Taking a Break and Re-Prioritizing...

Shalom Everyone,

Recently with in the past month I accepted a pastoral position at a local church (Plaster Rock United Baptist Church) in my village (Plaster Rock New Brunswick Canada). Time now is very limited due to my new responsibilities; so please, for however long, enjoy the archives of my past blogs until the time is right to pick the daily blog back up again.

I will however continue to post the weekly blog on the website and post the Daily Drash Devotional on YouTube and posted to Facebook.

Thanks for everyone's understanding.

Shalom,
Pastor Kris Shoemaker - Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
www.abrahamsdescendants.com
www.facebook.com/plasterrockubc/

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song: CONCLUSION

8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

Abarbanel, “Because of the sins listed above, salvation will not come for a long time, and you will have to wait for the day when God plunders he nations that oppressed Israel.”

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.

This hints at several things, the events we see in Acts 2 where they spoke in tongues and were all in one accord.

This verse also alludes to a one unified world under a theocratic rule by YHWH through His Holy Torah.

Mic. 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Zech. 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Judah will one day be ever so remorseful and genuine repentance will come and a chance to redeem one’s self through charity will present itself through the poor of the world. Israel will fulfill its calling to be a light unto the Goyim.

Vv. 9-20 Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

Ethiopia represents the boarders of the known world at that time. One day, all the nations will bring offerings to God in Jerusalem.

Isa. 66:18, 20 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory… And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

“That Day,” refers to when God will bring the world to a true knowledge of Him and when this happens Israel will be restored (v.20).

12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

Vv. 8-12 These nations will pay for such heartless insolence against Judah and as long as Judah repents she should take comfort in this fact. Israel is told to be patient in regards to their enemies getting their just deserts, that it is coming and will be such an incomparable vengeance that will satisfy.

13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

This remnant that will remain and institute Josiah-like reform will lead the way back to Torah Righteousness (Isa. 11:6).

A remnant is seen as a small group of believers within Israel dedicated to keeping Torah and following only YHWH. The first example may have been in:

I Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

This speaks of the time when Messiah will return to reign and rule from the Temple in Jerusalem in the Millennium (Rev. 7:15; 21:3-4).

17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Rev. 21:3,7,12 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God… He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son… And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Isa. 59:1, 49:16 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear… Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

The Full Life Study Bible says, “God’s people must rejoice over their salvation. Joy in one’s heart is not a natural response; it is a supernatural response resulting from God’s redemptive activity in our lives.”

We are saved from ourselves, our sin and adverse judgment.

18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

This verse describes well the seriousness and solemnness of Yom Kippur.

19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

Vv. 17-19 Rev. 21:3,7,12 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God… He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son… And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

A repentant Israel is judged favorably on this ultimate Yom Kippur and all that has been promised to Israel from Abraham on will be restored and paid in full to Israel. Israel will remember and find out who they really are and will finally return from Assyrian captivity and be rejoined with Judah. Israel will be once again and finally once and for all be settled in the entire Promised Land.

Vv. 9-20 Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

CONCLUSION:

What Zephaniah emphasizes to me is that although Israel is YHWH’s Chosen People, He doesn’t play favorites; that if necessary He will punish Israel just as He does the other nations.

These are not just empty words, but He has proven this throughout History through the Assyrian exile of Israel and the Babylonian exile of Judah. As I said in the commentary, that He chastises those he loves (Heb. 12:6-11). That even in the midst of these disciplinary eras, there is small groups that has always obeyed and have been the catalyst with in exile and the Diaspora to return to faithfulness to God with one’s whole heart through return to Torah. It’s not that they do not feel the punishment of exile; they are insulated because they are close to God and they feel the pain through the eyes of the disobedient. They have a special mission to wake the reasons, the one for whom they are in exile.

We are on the cusp of an exile with in an exile; God’s remnant will be called and needed to usher in the Last Great Revival and the Last Great Exodus. This Remnant is like a holy sleeper cell, “hidden” and scattered throughout the Diaspora, like little hot embers that slowly ignite those around them. Persecution is actually the grease that causes these flames of faith to burn hotter, brighter and spread like wild fire. What satan uses in an attempt to extinguish such faith actually creates a wild fire. This is why miracles such as in Acts are a daily occurrence in what missionaries call “closed countries” where believers and services to Yeshua are illegal and punishable by death. And likewise ever abundance of liberties has caused apathy and stagnation and actually unbelief among believers which is Kryptonite to miracles.

I pray this commentary has been a shot in the arm and a beacon of hope, light at the end of the tunnel to encourage us that the glimmer of the fulfillment of the Promises have been seen and we can almost touch it.

In the service of the God of Israel, Shalom,

Kris Shoemaker - Yehudah ben Shomeyr

www.abrahamsdescendants.com

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song 2:8-3:7

8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. 9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

1 Cor. 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

Prov. 16:18 Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

The Full Life Study Bible comments, “The unbelieving world insults and mock God’s people, those who are committed to the righteous and holy standard of His Word… This kind of treatment is unavoidable in a world under control of Satan and dominated by people whose minds are darkened (cf. II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2-3; 4:18). Jesus Himself experienced mocking and reproach while on earth (see Matt. 27:39-44; cf. PS. 69:10)… The persecution of the righteous will not last forever. God has appointed a day when He will vindicate these who have remained loyal to His ways and will bring just punishment on those who have mocked the faithful.”

11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

Through His judgment upon the nations, God will defeat all the “gods” of the world and there will be none left but Him to worship. To bring these verses into today’s, “Famish all the gods” spiritually applies to many gods failure to provide and if the gods be famished, so be the people because they cannot provide for their people and who today starves and have impotent gods. See v.12 Ethiopians!

The Stones Tanak says that v.11 is a, “Metaphor for far-flung places.”

Now taking vv.8-11 as a whole we understand that Moab and Amon, cousins through Lot, yet bite rivals of Israel, they are addressed net and for their never ending harassment and oppression toward Israel and their attempts to oust them for the Land and push them into the sea, their judgment ironically will fall upon them as if they were Sodom and Gomorrah, which were in a strange way the catalyst for their very existence (Gen. 19:30-38).

12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

Nineveh fell approximately 20 years after this prophecy.

14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work. 15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

Vv. 12-15: Ethiopia (Egypt) is lumped in with Assyria, whose capital city, Nineveh is mentioned. Jonah about 100 years before and Nahum, around the same time of Zephaniah, gives a greater detail of the judgment that was to befall Assyria and can be read about in my commentaries on Jonah and Nahum. For their doom by flood and flame by the hand of the Babylonians, the ones who ended up punishing and exiling Judah.

It describes how Nineveh will become pastureland and eventually a wilderness, like a desert. This future reality seemed impossible to the people of Assyria, who mightily lived in the lap of luxury. Soon people would be able to shake their heads at them, and say, “I told you so.”

Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! 2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God. 3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

The Stones Tanak says this talks about, Preying on the underprivileged.”

4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

The Full Life Study Bible says, “Prices, Judges, Prophets, Priests. These were the four main categories of leadership in Judah. God condemned these spiritual leaders for failing to be holy and righteous… The officials and judges perverted the law and unjustly used their position to gain money and property for themselves… The prophets altered God’s message so as to gain popularity and the approval… The priests profaned the House of God by violating His precepts and living immoral lives… We must resist leaders who tolerate or promote worldliness and immorality in God’s name and replace them with leaders and laypeople who insist that God’s holy standards be followed. God’s standards must never be lowered to accommodate the sins of some leaders.”

5 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

The Stones Tanak tells us, “The dishonest judges of Jerusalem are not ashamed to corrupt justice, despite God’s presence in its midst.”

6 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. 7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

The Stones Tanak says, “Jerusalem’s Temple and all the other blessings God ordained for it.”

Vv. 1-7 Judah is once again addressed as one who play the part of the bleeding heart, but in reality did their share of persecution of their own people by perverting and twisting the Torah to their own ends. YHWH says HE had overthrown other nations for the same type of wickedness, so what makes them think they are exempt from such a fate; because they are His Chosen People?

Heb 12:6-11 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

He judges them in kind precisely because they are His Chosen People. These verses are a warning to repent. Even though Judah needs correction, YHWH has not forgotten the cruelty in which the nations pressed Judah.

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song 2:1-7

Zephaniah 2

Is not ample warning of consequences spelled out for us in Deut. 27-28?

Judah had been given its ultimatum which sadly will go unheeded and Babylon will be chosen as God’s scourge upon Israel.

Now Judah’s enemies are given their ultimatum.

1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.

Stones Tanak comments on the words, “not or without desire,” It says, “You lack the desire to come closer to God.”

The Full Life Study Bible, “Zephaniah had declared the coming day of God’s wrath upon Judah, a date that would not be cancelled.”

Regarding verse 3:

Matt. 5:5-8, 6:33 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God… But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The time and certainty of judgment had been set, and the nation had to be punished for its apostasy and sin. Nevertheless, God offered hope for those who repented before that day. The righteous would be protected by the LORD’s on that Day of His wrath. He encourages those repented to deepen their commitment to God and His Torah; perhaps God would protect them when He comes to chastise His people.

The Key Word Study Bible offers this comment, “Those who already had an inclination to serve God are challenged here to seek the Lord even more earnestly. The Judgment would still come upon the land but they would be hidden. This might refer to some special protection under God’s providence. (cf. Jer. 15:11; 39:17; 45:5), or to the fact that they are hidden in Him unto eternal life.” Again the correlation between the name of the prophet of God whose name means hidden symbolizing the righteous followers of God would be hidden.

These verse is addressing the nations not desired of the LORD, meaning because they are His Creation, He cares for them (enough to send a Jewish with warning), but they do not have the chosen status of Israel.

Sheep and goats (Matt. 25), wheat from tares (Matt. 13), wheat from chaff (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17), will the people be divided and winnowed. Battle lines will be drawn for the last round, the over time.

HE says before this Day, THE Day of Judgment falls upon them, one last plea to stay the judgment upon themselves through repentance, so that they can have a protected hidden status of His righteous remnant which still remains in Judah. Again, a protective shelter is proclaimed amidst God’s wrath. Likewise when God’s wrath falls upon those of the Beast, God’s people will be exempt, like Israel was protected in Goshen from the 10 plagues. However, satan too makes war and dishes out his own wrath and this we have not been promised exemption from. While the wicked suffers during the Great Tribulation, someone will be the scapegoat, the whipping boy and this will be God’s people. Some of us will be called to martyrdom.

Rev. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Psa. 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints.

4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Radak tells us, “This verse mentions the four main Philistine cities. God’s wrath will be poured out against them, as well, on the Day of Judgment.”

5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

Joshua 13:3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. 7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

Radak says that, “The Jewish people, portrayed here as sheep of a flock. V.8-9 (Ezk 45:1-25; 47:13-48:35).

Taking v.4-7 as a whole we see that Philistia is the first pagan nation to be addressed; Goliath’s people who are now extinct. Yet a conglomeration of Arabs have adopted the name, “Palestinians,” and just as Judah will be judged first, I believe Judah’s closest neighbors and enemies will be next as it was then, even so today.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Notice Gaza then and now has been in dispute and contention. A day is coming when it will be Israel’s forever more. Actually, this Philistine/Palestinian occupied territory will be that ark of safety.

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song:1:15-18

15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

• Wrath: Fierce, overwhelming, complete and overflowing divine anger and rage.

• Trouble: Tribulation and adversarial affliction and anguish.

• Distress: Narrowness, in other words a spot between a rock and a hard place.

• Wasteness: It means to rush over like a destructive flood.

• Desolation: Meaning nothing significant will be left.

• Darkness: It means the lines between truth and fiction, reality and imagination will be blurred. It is said to be confused and left in the dark in regards to knowledge of something. No one will know what will happen next. It puts one on the brink of insanity.

• Gloominess: This describes the type of darkness which was a plague in Egypt. A some sort of tangible darkness that can be sensed and felt.

• Clouds: It alludes to that all the descriptors above will be so wide spread that there will be no place to hide from them.

• Thick Darkness: Meant to be a descriptor and intensifier of “clouds.” Clouds and Thick Darkness can also has been used to describe God during the Exodus and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai and thus these words are a connection to God’s Holiness in judgment.

16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

This eludes to the last shofar blast:

1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thess. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Mankind will be in utter shock and awe; vainly seeking shelter or even escape by death.

Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

This is also representory of sin. Haw sin blinds and binds. How the religious elite will be in the same boat as the lay person with no advantage.

Matt. 15:14a They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch. (NLT)

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

No bribe or ransom can be made to save them. The offer for protection and salvation has expired.

Prov. 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Ezk. 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Also as the Scriptures says that our God is a consuming fire:

Deut. 4:24 For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.

Hebrews 12:29 For our God [is] a consuming fire.

Passages such as these in Zephaniah are the ones the secularly, hedonistic, humanistic, agnostic use to say YHWH is a blood thirsty barbaric and archaic god.

Exd 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

They fail to recall the time He gave Noah’s generation and Jonah’s Nineveh to repent, some 100 years! He waited before the trash heap of Sodom and Gomorrah overflowed its can before He burned the trash and look at the decadence of today’s western world, Europe and Nordic countries and yet we have yet to be visited by fire and brimstone from the sky.

The liberal and secular intelligencia has it all askew, there is no blood thirsty God, only one of second chances and forced to execute last resorts to maintain the integrity of His Holiness.

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song: 1:9-14

9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

As we see “when the books are closed” the wicked are punished immediately. In this view as hinted about in my personal statement of faith, what Christians call “the rapture” and Armageddon occur simultaneously, meaning the remnant ride out, live through and are protected during the Great Tribulation.

Since Philistia is prophesied against in this book of Zephaniah, the Rabbi’s and Sages believe this verse refers to their god Dagon.

I Sam. 5:5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

The King James Version says “leap on,” most other translations, including Jewish translations say “leap over.”

This is speaking not to Philistia, but to Judah who has adopted Philistine religious rites.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. 11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

Rashi says the second gate was called the Bird Gate. This is speaking specifically of Jerusalem. Basically the idol making industry will crash and those who profit from it will be no more.

Nelson’s Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible says that Maktesh was a, “place near Jerusalem where silversmiths and silver traders conducted their business during the reign of King Josiah… Literally Maktesh means, “The Mortar” (NAS, RSV).”

This reminds me of Babylon who conquers disobedient Judah, that one day, virtually the same thing will be said about them.

Rev. 18:10-13 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

Rev. 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Paganism and sin will be ferreted out with a search light and those who are apathetic and have thickened and congealed like spoiled wine; those who have become stagnant and set in their pagan ways and thinks that YHWH is just another god who can be tricked with appeasements, those peoples time is up, there days are numbered.

“Like wine sitting tranquilly on its lees, complacent people sit around and say that God does not reward or punish.” – Stones Tanak

“The promise in this verse may be used to condemn the philosophy of the deists in that God will punish those who merely acknowledge God’s existence and do not believe that he is involved in the affairs of this world, neither judging nor blessing the actions of men. To God, this is the same as denying Him (cf. Heb.11:6)…” – Key Word Study Bible

“Some in Judah had a deistic view of God… Those who had this attitude would fearfully discover on the day of judgment that God did indeed hold them accountable for these sins that they refused to abandon… He will reward those who seek Him and judge those who turn from Him and do evil. (Rom. 2:5-11).” – Full Life Study Bible

Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Isa 41:23 Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. (NASB)

13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

Through posh and provided for, these people will be swept away by judgment and their possessions will be left behind and therefore, meaningless. This is the meaning of Yeshua’s words about being “left behind,” it is judgment, not the rapture. Who was swept away in the flood waters of judgment? And who was left behind in an ark?

Matt. 24:36-44 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Wake up “church,” you have perverted he plain meaning of the Scriptures, worse yet, Messiah’s own words!

Who was “hidden” in the ark, who was “left behind”? Noah and his family. Who was “taken”? The wicked and unrepentant. There will be a remnant safely hidden during the time of the Great Tribulation.

In Scriptural examples of judgment who is always “taken”? The disobedient! The Pre-tribulation theory is a doctrine of a demon, only barely 100 years old. The early believers sure didn’t believe such rubbish. The pretribulationist doctrine is a lie and many will lose their faith and pastors dragged out into the streets and beaten to death with cries of “YOU LIED TO ME! IT WAS ALL A LIE! YOU SAID WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS!”

14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

It will be the “Great Day of the LORD,” He will own it, no more will the wicked run amuck. It will be a day of….

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song: 1:7-8

Hosea 7:7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

Here we go; the can of worms has officially been opened.

“THE DAY OF THE LORD!”

Sure, this is a significant phrase, directly linked to eschatological events, but in Christianity, what correlation is failed to be made is what the Hebraic meaning of the “The Day of the LORD” means. It is an idiom which refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonements, which in turn is also labeled, “The LORD’s Day” or “The Day of the LORD,” because it is His day in which the righteous are saved and atoned for and the wicked are judged and punished.

Every significant event dealing with redemption is linked with one of the Feasts of the LORD found in Leviticus 23. In the Hebrew language they are Appointed Times; rehearsals with past present and future fulfillments. God gave us His Calendar; He doesn’t go by the Gregorian calendar or arbitrarily picks a date out of his Yarmulke and says, “Ah, this will be a nice day for Armageddon to take place!”

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Many Christians believe this is talking about Sunday. No, it’s not even talking about Saturday Sabbath, but Yom Kippur. Yochannon (John) was exiled on Patmos and received his revelation on “The LORD’s Day” aka: Yom Kippur!

We may know the season, but not the day or the hour, why? Because throughout history man perverted and in some instances lost the reckoning of true time according to God’s calendar, not to mention the changes in the earths tilt and orbit over the years has caused us to add a leap month, a second month of Adar some years into the Hebraic calendar. Also there have been variant interpretations on the verses regarding the introduction by God of His Calendar and some confusion in regards to the exact Hebrew words used and their meanings has caused various versions of the Hebraic calendar to be produced and kept over the years and so we may be close in our approximation of observing the appointed times at the right times, but ultimately we do not know for sure and these reasons are why know the season but not the day or the hour of Messiah’s return.

I believe in celebrating the Feasts of the LORD within the framework of the calculated Hebrew calendar set up by the Sanhedrin just before they were forced to disband, so that Jews throughout the Diaspora could observe the Feasts of the LORD together in unity. If Yeshua had a problem with the decisions concerning the calendar and the celebration of the Feasts, He had ample opportunity to do so.

I agree that the Hebrew year is wrong and not correct, as we do not celebrate the feasts days on the exact days because there is no standing Temple, active Levitical Priesthood or authoritative Sanhedrin that can set the Calendar by the Aviv, the Barley.

So as to not separate ourselves from Judaism by as much as we already are by being Netzari Jews, I will agree with my Orthodox brothers and admit the shortfalls of the current calendar yet wait for the 3rd Temple and for the Moshiach to return and set the calendar right.

Our focus verse first is applicable to 605 BCE when the Babylonians destroyed Judah and Jerusalem and carried off her inhabitants. Ultimately it applies to the judgment of the world at the end of time when Messiah returns to which a multiplicity of prophetic verses can be referenced here, but I will only site a few.

(Isa. 2:12, 13:6-9; Jer. 46:10; Ezk. 13:5, Joel 1:15, 2:1; Amos 5:18; Matt. 24; I Thess. 5:2)

You see this verse Zeph. 1:7 refers to the whole earth being judged (v. 2,3;3:8), Israel cleansed (3:11-13) and the righteous remnant returns to the newly cleansed earth (3:14-20).

The following is taken from my personal Statement of Faith:

I DO NOT believe, nor adhere to in any way the Pre-Tribulationalist or Dispensationalist view of the End Times, this view is so young (little over 100 years old), it in no way could be the view of Natsarim Judaism of the first century. It has NO roots in Judaism, and did not even exist in Christianity till the 19th century. Its main views are totally contrary to Judaism period. Here is a general view of the chronology of the End Times: Immediately AFTER the Tribulation (Mt.24:29; Mk.13:24) the Messiah will appear in the sky (Dan.7:13-14; Mt.24:29-31; I Thes.4:16-17) there will be a final trumpet (Rev.8:2; 11:15; Mt.24:31; Is.27:13; I Thes. 4:16-17; I Cor. 15:52) and there will be a resurrection (I Cor. 15:50-55; I Thes.4:16; Rev.20:4-6; Is.25:8; Hos.13:14; Ezk.37:1-14) and a gathering together to Messiah in the sky (Mt.24:29-31; Mk.13:24-27; 2 Thes.2:1; I Thes.4:17). This is followed by the Messiah coming with His set apart ones. In other words the “rapture, and the “Battle of Armageddon” happens all in one shot. (Jude1:14-15= I Enoch 1:9; I Thes.3:13; Rev.19:11-16; Zech.14:4-5). After this, the 1,000 year reign of Messiah is established (Rev.20:1-3, 7). The “rapture” is the regathering of Israel to the Land of Israel at the return of Messiah, and not a pretrib rapture of the “Church.””

To further solidify that this is Yom Kippur we are speaking, if you will note, a “prepared” sacrifice is mentioned, meaning a sacrifice that has been set aside beforehand and lots were cast for the sacrificial goats during Yom Kippur. Some may say, “Ah, but what about the guests? Sounds to me like Passover.” No one eats on Yom Kippur so there is no feast to invite one to. Sure, you can the same argument that the Passover Lamb was “prepared” and traditionally we are to invite “guests.” But Passover was never referred to as the “Day of the LORD,” even though punishment was dished out on Pharaoh. Passover was Israel’s day, not the LORD’s, the focus was His peoples deliverance moreso than the judgment of the wicked. As far as the fasting, that has become a tradition derived from the verse to “afflict ones soul,” however fasting is never explicitly commanded. Yom Kippur, it is the LORD’s Day because the focus is primarily on the judgment and punishment of the wicked that He dishes out and in the case Israel’s deliverance is secondary, which after the enemy has been judged and the remnant saved and sealed a celebratory feast, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is made.

“The “sacrifice” mentioned refers to Christ’s atoning work on the cross of Calvary (Heb. 10:12), in the phrase “bid his guests,” God is inviting His people to accept this offering and come into a right relationship with Him (Matt. 10:6; 15:24).” – Key Word Study Bible.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

Again, further allusions to Yom Kippur; Passover was never about punishing Israel. Here it speaks of Israel’s royalty, King and Priest taking on and imitating the pagan religious practices of the nations around them and this is precisely what happened in King Manasseh and Amon’s time. Not only is the Gentile wicked punished on Yom Kippur, but the unrepentant backslidden of Israel.

It is a Jewish tradition that on Yom Kippur the books of heaven are opened, specifically three books, one for the righteous, the wicked and the “in between” and on that day the fate of all whose names are in those books are sealed, the righteous to life, the wicked to death and the “in between” is determined by if they repent before the end of the that day or not.

The “strange apparel” refers to pagan ritual garb, but on a spiritual level I see it as our attempts at divine righteousness.

Isa. 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

We need to put on Messiah (Rom. 13:14; Gal. 3:27). We need to put on the garments of righteousness (Isa. 59:17, 61:10). And on Yom Kippur, traditionally everyone wears white to symbolize righteousness.

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song: Part 4

So no doubt this is why Israel was scared. They were going up against a race not only physically intimidating, but mystically and spiritually intimidating as well. Who knows what type of powers these beings had! And who knows how embellished these stories of their powers were, which made them that much more ominous in their eyes.

But come Hell, the demons of them, or High Water, with God on our side we have nothing to fear.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?

1 Sam. 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

2 Chron. 20:15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle[is] not yours, but God's.

2 Chron. 20:17 Ye shall not [need] to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye [still], and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD [will be] with you.

Psa 24:8 Who [is] this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Psa 140:7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Pro 21:31 The horse [is] prepared against the day of battle: but safety [is] of the LORD.

Zech. 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

I can go on and on! Is there no doubt that we may not know what we are up against, but God does, and he has our back covered. We needn’t be fearful of the supernatural, or the unknown. Just do as God commands and He will take care of the rest. How many times does God tell us in His Word to “Fear Not”? To use a tired cliché, we do our best and God will do the rest. If He says, “Take the Land.” Trust that God has got the battle in the bag and just do it! That is what Trust and Faith is all about!

God help us all in this matter.

What does it mean, “Then that worship and that swear by YHWH and swear by Malcham”? It means those who claim pagan deities are really another name for YHWH. Classic example is the Muslims who try to call their 7th century Arabian moon god, Allah, the God of Abraham. I’m also talking about the ecumenicals who say, You call him Buddha, I call Him Jesus, their all the same god. Even Israel did this by claiming the Golden Calf was YHWH!!!

Exd. 32:4 And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exd. 32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

In Zephaniah’s day before Josiah’s reform, “many in Judah were participating in other forms of religion while at the same time worshiping the Lord God. This mixture was both idolatrous and flagrant evil. God will not tolerate these who claim to be His followers, and yet at the same time participate in idolatrous, sinful and immoral activity…” – Full Life Study Bible

What is the “John 3:16” of Judaism?

Deut. 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Also:

Isa. 43:11 I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour.

Isa. 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God.

Isa. 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].

Isa. 45:5 I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

Isa. 45:21 Tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? [who] hath told it from that time? [have] not I the LORD? and [there is] no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me.

Hosea 13:4 Yet I [am] the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for [there is] no saviour beside me. Isa. 48:11 For mine own sake, [even] for mine own sake, will I do [it]: for how should [my name] be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

These people are name droppers, claiming they know and have a personal relationship with YHWH but don’t. You might as well say that I have lunch with Donald Trump or Bill Gates every afternoon.

What was that verse I quoted again?

Matt. 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

That last phrase, “I never KNEW you” in the original means, “I was never INTIMATE, or on a first name basis with you” those who put into practice, breaking My Torah! These people know of the LORD, but clearly they don’t know Him.

Zephaniah’s Sardonic Siren Song: Part 3

Why have I mentioned aliens? Because the ancients said their gods visited them from the sky and even were intimate with them.

Giants; the word conjures up fantastical, mythological and fairy tale like images of beings that have long passed and are but dust beneath the earth. Today we see basketball players or professional wrestlers of unusual height, or we thumb through the Guinness Book of World Records and see photos of people of staggering stature, making anyone alongside them look like an action figure! Honestly, even seeing all the “giants” photographed throughout history, and using my imagination to envision giants decked out for mortal combat, I don’t really think I’d be too afraid. Their super tall, so what!? Sound to me like they would be slow, clumsy, and maybe even stupid too! Actually, being small and agile, Israel would have an upper hand. So why was Israel so afraid of these giants?

Moses here recaps the story of their parents who had the opportunity to take the land the first time but chickened out:

Deuteronomy 1:21-45 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out. And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us. Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day. And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD. Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither. But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill. And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them. Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

Here Moses uses examples of their cousins, who did not have the favor of God as they did, took on these giants and took their land to boot!

Deuteronomy 2:10-22The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims. The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them. And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

Moses describes for us the impressive height of Og King of Bashan, and hints at his massive weight that required an iron bed to hold him:

Deuteronomy 3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

So why did Moses use examples of their rebellious cousins; the children of Esau, Moab and Ammon, who conquered some of these giants to occupy the land they have now, as a pep talk to encourage the Israelis to take the land? Sounds to me like these giants were more than just tall. And indeed according to Scripture, tradition and legend they were. These giants were the stuff that legends and myths are made of.

Here is our first encounter with these giants:

Genesis 6:1-4 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

The word “Giant” Nephilim in Hebrew carries a double meaning. It means, Giant, yes, but it also means, “Fallen Ones”.

Most Christians in this enlightened age of today would scoff at even the suggestion that fallen angels could possibly have cohabitated with the daughters of men. Yet this was the original meaning and intent of this very passage. Only in the modern centuries have man tried to explain this away as the wicked daughters of Cain seducing and marrying the righteous sons of Seth. Horse Pucky! Every instance in the Tanak when the phrase “sons of God” is used it is used in direct reference to the angelic race, and it is obvious that the daughters of men is mortal women.

Indeed, this is one of the reasons why God deemed the flood necessary, not just because of the wicked ways of mankind, but because the fallen angels were impregnating the human women in an effort to thwart the prophecy of the Messiah coming:

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This fact is backed up again and again in Midrashic, Talmudic, Kabalistic, and Rabbinical literature.

Deuteronomy 1:28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

According to Rashi the descendants of Shamchazi and Azael, who fell from heaven in the generation of Enosh.

“The Chassidic masters explain that the generation of the Spies was loath to enter the Land because they feared the transition from the spiritual life they led in the desert (where they were sustained by "bread from heaven" and all their physical needs were provided by miraculous means, and their sole occupation was the study of Torah and the service of G-d) to a life on the land and all the material entanglements this brings.

This explains the Spies' mention of the "sons of the giants" they encountered in the Land. The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishit 44) relates the story of these "fallen angels": In the years before the Flood, when violence and promiscuity pervaded the earth, two angels, Shamchazi and Azael, pleaded before the Almighty: Allow us to dwell among the humans, and we shall sanctify your name! But no sooner had the two heavenly beings come in contact with the material world, they, too, were corrupted.

If these heavenly beings -- the Spies were saying -- could not survive the plunge to materiality, what could be expected of us, mortal and fragile men?” – The Lubavitcher Rebbe

If Satan through his fallen angels could pollute the human seed, then there would be no pure untainted human seed for the Messiah to come through. Thus is another reason for the flood and for Noach (Noah) and his family being spared. This is where the legends of the giants, and mythological type beings came from that Rome is so famous for speaking of. I believe this to be the modern explanation of the UFO and Alien phenomenon. Think about it, same ol’ plan, different package. Human women are abducted; they are impregnated and then re-abducted to extract the hybrid child, and many of them are shown their prodigy. There is no proof that these beings come from another planet, But the there is evidence leaning toward them coming from another dimension. Plus, if these “alien” give a message for mankind, it is usually a humanistic or new age message that belittles Messiah and His word and puts Him on the level of other world religions. Also the same paranormal activity that takes place during a poltergeist is the same type of things that happen when “aliens” and their craft are present. This sounds like Nephilim to me.