It's time to connect your life with the Bible.
That means connecting with God's voice, living life in His image, bearing His name.
Some people that consider themselves a modern day believer skip past reading and studying the only Bible that Jesus taught and the disciples studied.
Why?
I can tell you from my own experience.
I used to think that the Hebrew Bible is an Old Testament, a storybook and a book with a Sinai section full of archaic laws that have been tossed aside and replaced by grace.
I thought that because I did not study it, instead I just listened to some sermons that say forget the Torah, sure it was God's Sinai teaching and instruction, but it no longer applies despite the fact that Jesus taught "do not think" one jot or tittle of the Torah has passed away at the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:17-19).
As I sat in the pew, I heard others call the living voice of Almighty God the old law of Moses, despite the fact that what Moses did was write down what he was told by the Creator of heaven and earth and me.
I also heard forget about the Sabbath despite God's voice to remember it. I heard forget God's calendar, His rehearsals and appointments because they are only Jewish, not the forever Feasts of the LORD.
Then I read the book of Zechariah.
I found out that his Hebrew name זכריה Zeḵaryâh "God has remembered." His name incorporates two critical Hebrew elements: Zakar (זָכַר): A verb meaning "to remember," "to recall," or "to call to mind" and Yah (יָהּ) a shortened form of the Hebrew name for God.
I read that The LORD God of Israel told Zechariah as noted in chapter 14 that in the end, at the Day of The LORD, people will return to Jerusalem each year at the appointed time for Sukkot, the week long Feast of Tabernacles or Booths and some despite what the world will witness will forget the Day of The LORD.
Check it out for yourself in Zechariah 14.
This passage describes a future time after the last attack of the nations against Jerusalem, The LORD will battle the nations and those that survive will bend a knee and come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, during the final appointed Feast of The LORD that was in fact never done away with.
Here’s a brief overview:
Zechariah 14:16: states that those who survive from the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.Zechariah 14:17-19: emphasizes there will be consequences for those that do not come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast, indicating that they will face a climate crisis called drought.
This no cloud climate crisis prophecy highlights the eternal significance of the Creator of Heaven and Earth and that His appointed Feast of Tabernacles is not old, done away with or just for the Jewish people and that is certainly not hung on the cross.
It was declared at Sinai as outlined in the book of Leviticus and it remains.
In the end, if you intend to be a part of that week long repeating celebration on the seventh month of God's calendar, your Sukkot teaching and instruction is detailed for you in Leviticus 23:33-44.
Here's the kicker: for the first seven days of the Feast, specific offerings will be made each day.
Leviticus 23:36 states that on the first day, there is to be a sacred assembly, and that the offerings are to be made for each of the seven days.
Leviticus 23:37-38 details the daily offerings that are to be made.
On the first day, 13 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male lambs, along with grain offerings and drink offerings. Each day following the number of bulls decreases, culminating in a total of 70 bulls over the seven days of celebration, symbolizing the 70 nations of mankind.
Zechariah 14:21 states that in that future day of the LORD, those same sacrifices will be offered in Jerusalem. Simply put, Zechariah points toward Torah restoration in the Kingdom of God and a repentant return to Kingdom life in Jerusalem as it was always meant to be since Mount Sinai.
The Sukkot Feast wraps up on the seventh day, but there's more.
There's the eighth day, which has another sacred assembly described in Leviticus 23:36 and it includes some additional offerings. The 8th day is called Shemini Atzeret, meaning "Eighth Day of Assembly," a separate but connected holy day that marks the end of the harvest season and is also known as the "Last Great Day" or the day of "Joy of the Torah" (Simchat Torah) in Israel. It's a special day for solemn assembly, distinct from the seven days of dwelling in booths, and is a time of great rejoicing.
Think of it like this... the latter day celebration will be a like a reunion with a big feast like a giant BBQ with family and friends all around and it has a grand finale. It will be a time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving for the harvest and God's protection and provision just as it's described in Leviticus 23:40 where everyone is instructed to take branches and rejoice before The LORD.
It's also referred to as a blessing and a great truth in the voice of God's sayings. You can find the Sukkot reference as big as day called The Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:6-10.
This celebration is part of the big theme of repentance, return, obedience renewal and restoration among the people that choose God's forever ways over their own.
That's the same Kingdom message Jesus declared:
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17
Not only that, after a return to God's ways which is the Hebrew meaning of repentance, we see another hidden Zechariah connection to the nations beyond the Jordan as well as the Jewish people in the synagogues of Galilee that listened to the words of Jesus:
"And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan." Matthew 4:23-25
Thankfully, the bright light of God's voice will never dim. That's why just like Moses had done in Deuternomy 30:15-20, Jesus explained there's two witnesses to the Torah and the Prophets, heaven and earth.
Bottomline, Jesus was saying Almighty God's teaching and instruction written in the Torah and in the writings of the Prophets are the forever eternal link that holds everything together so don't ignore even the smallest commandment:
"For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law [Torah] until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:18-19
The disciples of Jesus knew He was teaching that anything and everything written in Scripture thousands of years before their day was not old or done away with. That fact is embedded in the books now known as the "Gospels" that they wrote.
Here's one example:
The day after the resurrection on the day of First Fruits, two disciples were on their way home walking on the Emmaus road. Along the way, they learned a big Bible lesson as they were schooled on the Hebrew Bible like a window into the living light of the Word of God.
The man we know as Luke wrote about their lesson that should be ours too:
"Jesus explained and began at Moses and all the Prophets... and expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27
King David set the stage a thousand years earlier when he wrote: "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your Torah." (Psalm 119:18)
It seems that a man named Augustine of Hippo may have considered those two verses when he wrote this:
“The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”
You may have never heard of Augustine, but wrote that truth c. 396-430 AD, and his quote opens a window of understanding to the Newer Testament’s integration in the Word of God and the first trip Messianic prophecies of the Hebrew Bible Jesus taught the crowd about at the Sermon on the Mount that sadly most modern sermons ignore about understanding Biblical living not only emphasizes love, mercy and grace, but the guidance of the voice of Jesus, the Torah is about the way of life in God's Kingdom.
Take a look at just a few of the many other connections from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that all that want to be disciples today need to study, know and understand:
| Gospel Connections | |
|---|---|
| Matthew 1:23 | Isaiah 7:14 |
| Matthew 2:6 | Micah 5:2 |
| Matthew 2:15 | Hosea 11:1 |
| Matthew 2:18 | Jeremiah 31:15 |
| Matthew 3:3 | Isaiah 40:3 |
| Matthew 4:4 | Deuteronomy 8:3 |
| Matthew 4:6 | Psalm 91:11; 12 |
| Matthew 4:7 | Deuteronomy 6:16 |
| Matthew 4:10 | Deuteronomy 6:13 |
| Matthew 4:10 | Deuteronomy 10:20 |
| Matthew 4:15-16 | Isaiah 9:1; 2 |
| Matthew 4:15-16 | Isaiah 42:7 |
| Matthew 5:5 | Psalm 37:11 |
| Matthew 5:21 | Exodus 20:13 |
| Matthew 5:21 | Deuteronomy 5:17 |
| Matthew 5:27 | Exodus 20:14 |
| Matthew 5:27 | Deuteronomy 5:18 |
| Matthew 5:31 | Deuteronomy 24:1 |
| Matthew 5:33 | Exodus 20:7 |
| Matthew 5:33 | Leviticus 19:12 |
| Matthew 5:38 | Exodus 21:24 |
| Matthew 5:38 | Leviticus 24:20 |
| Matthew 5:38 | Deuteronomy 19:21 |
| Matthew 5:43 | Leviticus 19:18 |
| Matthew 5:48 | Genesis 17:1 |
| Matthew 7:23 | Psalm 6:8 |
| Matthew 8:4 | Leviticus 14:2-3 |
| Matthew 8:17 | Isaiah 53:4 |
| Matthew 9:13 | Hosea 6:6 |
| Matthew 10:35-36 | Micah 7:6 |
| Matthew 11:5 | Isaiah 35:5 |
| Matthew 11:5 | Isaiah 29:18 |
| Matthew 11:10 | Malachi 3:1 |
| Matthew 11:14 | Malachi 4:5 |
| Matthew 12:3 | 1Samuel 21:6 |
| Matthew 12:5 | Numbers 28:9-10 |
| Matthew 12:7 | Hosea 6:6 |
| Matthew 12:18 | Isaiah 42:1 |
| Matthew 12:18-21 | Isaiah 42:1-4 |
| Matthew 12:40 | Jonah 1:17 |
| Matthew 12:42 | 1Kings 10:1 |
| Matthew 13:14 | Isaiah 6:9-10 |
| Matthew 13:35 | Psalm 78:2 |
| Matthew 15:4 | Exodus 20:12 |
| Matthew 15:4 | Deuteronomy 5:16 |
| Matthew 15:4 | Exodus 21:17 |
| Matthew 15:4 | Leviticus 20:9 |
| Matthew 15:4 | Proverbs 20:20 |
| Matthew 15:8-9 | Isaiah 29:13 |
| Matthew 16:4 | Jonah 1:17 |
| Matthew 17:10 | Malachi 4:5 |
| Matthew 18:15 | Leviticus 19:17 |
| Matthew 18:16 | Leviticus 19:15 |
| Matthew 18:16 | Deuteronomy 19:15 |
| Matthew 19:4 | Genesis 1:27 |
| Matthew 19:5 | Genesis 2:24 |
| Matthew 19:7 | Deuteronomy 24:1 |
| Matthew 19:18 | Exodus 20:12 |
| Matthew 19:19 | Leviticus 19:18 |
| Matthew 19:26 | Jeremiah 32:17 |
| Matthew 21:5 | Zechariah 9:9 |
| Matthew 21:9 | Psalm 118:26 |
| Matthew 21:13 | Isaiah 56:7 |
| Matthew 21:13 | Jeremiah 7:11 |
| Matthew 21:16 | Psalm 8:2 |
| Matthew 21:33 | Isaiah 5:1 |
| Matthew 21:42 | Psalm 118:22-23 |
| Matthew 21:44 | Isaiah 8:14 |
| Matthew 21:44 | Zechariah 12:3 |
| Matthew 21:44 | Daniel 2:34-35 |
| Matthew 22:24 | Deuteronomy 25:5 |
| Matthew 22:32 | Exodus 3:6 |
| Matthew 22:37 | Deuteronomy 6:5 |
| Matthew 22:39 | Leviticus 19:18 |
| Matthew 22:44 | Psalm 110:1 |
| Matthew 23:35 | Genesis 4:8 |
| Matthew 23:35 | 2Chronicles 24:21-22 |
| Matthew 23:38 | Psalm 69:25 |
| Matthew 23:38 | Jeremiah 12:7 |
| Matthew 23:38 | Jeremiah 22:5 |
| Matthew 23:39 | Psalm 118:26 |
| Matthew 24:15 | Daniel 9:27 |
| Matthew 24:15 | Daniel 8:13 |
| Matthew 24:15 | Daniel 11:31 |
| Matthew 24:15 | Daniel 12:11 |
| Matthew 24:21 | Jeremiah 30:7 |
| Matthew 24:29 | Isaiah 13:9-10 |
| Matthew 24:29 | Joel 2:10 |
| Matthew 24:29 | Joel 3:15 |
| Matthew 24:29 | Ezekiel 32:7 |
| Matthew 24:35 | Isaiah 51:16 |
| Matthew 24:37 | Genesis 7:4 |
| Matthew 25:41 | Psalm 6:8 |
| Matthew 26:24 | Psalm 22:1-31 |
| Matthew 26:31 | Zechariah 13:7 |
| Matthew 26:60 | Psalm 35:11 |
| Matthew 26:67 | Isaiah 50:6 |
| Matthew 27:9-10 | Zechariah 11:13 |
| Matthew 27:35 | Psalm 22:18 |
| Matthew 27:43 | Psalm 22:7-9 |
| Matthew 27:46 | Psalm 22:1 |
| Matthew 28:18 | Daniel 7:14 |
| Mark 1:2; 3 | Malachi 3:1 |
| Mark 1:2; 3 | Isaiah 40:3 |
| Mark 1:44 | Leviticus 14:2 |
| Mark 2:25-26 | 1Samuel 21:6 |
| Mark 4:12 | Isaiah 6:9 |
| Mark 7:6; 7 | Isaiah 29:13 |
| Mark 7:10 | Exodus 20:12 |
| Mark 7:10 | Deuteronomy 5:16 |
| Mark 7:10 | Exodus 21:17 |
| Mark 7:10 | Proverbs 20:20 |
| Mark 9:11 | Malachi 4:5 |
| Mark 9:44 | Isaiah 66:24 |
| Mark 10:4 | Deuteronomy 24:1 |
| Mark 10:6 | Genesis 1:27 |
| Mark 10:7 | Genesis 2:24 |
| Mark 10:19 | Exodus 20:12; 13-14 |
| Mark 11:9 | Psalm 118:26 |
| Mark 11:17 | Isaiah 56:7 |
| Mark 11:17 | Jeremiah 7:11 |
| Mark 12:1 | Isaiah 5:1 |
| Mark 12:10-11 | Psalm 118:22; 23 |
| Mark 12:19 | Deuteronomy 25:5 |
| Mark 12:26 | Exodus 3:6 |
| Mark 12:29-30 | Deuteronomy 6:4-5 |
| Mark 12:31 | Leviticus 19:18 |
| Mark 12:33 | 1Samuel 15:22 |
| Mark 12:36 | Psalm 110:1 |
| Mark 13:5 | Jeremiah 29:8 |
| Mark 13:12 | Micah 7:6 |
| Mark 13:14 | Daniel 9:27 |
| Mark 13:14 | Daniel 8:13 |
| Mark 13:14 | Daniel 11:31 |
| Mark 13:14 | Daniel 12:11 |
| Mark 13:24 | Isaiah 13:9; 10 |
| Mark 13:24 | Joel 3:15 |
| Mark 13:31 | Isaiah 40:8 |
| Mark 14:27 | Zechariah 13:7 |
| Mark 15:28 | Isaiah 53:12 |
| Mark 15:34 | Psalm 22:1 |
| Luke 1:10 | Leviticus 16:17 |
| Luke 1:17 | Malachi 4:5; 6 |
| Luke 1:32 | Psalm 132:11 |
| Luke 1:33 | Micah 4:7 |
| Luke 1:33 | Daniel 4:3 |
| Luke 1:55 | Genesis 22:18 |
| Luke 1:55 | Genesis 17:19 |
| Luke 1:73 | Genesis 22:16 |
| Luke 1:73 | Genesis 12:3 |
| Luke 1:78 | Numbers 24:17 |
| Luke 1:78 | Malachi 4:2 |
| Luke 1:79 | Isaiah 9:2 |
| Luke 2:21-22 | Leviticus 12:3; 4 |
| Luke 2:23 | Exodus 13:2 |
| Luke 2:24 | Leviticus 12:8 |
| Luke 2:34 | Isaiah 8:14; 15 |
| Luke 3:4-6 | Isaiah 40:3; 4; 5 |
| Luke 4:4 | Deuteronomy 8:3 |
| Luke 4:8 | Deuteronomy 6:13 |
| Luke 4:8 | Deuteronomy 10:20 |
| Luke 4:10-11 | Psalm 91:11; 12 |
| Luke 4:12 | Deuteronomy 6:16 |
| Luke 4:18-19 | Isaiah 61:1; 2 |
| Luke 4:25-26 | 1Kings 17:1; 9 |
| Luke 4:25-26 | 1Kings 18:1; 2 |
| Luke 4:27 | 2Kings 5:14 |
| Luke 5:14 | Leviticus 14:2 |
| Luke 6:3-4 | 1Samuel 21:6 |
| Luke 6:24 | Amos 6:1 |
| Luke 7:27 | Malachi 3:1 |
| Luke 8:10 | Isaiah 6:9 |
| Luke 10:4 | 2Kings 4:29 |
| Luke 10:27 | Deuteronomy 6:5 |
| Luke 10:27 | Leviticus 19:18 |
| Luke 10:28 | Leviticus 18:5 |
| Luke 11:30 | Jonah 1:17 |
| Luke 11:30 | Jonah 3:1-10 |
| Luke 11:30 | Jonah 4:1-11 |
| Luke 11:31 | 2Kings 10:1 |
| Luke 11:51 | Genesis 4:8 |
| Luke 11:51 | 2Chronicles 24:21-22 |
| Luke 13:27 | Psalm 6:8 |
| Luke 13:35 | Psalm 118:26 |
| Luke 13:35 | Jeremiah 12:7 |
| Luke 13:35 | Jeremiah 22:5 |
| Luke 14:8 | Proverbs 25:6 |
| Luke 14:26 | Micah 7:6 |
| Luke 17:3 | Leviticus 19:17 |
| Luke 17:27 | Genesis 7:7 |
| Luke 17:29 | Genesis 19:16 |
| Luke 17:32 | Genesis 19:26 |
| Luke 18:20 | Exodus 20:12 |
| Luke 18:20 | Deuteronomy 5:17-18 |
| Luke 19:46 | Isaiah 56:7 |
| Luke 19:46 | Jeremiah 7:11 |
| Luke 20:9 | Isaiah 5:1 |
| Luke 20:17 | Psalm 118:22; 23 |
| Luke 20:18 | Isaiah 8:14 |
| Luke 20:18 | Zechariah 12:3 |
| Luke 20:18 | Daniel 2:44 |
| Luke 20:28 | Deuteronomy 25:5 |
| Luke 20:37 | Exodus 3:6 |
| Luke 20:42-43 | Psalm 110:1 |
| Luke 22:37 | Isaiah 53:12 |
| Luke 23:29 | Isaiah 54:1 |
| Luke 23:30 | Hosea 10:8 |
| Luke 23:46 | Psalm 31:5 |
| Luke 24:46 | Isaiah 53:5 |
| John 1:1-5 | Genesis 1:1-5 |
| John 1:23 | Isaiah 40:3 |
| John 1:51 | Genesis 28:12 |
| John 2:17 | Psalm 69:9 |
| John 3:14 | Numbers 21:8-9 |
| John 4:37 | Micah 6:15 |
| John 6:31 | Psalm 78:24 |
| John 6:31 | Exodus 16:15 |
| John 6:45 | Isaiah 54:13 |
| John 6:49 | Exodus 16:15 |
| John 7:22 | Leviticus 12:3 |
| John 7:38 | Isaiah 55:1 |
| John 7:38 | Isaiah 58:11 |
| John 7:38 | Isaiah 44:3 |
| John 7:38 | Zechariah 13:1 |
| John 7:38 | Zechariah 14:8 |
| John 7:38 | Proverbs 18:4 |
| John 7:38 | Isaiah 12:3 |
| John 7:39 | Isaiah 44:3 |
| John 7:42 | Psalm 89:4 |
| John 7:42 | Psalm 132:11 |
| John 7:42 | Micah 5:1; 2 |
| John 8:5 | Leviticus 20:10 |
| John 8:5 | Deuteronomy 22:21 |
| John 8:17 | Deuteronomy 19:15 |
| John 9:31 | Psalm 82:6 |
| John 10:34 | Psalm 82:6 |
| John 12:13 | Psalm 118:26 |
| John 12:14-15 | Zechariah 9:9 |
| John 12:34 | 2Samuel 7:13 |
| John 12:34 | Psalm 89:30; 37 |
| John 12:34 | Psalm 110:4 |
| John 12:34 | Isaiah 9:7 |
| John 12:38 | Isaiah 53:1 |
| John 12:40 | Isaiah 6:9 |
| John 12:49 | Deuteronomy 18:18 |
| John 13:18 | Psalm 41:9 |
| John 15:25 | Psalm 69:4 |
| John 15:25 | Psalm 109:3 |
| John 15:25 | Psalm 35:19 |
| John 17:12 | Psalm 41:10 |
| John 17:12 | Psalm 109:8; 17 |
| John 19:24 | Psalm 22:19 |
| John 19:28 | Psalm 69:21 |
| John 19:36 | Exodus 12:46 |
| John 19:36 | Psalm 34:20 |
| John 19:36 | Numbers 9:12 |
| John 19:37 | Zechariah 12:10 |
| John 20:9 | Psalm 16:10 |
| John 20:17 | Psalm 22:22 |
Updates
February 22, 2025: Today is Shevat 24 and it is believed that the last of the known six living hostages that have been held as slaves since October 7, 2023 have been set free in liberty today after over 70 weeks by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, but today they are in Israel.
According to the Times of Israel:
"Hostages Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed were released from Hamas captivity and returned to Israel on Saturday, in the largest single day of releases since the current hostage-ceasefire deal took effect. They are believed to be the final living hostages scheduled for release in the current first phase of the deal, with only four more hostages, all believed to be dead, set for release on Thursday.
The terror group paraded five of the six freed hostages on stages in propaganda-filled ceremonies in two locations in Gaza, handing them over to the Red Cross, while al-Sayed was released separately to the humanitarian organization later in the day, without a ceremony.
The men all looked frail and many had noticeably suffered dramatic weight loss.
Shoham, Shem Tov, Wenkert and Cohen were all taken captive on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas-led attacks and massacres, and had been held as hostages in Gaza for over 500 days.
Mengistu and al-Sayed both entered Gaza on their own accord in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and had been held captive by terror groups in Gaza for around a decade each.
The releases came hours after Hamas finally returned the body of Shiri Bibas; Israel said she had been brutally murdered by her captors along with her two small sons, Ariel, 4, and baby Kfir, whose bodies were returned on Thursday."
Is it any wonder that the Haftarah portion on this Sabbath from Jeremiah 34:8-10 reads in a simliar way to today's headlines? The situation was different in
"The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again.
They obeyed and set them free."
The last of the living hostages were held over 70 weeks, but I could not help to be reminded of what Daniel recorded:
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression..."
January 19, 2025 which is Tevet 19
It's said by some Bible scholars that the meaning of the number 19, revolves around God's perfect order concerning judgment in the Bible. Nineteen can also be seen as a number of transition and change.
The Hebrew Bible is alive and engaged with the significance of numbers that never age.
I can’t imagine the joy of the families of the first of three Israeli hostages released today on the 19th under a cease-fire agreement in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, the war in Gaza ignited when some 3,000 Islamic Jihad Hamas terrorists violently stormed into southern Israel. Those Amalek-like Hamas madmen viciously massacred at least 1,200 Jewish civilians and then abducted 251 people.
Like the Amalekites that attacked from behind targeting the weak as well as women and children, as the Israelites were leaving Egypt (Deuteronomy 25:17-19, Exodus 17:8-16). Hamas is now known for their brutal tactics and their attack on the vulnerable.
Today's three freed hostages are Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher.
You can read their report at The Times of Israel.
It just so happens that the Haftarah (The Prophets) portion of the ages old Torah reading for this week just so happens to be וארא "Va'era" which means "and I appeared."
The reading includes the Ezekiel 28:25-26 prophecy that will be read aloud in homes and synogogues all around the planet this week.
Ezekiel wrote this …
Thus says the LORD, “When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob.And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards.They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt.
Then they will know that I am YHVH their God."
Who are the contemptible neighbors of Israel today?
Hamas and there are others too like Hezbollah and the nation of Iran that attacked Israel on April 13–14, 2024 with firing over 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles that missed their targets a week before Passover. Then again on October 1, 2024 Iran fired approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel two days before the Feast of Trumpets also known as Rosh Hosanna and they failed again.
Like a rehearsal warning that's proof of God's forever, unchanging word, that drought mentioned by Zechariah 14:18-19 will continue to overtake Iran as the clouds are taken away from Tehran.
If you haven't noticed in July 2024, just 90 days after the first assault over Jerusalem, Iran began to experience extreme temperature anomalies. From October 2024, rainfall across Iran's 29 provinces dropped by nearly a third, with southern provinces like Sistan-Baluchestan seeing declines of nearly 90%.
In November 2024, The Guardian reported "In Tehran, only 1mm of rain has fallen this year, a once-in-a-century event (the capital’s average annual rainfall between 1991 and 2000 was 350mm)."
The message for Iran: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2
They have a big time sword of judgment problem that's been described in the Bible for a very long time and one day it will include Messiah's second trip assignment to wipe evil off the face of the earth beginning in Jerusalem.
The prophetic stage was set when the shepherd David wiped out Goliath the Philistine when he defied the armies of the living God of Israel.
Yeshua (Jesus) described the coming battle against evil when he said,
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34
That sword is the word of God. It is essential for spiritual warfare and defeating evil, and noted in the imagery of Revelation 1:16, where Jesus has a sharp, double-edged sword coming from His mouth, symbolizing God's powerful word that brings judgment and truth.
Once again, the Hebrew Bible is alive and engaged, it's not old.
