Reading to The End
I have been reading, cover to cover so to speak, the old testament for some years. I read it in Hebrew as I learn the language on my own. I just finished Chapter 9 in Zechariah, where the prophet spoke of the King riding into Jerusalem on a male donkey, and I am nearing the end of the Tanak - only one more book left. This chapter also covers the destruction of Chamat, that is the word seen in the cover image of this post. I understand that to be "the people of Hamas" because the "T" sound at the end of any word means the feminine form (gender) of that word. The word "people" in Hebrew is feminine. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to get more insights into the language on my Hebrew blog.
God's Judgement on Chamat
Who is God talking about here as we read Zechariah today? I am not where the land of Hadrach is but Damasech (Damascus) is just north of Gaza and just north of Israel and it used to be part of the land of Israel since the scriptures speak of Paul going there among other examples. He, God has his eye on all of us, the tribes of Israel, and on Hamat, pronounced with a guttural "H" and not "th" at the end.
Then we have a mention of Tyre and Sidon which Jesus mentions in a comparison which eludes to them having been destroyed. At the time Zechariah wrote, it appears that they were wise. Here we see that they built up a lot of riches and God said he will strip "her" of "her" riches. Remember what I said about referring to peoples as female? This was translated that way. Then we have cities that are also referred to as "she" or "her".
There are two locations that will see the destruction and the second one, Gaza, will be in anguish over it.
The next part talks of Gaza's leader will perish (die? or lose his position?) and Askelon will no longer be inhabited. Then we hear about a mixed people dwelling in Ashdod. I am not going to speculate or use the internet to look up these places. I am writing about what I read in Hebrew because I feel it speaks to what is happening today in the land of Israel, however that may have been laid out thousands of years ago.
The next topic I want to comment on is "I will cut off the pride of Philistia." I believe that Goliath lived in that land and he was a human half breed from the time when a third of the angels fell from heaven. God says he will take the blood from its mouth and the abominations from between its teeth. It is speculated that the giant-half-breeds were eating human beings when they dwelt on the earth. God calls cannibalism an abomination elsewhere as well.
Here we see that Philistia, likely Palestine, will be "a remnant for God" like a clan in Judah. The next line tells us that that this is yet future because it speaks of when "none shall march to and fro" which I feel to be a time when soldiers do not need to guard the line between Palestine and Israel because God is guarding his people and the God himself has seen, with his own eyes, that they oppressed and marched over Israel
There was a scripture in Isaiah that Jesus read at one point where he closed the book, so to speak, half way through a prophecy about himself to inform the people that the peaceful and loving part of his coming will be cut off before the triumphant restoration part could begin. This prophecy seems to be similar as seen in this next part of our scripture.
The *seventy weeks" of Daniel are the same. Everything was fulfilled exactly as he had said it would until the sixty ninth week, then there is a gap leaving one week left to be fulfilled. I say that because we will see the same thing happen in this next snippet of Zechariah 9.
The Coming King
He comes with salvation, the name Yeshua is the word for salvation, humble and riding on a donkey.
Verse 10 could be about to happen. If so, he will be the one to stop the killing and get the hostages back. While protestors world-wide are chanting, "From the river to the sea..." which means that there will no longer be any Israel, a stated goal of the Arab Palestinians, this verse states that His kingdom will be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. That last part is definitely future.
Next we have the coming Messiah setting Israel's prisoners free from the waterless pit, he calls them prisoners of hope and give them double what they had. I believe that part speaks of raising the righteous from the dead as spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
The last part tells how He will do the restoration, using Judah as a bow and and Ephraim (Joseph's son) as his arrow. Whether that means He is doing that now as Israel attacks the military bases under the ground, and underneath civilian homes now, or whether that is a future even with Yeshua (Jesus) as the Israeli military leader is unknown. But if God says something, it will happen and it will likely happen on one of the feast days outlined in the Tanak. The next one is days away and it is called Yom Teruah aka; Rosh Hashanah. The former is the ancient name and tradition, the latter is the modern extra new year. Either way, we all have to be ready for the coming of The King.
The Messiah will return. Are you ready and anxiously awaiting Him?
Take everything that I am presenting here to the Lord. He listens. Ask if what I am saying here is valid or not. Thanks for your time and support.
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