEN THOU CRIEST, LET THY COMPANIES DELIVER THEE; BUT THE WIND
SHALL CARRY THEM ALL AWAY; VANITY SHALL TAKE THEM: BUT HE THAT PUTTETH HIS
TRUST IN ME SHALL POSSESS THE LAND, AND SHALL INHERIT MY HOLY
MOUNTAIN;
Trust in God and you will be saved.
[Isaiah 57:14] AND SHALL SAY, CAST YE UP, CAST YE UP, PREPARE THE WAY, TAKE UP
THE STUMBLINGBLOCK OUT OF THE WAY OF MY PEOPLE.
[Isaiah 57:15] FOR THUS SAITH THE HIGH AND LOFTY ONE THAT INHABITETH ETERNITY,
WHOSE NAME IS HOLY; I DWELL IN THE HIGH AND HOLY PLACE, WITH HIM ALSO THAT IS
OF A CONTRITE AND HUMBLE SPIRIT, TO REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE HUMBLE, AND TO
REVIVE THE HEART OF THE CONTRITE ONES.
[Isaiah 57:16] FOR I WILL NOT CONTEND FOR EVER, NEITHER WILL I BE ALWAYS WROTH:
FOR THE SPIRIT SHOULD FAIL BEFORE ME, AND THE SOULS WHICH I HAVE MADE.
God will forgive. He will not always be
angry with us.
[Isaiah 57:17] FOR THE INIQUITY OF HIS COVETOUSNESS WAS I WROTH, AND SMOTE HIM:
I HID ME, AND WAS WROTH, AND HE WENT ON FROWARDLY IN THE WAY OF HIS HEART.
[Isaiah 57:18] I HAVE SEEN HIS WAYS, AND WILL HEAL HIM: I WILL LEAD HIM ALSO,
AND RESTORE COMFORTS UNTO HIM AND TO HIS MOURNERS.
[Isaiah 57:19] I CREATE THE FRUIT OF THE LIPS; PEACE, PEACE TO HIM THAT IS FAR
OFF, AND TO HIM THAT IS NEAR, SAITH THE LORD; AND I WILL HEAL HIM.
"THE FRUIT OF THE LIPS": People who
endeavor to speak well to others, who radiate hope, good feelings, and a
positive attitude bring a blessing to the world and to themselves.
It happens that good people suffer. Sometimes they suffer because of their own
sins, sometimes for other reasons. If they persist in doing good and believing
in God in the end they will be rewarded and comforted.
[Isaiah 57:20] BUT THE WICKED ARE LIKE THE TROUBLED SEA, WHEN IT CANNOT REST,
WHOSE WATERS CAST UP MIRE AND DIRT.
[Isaiah 57:21] THERE IS NO PEACE, SAITH MY GOD, TO THE WICKED.
Due to the Oslo agreements the Israelis
gave guns to the Palestinians
and allowed them to receive more arms from other sources. For some reason it was
believed (or claimed) that the Palestinians would curb their own extremists.
Instead they all revealed themselves to be
exremists.
This was foreseen. It was obvious that things would turn out as they have done.
The Palestinian ttrack
record and declared intentions were there for all to see.
It would have been better if the "do-gooders" had have helped good people or at
least stayed home.
Chapter 58
[Isaiah 58:1] CRY ALOUD, SPARE NOT, LIFT UP THY VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET, AND SHEW
MY PEOPLE THEIR TRANSGRESSION, AND THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR SINS.
This is directed both to Israel and Judah.
[Isaiah 58:2] YET THEY SEEK ME DAILY, AND DELIGHT TO KNOW MY WAYS, AS A NATION
THAT DID RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND FORSOOK NOT THE ORDINANCE OF THEIR GOD: THEY ASK OF
ME THE ORDINANCES OF JUSTICE; THEY TAKE DELIGHT IN APPROACHING TO GOD.
America was founded by people who
believed in the Bible and the Bible is the essence of the aims of American
civilization.
[Isaiah 58:3] WHEREFORE HAVE WE FASTED, SAY THEY, AND THOU SEEST NOT? WHEREFORE
HAVE WE AFFLICTED OUR SOUL, AND THOU TAKEST NO KNOWLEDGE? BEHOLD, IN THE DAY OF
YOUR FAST YE FIND PLEASURE, AND EXACT ALL YOUR LABOURS.
[Isaiah 58:4] BEHOLD, YE FAST FOR STRIFE AND DEBATE, AND TO SMITE WITH THE FIST
OF WICKEDNESS: YE SHALL NOT FAST AS YE DO THIS DAY, TO MAKE YOUR VOICE TO BE
HEARD ON HIGH.
A person should indeed prayer and fast
(on occasion) and also do charity and help people. Avoid oppressing people
whether members of your family, employees, friends, associates, or complete
strangers. It does not hurt to be polite and considerate and even helpful to
those in need of assistance.
[Isaiah 58:5] IS IT SUCH A FAST THAT I HAVE CHOSEN? A DAY FOR A MAN TO AFFLICT
HIS SOUL? IS IT TO BOW DOWN HIS HEAD AS A BULRUSH, AND TO SPREAD SACKCLOTH AND
ASHES UNDER HIM? WILT THOU CALL THIS A FAST, AND AN ACCEPTABLE DAY TO THE
LORD?
[Isaiah 58:6] IS NOT THIS THE FAST THAT I HAVE CHOSEN? TO LOOSE THE BANDS OF
WICKEDNESS, TO UNDO THE HEAVY BURDENS, AND TO LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE, AND
THAT YE BREAK EVERY YOKE?
In the USA according to reports are many
prisoners. Most are probably criminals and deserves to be incarcerated.
Nevertheless a certain percentage have been unjustly imprisoned. This also
happens (to a lesser degree) in Israel and throughout the world. To a certain
degree it is inevitable. Nevertheless it is unjust and God wants us to do
whatever we can when we can to prevent such happenings. Likewise people are in
cults or employment situations in conditions of subjugation that are
oppressive. Drug addicts are similarly oppressed and exploited. In some cases
the people concerned may deserve what they get BUT
this
is not the attitude the Bible tells us to take.
It is our duty to do what we can to help the victims concerned.
Brit-Am co-founder and veteran supporter Rabbi
Avraham
Feld
of the Maccabee
Institute on numerous occasions risked his life to help people get out of
oppressive situations.
[Isaiah 58:7] IS IT NOT TO DEAL THY BREAD TO THE HUNGRY, AND THAT THOU BRING
THE POOR THAT ARE CAST OUT TO THY HOUSE? WHEN THOU SEEST THE NAKED, THAT THOU
COVER HIM; AND THAT THOU HIDE NOT THYSELF FROM THINE OWN FLESH?
I myself never really did much for
anyone apart from research and writing BUT Brit-Am supporters from the
Maccabee
Institute such as Rabbi Avraham
Feld
and his brothers dedicate their lives and whole existence to assisting people.
They literally do feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe they who lack
clothing, etc. I met quite a few of the people who were so assisted. You may
get some low-lifes
among them but the majority are decent people who have fallen on hard times or
have adjustment problems. If things were only a little different anyone of us
could easily have been in their places. God has blessed us so we should
reciprocate when and how we can.
THOU HIDE NOT THYSELF FROM THINE
OWN FLESH : Charity begins at home as they say. You have a duty to worry about
your spouse, children, parents, etc. - and yourself.
[Isaiah 58:8] THEN SHALL THY LIGHT BREAK FORTH AS THE MORNING, AND THINE HEALTH
SHALL SPRING FORTH SPEEDILY: AND THY RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL GO BEFORE THEE; THE
GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE THY REREWARD.
Do good and
goood
will come unto you.
[Isaiah 58:9] THEN SHALT THOU CALL, AND THE LORD SHALL ANSWER; THOU SHALT CRY,
AND HE SHALL SAY, HERE I AM. IF THOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE MIDST OF THEE THE YOKE,
THE PUTTING FORTH OF THE FINGER, AND SPEAKING VANITY;
Do good and then when and if you ever
need help from Above you will receive it. People who dedicate their lives to
the Almighty receive supernatural intervention on their behalf when needed.
[Isaiah 58:10] AND IF THOU DRAW OUT THY SOUL TO THE HUNGRY, AND SATISFY THE
AFFLICTED SOUL; THEN SHALL THY LIGHT RISE IN OBSCURITY, AND THY DARKNESS BE AS
THE NOON DAY:
What goes round comes round.
Whatever you do you do to yourself.
[Isaiah 58:11] AND THE LORD SHALL GUIDE THEE CONTINUALLY, AND SATISFY THY SOUL
IN DROUGHT, AND MAKE FAT THY BONES: AND THOU SHALT BE LIKE A WATERED GARDEN, AND
LIKE A SPRING OF WATER, WHOSE WATERS FAIL NOT.
[Isaiah 58:12] AND THEY THAT SHALL BE OF THEE SHALL BUILD THE OLD WASTE PLACES:
THOU SHALT RAISE UP THE FOUNDATIONS OF MANY GENERATIONS; AND THOU SHALT BE
CALLED, THE REPAIRER OF THE BREACH, THE RESTORER OF PATHS TO DWELL IN.
The destroyed areas of ancient times
will be rebuilt. If you merit to participate in this then you are especially
blessed.
You should realize: Not everyone merits to do good deeds. When they come to your
realm take hold of them.
[Isaiah 58:13] IF THOU TURN AWAY THY FOOT FROM THE SABBATH, FROM DOING THY
PLEASURE ON MY HOLY DAY; AND CALL THE SABBATH A DELIGHT, THE HOLY OF THE LORD,
HONOURABLE; AND SHALT HONOUR HIM, NOT DOING THINE OWN WAYS, NOR FINDING THINE
OWN PLEASURE, NOR SPEAKING THINE OWN WORDS:
The Sabbath must be kept. It must be
dedicated to God. We must take pleasure in this holy day.
Jews keep the Sabbath according to the explanation of the commandments they have
traditionally received.
In my personal opinion, non-Jews who wish to keep the Sabbath at this stage
should do it in their own way. They should declare that they are keeping the
Sabbath because they consider themselves to be of Israelite origin.
By supporting Brit-Am consciousness of Israelite origin is enhanced.
[Isaiah 58:14] THEN SHALT THOU DELIGHT THYSELF IN THE LORD; AND I WILL CAUSE
THEE TO RIDE UPON THE HIGH PLACES OF THE EARTH, AND FEED THEE WITH THE HERITAGE
OF JACOB THY FATHER: FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HATH SPOKEN IT.
If you keep the Sabbath you will be
mighty and receive the blessings of the forefather of Israel. God has promised
this to the Children of Israel who keep the Sabbath.
Chapter 59
[Isaiah 59:1] BEHOLD, THE LORD'S HAND IS NOT SHORTENED, THAT IT CANNOT SAVE;
NEITHER HIS EAR HEAVY, THAT IT CANNOT HEAR:
[Isaiah 59:2] BUT YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOD, AND
YOUR SINS HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU, THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR.
[Isaiah 59:3] FOR YOUR HANDS ARE DEFILED WITH BLOOD, AND YOUR FINGERS WITH
INIQUITY; YOUR LIPS HAVE SPOKEN LIES, YOUR TONGUE HATH MUTTERED PERVERSENESS.
Perhaps as nations we should have been
more involved in other nations? Maybe we should have taken control of the world
to lessen oppression and tyranny? Maybe we should have done more in our own
homeland?
Are the police and courts too tolerant of crime? People suffer because of this.
Are we therefore also culpable? Pornography causes child abuse and suffering.
Are we guilty because we do not do enough to prevent it?
The Educational System in many areas teaches lies and denial and wrong
attitudes. Are we guilty?
[Isaiah 59:4] NONE CALLETH FOR JUSTICE, NOR ANY PLEADETH FOR TRUTH: THEY TRUST
IN VANITY, AND SPEAK LIES; THEY CONCEIVE MISCHIEF, AND BRING FORTH INIQUITY.
Employees are often exploited. Women and
the weak are often taken advantage of.
It also works the other way: In some cases women are too assertive and men feel
emasculated.
Communal leaders sometimes try and make peace by placating the stronger side
rather than helping the side that is correct.
[Isaiah 59:5] THEY HATCH COCKATRICE' EGGS, AND WEAVE THE SPIDER'S WEB: HE THAT
EATETH OF THEIR EGGS DIETH, AND THAT WHICH IS CRUSHED BREAKETH OUT INTO A VIPER.
[Isaiah 59:6] THEIR WEBS SHALL NOT BECOME GARMENTS, NEITHER SHALL THEY COVER
THEMSELVES WITH THEIR WORKS: THEIR WORKS ARE WORKS OF INIQUITY, AND THE ACT OF
VIOLENCE IS IN THEIR HANDS.
[Isaiah 59:7] THEIR FEET RUN TO EVIL, AND THEY MAKE HASTE TO SHED INNOCENT
BLOOD: THEIR THOUGHTS ARE THOUGHTS OF INIQUITY; WASTING AND DESTRUCTION ARE IN
THEIR PATHS.
Abortions destroy innocent live.
Orphans and the destitute are not really taken proper care of nor always given
the opportunity to make their own way in life with self-respect and dignity.
A lot of movies glorify violence.
[Isaiah 59:8] THE WAY OF PEACE THEY KNOW NOT; AND THERE IS NO JUDGMENT IN THEIR
GOINGS: THEY HAVE MADE THEM CROOKED PATHS: WHOSOEVER GOETH THEREIN SHALL NOT
KNOW PEACE.
[Isaiah 59:9] THEREFORE IS JUDGMENT FAR FROM US, NEITHER DOTH JUSTICE OVERTAKE
US: WE WAIT FOR LIGHT, BUT BEHOLD OBSCURITY; FOR BRIGHTNESS, BUT WE WALK IN
DARKNESS.
[Isaiah 59:10] WE GROPE FOR THE WALL LIKE THE BLIND, AND WE GROPE AS IF WE HAD
NO EYES: WE STUMBLE AT NOON DAY AS IN THE NIGHT; WE ARE IN DESOLATE PLACES AS
DEAD MEN.
[Isaiah 59:11] WE ROAR ALL LIKE BEARS, AND MOURN SORE LIKE DOVES: WE LOOK FOR
JUDGMENT, BUT THERE IS NONE; FOR SALVATION, BUT IT IS FAR OFF FROM US.
[Isaiah 59:12] FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE MULTIPLIED BEFORE THEE, AND OUR SINS
TESTIFY AGAINST US: FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE WITH US; AND AS FOR OUR
INIQUITIES, WE KNOW THEM;
[Isaiah 59:13] IN TRANSGRESSING AND LYING AGAINST THE LORD, AND DEPARTING AWAY
FROM OUR GOD, SPEAKING OPPRESSION AND REVOLT, CONCEIVING AND UTTERING FROM THE
HEART WORDS OF FALSEHOOD.
[Isaiah 59:14] AND JUDGMENT IS TURNED AWAY BACKWARD, AND JUSTICE STANDETH AFAR
OFF: FOR TRUTH IS FALLEN IN THE STREET, AND EQUITY CANNOT ENTER.
[Isaiah 59:15] YEA, TRUTH FAILETH; AND HE THAT DEPARTETH FROM EVIL MAKETH
HIMSELF A PREY: AND THE LORD SAW IT, AND IT DISPLEASED HIM THAT THERE WAS NO
JUDGMENT.
Good people get taken advantage of in
some circumstances. People are sometimes pressured to lie and even cheat.
[Isaiah 59:16] AND HE SAW THAT THERE WAS NO MAN, AND WONDERED THAT THERE WAS NO
INTERCESSOR: THEREFORE HIS ARM BROUGHT SALVATION UNTO HIM; AND HIS
RIGHTEOUSNESS, IT SUSTAINED HIM.
It used to be accepted behavior in
Anglo-Saxon cultures that a person intervenes to protect others and to prevent
injustice. It was taken for granted that one did what one could when one could
and even when one could not, i.e. even at the expense of personal risk and
discomfort.
Nowadays this is not the case.
People are influenced by the example of others and by their surroundings. When
the surroundings are not supportive of correct behavior people are less inclined
to act as they should.
[Isaiah 59:17] FOR HE PUT ON RIGHTEOUSNESS AS A BREASTPLATE, AND AN HELMET OF
SALVATION UPON HIS HEAD; AND HE PUT ON THE GARMENTS OF VENGEANCE FOR CLOTHING,
AND WAS CLAD WITH ZEAL AS A CLOAK.
[Isaiah 59:18] ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS, ACCORDINGLY HE WILL REPAY, FURY TO HIS
ADVERSARIES, RECOMPENCE TO HIS ENEMIES; TO THE ISLANDS HE WILL REPAY RECOMPENCE.
"TO THE ISLANDS": "Islands" usually
refers to Israelites. We have apparently been found lacking.
[Isaiah 59:19] SO SHALL THEY FEAR THE NAME OF THE LORD FROM THE WEST, AND HIS
GLORY FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN. WHEN THE ENEMY SHALL COME IN LIKE A FLOOD,
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM.
There will be redemption.
"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD": This implies that we will do what we should after
receiving inspiration from above.
[Isaiah 59:20] AND THE REDEEMER SHALL COME TO ZION, AND UNTO THEM THAT TURN
FROM TRANSGRESSION IN JACOB, SAITH THE LORD.
"THE REDEEMER": This is the Messiah. I
understand this to represent a National Leader who will go to war against the
enemies.
[Isaiah 59:21] AS FOR ME, THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, SAITH THE LORD; MY
SPIRIT THAT IS UPON THEE, AND MY WORDS WHICH I HAVE PUT IN THY MOUTH, SHALL NOT
DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH, NOR OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THY SEED, NOR OUT OF THE MOUTH
OF THY SEED'S SEED, SAITH THE LORD, FROM HENCEFORTH AND FOR EVER.
This is a covenant. God will always be
with the seed of Israel. We are descended from Israelites. God will be close to
us when we turn to him. We must return and accept upon ourselves the yoke of
heaven and acknowledge our heritage and duty.
Chapter 60
[Isaiah 60:1] ARISE, SHINE; FOR THY LIGHT IS COME, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS
RISEN UPON THEE.
This is a very important chapter. It
starts off from the point of view of Judah. The light of God will shine upon
Judah and all those associated with her.
[Isaiah 60:2] FOR, BEHOLD, THE DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH, AND GROSS
DARKNESS THE PEOPLE: BUT THE LORD SHALL ARISE UPON THEE, AND HIS GLORY SHALL BE
SEEN UPON THEE.
DARKNESS: Perhaps the intent is a lack of
knowledge, OR the effect of some global calamity?
[Isaiah 60:3] AND THE GENTILES SHALL COME TO THY LIGHT, AND KINGS TO THE
BRIGHTNESS OF THY RISING.
"GENTILES" in Hebrew "goyim" meaning
literally "peoples" perhaps Israelites. "KINGS" can be a general term for
national leaders. They will come for instruction and enlightenment.
[Isaiah 60:4] LIFT UP THINE EYES ROUND ABOUT, AND SEE: ALL THEY GATHER
THEMSELVES TOGETHER, THEY COME TO THEE: THY SONS SHALL COME FROM FAR, AND THY
DAUGHTERS SHALL BE NURSED AT THY SIDE.
"Sons" and "daughters" returning can
also refer to Captive Jews and Lost Israelites.
[Isaiah 60:5] THEN THOU SHALT SEE, AND FLOW TOGETHER, AND THINE HEART SHALL
FEAR, AND BE ENLARGED; BECAUSE THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SEA SHALL BE CONVERTED UNTO
THEE, THE FORCES OF THE GENTILES SHALL COME UNTO THEE.
" THEN THOU
SHALT
SEE," You will see they who return.
"AND FLOW TOGETHER" in Hebrew from the root "nahar"
which can also be translated as "shine forth".
You will be afraid and overwhelmed at the awesomeness of the events that occur.
"THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SEA SHALL BE CONVERTED UNTO THEE": Commentary of Amos
Chacham
[Datt
Mikra]:
<<Numerous people from over the sea will come unto you. These are the Exiles of
Israel who were exiled to the Isles of the Sea (cf. Isaiah 11;11 Isaiah
43;5-6).>> The verse Amos Chacham
refers to concern the Lost Ten Tribes who were exiled by the Assyrians. In other
words the Lost Ten Tribes who were exiled to the Isles of the Sea (and other
places) will return unto you.
Cf. AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY, THAT THE LORD SHALL SET HIS HAND
AGAIN THE SECOND TIME TO RECOVER THE REMNANT OF HIS PEOPLE, WHICH SHALL BE
LEFT, FROM ASSYRIA, AND FROM EGYPT, AND FROM
PATHROS,
AND FROM CUSH,
AND FROM ELAM, AND FROM SHINAR,
AND FROM HAMATH,
AND FROM THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA [Isaiah 11:11]
AND HE SHALL SET UP AN ENSIGN FOR THE NATIONS, AND SHALL ASSEMBLE THE OUTCASTS
OF ISRAEL, AND GATHER TOGETHER THE DISPERSED OF JUDAH FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF
THE EARTH [Isaiah 11:12]
THE ENVY ALSO OF EPHRAIM SHALL DEPART, AND THE ADVERSARIES OF JUDAH SHALL BE CUT
OFF: EPHRAIM SHALL NOT ENVY JUDAH, AND JUDAH SHALL NOT VEX EPHRAIM [Isaiah
11:13]
FEAR NOT: FOR I AM WITH THEE: I WILL
BRING THY SEED FROM THE EAST, AND GATHER THEE FROM THE WEST; [Isaiah 43:5]
I WILL SAY TO THE NORTH, GIVE UP; AND TO THE SOUTH, KEEP NOT BACK: BRING MY SONS
FROM FAR, AND MY DAUGHTERS FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH; [Isaiah 43:6].
"THE FORCES OF THE GENTILES SHALL COME
UNTO THEE"
the word translated as "forces" is Hail and it can also mean "might" or
"riches", i.e. the forces and/or the might and/or the riches of the peoples will
come unto you.
Incidentally this word "hail" (or "chayil")
can also mean soldier. In spoken Hebrew the word can mean either "soldier" or
strength. In Old English you have word "hale" meaning strength (e.g. the
expression: "hale and hearty"). This word "hale" in Old English was also
sometimes spelt as "hail" (like the Hebrew) and also could be used to mean a
warrior or soldier, just like the Hebrew.
THE ENDS OF THE EARTH ": Geographic extremities, a term frequently used
concerning the Lost Ten Tribes. Britain, North Europe, Scandinavia, North
America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, are all literally "at the ends of
the earth" when the Land of Israel (in Biblical terms) is considered the center.
Isaiah ch.60 continues:
[Isaiah 60:6] THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS SHALL COVER THEE, THE DROMEDARIES OF
MIDIAN AND EPHAH; ALL THEY FROM SHEBA SHALL COME: THEY SHALL BRING GOLD AND
INCENSE; AND THEY SHALL SHEW FORTH THE PRAISES OF THE LORD.
"MIDIAN
AND EPHAH;
ALL THEY FROM SHEBA"
Midian
and Ephah
and Sheba are descended from Abraham through
Keturah:
[Genesis 25:1] THEN AGAIN ABRAHAM TOOK A WIFE, AND HER NAME WAS
KETURAH.
[Genesis 25:2] AND SHE BARE HIM
ZIMRAN, AND
JOKSHAN,
AND MEDAN,
AND MIDIAN,
AND ISHBAK,
AND SHUAH.
Notice Midian
above.
[Genesis 25:3] AND JOKSHAN
BEGAT SHEBA, AND DEDAN.
AND THE SONS OF DEDAN
WERE ASSHURIM,
AND LETUSHIM,
AND LEUMMIM.
Notice Sheba.
[Genesis 25:4] AND THE SONS OF
MIDIAN;
EPHAH,
AND EPHER,
AND HANOCH,
AND ABIDAH,
AND ELDAAH.
ALL THESE WERE THE CHILDREN OF
KETURAH.
Notice Ephah
above.
Who are
Midian
and Ephah?
Midian
in Ancient times was southeast of Israel ca southern Jordan and northwest
Saudia
Arabia of today. The Mitanni
of northern Syria were probably from
Midian.
They adopted an Indo-European culture and moved into Europe. Pliny (6;18) puts
the Matiani
in Southern Russia.
Ephah
son of Midian
was also in Europe.
"THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS", "THE DROMEDARIES" appears to be a figurative usage
for transportation. The Prophets spoke in terms of their own times.
Who is Sheba?
Sheba: For Identifications of non-Israelite peoples I use my own studies and
other works especially the studies of Craig White and also a small work by
Harold Hemenway
"Is the Bible Racist?" (1995). There are a lot of things wrong with this last
work and I disagree with perhaps most of it. Nevertheless it does contain
invaluable information and insights of value.
Maimonides
said we should take the truth wherever we find it.
Hemenway
connects Sheba with (amongst other possibilities) the
Sabines
of Italy. There is a Semitic element in Italy and they are good at producing
perfumes and jewellery
and similar products: "THEY SHALL BRING GOLD AND INCENSE".
Hemenway
also links Sheba with the
Schwabians of West Germany.
Sheba is also the name of a descendant of Ham and a descendant of Shem.
Of Ham:
[Genesis 10:7] AND THE SONS OF
CUSH;
SEBA,
AND HAVILAH,
AND SABTAH,
AND RAAMAH,
AND SABTECHAH:
AND THE SONS OF RAAMAH;
SHEBA, AND DEDAN.
Sheba is a son of Raamah
son of Cush
son of Ham. "Cush"
can refer to Africa, Central Asia, or India.
Rama
(cf. Raamah
father of Sheba) was an important Indian idol and Sheba has been identified by
some with India. "Gold" and "incense" are also plentiful in India.
Of Shem:
[Genesis 10:25] AND UNTO EBER
WERE BORN TWO SONS: THE NAME OF ONE WAS
PELEG;
FOR IN HIS DAYS WAS THE EARTH DIVIDED; AND HIS BROTHER'S NAME WAS
JOKTAN.
[Genesis 10:26] AND JOKTAN
BEGAT ALMODAD,
AND SHELEPH,
AND HAZARMAVETH,
AND JERAH,
[Genesis 10:27] AND HADORAM,
AND UZAL,
AND DIKLAH,
[Genesis 10:28] AND OBAL,
AND ABIMAEL,
AND SHEBA,
Here Sheba is a descendant of
Joktan.
Joktan
traditionally was the forefather of the peoples in southern Arabia, Aden, Yemen,
and Oman.
Afghanistan and the Sons of Keturah
Isaiah 60:6 mentions Camels from Midian and Ephah and Sheba bringing gold and
incense to the Temple and to Israel to praise the Almighty.
"THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS SHALL COVER THEE, THE DROMEDARIES OF MIDIAN AND EPHAH;
ALL THEY FROM SHEBA SHALL COME: THEY SHALL BRING GOLD AND INCENSE; AND THEY
SHALL SHEW FORTH THE PRAISES OF THE LORD [Isaiah 60:6] .
The exact identifications of these peoples are problematic though several
probably candidates exist.
On the whole they are to be identified with the descendants of Keturah and
Abraham.
[Genesis 25:1] THEN AGAIN ABRAHAM TOOK A WIFE, AND HER NAME WAS KETURAH.
[Genesis 25:2] AND SHE BARE HIM .. JOKSHAN...AND MIDIAN.
[Genesis 25:3] AND JOKSHAN BEGAT SHEBA
[Genesis 25:4] AND THE SONS OF MIDIAN; EPHAH...ALL THESE WERE THE CHILDREN OF
KETURAH.
The Descendants of Keturah traditionally settled in Central Asia and its
neighborhood
including Afghanistan.
Another ancestor of the peoples of Afghanistan was Joktan brother of Peleg and
son of Hebrew.
[Genesis 10:25] AND UNTO EBER WERE BORN TWO SONS: THE NAME OF ONE WAS PELEG;
FOR IN HIS DAYS WAS THE EARTH DIVIDED; AND HIS BROTHER'S NAME WAS JOKTAN.
Josephus Flavius says:
Antiquities 1:4
<<Now Joctan, one of the sons of Heber, had these sons, Elmodad, Saleph,
Asermoth,
Jera, Adoram, Aizel, Decla, Ebal, Abimael, Sabeus, Ophir, Euilat, and Jobab.
These inhabited from Cophen, an Indian river, and in part of Asia adjoining to
it. And this shall suffice concerning the sons of Shem.
The "Cophen, an Indian river" runs by Kabul the capital of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is a mixture of different peoples.
The ruling element are the Afghans who are more or less town dwellers of Persian
origin in league with the Pathans who control
the surrounding countryside.
Afghanistan recently was ruled (1996-2001) by the Taliban.
The Talibans are comprised of Pathans and Arabs from other countries subsidized
with fund from Saudi Arabia.
The Taliban is a fanatical Muslim sect connected with Osama bin Laden whose al-Quaeda
group was responsible for
crashing two aeroplanes into the Twin Towers in New York (2001).
As a result of the Twin Towers destruction US forces enabled the "Northern
Alliance" to to demote the Taliban and take control of Afghanistan.
The Northern Alliance was comprised mainly of Tajiks and Uzbeks. These are mixed
peoples with Turkish, Mongolian, and Persian ancestors. In the past they were
always subjected by the Pathans (Pushtuns) who consider themselves the true
Afghanis.
It has been claimed that the Pathans are of Israelite origin. It is apparent
that Israelites were formerly in the area and also that the Pathans at some
stage did accept some Jewish customs. It is highly unlikely however that the
Pathans have much if any Israelite blood. Genetically (Cavalli-Sforza) the
Pathans are classified as belong to the same stock as the Kurds and Armenians.
There is a tradition that they did come from Armenia.
Claims also exist that the Lost Ten tribes today are to be found in Afghanistan:
For a point-by point rebuttal of Afghan claims to be Israelites along with Maps of Afghanistan:
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesAfghanistan.html
The URL above includes an article
Ken Blady Interviewed; Afghan Nazi Involvement in WW2
that points out that Jews in Afghanistan were always degraded and
that in the Second World War massacres of Jews took place due to the influence
of Nazi propaganda.
[Isaiah 60:7] ALL THE FLOCKS OF KEDAR SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO THEE, THE
RAMS OF NEBAIOTH SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE: THEY SHALL COME UP WITH ACCEPTANCE ON
MINE ALTAR, AND I WILL GLORIFY THE HOUSE OF MY GLORY.
Kedar
and Nebaioth
were sons of Ishmael:
[Genesis 25:13] AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE SONS OF ISHMAEL, BY THEIR NAMES,
ACCORDING TO THEIR GENERATIONS: THE FIRSTBORN OF ISHMAEL,
NEBAJOTH;
AND KEDAR,
AND ADBEEL,
AND MIBSAM,
Who is Kedar
today?
AMERICA AND KEDAR
Summarized Extracts (adapted slightly) from "Ephraim" by Yair Davidi, Revised
Edition, (2001).
A people known both as Cadussi and as "Nephtali" in Ancient Times were
to be found in the region of West Iran.The Nephtalite Cadussi were descended
from the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali. They were also known as Gaeli and as
Hephtali and as the White Huns. Later the Nephtalites (Kadassaye) were to be
reported from eastern Scythia. The Nephtalites in Eastern Scythia ruled over the
Kidari and are sometimes confused with them. The Kidari or Kedari were also
confused with the Khazars. The Nephtalites eventually migrated mainly to
Scandinavia apart from split off groups who amalgamated with the Khazars or
moved through Persia into Syria and from there to Yemen where they Judaized. The
Khazars according to their own traditions were descended from part of the Lost
Ten Tribes of Israel. In the Scythian and Iranian regions the sounds for "d" and
"z" could interchange which is why the Kazars and Kidaris were apt to be
confused with each other. On some maps the Crimea (which the Kazars once
dominated) is referred to as Kedar. Kedar in the Bible was a son of Ishmael
(Genesis 25:13). The Kedarites sons of Ishmael appear to have last been recorded
of to the east of the Caspian Sea and to have disappeared.
Certain passages in the Prophets dealing with the Lost Ten Tribes also
recall Kedar in the sense that the land or possessions of Kedar accrue to
Israel. Kedar was a son of Ishmael and as such would normally be linked with
Arabia except that Arabia does not fit the context in all of the relevant
prophecies whereas North America does. The possibility that Kedar is linked in
the Biblical sense with North America and could Scripturally be considered the
land of Kedar will therefore be examined.
Ishmael (the father of Kedar) was the son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian
maidservant of Sarah (Genesis 16:15). Many of the descendants of Ishmael settled
in Arabia especially in the central section. They also participated in the
actual or attempted Arabicisation and Islamicisation of the Middle East, Persia,
Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, North Africa, and Spain.
The descendants of Ishmael are consequently scattered throughout these areas as
well as being concentrated in Arabia.
Kedar was one of the sons of Ishmael. "Kedar" in Hebrew implies "Darkness".
Mohammed is said to have been descended from Kedar. Tiglathpileser king of
Assyria who initiated the exile and re settlement of many nations also warred
against the Arabs as well as using Arab Tribes in his auxiliary forces. Amongst
the Arab Tribes encountered by Tiglathpileser were the Kedarites. Branches of
the Kedarites and Aribi in Assyrian and Persian times were to be recalled in the
East Iranian area. This region was south of Scythia but in many respects could
be considered as part of it. At all events the Kidarites later moved northwards
into eastern and southern Scythia. The Kidarites in Scythia present a picture of
a predatory nomadic somewhat primitive people. They were not especially
formidable and therefore no match for the merciless Turkic, Mongolian, and
similar entities that were making inroads into the region. Like other peoples of
that area, in order to survive the Kedarites would have had to move out.
THE SONS OF KEDAR IN NORTH AMERICA
It is hereby proposed that the KEDARITES WENT TO NORTH AMERICA AND THAT IN
SOME BIBLICAL PROPHECIES "KEDAR" REFERS TO NORTH AMERICA.
The grounds for this proposal are that:
1. The Siberian Connection: At least part of the Kidarites were later located
in what is now Siberia and from there the bulk of North American Indians appear
to have originally come. There did therefore exist a recognized migratory path
between Siberia and North America and this path was in use.
Additional points linking "Kedar" with the Red Indians of North America include:
2. Racial Factors: Some Red Indian Tribes have facial features similar to those
known from the Middle East and the Mediterranean area.
DNA tests (for what they are worth) on the whole show an Amerindian link to
Mongolian populations in Asia especially Siberia. They also indicate in some
populations the existence of minority elements from Europe and the Middle East.
3. Archaeological and Cultural Similarities to the Old World: It may be that
some of the observed similarities between the Red Indians and Middle East
entities are due to the Kidarites sons of Ishmael having settled amongst them.
In addition to Kedar, another son of Ishmael was Nebajot from who emerged the
Nabataean Arabs. A comparison between the Nebataeans and such desert Indian
groups as the Navajo could well yield surprising results. The civilizations of
the two groups show some similarities as well as the choice of habitat. It is
interesting to note that E.G. Stewart traces the name "Navajo" to a Central
Asian root "Nava" meaning town and in Hebrew the name of Nabajot son of Ishmael
may be understood as a plural of "Naveh" connoting pleasant place for
settlement.
4. Similarities to Hamitic and Semitic Arabs and Historical Contacts: Ishmael
was the son of Hagar the Egyptian and as such partly a descendant of Ham son of
Noah. Ishmael married a Hamitic woman from Egypt (Genesis 21:21) and in Arabia
probably further intermixed with Hamitic groups. The Berbers of North Africa are
also Hamitic and a similarity exists between them and the Red Indians of North
America.
Kedar was one of the sons of Ishmael and some of the Arabs are descended
from Kedar. Recent studies by Barry Fell and his followers claim that Arab boats
traded with the west coast of North America hundreds of years BCE. "Petroglyphs
in California, Nevada, and South Idaho prove the Arabs and their culture
flourished over here." Some Amerindian dialects are claimed to have been similar
to Arabic ones.
In addition to the work by Barry Fell and his followers other researchers
have discussed the Arab Sea connection with the American continents. A lot of
work has recently been done in this area and some of it should be accepted.
For example:
<<The descendants of the Muslim visitors of North America are members of the
present Iroquois, Algonquin, Anasazi, Hohokam and Olmec native people.
<<There are 565 names of places (villages, towns, cities, mountains, lakes,
rivers, etc.) in USA (484) and Canada (81) which are derived from Islamic and
Arabic roots. These places were originally named by the natives in pre-Columbian
period.
Source: MUSLIMS IN THE AMERICAS BEFORE COLUMBUS by Dr. Youssef Mroueh.
Israelites were also present amongst some of the Amerindians. They too may be
considered part of the Exile of Kedar that is connected with the Lost Tribes of
Israel as discussed below.
5. The Wars of Genghis Khan: Recent studies indicate that there were other
relatively recent migratory connexions between East Asia and the American
Continent. The whereabouts of the Kidari in North America is linked to these
movements. One work (amongst many) worthy of notice in this connection is: "The
Dene And Na Dene Indian Migration 1233 A.D", by Ethel G. Stewart (1991). The
authoress demonstrates how certain Indian Tribes in Canada and the U.S.A.
including the Apaches, Navajo, and many others were originally part of a host
that fought against the Mongolian Genghis Khan in East Asia. They were defeated,
conquered, and then fled via China by boat to North America in 1233 CE. The
names Haida and Dene applied to Amerindian groups traceable to Central Asia are
Israelite Nephtalite Tribal names. The Nephtalites had either once conquered
forerunners of these groups in Central Asia or else had been in an area of their
settlement before them. Amongst peoples in Central Asia subdued by the
Nephtalites before the Nephtalites moved westwards were the Kidarites.
6. Linguistic Evidence: A Creolized Base In Uto Aztec by Brian Stubbs (1988)
brings linguistic evidence indicating that Indian languages such as Shoshone,
Paiute, Ute, Comanche, Hopi, Aztec, and others are composite tongues deriving in
part from a branch of West Semitic which is the type of tongue the Kidari would
have originally employed.
7. Biblical Linguistics: Kedar in Hebrew means darkness. The verse in the Song
of Solomon (1;5) associating blackness with the tents of Kedar is a play on
words: "I am black, but comely,.. as the tents of Kedar..." The Vikings called
North America "Markland" which is said to mean "Land of the Dark". The Lost Ten
Tribes were exiled (according to Talmudic tradition) to a place where "Clouds"
covered them or to the "Mountains of Darkness". These terms were applicable to
Mannae, the Caucasus, Crimea, Scandinavia, and other areas of Cimmerian
settlement. In a Conceptual Figurative sense (as demonstrated below in this
work) the terms were ultimately applicable to North America.
8. Scriptural Consistency: The Bible speaks of Kedar several times and there are
Prophetical passages that fit the North American reality better than any other
solution. An influential element from Kedar in the male line was superimposed on
existing populations. This is enough in order to justify identification with
Kedar from the Biblical perspective.
KEDAR IN ISAIAH 60
Isaiah (ch.60) speaks of the Israelite exiles returning in the Latter Days
to their own land. The reference to Zion (60;14) and other matters indicate that
the description includes returnees from Judah.
"THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS SHALL COVER THEE, THE DROMEDARIES OF MEDIAN AND
EPHAH; ALL THEY FROM SHEBAH SHALL COME: THEY SHALL BRING GOLD AND INCENSE
..(60:6)
"ALL THE FLOCKS OF KEDAR SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO THEE, THE RAMS OF
NEBAIOTH SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE...(60:7)."
"WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY AS A CLOUD..(60:8).
"SURELY THE ISLES SHALL HASTEN UNTO ME, THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH FIRST? TO
BRING THY SONS FROM FAR...(60:9).
Camels from Median and Ephah if accepted literally can only really apply to
the Arabs of the Middle East bringing tribute. Even so, a figurative (in part)
application of the description to some extent is also feasible. "Shebah" with
her gold and incense is a term applicable (in some passages) to both India and
South Africa, as well as to Southern Arabia. A note of interest is that Afghan
traders with their camels were introduced into Australia in the 1800s. These
camels went wild in the vast Australian Desert and multiplied. Recently all of
the camels of Saudia Arabia were infected with a terrible disease and had to be
replaced with new stock from Australia.
"Flocks of Kedar" and "rams of Nebaioth" which shall be gathered unto the
Israelites had an importance at the time the prophecy was first pronounced
parallel to the flocks of Northern America and Australia today. The Navajo
Indians may have received their name from Nabaioth brother of Kedar. The word
translated as "flocks" from the Hebrew ("Tzon") is applicable to both flocks of
sheep and herds of cattle. Australia and North America are the largest
commercial breeders of sheep and cattle. In other words the above passage does
not contradict the suggested identification of Kedar with North America: The
Prophets were wont to describe real-life realities of their own age and by
amplification apply them to the future. To some degree all descriptions were of
necessity delivered in terms of what was also applicable to their own times.
Taken in the context of other identifications made, the North American equation
with Kedar, is applicable.
[Isaiah 60:8] WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY AS A CLOUD, AND AS THE DOVES TO THEIR
WINDOWS"
"WHO ARE THESE": This is an expression
relating to the Lost Ten Tribes. We discussed this in our Commentary on Isaiah
49, but it is worth repeating in part:
Isaiah 49 no.8 [Summarized Extract]:
ISAIAH AND THE RETURN OF THE LOST TEN
Tribes
The Lost Ten Tribes will also return.
The Jews of Judah will meet the return of the Lost Ten Tribes with mixed
reactions:
[Isaiah 49:21] THEN
SHALT
THOU SAY IN THINE
HEART, WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME THESE, SEEING I HAVE LOST MY CHILDREN, AND AM
DESOLATE, A CAPTIVE, AND REMOVING TO AND FRO? AND WHO HATH BROUGHT UP THESE?
BEHOLD, I WAS LEFT ALONE; THESE, WHERE HAD THEY BEEN?
ISAIAH (49;21) DESCRIBES HOW THE JEWISH
PEOPLE UPON SEEING MASSES OF LOST ISRAELITES RETURNING TO THE HOLY LAND WILL
HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION:
"THEN
SHALT
THOU SAY IN THY HEART, WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME THESE, SEEING I HAVE LOST MY
CHILDREN, AND AM DESOLATE, A CAPTIVE, AND REMOVING TO AND FRO? AND WHO HATH
BROUGHT UP THESE? BEHOLD, I WAS LEFT ALONE; THESE WHERE HAD THEY BEEN?" (ISAIAH
49;21)
In other words, the Jews
will ask where were all those now identified as Israel when the Jews needed help
and were alone? According to the
Midrash (Pesikta
Rabati
32;10) this reaction of the Jews will take place WHEN THEY SEE THE THREE EXILES
OF THE LOST TEN Tribes RETURNING!
On the one hand those few people among the Gentiles who have helped the Jews
have more often than not belonged to the Lost Ten Tribes. On the other hand
these nations were powerful and rich ones and they could have done much more to
help than they did. There were times even when the Lost Ten Tribes had acted as
the adversaries of Judah.
A reflection on this future conundrum is provided by a passage in the
Zohar.
The Zohar
(Breishit,
VaYechi,
88m, Sulam
edition) comments on the expression "WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME THESE" in the verse we
are here concerned with (ISAIAH 49;21). The
Zohar
notes an emphasis in the question on the Hebrew word "EYLEH"
i.e. "these"':
The verse says: "THEN
SHALT
THOU SAY IN THY HEART, WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME THESE, SEEING I HAVE LOST MY
CHILDREN, AND AM DESOLATE, A CAPTIVE, AND REMOVING TO AND FRO? AND WHO HATH
BROUGHT UP THESE? BEHOLD, I WAS LEFT ALONE; THESE WHERE HAD THEY BEEN?" (ISAIAH
49;21)
The
Zohar
emphasizes the emphasis on the expression these: "WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME
THESE.....? AND WHO HATH BROUGHT UP THESE...THESE, WHERE HAD THEY BEEN?"
The Zohar
then refers back to the time when the Patriarch Israel was about to die and his
son Joseph had brought his grandsons, Ephraim and
Menasseh,
to him to receive a final blessing.
"WHEN ISRAEL SAW JOSEPH'S SONS, HE
SAID, WHO ARE THESE?" (Genesis 48;8).
[Said Rabbi
Yehudah
bar Shalom, "And why did he did he not recognize them?" Was he not acquainted with them?... "And now he asks, Who are these?"..."But rather he must
have foreseen [through Divine Inspiration] Jeroboam son of
Nebat
and Ahab son of Omri
[both future kings of the northern separated Ten-Tribes of Israel] who would
arise from Ephraim and worship idolatry"
Midrash
Tanchuma,
VaYichi,6.]
The
Zohar
relates:
"Rabbi Abba began to explain [the above question of the Patriarch Israel,
"Who are these?"] by relating it to [the verse in ISAIAH 49;21] "then
shalt
thou say in thy heart: `Who hath begotten me these?': What does this verse
imply?
-That the Heavenly Patriarch Israel foresaw the Children of Israel
assembling before him in the future: `In that day the LORD shall set his hand
again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left
[FROM ASSYRIA, AND FROM MITSRAYIM,
AND FROM PATHROS,
AND FROM CUSH,
AND] FROM ELAM, AND FROM HAMATH,
AND FROM THE ISLES OF THE SEA" (ISAIAH 11;11).
The above place names are those to
where the Lost Ten Tribes were taken or went shortly after their Exile. Isaiah
continues to speak of the ingathering of the Lost Tribes as well as that of
Judah and of reconciliation between the Lost Tribes and Judah:
[Isaiah 11:12] HE WILL RAISE AN ENSIGN
FOR THE NATIONS, AND WILL ASSEMBLE THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL, AND GATHER THE
DISPERSED OF JUDAH FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH.
[Isaiah 11:13] THE JEALOUSY OF EPHRAIM
SHALL DEPART, AND THOSE WHO HARASS JUDAH SHALL BE CUT OFF; EPHRAIM SHALL NOT BE
JEALOUS OF JUDAH, AND JUDAH SHALL NOT HARASS EPHRAIM.
The question concerning "these"
therefore refers to the Lost Ten Tribes (Ephraim) in the End Times.
The Zohar
goes on to explain Isaiah 49;21, the question `WHO HATH BEGOTTEN ME THESE?'
"And they shall assemble together
and be mutitudinous;
the Divine Presence [i.e. Heavenly Israel] will wonder and ask, `Where did you
all come from?' `And is it not possible that there exists amongst you someone
blemished, of foreign seed?' "They will answer, `We are all your sons. There is
no foreigner amongst us'.
"And they will divide off from each other. The foreign non-Israelite element
will voluntarily separate from them, and they [i.e. the returning Israelites]
will be circumcised, and convert, and these converts will return with [and to]
Israel, and they shall be one."
Ezekiel (ch.47) spoke of the future
apportionment of the Promised Land amongst the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the
Messianic era. The area spoken of includes modern day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
and Israel, and additional parts of neighboring lands. This final re-division of
the land takes place after certain physical geographical and climatic changes
occur. Ezekiel also speaks of apportioning The Land to "The strangers [i.e. non-Israelites] that sojourn amongst you": The strangers who identify with you will
be counted as the same as you. "So shall ye divide this land among you according
to the Tribes of Israel" (Ezekiel 47;21).
"AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT YE SHALL DIVIDE IT BY LOT FOR AN
INHERITANCE UNTO YOU, AND TO THE STRANGERS THAT SOJOURN AMONG YOU, WHICH SHALL
BEGET CHILDREN AMONG YOU; AND THEY SHALL BE UNTO YOU AS BORN IN THE COUNTRY
AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.
"AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT IN WHAT TRIBE THE STRANGER
SOJOURNETH,
THERE SHALL YE GIVE HIM HIS INHERITANCE.."
(Ezekiel 47;22 23).
The verse (Isaiah 60:8) we are dealing
with said:
[Isaiah 60:8] WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY AS A CLOUD, AND AS THE DOVES TO
THEIR WINDOWS"
They fly on the clouds in
Aeroplanes.
When was it possible for this prophecy to have been literally fulfilled before our
times?
The Talmud (Baba Batra
75;b) says: <<When Israel sins somewhat, they are brought down like a fowl
[flying away], as it says, "AS FOR EPHRAIM, THEIR GLORY SHALL FLY AWAY LIKE A
BIRD" [Hosea 9:11]. When they gain merit, they are elevated like a cloud, as it
says, "WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY AS A CLOUD" [Isaiah 60:8].>> So we see that in at
least one place the Talmud speaks of the above verse in Isaiah (60:8) in
connection to Ephraim meaning to the Lost Ten Tribes.
[Isaiah 60:9] SURELY THE ISLES SHALL WAIT FOR ME, AND THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH
FIRST, TO BRING THY SONS FROM FAR, THEIR SILVER AND THEIR GOLD WITH THEM, UNTO
THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD, AND TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, BECAUSE HE HATH
GLORIFIED THEE.
"SURELY THE ISLES SHALL WAIT FOR ME"
Iben
Ezra Commentary: "For I will give them a good reward."
"THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH
FIRST": Ships that plough the Atlantic Ocean bringing people back from America,
Britain, and Western Europe.
TARSHISH
and the US DOLLAR SIGN
(a) TARSHISH
Adapted from "Lost Israelite Identity" by Yair Davidy (1996), Chapter Twelve:
The Assyrians claimed to control Tarsis in the far west of their domains.
The exact position of Tarsis is still uncertain though a place somewhere on the
west coast (more specifically the southwest coast) of Spain, near Gades (Cadiz)
is usually accepted. In Classical (Greek and Roman) records there was an
important center named "Tartessos" somewhere on the Spanish southwest coast. In
Phoenician "Tartessos" was referred to as "Tarsis". "Tartessos" is generally
identified with the western Tarshish of Scripture. According to one opinion
Tartessos once controlled most of Spain and Gaul. Tartessos served as an
emporium for goods from Gaul and Britain.
"Tarsis", "Tartessos", and "Tarshish" are all different ways of pronouncing
the same name.
In Scripture and Talmudic sources TARSHISH is often linked with the "Isles
of the Sea" (meaning Britain) and with the "Yam Okyanus" (i.e. Oceanic Sea)
meaning the Atlantic Ocean.
In some Talmudic accounts Tarshish is taken to refer to the Sea encompassing
one third of the world. The Aramaic translation of Yehonathan translates "Tarshish"
as "sea". Rashi (the major Talmudic Commentator) says that (the sea) Tarshish is
called the Sea of Africa presumably meaning the Atlantic.
In one of the Psalms, it says "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall
bring presents" (Psalm 72:10): The Aramaic Targum translates this expression to
say, "The Kings of Tarsis and of the Isles in the Oceanic Sea shall bring
offerings" and by Oceanic Sea (i.e."Yam Okyanus") it is generally understood
that the Atlantic Ocean is intended.
"Tarshish" is referred to in connection with the Messianic era and with the
return of the exiled Tribes of Israel:
"Who are these that fly as a cloud and as a dove to their windows? Surely
the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons
from afar, their silver and gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God to
the Holy One of Israel because he hath glorified thee" (Isaiah 60:8-9).
The above verse speaks of the exiled of Israel returning to the land of
Israel by air (i.e. in aeroplanes) and by ship. The "Ships of Tarshish" means
those plying the Atlantic Ocean ("Yam Okeanus") and it therefore follows that
Tarshish was someplace on the Atlantic coast.
TARSHISH
IN ANCIENT TIMES
Prior to the Assyrian exile, the Israelite Hebrews had had seafaring
experience, had co-operated with the Phoenicians, and had become familiar with "Tarshish".
King Solomon had been partner to Hiram king of Phoenician Tyre in an enterprise
that circumnavigated Africa and re-entered the Mediterranean after visiting
Tarshish somewhere on the European Atlantic shores and taking three years to
make the round trip (1- Kings 9:26-27).
Herodotus (4.42,43) reported that Pharoah Neco who reigned just after
Solomon also sent Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa and return via the
Pillars of Hercules i.e. the Straits of Gibraltar. He likewise mentions the fact
that this trip took three years to complete since he explains the sailors would
make a camp on dry land and sow and reap a harvest before continuing.
The prophet Ezekiel listed Tarshish amongst the numerous places that were
wont to trade with Tyre:
"Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of
riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs" (Ezekiel
27:12).
It is well to note that tin and copper were essential in the production of
Bronze and most tin was claimed to have originated in Britain. The Egyptian
(Coptic) word for tin is "pithran" said to be derived from a mispronunciation of
Britain. Tarshish is a name applied to a port "Tarsis" in Cilicia as well as to
Tartessos in Spain and it has been claimed that sundry Phoenician trading posts
also received the name. Regarding Tarsis of Cilicia (Anatolia) there are no rich
deposits of iron, tin, and lead there. The Greek Translation (Septuagent, in the
300s BCE but "edited" later) translated Tarshish as Carthage (in North Africa)
but at the time the Septuagent was written the domain of Carthage included much
of Spain. The name Tarshish has been found inscribed in stone in Sardinia
wherein the Phoenicians also founded colonies but the relevant settlement (Nora)
in Sardinia was founded by Phoenicians based on Spain and, by inference, may
mean that the settlement was connected with "Tarshish" of Spain. In other words
the concept of "Tarshish" as far as Scripture and the connection between Tyre,
Israel, and Tarshish is concerned is referring to Spanish Tartessus or a
connected post on the Atlantic Ocean.
The above points show that both the ancient Hebrews and the Phoenicians had
association of trade and points of control in Tarshish and the Atlantic prior to
the Assyrian exile. The Israelite involvement with Tarshish was connected to
that of the Phoenicians and of joint Hebrew PHOENICIAN maritime enterprise.
ISRAELITE PRESENCE IN SPAIN, GAUL AND
BRITAIN
In "Lost Israelite Identity" we show how a portion of the Israelite Exiles were
transported in Phoenician and Philistine ships on behalf of the Assyrians to
Spain and the West. This is in addition to the mass of Israelites who were
exiled overland to elsewhere in the Assyrian Empire.
A few confirmatory points proving that the Exiles were indeed Hebrews and that
they later moved towards the north and the British Isles include the following:
1. The term "Iberi" means "HEBREW". This name or variations of it (e.g.
Ebero) in Spain derived originally from the people driven out by the
Carthaginians and North Africans. The original "Iberi" (or Hiberi) had from
Spain passed into Gaul and the British Isles and the root "Eber" (or "Iber" or
"Heber") is frequently found in the "Celtic" nomenclature of those areas. The
overwhelming majority of places bearing the name IBER and its cognates are
Celtic and the claim that everywhere the name is found was due to Celtic
presence at some time or other is well defensible.
Avienus referring to Gades (on the southwest coast of Spain) said, "Here is the
town of Gadir earlier known as Tartessus". In the region of Gades ceramics from
the Middle East of the Late Bronze Age have been found, as well as ivory plaques
similar to those of Megiddo in the Holy Land, also from the Late Bronze Age
period.
4. Justin (44;3) said that,
"The Gallaecians..... took possession of those parts where New Carthage now
stands and passing from thence to Gallaecia.."*24
New Carthage was on the southeast coast of Spain. -Gallaecia was on the
northwest. Justin is recording a tradition of migration from the southeast of
Spain to Gallaecia in the northwest. "Gallaecia" was named after the Galatae who
settled in Gaul and the British Isles and according to Irish and Scottish
mythology arrived via Spain. They called themselves "Hiberi" or "Iberi" and are
so named on Ptolemy's Map of Britain. The appellation "Galatia" (whence is
derived "Gallacea") was also rendered as Galadi which is the same as Galaad or
Gilead the major clan amongst the Tribe of Menasseh and an important entity in
its own right. "GALATIA" is also the name given to the Celtic area of Northern
Gaul often associated with the Belgae.
Ammianus Marcellinus (15;19) said that the Tartessians were Dorians who followed
after the Gauls an ancient Hercules and inhabited those places beside the Ocean.
Bochartus using Greek and Latin sources demonstrates that the Dorians led by
Hercules who migrated to Gades and Tartessus were descendants of a legendary "Dorus
and Phoenicius" i.e. of Dorians and Phoenicians. He traces them to DOR in Israel
and says that originally they were identified as Galicians (i.e. Galatians)
Additional proof that the Dorians (of Tarshish) were actually Israelites from
the province of DOR belonging to the Tribe of Menasseh is found in the Geography
of Ptolemy. Ptolemy records the "MENESTHEI PORTUS", i.e. the PORT OF THE TRIBE
OF MENASSEH in the region of the Turdulorum just to the east of GADES off the
southwest coast of Spain! The "Port of the Tribe of Menasseh" is linked with
Tartessus and with the Dorians who were also of Menasseh and arrived with the
"Phoenicians" at least some of whom were also Israelite.
5. In southern Spain the remains of a wall and monumental stone buildings
dating from the 700s BCE (i.e. shortly after the exile) to 600s BCE have been
found. The constructions were built of dressed stone (ashlar) in a particular
style whose closest parallels are to be found in the Israelite buildings at
Samaria and at Ramat Rachel (near Jerusalem) of Judea. The place was abandoned
by about 550 BCE which date was that of Carthaginian and North African
incursions.
Metal produced in Baetica (in southeast Spain) was called "Samarian metal"
(Pliny N.H.) after Samaria in Israel.
10. TARSHISH in Scripture is the name of a son of Javan (Genesis 10:4) which
indicates Greek connections. TARSHISH is also the name of a grandson of Benjamin
(1-Chronicles 7:10) and often a seemingly coincidental identity or similarity of
name in the Bible presages some form of future connexion.
13. Irish and Scottish Celtic legends state that their ancestors, the Hiberi,
came from the Middle East via Gallaecia in Spain. It seems to be generally
accepted by most authorities that they were in Spain and their nomenclature,
customs, and traditions confirm their Israelite ancestry.
The relevant myths said that the forefathers of the Irish and Scottish came
from the Middle East. They said that they had moved to Spain and dwelt there for
some time before leaving for Ireland and the British Isles.
The Scottish Declaration of Independence (1320 CE) declared that:
"...We know...and from the chronicles and books of the ancients gather, that
among other illustrious nations, ours to wit, the nation of the Scots, has been
distinguished by many honours; which passing from the greater Scythia through
the Mediterranean Sea and Pillars of Hercules and sojourning in Spain among the
most savage Tribes through a long course of time, could nowhere be subjugated by
any people however barbarous; and coming thence one thousand two hundred years
after the outgoing of the people of Israel, they, by many victories and infinite
toil, acquired for themselves the possessions in the West which they now
hold...".
Roberts, in "The Brut or The Chronicles of the Kings of Briton": (Date unknown
but claimed to be "one of the oldest histories in the English language":)
"He Bartholome the chief of the 30 ships had his name from a river of Spain
called Eirinnal, on the banks of which they had lived. This chief related to the
king the whole of their adventures, from the time they had arrived from Israel
(Palestine) their original country, and the manner and circumstances in which
their ancestors dwelt in a retired part of Spain, near Eirnia, from whence the
Spaniards drove them to sea to seek another abode"61.
"They `were called Barclenses', had been driven from Spain, and were roving
on the seas to find a place of settlement...
"Gwrgan(r)t....directed them ...to go to Ireland, which at that time lay
waste and uninhabited.
Note that it is stated expressly above that they came originally from
"Israel (Palestine) their original country". Irish and Scottish traditions
recorded waves of invaders two of the most important were the Dana and the
Goidels (Gaels) or Milesians. The Sons of Dana who also migrated to Ireland and
Britain are in another account traced to Lebanon. Nearly every legend concerning
the Gaels ("Milesians") says that their ancestors had been in Egypt at the time
of the Exodus and somehow or other had been linked in the eyes of the Egyptians
with the Children of Israel. After leaving Egypt (the legends say) the Hiberi
(also known as "Gaels", "Goidhels", and "Milesians") had sojourned in Spain and
after being driven into the northwest of that country had sailed for Ireland.
The legendary accounts therefore conform to the conclusions drawn above.
The Dollar Sign and Israelite Heritage
From the extract below (last paragraph)
we see that the dollar sign really is derived from a representation of the
Pillars of Hercules meaning the Straits of Gibraltar meaning in ancient
terminology of Tarshish.
Etymologies & Word Origins:
http://www.wordorigins.org/wordord.
htm+dollar+origin&hl=en
The origin of the almighty dollar is in what is now the Czech Republic. In
1519, a silver mine near the town of
Joachimstal
(literally "Joachim's valley," from the German
Tal,
meaning valley) began minting a silver coin called, unimaginatively, the
Joachimstaler
coin, which was circulated widely, became better known by its clipped form, the
taler.
In Dutch and Low German, the initial consonant softened to become
daler.
English adopted this form, eventually changing its spelling to the modern
dollar.
In the American colonies, there was no
standard currency. The coin that was in widest use was the Spanish Peso, known
also as "Pieces of Eight" because it could be divided into eight pie-like
pieces. The English colonists informally assigned the name dollar to this coin.
In 1785, when the Continental Congress established U.S. currency, they adopted
dollar as name for the standard unit of currency, at the suggestion of
Governeur
Morris and Thomas Jefferson, because the term was widely known and was not
associated with any form of official English currency. (Jefferson also coined
the term disme,
from the French dixieme,
for a tenth of a dollar. Pronounced deem, it eventually became dime.) The
origin of the $ sign has several folkloric stories attached. One says that
Thomas Jefferson invented it, perhaps as a sort of monogram for TS. Jefferson
was the first to use the symbol in relation to the U.S. dollar, but this story
is fanciful. Another says that originally it was U superimposed over an S, for
U.S. of course. Eventually the base of the U eroded due to poor printing
technology, leaving an S with two lines through it. Another says that it is a
variant of a figure eight that appeared on the Spanish Peso, standing for the
pieces of eight. This last is close to the truth, but not quite there.
The Spanish royal family used on its escutcheon, two pillars (representing the
Pillars of Hercules in Gibraltar and Morocco) crossed by an unfurled banner
reading "Plus Ultra." This symbol appeared on the Peso, and looked much like the
modern $ sign. It was adopted as a symbol for the Peso in the American colonies,
and was transferred to the dollar. The U.S. was the first nation to adopt an
official currency named the dollar. In 1797, the Bank of England began minting
"dollar" coins as bank-issued currency. Other nations that have adopted the name
dollar for their currency have done so in emulation of either the U.S. or this
short-lived Bank of England practice.
(b) THE DOLLAR BILL,
TARSHISH,
AND THE TEN LOST TRIBES!
by Gunnar
Jeremia
Gishron
in Jerusalem, Israel
Sixteen years after the Declaration
of Independence there was promulgated a monetary law in America concerning the
currency called "Dollar".
Not many things in American culture actually originated in the United States but
most things rather have their origin in Europe. It is well known that the
American Dollar actually was an adaptation of the "Spanish
Thaler"
called Peso. The symbol "$" originally was the heraldic sign of the Spanish
Royal Family which appear on the backside of the Spanish "Pillar Dollar" and
represented the two Pillars of Hercules at Gibraltar with a Latin inscription
curled around.
The story of the dollar started in the district of Bohemia in
Czechia.
There was an enormously rich silver mine in the valley of
Joachimsthal,
and in the 15th century a new coin appeared on the world market, the "Joachims-thaler".
It soon became called simply the "Thaler"
in Austria and in Germany and wandering northward and northwestward it changed
tits name to "DALER"
in the countries of England, Holland, and Sweden. [From this evolved the term
"dollar"].
In Sweden it was King Gustav I
Wasa
who minted the first Swedish
DALER-coin. Nevertheless it was
used only in addition to the Mark-coins that continued to be the official
currency dating almost half a century. King Gustav I
Wasa
was succeeded by his son John III who was married to the Polish Princess
Katarina
Jagellonica.
After John III came his son
Sigismund who officially became
King of Sweden. Sigismund
(who mother was the Polish Princess) as well as becoming King of Sweden was
already King of Poland. Sigismund
had grown up in Poland and was a devout Catholic. In practice however Sweden was
ruled by Karl the uncle of
Sigismund. Karl acted as regent
("rikforestandare").
Karl was brother of the deceased King John, the third son of King Gustav I
Wasa,
and the uncle of the new King
Sigismund. Karl immediately
convened Parliament and Sigismund
was requested to sign an official proclamation respecting the new "Protestant"
religion of Sweden. Sigismund
did sign but it soon became obvious that he had no intention of fulfilling the
conditions of the proclamation. Another Parliament was convened in 1599.
Sigismund
was deposed and Karl was elected (as Karl IX) in his stead.
It was Karl IX that made the
Daler into the new main currency,
minting a whole series of "Nova
Moneta" "new coins " at the turn
of the century in 1599 and in 1600. Karl at this stage was still not crowned
when he made his monetary reform and introduced the new "Daler".
He appears without a crown on all coins in this series. Even though
Sigismund
never had a real chance to regain his crown, Karl IX refrained from being
officially crowned until 1606, four years before his death.
The new currency was quite exceptional. The coins had
God"s
holy four letter name, the so-called
Tetragrammaton,
engraved upon them, in authentic Hebrew characters with proper vocalization.
Around the Holy Name appears something that looks like the rays of the sun and
around the periphery of the coins there were additional texts. Often this
additional text indicated the slogan of the King in Latin "
solvatum
mea". In Swedish this is "Gud
min trost"
or "In God We Trust"! Karl IX had a very keen interest in theological questions
with an almost "Calvinist" frame of mind. We have to bear in mind that this was
the first Protestant nation in the world fighting for its existence against the
Catholics.
King Karl IX became neither as famous as his father, Gustav
Wasa,
who finally united Sweden, nor as his son, Gustav II
Adolf
who died the death of a hero in Germany during the 30-Years War, defending the
interests of the regional Protestant Lords and Princes. This was ended with the
Peace of Westfalen
in 1648 and came to lay down the main lines for the religious map of Europe
during the following centuries. It is against this background of an intense
struggle between Protestants and Catholics that these "sacred" coins must be
understood. The new DALER
[i.e. "dollar"] of the Protestants had an almost American slogan: "GUD
MIN TROST".
This was the personal slogan of King Karl IX after the custom of Swedish
monarchs. "Trost"
and "trust" are etymologically the same word even if the English "trust" is
[conventionally] translated "fortrosta"
in Swedish. Truly the origins of many English words are to be found in Swedish
or in the other Nordic languages. The expression "GUD
MIN TROST"
is comparable with the English "In God We Trust" now printed on every Dollar
bill.
Brit-Am Comment:
Gunnar Jeremia Gishron says that the original Dollar sign was derived from a
representation of the Straits of Gibraltar. In ancient times these would stand
for Tarshish. Tarshish was a state just to the east of Gibraltar facing the
Atlantic Ocean. Tarshish was a trading empire linked with King Solomon and other
Israelite monarchs. It had outposts in Gaul and Britain and according to one
authority once controlled most of Spain and Gaul. Tarshish in Rabbinical
terminology came to represent the whole Atlantic area beyond the Mediteranean
and this usage was foreshadowed by the Biblical one. In Isaiah 60:9 it says that
the ships of Tarshish are destined to bring the Lost Israelites back to the land
of Israel. We have interpreted this in our works to refer to the ships of
Britain and North America. The ancient northern Israelites before their exile
wrote in Hebrew but also used Egyptian-like hieroglyphic signs. They used to
insert these signs in the midst of their Hebrew sentences. The principle of
these signs is that as a kind of shorthand one can employ a picture-emblem
instead of a word. Were we to employ this method today we could use the dollar
sign to represent the USA. This sign already represents American money but it
could also be used to represent America in general and we would know what the
intention was from the context in which it was employed. By the same method the
sign could also represent Tarshish since it is derived from an image of the
Straits of Gibraltar.
Gunnar also says that the first dollar had the name of God in Hebrew
inscribed upon it and the slogan "In God We Trust". It would be interesting to
learn if this slogan was later printed on the dollar bill with the knowledge
that it had been on the dollar coin or this is another of those historical
"coincidences" we have learned to almost take for granted!
In our Commentary to Isaiah chapter two we also spoke of Tarshish and said:
"Tarshish" can refer to the Atlantic Ocean area and to the USA as explained in
"The Tribes". Historically Tarshish was centred in Spain with colonies in Gaul
and Britain. It was just past the Straits of Gibraltar and so the name (in
Biblical exegesis) came to represent the whole Atlantic Ocean area and in a
future sense Noth America.
Gunnar Jeremia Gishron of Jerusalem traced the dollar to a coin issued by a
Swedish monarch. The original coin included the name of God in Hebrew and the
motto in Swedish "In God WE Trust"!
Later the Spanish adapted the coin and the USA took it from the Spanish. The
Spanish version bore the Heraldric sign of the Spanish Royal family. This
represented the two pillars of Hercules at Gibraltar. These pillars gave rise to
the dollar "$" symbol (with two strokes not one)! The ancient northern
Israelites (LTTS) wrote Hebrew interspersed with Egyptian-like hieroglyphics.
Where we to use the hieroglyphic system today instead of writing "AMERICA" or
the USA all the time we would substitute "$" as a hieroglyph representing the
USA. This one sign ($) could only in the context stand for the USA. This is the
sign of Gibraltar, i.e. the sign of Tarshish. Isaiah (60;9) says that ships of
Tarshish will be the leaders in returning the exiles.
What Really is Tarshish?
We were requested to comment on the following posting:
Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 14:46:22 +0800
From: David Wise
Subject: [lostTribes]
"TARSHISH"
There is no Biblical or scriptural foundation that
Tarshish
is the USA or Great Britain.
The only "black & white" reference is of Spain and the western
mediteranean
area, which to mention also had mines working the rich deposits of silver, iron,
tin and other metals found there. Jeremiah 10:9 and Ezekiel 27:3, 12 confirm
this.
David Wise
[Jeremiah 10:9] SILVER SPREAD INTO PLATES IS BROUGHT FROM
TARSHISH,
AND GOLD FROM UPHAZ,
THE WORK OF THE WORKMAN, AND OF THE HANDS OF THE FOUNDER: BLUE AND PURPLE IS
THEIR CLOTHING: THEY ARE ALL THE WORK OF CUNNING MEN.
[Ezekiel 27:3] AND SAY UNTO TYRUS,
O THOU THAT ART SITUATE AT THE ENTRY OF THE SEA, WHICH ART A MERCHANT OF THE
PEOPLE FOR MANY ISLES, THUS SAITH
THE LORD GOD; O TYRUS,
THOU HAST SAID, I AM OF PERFECT BEAUTY.
[Ezekiel 27:12] TARSHISH
WAS THY MERCHANT BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF ALL KIND OF RICHES; WITH SILVER,
IRON, TIN, AND LEAD, THEY TRADED IN THY FAIRS.
Brit-Am Reply:
Comment: We had previously sent out a posting on Tarshish consisting mainly of
extracts from chapter twelve of our work "Lost Israelite Identity". We had
apparently not been explicit enough and not included enough sources and should
also have quoted from chapter eleven in "Lost Israelite Identity".
This is part of what we said in the previous posting:
<<The Assyrians claimed to control Tarsis in the far west of their domains. The
exact position of Tarsis is still uncertain though a place somewhere on the west
coast (more specifically the southwest coast) of Spain, near Gades (Cadiz) is
usually accepted. In Classical (Greek and Roman) records there was an important
center named "Tartessos" somewhere on the Spanish southwest coast. "Tartessos"
is generally identified with the western Tarshish of Scripture. According to one
opinion Tartessos once controlled most of Spain and Gaul. Tartessos served as an
emporium for goods from Gaul and Britain.
In Scripture and Talmudic sources TARSHISH is often linked with the "Isles
of the Sea" (meaning Britain) and with the "Yam Okyanus" (i.e. Oceanic Sea)
meaning the Atlantic Ocean.
In some Talmudic accounts Tarshish is taken to refer to the Sea encompassing
one third of the world. The Aramaic translation of Yehonathan translates "Tarshish"
as "sea". Rashi (the major Talmudic Commentator) says that (the sea) Tarshish is
called the Sea of Africa presumably meaning the Atlantic.
In one of the Psalms, it says "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall
bring presents" (Psalm 72;10): The Aramaic Targum translates this expression to
say, "The Kings of Tarsis and of the Isles in the Oceanic Sea shall bring
offerings" and by Oceanic Sea (i.e."Yam Okyanus") it is generally understood
that the Atlantic Ocean is intended.
"Tarshish" is referred to in connection with the Messianic era and with the
return of the exiled Tribes of Israel:
"Who are these that fly as a cloud and as a dove to their windows? Surely
the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons
from afar, their silver and gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God to
the Holy One of Israel because he hath glorified thee" (Isaiah 60:8-9).
The above verse speaks of the exiled of Israel returning to the land of
Israel by air (i.e. in aeroplanes) and by ship. The "Ships of Tarshish" means
those plying the Atlantic Ocean ("Yam Okeanus") and it therefore follows that
Tarshish was someplace on the Atlantic coast.
From the above we said that Tarshish referred in our comprehension of the
Biblical account and in Talmudic understanding with the Atlantic Ocean area in
general and with Britain and America in particular. We also had a posting from
Steven Collins pointing out that the great researcher Cyrus Gordon based on
archaeological finds considered "Tarshish" to refer to North America. The
confusion arises since we had said that Tarshish was centered in Spain and from
this some want to say that it refers only to Spain and that we are all wrong.
The fault is partly ours since it seems that Tarshish was the name of center
west of the Straits of Gibraltar in southwest Spain and ALSO of the whole area
(in Britain and Gaul) associated with this center. We did not emphasize the last
point sufficiently.
In "Lost Israelite Identity" we wrote:
<<The Phoenecians (implied Avienus) had established colonies in Britain.
Their monopoly on British tin made them rich and powerful; tin and copper were
essential in the production of bronze which was the basic metal employed by most
ancient peoples.
Ezekiel said:
TARSHISH WAS THY MERCHANT BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF ALL KIND OF RICHES; WITH
SILVER, IRON, TIN, AND LEAD, THEY TRADED IN THY FAIRS [Ezekiel 27:12].
Exekiel is referring to the Phonicians in Tyre who received silver, iron, tin,
and lead from Tarshish. Tin especially was important since it was needed in the
production of bronze that was the primary metal used at that time. The tin of
Tarshish mentioned by Ezekiel was obtained from Britain.
"Lost Israelite Identity" chapter 11:
<<"The burden of Tyre. Howl ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste. Be
still ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon that pass
over the sea have replenished pass ye over to Tarshish; howl ye inhabitants of
the isle Pass through thy land like a river, O daughter of Tarshish..daughter of
Zidon; arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.."
Isaiah ch.23.
<<The ships of Tyre are "ships of Tarshish" and it is predicted that Tyre
would be destroyed and an attempted re-establishment would be made in Chittim
which would be unsuccessful and from there a move to Tarshish itself (in Spain)
would have to be made.
Sargon (722-705) claimed to have conquered Anaku and Kaptara in the Atlantic
Ocean. "Anaku" is said to mean the Land of Tin and could refer to Britain whilst
Kaptara (i.e. "Cyprus" in Assyrian terms) in the Atlantic Ocean apparently means
Scandinavia where Bronze Age remains show direct contact with Mediterranean
Cyprus, Egypt, and the Middle East and Egyptian descriptions of a Kaptara (i.e.
"Cyprus") in the Atlantic Ocean are apposite to what is known concerning the
civilisation of Scandinavia at that time. Sennacherib (705-681) took Tyre and
began the organised exile and re-settlement of its inhabitants.
Esarhaddon (681-669) boasted of controlling Yadnana (i.e. "Isle of the
Dananu", meaning Cyprus), Yaman (Yavan meaning Greece), and Tarsis (meaning
Tarsis of the Atlantic) presumably in Spain. Assyrian references explicitly
mention Tarsis as the westernmost extremity of Phoenecian colonisation.
According to Avienus and various sources the Phoenecians had colonies in Britain
and this fact together with other indications suggests that the concept of "Tarshish"
as well as intending someplace on the southwest or west coast of Spain also
encompassed the British Isles and one understanding of the name "Tarshish"
itself is "sea" or "ocean" and therefore places or isles in the ocean.
From the above we see that Tarshish was considered the westernmost region known
to the Assyrians and the Assyrians did know of Britain and minerals from Britain
were considered as coming from Tarshish. The Talmud considered Tarshish to be
the Atlantic Ocean area in general associated with the Isles of the Sea meaning
Britain.
In addition in a note to "Lost Israelite Identity" chapter twelve we had noted:
[12.* Some modern scholars explain the word "Tarshish" to mean "forgers" or
"furnace" and to refer to metal-working. The Talmudic explanation linking "Tarshish"
to the sea is actually more feasible. Tarshish is the name of a son of Javan
(Genesis 10:3) meaning Ionia and Greece and Elyakim ben Menachem points out that
"Thalasos" in Greek came to mean "Sea" and the "L" (of "Thalasos") is
interchangeable with "r". This observation makes the names "Tharsis" (i.e.
Tarshish) and "Thalasos" ("Sea") different forms of the same word. Cyrus
Gordon (1978, JNES, 37) said that the Greek word "Thalassa" which was their
commonest term for "sea" was of Near Eastern origin with roots attested in
Egyptian, Hebrew, and hieroglyphic Hittite. The word is cognate with Tarshish.
In other words according to the above the Talmudic equation of Tarshish with the
Sea is paralleled on linguistic grounds with a usage in Greek, Egyptian, Hebrew,
and Hittite.
The other point we mentioned is perhaps equally important:
Tarshish was seen to represent the sea area beyond the Pillars of Hercules, i.e.
the Atlantic Ocean. In Prophecy this refers to North America, Britain, and
related areas. The symbol of the USA can be taken as being the dollar sign. This
sign is derived from a Spanish coat of arms representing the Straits of
Gibraltar (Pillars of Hercules) beyond which lay the realm of Tarshish that
included America or was to do so in the future.
The Prophets spoke in terms of their own reality. Isaiah 60:9 saw the Isles and
the ships of Tarshish associated with the return of the exiles of Israel. In
Isaiah's time Ships of Tarshish probably included ships trading with Tartessos
in Spain as well as those traveling from Britain. It would seem from other
sources that the British Isles (including Ireland) as well as Spain were
included in the concept "Tarshish". Even if this was not so those Israelites
who went to Spain did later gravitate to the British Isles and the term "Tarshish"
could be sued as synonymous with the Atlantic Ocean area.
This does not mean that in the future ships of Tarshish have to come from those
places or from both those places. Isaiah was referring to whatever would evolve
in the future from what was represented by "The ships of Tarshish" in his
time.
[Isaiah 60:10] AND THE SONS OF STRANGERS SHALL BUILD UP THY WALLS, AND THEIR
KINGS SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE: FOR IN MY WRATH I SMOTE THEE, BUT IN MY FAVOUR
HAVE I HAD MERCY ON THEE.
Isaiah again returns to consider matters mainly from the aspect of Judah. It
should be remembered that though Isaiah spoke about the Lost Ten Tribes as much
as any of the Prophets he was from the Tribe of Judah and related to the Kings
of Judah. We saw that according to tradition Isaiah was the grandson of King
Amaziah
of Judah and father-in-law of King Hezekiah of Judah. He lived for a very long
time and was apparently the grandfather of
Menasseh
who nevertheless put him to death. If anything Isaiah also had a tendency to
emphasize religion and spiritual correctness above other considerations. His
prophecies sometimes tend to revert to an emphasis on Judah. Prophecy comes
from God but they are delivered through human agency and the characteristics of
that agency influence the form in which the Prophecies are received. The Human
nature of the receiving agency also influences what
particualar
prophecies are received by what particular prophet.
[Isaiah 60:11] THEREFORE THY GATES SHALL BE OPEN CONTINUALLY; THEY SHALL NOT BE
SHUT DAY NOR NIGHT; THAT MEN MAY BRING UNTO THEE THE FORCES OF THE GENTILES, AND
THAT THEIR KINGS MAY BE BROUGHT.
[Isaiah 60:12] FOR THE NATION AND KINGDOM THAT WILL NOT SERVE THEE SHALL
PERISH; YEA, THOSE NATIONS SHALL BE UTTERLY WASTED.
In the Messianic Era all nations will
have to worship the God of Israel and give tribute to the Temple in Jerusalem
and receive instruction from Jerusalem. No more Mohamed, no Buddha, no more New
Age, no more anything. This is what the Bible says.
[Isaiah 60:13] THE GLORY OF LEBANON SHALL COME UNTO THEE, THE FIR TREE, THE
PINE TREE, AND THE BOX TOGETHER, TO BEAUTIFY THE PLACE OF MY SANCTUARY; AND I
WILL MAKE THE PLACE OF MY FEET GLORIOUS.
These trees represent nations and
national qualities. Everyone has their place and everyone is destined to be
enabled to make their own unique contribution to the glory of God.
[Isaiah 60:14] THE SONS ALSO OF THEM THAT AFFLICTED THEE SHALL COME BENDING
UNTO THEE; AND ALL THEY THAT DESPISED THEE SHALL BOW THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE
SOLES OF THY FEET; AND THEY SHALL CALL THEE; THE CITY OF THE LORD, THE ZION OF
THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.
The persecutors of the Jews shall
repent. Their descendants shall request forgiveness and acknowledge the basic
relative innocence and righteousness of the Jewish people. This has happened in
a very small way in our generation. Representatives of the German, Ukrainian,
and Lithuanian, and other peoples have requested forgiveness from the Jews for
having persecuted them in the past. You could say that they do not really mean
it or that they just want to get on good terms with the State of Israel or with
Jewish and Gentile politicians in the USA, or just in general to
imporve
their international image. It could also be claimed that those making the
apologies do not represent the mass of the people but rather a minority of
intellectuals whose ancestors were probably never involved in the persecutions
but stood aside from them. Even so, in some cases to a degree there must be a
genuine feeling of regret or repentance behind the said apologies even if only
a very small number of their peoples really agree with them. The potential for
regret and repentance is there and in the future will show itself to a greater
intensity.
[Isaiah 60:15] WHEREAS THOU HAS BEEN FORSAKEN AND HATED, SO THAT NO MAN WENT
THROUGH THEE, I WILL MAKE THEE AN ETERNAL EXCELLENCY, A JOY OF MANY GENERATIONS.
Jerusalem as a physical place was a
desolation for many centuries. When the Jews began to return the situation of
the Land of Israel began to improve. Many so-called "Palestinians" were
actually the descendants of immigrants from Egypt, Syria, Bosnia, Afghanistan,
and other parts of the Muslim world that under Turkish encouragement (Turkey
once ruled here) began to settle in the Land after the Jews (with American and
British encouragement and protection) had began to return to it. This has been
documented by many historians but see especially "The Vision Was There" by Joan
Peters.
"NO MAN WENT THROUGH THEE" also
translateable as meaning "no-one
was a guarantee for you".
Judah as a people was also hated and abandoned and no-body put themselves out to
help her.
[Isaiah 60:16] THOU SHALT ALSO SUCK THE MILK OF THE GENTILES, AND SHALT SUCK
THE BREAST OF KINGS: AND THOU SHALT KNOW THAT I THE LORD AM THY SAVIOUR AND THY
REDEEMER, THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB.
[Isaiah 60:17] FOR BRASS I WILL BRING GOLD, AND FOR IRON I WILL BRING SILVER,
AND FOR WOOD BRASS, AND FOR STONES IRON: I WILL ALSO MAKE THY OFFICERS PEACE,
AND THINE EXACTORS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
[Isaiah 60:18] VIOLENCE SHALL NO MORE BE HEARD IN THY LAND, WASTING NOR
DESTRUCTION WITHIN THY BORDERS; BUT THOU SHALT CALL THY WALLS SALVATION, AND
THY GATES PRAISE.
[Isaiah 60:19] THE SUN SHALL BE NO MORE THY LIGHT BY DAY; NEITHER FOR
BRIGHTNESS SHALL THE MOON GIVE LIGHT UNTO THEE: BUT THE LORD SHALL BE UNTO THEE
AN EVERLASTING LIGHT, AND THY GOD THY GLORY.
[Isaiah 60:20] THY SUN SHALL NO MORE GO DOWN; NEITHER SHALL THY MOON WITHDRAW
ITSELF: FOR THE LORD SHALL BE THINE EVERLASTING LIGHT, AND THE DAYS OF THY
MOURNING SHALL BE ENDED.
[Isaiah 60:21] THY PEOPLE ALSO SHALL BE ALL RIGHTEOUS: THEY SHALL INHERIT THE
LAND FOR EVER, THE BRANCH OF MY PLANTING, THE WORK OF MY HANDS, THAT I MAY BE
GLORIFIED.
" THY PEOPLE ALSO SHALL BE ALL RIGHTEOUS": Through being righteous
they shall merit to be blessed.
[Isaiah 60:22] A LITTLE ONE SHALL BECOME A THOUSAND, AND A SMALL ONE A STRONG
NATION: I THE LORD WILL HASTEN IT IN HIS TIME.
A very large number will be saved in the
end and these will increase greatly manifold over. It may well be that
Israelites will become the majority of the
world's
population.
"WILL HASTEN IT IN HIS TIME" This traditionally was read "WILL HASTEN IT, IN
HIS TIME" i.e. WILL HASTEN IT: If you are meritorious it will come sooner but
if not there is a time-limit after which the End Times will come at all events =
"IN HIS TIME"
Isaiah 60 Summarized for Perspective
[Isaiah 60:1] ARISE, SHINE; FOR THY LIGHT IS COME, AND THE GLORY OF THE
LORD IS RISEN UPON THEE.
[Isaiah 60:2] FOR, BEHOLD, THE DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH, AND GROSS
DARKNESS THE PEOPLE: BUT THE LORD SHALL ARISE UPON THEE, AND HIS GLORY SHALL BE
SEEN UPON THEE.
There will be a spiritual enlightenment
for all Israel. It will encompass both Judah and the Lost Ten Tribes. After that
it will spread to all the world.
[Isaiah 60:3] AND THE GENTILES SHALL COME TO THY LIGHT, AND KINGS TO THE
BRIGHTNESS OF THY RISING.
[Isaiah 60:4] LIFT UP THINE EYES ROUND ABOUT, AND SEE: ALL THEY GATHER
THEMSELVES TOGETHER, THEY COME TO THEE: THY SONS SHALL COME FROM FAR, AND THY
DAUGHTERS SHALL BE NURSED AT THY SIDE.
[Isaiah 60:5] THEN THOU SHALT SEE, AND FLOW TOGETHER, AND THINE HEART SHALL
FEAR, AND BE ENLARGED; BECAUSE THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SEA SHALL BE CONVERTED UNTO
THEE, THE FORCES OF THE GENTILES SHALL COME UNTO THEE.
THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SEA: The Lost Ten
Tribes in the Isles of the Sea will return and be re-united with Judah in the
service of the God of Israel. THE FORCES OF THE GENTILES actually means the
might and power of the peoples and in this case those concerned are Lost
Israelites.
[Isaiah 60:6] THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS SHALL COVER THEE, THE DROMEDARIES OF
MIDIAN AND EPHAH; ALL THEY FROM SHEBA SHALL COME: THEY SHALL BRING GOLD AND
INCENSE; AND THEY SHALL SHEW FORTH THE PRAISES OF THE LORD.
This may be figurative or it may mean
that actual nations shall devote their increase to your service.
[Isaiah 60:7] ALL THE FLOCKS OF KEDAR SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO THEE, THE
RAMS OF NEBAIOTH SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE: THEY SHALL COME UP WITH ACCEPTANCE ON
MINE ALTAR, AND I WILL GLORIFY THE HOUSE OF MY GLORY.
Kedar
and Nebaoith
may be referring to North America since people from these nations did settle
amongst the Amerindians and therefore in one respect the land could be called on
their name.
[Isaiah 60:8] WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY AS A CLOUD, AND AS THE DOVES TO THEIR
WINDOWS?
The Lost Tribes and Judah will return in
aeroplanes
flying as a cloud like pigeons homing in on their homeland.
[Isaiah 60:9] SURELY THE ISLES SHALL WAIT FOR ME, AND THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH
FIRST, TO BRING THY SONS FROM FAR, THEIR SILVER AND THEIR GOLD WITH THEM, UNTO
THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD, AND TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, BECAUSE HE HATH
GLORIFIED THEE.
The ships of
Tarshish
are ships plying the Atlantic Ocean such as those of North America who will
bring the Exiles back.
[Isaiah 60:10] AND THE SONS OF STRANGERS SHALL BUILD UP THY WALLS, AND THEIR
KINGS SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE: FOR IN MY WRATH I SMOTE THEE, BUT IN MY FAVOUR
HAVE I HAD MERCY ON THEE.
[Isaiah 60:11] THEREFORE THY GATES SHALL BE OPEN CONTINUALLY; THEY SHALL NOT BE
SHUT DAY NOR NIGHT; THAT MEN MAY BRING UNTO THEE THE FORCES OF THE GENTILES, AND
THAT THEIR KINGS MAY BE BROUGHT.
[Isaiah 60:12] FOR THE NATION AND KINGDOM THAT WILL NOT SERVE THEE SHALL
PERISH; YEA, THOSE NATIONS SHALL BE UTTERLY WASTED.
All the world will acknowledge the God
of Israel and His Divine Service centered in Jerusalem.
[Isaiah 60:13] THE GLORY OF LEBANON SHALL COME UNTO THEE, THE FIR TREE, THE
PINE TREE, AND THE BOX TOGETHER, TO BEAUTIFY THE PLACE OF MY SANCTUARY; AND I
WILL MAKE THE PLACE OF MY FEET GLORIOUS.
All peoples of the world will serve you
since you will be dedicated to the Most High.
[Isaiah 60:14] THE SONS ALSO OF THEM THAT AFFLICTED THEE SHALL COME BENDING
UNTO THEE; AND ALL THEY THAT DESPISED THEE SHALL BOW THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE
SOLES OF THY FEET; AND THEY SHALL CALL THEE; THE CITY OF THE LORD, THE ZION OF
THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.
The descendants of the persecutors of
Judah will serve Judah.
[Isaiah 60:15] WHEREAS THOU HAS BEEN FORSAKEN AND HATED, SO THAT NO MAN WENT
THROUGH THEE, I WILL MAKE THEE AN ETERNAL EXCELLENCY, A JOY OF MANY GENERATIONS.
Judah shall be
elvated
and recompesed
for its suffering.
[Isaiah 60:16] THOU SHALT ALSO SUCK THE MILK OF THE GENTILES, AND SHALT SUCK
THE BREAST OF KINGS: AND THOU SHALT KNOW THAT I THE LORD AM THY SAVIOUR AND THY
REDEEMER, THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB.
[Isaiah 60:17] FOR BRASS I WILL BRING GOLD, AND FOR IRON I WILL BRING SILVER,
AND FOR WOOD BRASS, AND FOR STONES IRON: I WILL ALSO MAKE THY OFFICERS PEACE,
AND THINE EXACTORS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
[Isaiah 60:18] VIOLENCE SHALL NO MORE BE HEARD IN THY LAND, WASTING NOR
DESTRUCTION WITHIN THY BORDERS; BUT THOU SHALT CALL THY WALLS SALVATION, AND
THY GATES PRAISE.
The nature of mankind will change for
the better.
[Isaiah 60:19] THE SUN SHALL BE NO MORE THY LIGHT BY DAY; NEITHER FOR
BRIGHTNESS SHALL THE MOON GIVE LIGHT UNTO THEE: BUT THE LORD SHALL BE UNTO THEE
AN EVERLASTING LIGHT, AND THY GOD THY GLORY.
[Isaiah 60:20] THY SUN SHALL NO MORE GO DOWN; NEITHER SHALL THY MOON WITHDRAW
ITSELF: FOR THE LORD SHALL BE THINE EVERLASTING LIGHT, AND THE DAYS OF THY
MOURNING SHALL BE ENDED.
[Isaiah 60:21] THY PEOPLE ALSO SHALL BE ALL RIGHTEOUS: THEY SHALL INHERIT THE
LAND FOR EVER, THE BRANCH OF MY PLANTING, THE WORK OF MY HANDS, THAT I MAY BE
GLORIFIED.
We will all be good.
[Isaiah 60:22] A LITTLE ONE SHALL BECOME A THOUSAND, AND A SMALL ONE A STRONG
NATION: I THE LORD WILL HASTEN IT IN HIS TIME.
Even the smallest and most insignificant
amongst us will be enabled to realize his or her potential a million fold over.
See also:
Biblical Proofs
http://www.britam.org/Proof/ProofsIntro.html
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