"Brit-Am Now"-1054
Contents: 1. Opinions Concerning the "
Wilderness":
(a) Thomas Gray: "a physical wilderness"
(b) Charlotte Mecklenburg: "Israel as a collective body of people are being
tested"
2. Brit-Am Commentary to Hosiah
3 Upgraded
The Present Situation Described
3. Kobler Continued: The First American Zionist Consul
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################################################### 1. Opinions Concerning the "Wilderness"
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(a) Thomas Gray: "a physical
wilderness"
From: Thomas Gray <todagray@gmail.com>
Re: "Brit-Am Now"-1053
#3. Question on Israel in the "Wilderness" in the Latter Times
I believe that Ezekiel 20:36 makes it clear that the wilderness is a physical
wilderness, since it is to be like what happened to the fathers in the Exodus,
and that was a wilderness experience in the physical sense. In fact, I see a
contrast with a richening spiritual experience in a physical desert. It seems
that when we are in a lush physical setting eating "leeks and garlic", or even
"milk and honey", we often tend to forget God. On the other hand, God often
seems to be reach people more in the wilderness. The Bible is full of examples,
Moses being a principle example. When I saw this verse, a picture of cowboys
around the campfire came into my mind.
Looking at the descriptions of the land of Israel as it was when Israel was led
into it (Numbers 14), I think that most of the world today, including the
present land of Israel, is a poor wilderness in comparison.
Thomas Gray.
================================================ (b) Charlotte Mecklenburg: "Israel as a
collective body of people are being tested"
Shalom Yair regarding
Our arrival in the Wilderness that was mentioned in the last e-mail messages:
When I read Ezekiel 20:33 using Irving Stone translation it says: "The Lord
Hashem/Elohim I will rule over you with a strong hand and with an outstretched
arm and with outpoured wrath. I will take you out from the nations and gather
you from the lands to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an
outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath and I will bring you to the Wilderness
of the Nations and I will contend with you there, face to face. Just as I
contended with your forefathers in the Wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will
I contend with you ------37 I will make you pass under the rod and bring you
into the bond of the covenant. I will separate from among you those who rebel
and those who transgress against me; I will take them out of the land of their
sojourning, but they will not come to the soil of Israel; then you will know
that I am Hashem."
Verse 40 But on My holy mountain,---------there the entire House of Israel, all
of it will serve me in the land; there I will accept them favorably, when I
remove you from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you were
scattered; and I will be sanctified through you in the eyes of the nations. 42
Then you will know that I am Hashem, when I bring you to the soil of Israel, to
the land about which I raised my hand to give to your forefathers."
When I read this passage and thought about it in the context of the entire book
of Ezekiel and what God plans to do. In the entire context we see more details,
it speaks to me of something that is happening now and has been happening in the
last 100 years. First of all we know God is speaking to the entire house of
Israel for two reasons. He mentions their first wilderness experience which was
for the entire house of Israel and then he states it specifically in verse 40.
I believe the trials of WW I and II and what followed is what God allowed to
happen to his people both Jew and Christian. This is part of the out poured
wrath with which he brought them out of the nations. But the further terrorism
that is so rampant shows that it is not over yet. Since the whole house of
Israel is not on the holy mountain we know that we are still in the wilderness
of the nations and from God's point of view, no one has arrived until they pass
under the rod. How, what and who does the measuring, I do not think any one of
us knows. But the idea that a shepherd's rod is used indicates a shepherd that
God has appointed may do this or he himself. We know by Ezekiel chapter 36:25 he
plans to cleanse the house of Israel from all their contamination. And also
37:22-23 indicates the same thing and it is for the entire house of Israel after
they have been joined. So with the wilderness experience that tests and sorts
through the people who will follow Hashem from those who are bent on rebellion,
the whole house of Israel will then come under the rod to measure whether they
have a heart and will to be cleansed and be part of the Holy Nation that lifts
up the name of Hashem so that the world will know that there is a God in Israel.
What has the wilderness felt like to you, or do you have life so easy that your
identification with Hashem is never tested? When we answer these questions maybe
we know whether we are yet to be led into the wilderness. Hosea says wilderness
specifically for the Northern Kingdom and Ezekiel speaks of a wilderness of
nations. God is dealing with a nation as well as individuals. Therefore, Israel
as a collective body of people are being tested by their reaction to the
pressure the nations put on them whether they will trust God or look to some
nation to be their help. Do we grumble and complain as we did in the first
wilderness experience, or do we say it is a big obstacle but God is big enough
and powerful enough to do what he says he will do.
These are some of the thoughts that came to me as I read these verses this year.
Charlotte Mecklenburg
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2. Brit-Am Commentary to Hosia
3 Upgraded:
The Present Situation Described
http://britam.org/hosea3.html Summary: The Prophet is told to take a woman and
lover her as his soul-mate. The woman however will betray him just as the
Israelites betrayed God Almighty by committing idolatry. In their time of Exile
a long stage will transpire when the Israelites will no longer be actual practisioners
of idolatry yet neither will they be able to worship the Almighty God of Israel
as requred.
This is more or less the situation in our day. After that, in the End Times they
will return and seek the God of Israel, and Messiah Son of David, and the Temple
Service in Jerusalem.
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3. Kobler Continued: The First American Zionist Consul Franz Kobler
"The Vision Was There.
A History of the British Movement for the Restoration of the Jews to Palestine"
PART FOUR
DIFFERENTIATION AND SYNTHESIS
I. NEW MEN AND NEW SCHEMES
http://www.britam.org/vision/koblerpart4.html#New Extract: Nevertheless, Jewish colonisation
of Palestine had actually started at the halfway mark of the century. A fusion
of the two movements marked this memorable beginning. The link between them was
most appropriately and almost symbolically a proselyte, Warder Cresson, American
Consul in Jerusalem, who embraced Judaism in 1849 and from then on called
himself Michael Boaz Israel. In 1852 he founded an agricultural Jewish colony in
the valley of Raphaim
as the beginning of "a new Palestine, where the Jewish nation may live by
industry, congregate and prosper". In 1854 Cresson addressed a circular letter
to the Jews of Germany, England and America, advocating the establishment of a
society for the encouragement of agriculture in Palestine. His beliefs are set
out in a series of writing of Messianic character.
