Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Understanding the Mystery of Pentecost (Part 2) - by: Gary Stearman - https://prophecywatchers.com/understanding-the-mystery-of-pentecost/
PROPHECIES OF SUMMER Biblically, the spring harvest is often seen to typify the "harvest" or catching-away of the church. As we have seen, this is the season when grain and fruit crops come to maturity. Fruit is judged and stored. Wheat is now safe in the graneries of the land. At Pentecost, a small sample is taken, ground into flour and baked into two loaves. They are the leavened "test loaves" of the new harvest. As already stated, they typify the two bodies of the redeemed at the end of the age: Israel and the church. Bread and fruit are the perfect picture of redemption, blessing and bounty. But to Israel, at the time of Jacob's trouble, the harvest will not bring satisfaction. Instead, there will be the realization that something drastic has happened. The prophet Micah graphically describes this, as we see in Micah 7:1-6: "1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 2 The good man is perished out of the Earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house" (Mic. 7:1-6). Here, the prophet Micah speaks as the voice of Israel in the latter days. The time is set at the end of fruit harvest - late April through early June - the season that begins with Passover and ends with Pentecost. The summer fruits have been "gathered," or harvested. The Hebrew term asaph, means "to remove, or take away." But one of its major meanings is, "to be gathered to one's fathers at death." This translation easily fits in the context of these verses. The good fruit of the righteous has been harvested and taken for inspection and storage. From Micah's point of view, the friends of Israel have gone away. As we continue, Micah's distress becomes more clear. He has a deep desire for the fruit that has been removed. And what is this fruit? Verse 2, tells us that it is the "good man," who has "perished" from the Earth. This fits perfectly with the idea of the judgment of the fruit of trees. "Perish" is represented by the Hebrew verb avad, meaning, "to cause to vanish!" As the picture develops, it is easy to see that Micah's vision perfectly describes the conditions that will prevail when righteous mankind is instantly transported from the Earth at the catching-away of the church. The unredeemed remainder of humanity left on Earth is devoid of morals, scruples or ethics. Lust and extortion become the basis of human behavior. There are no trustworthy friends; even family members can't be trusted without a suitable bribe. The rapture has come. It is an event associated with early summer. And immediately afterward comes a horror that Israel has long dreaded. Verse 4 says, "... the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity." What is this visitation? Jewish translations of this verse often say, "The day of your visitation from the north has come." The Jerusalem Bible translates it as, "Today will come their ordeal from the North, now is the time for their confusion." Because of this fact, some ancient Jewish expositions of this passage link it with Ezekiel's prophecy of Gog's invasion of Israel. This interpretation stems from the fact that the word "watchman" in Hebrew contains the root word for "north" or "northern." Thus, "watchman," is built around a word which carries the meaning of both "watch" and "north." Hence, ancient expositors see in this verse an invasion from the north. One of the most graphic of all latter-day prophecies is Ezekiel's narrative of Gog's invasion of Israel. It comes from the north: "And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army" (Ezek. 38:15). What makes Micah's prophecy most interesting, of course, is that it links the rapture of the church with Ezekiel's prophecy of the northern invasion. First, there is the gathering up of the fruitful righteous. They are "made to vanish" from the face of the Earth. Then comes a time of horror, when Israel realizes that she is without friends upon Earth. Israel's difficulties begin in earnest, as society becomes totally degenerate. Apparently, shortly thereafter, the prophesied invasion takes place. But the sequence begins at the summer harvest. Without a doubt, this is the picture meant to come to our minds when we think of the rapture. Jesus prophesied His own coming for the church in this way: "28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled" (Luke 21:28- 32). What Jesus is talking about here is the very beginning of a long procession of events that will bring the Kingdom to planet Earth at last. Preparation is being made for the judgment of the fruit of trees, here, a metaphor of Israel and all the nations in the latter days. This metaphor applies to the change of dispensation that will come with the spring festival calendar. THE BRIDEGROOM AND HIS BRIDE Another well-known example of this thought is the coming of the Bridegroom for the bride in the Song of Solomon. He comes for His bride at the time when spring is fully come and the fruit is almost ripe: "8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice. 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the Earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" (Song of Solomon 2:8-13). Once again, in another notable rapture passage, we see that the season is spring. Here, the coming of Solomon for his Shulamite bride is an obvious type of the Lord and His relationship with the church - the Bridegroom coming for His bride. In this picture, the figs and grapes will soon be ready for harvest. The beloved is depicted as skimming across the mountain tops. In other words, he is near, but has not quite yet arrived. The season is late spring. Soon, the fruit will be gathered. This passage implies that the church will be taken home. The season is that of Pentecost. Then, according to the prophet Micah, Israel will realize that her best and closest friend has vanished from the Earth. A CHOSEN BRIDE FROM MOAB As earlier noted, grain harvest comes in late spring. It was in this season that Ruth became the wife of Boaz. Trees are laden with fresh foliage. Flowers are in bloom. The heart of humanity is light and optimistic. Jewish homes are decorated with fresh greenery and floral decoration. Hayyim Schauss says: "Even in school the instruction is festive and breathes the spirit of the holiday. The children are taught the book of Ruth. So clear is the imagery thereof that they are carried back to the days of old, when Jews reaped the harvest of the fields of their own land. "The older children sit around a long table with the teacher and study the Book of Ruth. But their thoughts are not on their studies; they are thinking of Bethlehem, the town where David was born and spent his childhood. They imagine they are standing at harvest time in the fields that surround the town. Gentle breezes blow from the hills of Judah. The fields are filled with freshly-cut sheaves. They hear the whir of the reaping scythe, and the song of the workers in the fields. And everywhere is the pleasing aroma of the newly-fallen gleanings which Ruth is gathering in the field. "Their thoughts are carried still farther afield when the teacher recites, or rather sings, as he interprets "Akdomus." [This is an eleventh-century poem.] King David is descended from Ruth and Boaz, and from David's seed, it is believed, will come the Messiah. In 'Akdomus' is presented vividly a picture of the day when the Messiah will have arrived, the time of eternal bliss on Earth." Many have said that the book of Ruth is the most beautiful narrative in the entire Bible. Ruth was a Gentile woman of Moab, who married into a Hebrew family. At that time, there was a famine in Israel, which the family hoped to escape by emigrating from Bethlehem to Moab. These events took place during the period of time in which the judges ruled the land after the death of Joshua. It was a time of deep moral and spiritual decline. The husband and both sons died in Moab, widowing Ruth, her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her sister-in-law, Orpah, who soon departed. Naomi elected to return to her home in Bethlehem, urging Ruth to stay with her own people, as Orpah had done. But Ruth faithfully determined to go with her and remain by her side until death separated them. They arrived in Bethlehem at harvest time. As was the right of the poor, Ruth gleaned in the fields for their food. As a poor foreigner, she had nothing to expect but a future of perpetual widowhood. Yet she found favor in the sight of Boaz, a wealthy landowner. He allowed her to glean even among the sheaves of the field. At Naomi's instruction, Ruth went to the threshing floor and laid down at the feet of Boaz on the night of Pentecost, the festival of harvest. That night, he claimed her and redeemed her as a near kinsman had the right to do. After securing the legal right to marry her, they were united in marriage, and she bore him a son. That son was Obed, the grandfather of David the king. This is the story of a Gentile bride in a strange land, who started out with only her faith. She provides a prophetic picture of the Gentile bride of Christ - the Church. On the very night of Pentecost, Ruth came to lie at the feet of Boaz. At midnight, startled, he awoke to discover the woman of whom he had earlier taken note as she gleaned in his fields. His acceptance of her set in motion a series of legal steps, which he undertook promptly, in order that he might marry her. Ruth had remained completely faithful to Naomi. Boaz knew of her reputation as a virtuous woman. He completed her righteousness in their marriage, making her an heir to the Messianic promise. A poor woman of Moab was brought into the lineage of the throne of David, from which the Messiah would one day rule over the nations. According to Michael Strassfeld, writing in The Jewish Holidays, a Guide and Commentary, rabbinical authority calls for the book of Ruth to be read at Pentecost, because: [1 ] The story is set at the time of harvest, [2 ] Ruth's conversion to Judaism is thought to bear a close resemblance to one's voluntary acceptance of the Torah and God's covenant at Sinai, [3] King David, according to tradition, was born and died on Shavuot [Pentecost]. The book of Ruth, of course, ends with a genealogy from Ruth down to King David. And, [4] Reading Ruth means that the totality of the Torah is celebrated on Shavuot, for Ruth is part of the ... writings that together with the Torah and the prophets compose the whole Bible. AN OVERNIGHT VIGIL FOR JEWS At this point, it is of great interest to note another element of this Jewish festival: The Jews stay up all night in their synagogue's house of study, poring over "tikkun." This consists of little sections from each book of the Torah and the Talmud, representing all of the most important texts of Judaism. But even this act of staying up all night sets forth the theme of resurrection. Michael Strassfeld writes of this custom: "A kabbalistic custom emanating from the mystics in Safed (sixteenth century) is to stay up the whole (first) night of Shavuot studying Torah. The tikkun - a set order of study - was composed of selections from the Bible, rabbinic literature, and even mystical literature such as the Zohar. In this fashion the kabbalists prepared for the momentous revelation of the following morning. "This practice of staying up all night is in stark contrast to that of the Israelites at Sinai, who according to tradition slept late that morning and had to be awakened by Moses. In atonement for this, Jews nowadays stay awake all night. The sense of preparation for Sinai is heightened by a mystical tradition holding that the skies open up during this night for a brief instant. At that very moment, we are told, God will favorably answer any prayer. The kabbalists also regard Pentecost as the wedding of God and Israel. Therefore, we stay up all night to "decorate the bride." What an incredible picture of the rapture! The opening of the heavens "for a brief instant" corresponds with the message in I Corinthians 15:51: "Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye ..." Here is the perfect picture of Christ coming to catch away His bride! And where does He take her? - to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! This corresponds with Pentecost, when the Jews "stay up all night to decorate the bride." To an amazing degree, their activities remind us of the catching away of the church ... the bride of Christ; Pentecost has many features that are suggestive of the rapture. It is associated with harvest, marriage and the taking of a Gentile bride. Its date is variable, picturing the unpredictability of Christ's coming for His own. Like all the Jewish festivals, it is made up of pictures and ideas that preserve God's truth, even among those whose eyes may be temporarily blinded by unbelief, or the rote practices of tradition. Quite significantly, it marks the birth of the Church Age, and before that, the giving of the Law. Each of these events marks the turning to a different dispensation: first to Law, and then to Grace. In the eyes of God, therefore, Pentecost must be an important festival. To the Jew, it is a vital part of the festival calendar. Today, observant Jews seek spiritual purification (called taharah) on Pentecost night. Their vigil of prayer and study is the culmination of a process that begins every year on Firstfruits, and continues through the counting of the Omer. It reaches a climax on this particular night. From The Three Festivals by Josef Stern, we read, "During these days and weeks [between Passover and Pentecost], our personal efforts to cleanse ourselves of spiritual impurities are critical, as the Torah says ... you shall count for yourselves. However, if we make sincere efforts during [the counting of the omer], we can be assured that Hashem [the Lord] will shower us with an outpouring of taharah on the night of Shavuos, as the Sages said, someone who comes to purify himself will receive Divine help." More than just a single night, the Pentecost vigil is said to set the tone for an entire year, if it is taken seriously: "The Zohar also reminds us that the taharah that descends on those who immerse themselves in Torah study on this night is a fragile thing. Unless we take active steps to preserve it throughout the year we cannot be assured that it will remain with us." It is a day laden with rich spiritual types and symbols. Many Jews will stay up all night in the hope of catching that precise moment when the sky opens for an instant. They will read their Scriptures, pray and "decorate the bride." Will the church be called home on a night such as this? Although it is impossible to name this particular night as the time of the rapture, it is nevertheless a stimulating thought for these last days. What a picture of our blessed hope! There are many precedents for what will happen to all believers on that day. Paul was once taken to heaven: "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) such an one caught up to the third heaven" (II Corinthians 12:2). To be "caught up" is the blessed hope of faithful Christians everywhere. Scripture makes it quite plain that this is our destiny. In some inexplicable way, the sky will open for a moment, and we shall be gone ... vanished without a trace! The language of I Thessalonians 4:17 is very similar to the preceding passage: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." This will be the biggest historical event since the Lord's own ascension into the heavens. And it will certainly be the trigger that sets in motion an increasingly cataclysmic series of judgments. In Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, the restraining force associated with the presence of the body of Christ is given as the key factor in the timing of latter-day events. Its removal will provide the environmental changes necessary for evil to advance toward the fulfillment of prophecy. In other words, as long as we are present and active, the revelation of the wicked one, and wickedness in general, cannot manifest itself in full power. Pentecost, the festival that has traditionally marked the dispensational change from law to grace, seems ideally suited as the model for this event. Then, a rapid succession of biblical marvels will bring Messianic rule to the Earth. "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). Noah's Day in Microcosm - By Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/06/02/noahs-day-in-microcosm-by-terry-james/ Violence once again has reared its ugly head. It seems more and more that times like Noah's can be observed in America, supposedly the most civilized nation of the West. Of course, that perception is only shared by those who look at life around them with Pollyanna-ish delusion. Bless them; they see through eyes affixed on the good old days, not on the days as they are. They choose not to see that society and culture have changed-and not for the better. The Lord Jesus Christ said: "And as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man" (Luke 17:26). He went on to list all the things people will be doing when He next makes His presence known to the whole world. He foretold that mankind will be buying, selling, planting, building, marrying-doing all the things of life. The people alive at the time He next appears will be engaging in business as usual, for the most part. I believe the prophecy indicates that few will pay attention to the true chaos going on when those of that generation are so busy with the daily activities of life. Genesis 6 (which describes Noah's day) gives us this prophetic signal Jesus said will be prevalent when He returns at the Rapture and, for that matter, at His Second Advent: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:11-13) So there will be the two Americas at the time-if we consider America will still be a national entity. One side of America will be doing all the things of life-buying, selling, building, marrying, etc. The other side will be filled with violence, debauchery-evil of many sorts, like in Noah's day. Violence erupted once again in the streets of one of our larger cities on May 27 when a police officer appeared on video to literally murder a man he had in custody. Three other officers held off a crowd of people who shouted for the policeman to let the man breathe. The man being held, an African-American who was arrested for trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill, died of suffocation. The officer will almost certainly be tried for the man's death, and all four officers involved were instantly fired when the Minneapolis police chief watched the video. The incident, as we all know, led to rioters and looters burning up police precinct buildings and stealing merchandise from several stores the looters had broken into. Across the nation, in other large cities, rioters and professional anarchists like the thugs of Black Lives Matter set fires and damaged vehicles and businesses. It was all reminiscent of similar anarchy like in Ferguson, Missouri, Watts, and other such violent rampages of the distant and recent past. America, as life is currently unfolding, could be seen as the days of Noah in microcosm. The evil perpetrated by the rogue police officer, if things turn out to be the murder of his victim, the purveyors of violence such as the rioters and looters-and the terrors inflicted by the paid-for thugs who carryout anarchy to damage the nation, can't be missed, even by the Pollyanna-ish among us. And, we should consider whether the COVID-19 pandemic, or coronavirus, or Wuhan virus, or whatever you want to call it, might have been allowed to wake this generation to the fact we are in times that signal Christ's imminent intervention. This pandemic has brought things to a standstill and made people take time to see, through fear-filled eyes, that carrying on life as usual in the most comfort-filled nation in the world has changed. Perhaps it is a supreme act of love from on high, forewarning that the most momentous event since Christ's resurrection is on the verge of bringing the promised moment of the Rapture. The Spirit of Lawlessness is preparing the way for the "Lawless One" - Ricky Scaparo - https://endtimeheadlines.org/2020/06/the-spirit-of-lawlessness-is-preparing-the-way-for-the-lawless-one/ The World is now watching the United States begin to implode from what was in the beginning "peaceful protests" following the terrible and uncalled for knee to the throat from the Minneapolis police officer resulting in the death of George Floyd, that has now transformed into violent riots, looting, and lawlessness that has spread nationwide, and while many are focused on flesh and blood in regards to skin color, demographic, and even political factors, I want to emphasize the spiritual aspect of what I believe is taking place right now. First off the Word of God tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but we are contending against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6 Therefore, Being that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, we can assert that the puppet master pulling the strings of violence, destruction, and murder that we are witnessing is not a specific race, ethnicity or social status of people but is none other than Satan himself. Even the Word of God plainly makes this distinction in 1 John 5:19 - We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. The word "Sway" here has the meaning of being under the influence of or persuaded by. In other words, If we are not "Born Again" and have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us than we are merely walking according to the course of this world and being an unknowing vessel for Satan to use to carry out his agendas in the earth. This is what the Apostle Paul emphasized below: And you, He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. - Ephesians 2:1-3 Now that we have exposed who is ultimately behind the evil and destruction happening across America right now, I want to go a little deeper here and speak "prophetically" in regards to where this is leading and why it's important to be paying attention right now. In the Bible, Jesus told us that one of the signs of his coming before the time of the end and his return would be what is called a time of "Distress of Nations" with "Perplexity". These phrases were found in the following passage below: "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; - Luke 21:25 Based on this passage alone, Jesus warns us that in the time of the end we would see Nations begin to buckle under stress and turmoil that would produce mass confusion, chaos, and despair. What we are witnessing right now definitely falls into that category. Something else interesting to point out here us that the Greek word for "Nation" is the word "Ethnos" where we derive the term "Ethnicity" from. Jesus stated that we would see in the last days, "Ethnos rise against Ethnos" or Nation rise against Nation" before the coming of the Lord. As sad as this is, to even report, where is all this leading? The answer is, it is leading to the appearance and arrival of the coming Antichrist of the Bible. Let me explain in more detail. One of the identities used to identify the coming Antichrist in the Bible is the term "Lawless One". This phrase was coined by Paul the Apostle in the book of 2 Thessalonians Chapter two, where he warns the Church of the soon arrival of this man that would come on the scene and deceive the masses in the end times. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12 Something very important to point out here is that before the "Lawless One" makes his grand appearance the earth has to be conditioned for his arrival and that is done with the "Spirit of Lawlessness" that will be unleashed to prepare the way for the Antichrist. This is clearly seen above in the passage written by the Apostle Paul where he states, "The mystery of lawlessness is already at work". I believe the enemy is working overtime in this hour to unleash lawlessness to fill the earth to prepare the way for the man of the hour that all Hell is anticipating making his grand appearance. The bad news is that it's only going to get worse as we near the end. In fact, Solomon stated that "that which WAS, is that which shall BE, There is no new thing under the sun", therefore, If we pay attention to things in the past we will know how things will transpire in the future. Jesus even told us that "as it were in the days of Noah and Lot, so shall it be at the return of the son of man". What's interesting about that, is the fact that when we go all the way back to the time of Noah, the bible tells us that "Violence filled the entire Earth and that it grieved the Lord" leading to the destruction of the Earth by a flood. I believe it's safe to say this will happen again as far as the violence covering the Earth but the good news is that according to the Apostle Paul, the Lord will consume the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth and destroy him with the brightness of His coming! Israeli Mathematician Accurately Predicted 40-Day Covid-19 Peak: Reveals new Bombshell Prediction - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - www.breakingisraelnews.com "When My people, who bear My name, humble themselves, pray, and seek My favor and turn from their evil ways, I will hear in My heavenly abode and forgive their sins and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14 (The Israel Bible™) As the COVID-19 epidemic fades in Israel, it becomes clear that a radical theory proposed by a brilliant scientist based on mathematical models was precisely accurate in predicting the effects of the epidemic. According to his theory, lockdowns were the result of "mass hysteria" and have no positive effect on ameliorating the spread of the disease. He also stated that there is no reason to believe that the much-dreaded second-wave will ever show up. It would be an understatement to say that Isaac Ben Israel, a mathematician, military scientist, general, and ex-politician who is currently serving as the chairman of the Israeli Space Agency is a very smart man. So when the coronavirus had the entire world cowering in their homes in the middle of April, most people were skeptical when Ben Israel, who is not a health or medical expert, released a study concluding that simple statistical analyses demonstrate that the spread of COVID-19 peaks after about 40 days and declines to almost zero after 70 days. Though he supported social distancing, he attributed the policy of lockdowns and closures was a case of "mass hysteria." He stated that this 40-day pattern would be the case no matter what measures the government took, or did not take, to ameliorate the pandemic. "I have no explanation," Ben Israel said, claiming his predictions were based on graphs and math. "There are all kinds of speculations. Maybe it's related to climate, or the virus has a life-span of its own." Ben Israel also said that the economic impact of the shutdown would cost Israel 20% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and was a disproportionate response that may save one or two lives daily when, on average, 140 people die every day in Israel. He cited countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, and Sweden which did not shut down. At the time, health officials contested his conclusions but remarkably, current data indicate that Ben Israel was precisely correct. The first case in Israel was reported on April 2 and exactly 41 days later, the epidemic hit its peak, as per his predictions of new patients per day peaked at about 700 more patients per day. On May 2, the number of newly infected people per day dropped to under 100 for the first time since the outbreak. The Israeli government claimed victory due to the strict lockdown measures, but Ben Israel points to similar, if not better results in Taiwan which had no lockdown. Now, Ben Israel is claiming that the second wave that most experts predict will hit in the winter will not come. "It's very amusing that people talk about a second wave," Isaac Ben-Israel, a prominent mathematician, chairman of Israel's Space Agency, and a former general, told The Times of Israel. "How do they know there will be a second wave? And how do they know that it will come in the winter?" Another remarkable conclusion he drew from the pandemic related to the rate of mortality, claiming the number of deaths was not relative to the number of infections. "There is a natural assumption that fewer infections means fewer deaths but it's not correct," he said, arguing: "There is no explainable relationship between the number of people infected and the number of people who die. The ratio between deaths and infections differs sometimes by a factor of 100 or more between different countries." Iran 'opened a Pandora's box' in cyber-attack on Israeli water system - By Yaakov Lappin - https://www.jns.org/iran-opened-a-pandoras-box-in-cyber-attack-on-israeli-water-system/ The Iranian cyber-attack in early April on an Israeli water-treatment facility, designed to get computers to add too much chlorine to the Israeli water supply, represents a new phase in Iranian aggression, a former Israeli defense official has said. Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told JNS on Sunday that there is no historical experience for cyber wars and their consequences, and that therefore, much caution is needed when assessing them. According to international media reports, Israel retaliated by paralyzing Iran's key seaport-the Shahid Rajaee port in the city of Bandar Abbas, which is a strategic hub for Iranian sea imports, exports and trafficking of illicit weapons. "It is not possible to know whether Israel's reported response will deter Iran, which to a certain extent has opened a "Pandora's box' in a cyber-attack designed to harm civilians," said Amidror. In its attack, Iran also "placed itself at great risk," he added. Amidror, who is also first distinguished fellow at the Jewish Institute for the National Security of America (JINSA), said that cyber maneuvers have the potential to deteriorate into war, if the side that is attacked "feels that it has been greatly harmed, and it cannot suitably retaliate against its enemy, and therefore remains vulnerable to attacks from it." However, as in any difficult decision, he added, "decision-makers must also take into account whether responding to a cyber-attack with a kinetic [physical] strike will succeed, and what price might be paid if the adversary also decides to respond kinetically." "In any case, it is best to be prepared for an enemy that absorbs a major cyber strike to try and respond with a cyber counterattack, and through other means, including kinetically," said Amidror. A 'cyber winter is coming' April's cyber strike on Israel's water systems was a "synchronized and organized attack" designed to harm civilian infrastructure, Yigal Unna, who heads Israel's National Cyber Directorate, said recently. In comments relayed by the Associated Press, Unna said that recent developments have marked the start new era of covert cyber war, warning that a "cyber winter is coming." "Rapid is not something that describes enough how fast and how crazy and hectic things are moving forward in cyberspace, and I think we will remember this last month and May 2020 as a changing point in the history of modern cyber warfare," Unna told a digital international cyber conference. "If the bad guys had succeeded in their plot we would now be facing, in the middle of the corona[virus] crisis, very big damage to the civilian population and a lack of water and even worse than that," he added. A Western intelligence official told the Financial Times that had the Iranian attack succeeded, it would have "triggered fail-safes that would have shut down the pumping station when the excess chemical was detected, but would have left tens of thousands of Israeli civilians and farms parched in the middle of a heatwave." Professor Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, told Israel's 101 FM radio station in recent days that the reported cyber-attack on Bander Abbas port sent a powerful message to Iran's regime about Israel's cyber capabilities. Bander Abbas "is not far from Hormuz Straits, which is outlet for shipping from the Persian Gulf to world," noted Rabi. He described the port as a "central life artery" for Iran for exports, imports, sea trade and military activity. The Washington Post reported that Israel was accused of a cyber-attack that crashed the port's computer systems and caused "total disarray," including kilometers-long truck lines and long lines of sea vessels outside of the port. Satellite imagery was shown in the report of the chaos. "There is no doubt if you turn off the switch with a hidden hand, that calls out for attention," said Rabi, in reference to the reported attack on the port. "If it's true that Iran tried to intrude with a polluted hand into Israel's water infrastructure and harm the civilian world, then at a public-awareness level, a line has been crossed. Israel could not let this pass." The reported Israeli retaliation will give the Islamic Republic reason to think twice before launching a new cyber-attack on Israeli civilian targets, assessed Rabi. He noted that the Iranian regime is in a difficult situation, both economically and due to shaky relations between it and the Iranian population. "[Quds Force Commander] Qassem Soleimani, Iran's big architect [of its overseas operations], is no longer with them. I can see Iran being tempted, in a dangerous and pretentious manner, to enter the cyber arena," he added. Israel's reported response hit an Iranian nerve center and demonstrated to Tehran "how big the asymmetry is, including in the cyber field," argued Rabi, although, he added, Iran is making progress in its cyber-attack abilities. "This is how the Iranian regime needs to be treated ... Israel must speak in a Middle Eastern language. The message to Iran is: Find a different tree to climb. If you climb the Israeli tree, the price will be very high." Daily Jot: Religious leaders, hmmmm - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com President Trump holding a Bible in front of the rioter-torched St. John's Episcopal Church across from the White House has sparked a riot of words. Democratic Party leaders trashed the president for hypocrisy-once again accusing another of exactly their own actions. But the faith community also piled on Trump, as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida Greg Brewer tweeted, "This is blasphemy in real time." Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington told CNN that she was "outraged" because Trump's actions were contrary to the teachings of Jesus, saying that Christ lived a life of non-violence, but she stopped short of condemning the violence of rioters. These same people who say the Bible is not a prop for a photo opportunity were silent when Hillary Clinton, the previous president, and Bill Clinton showed up at churches carrying their Bibles. But since it's Trump, it's unacceptable and blasphemy. Interesting tweet from a friend of mine, Joel Richardson: "So many preachers expressing their disgust because POTUS used a Bible as a photo prop. Sorry guys, you're not the only one who gets to use the Bible as a photo prop." To me, Joel's statement here is far deeper than it appears on the surface. If pastors were using the Bible for more than a prop, perhaps we wouldn't see so many systemic problems around the country because people would be living out their faith in truth and in love. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, seemed to understand Trump's message. Franklin tweeted: "After his speech from the Rose Garden Monday afternoon, President Donald J. Trump made a statement by walking through Lafayette Park to St. John's Episcopal Church that had been vandalized and partially burned Sunday night. He surprised those following him by holding up a Bible in front of the church. Thank you, President Trump. God and His Word are the only hope for our nation. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12)." Christ had a view on the religious leaders of his time. In Matthew 23:27-28, He said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Part of the problem with the religious leadership of our time is that they cannot even agree on what is sound doctrine, leaving the flock scattered and confused. And another part of the problem is that both political and religious leaders often appear to judge others from the content of their own hearts, rather than against the standard of God's Word. Daily Devotion: What Produces Hope? - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. -Romans 5:3-4 Experts have dubbed Generation Z as "the hopeless generation." Those born from 1995 to 2015 have higher suicide rates than other generation today. What's going on? I think they see the emptiness of it all and wonder whether if there's more to life. Well, there is. But they won't find it in material things or fame. They'll find it in a relationship with God. David wrote, "For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God" (Psalm 38:15 NKJV). And in Psalm 130 we read, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope" (verse 5 NKJV). We will find hope from God and from His Word. Proverbs 10:28 tells us, "The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing" (NLT). So, if you're a believer and your hope is in Christ, it will result in happiness. But if you've placed your expectations in other things, it's all in vain. Jesus has what you're looking for. When you're going through hardship, you'll find out how real your faith actually is. The Bible says, "We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4 NKJV). It isn't easy to be happy when things are hard. That's what it means to "glory in tribulations." But tribulation produces perseverance, or endurance. Then endurance produces character, and character produces hope. When a Christian suffers and still glorifies God, it reassures the rest of us there never will be a valley so deep that God will not get us through it. It reminds us that our faith is real and will sustain us in our hour of need. 
FROM THE HEART
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