A Harvest Of Muslims

When I look at the situation in the Middle East, I see chaos and warfare. But it seems that when God looks at the Middle East, He sees "the fields are ripe for harvest" - John 4:35. What kind of harvest? A harvest of souls as it were. Tens of millions of Muslims are leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, often at great risk to themselves. And they're doing this in the middle of a war zone.

First the numbers.

It seems hard to believe that millions of Muslims would be turning from Muhammed to Jesus. After all, most people don't change the religion they're born into. And Islam prescribes death for any Muslim who would convert to Christianity. So they don't do it lightly. But millions? Yes, according to researchers Duane Alexander Miller and Patrick Johnstone who published "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census" [1] in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. Here is a graph from the article, and note this is only up to 2010.

  

Crosswalk.com [2] gives a more conservative number of converts in the range of 2 to 7 million, based on the work of missionary David Garrison, author of "A Wind In the House Of Islam" [3].

 Since this appears to be a large number of converts, I want to explain more of Drs. Garrison, Miller, and Johnstone's methods. They all acknowledge that exact numbers are impossible, that numbers are both overreported and underreported, and even estimates are very difficult. But how do we get any estimates at all? If you wish to skip the data collection section, go to the section "How Is It Happening?".

Estimate Estimate

In 1960, Dr Johnstone began compiling data on the size and nature of Christian communities worldwide. He published six volumes of Operation World [4], also see Wikipedia [5].

The purpose of the Operation World books has been to provide a profile of each country in the world, including information on the ethnic and religious breakdown, with the hope of aiding Christians and Christian ministries that focus on world missions, evangelism, and prayer. Religious and denominational information was gleaned from national surveys and censuses, solicited from missionaries and indigenous workers, and culled from official records of groups such as the Lutheran World Federation and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. IJRR [1] 

The end result is a reference book of  geography, demographics, population, literacy, economy, religions, Christian denominations, and missions groups for every country in the world. Here is their summary of Muslim converts to Christianity.

   

Continent/Region	Muslim Converts
Asia	6,968,500
Africa	2,161,000
North America	493,000
Arab world	483,500
Europe	147,800
Pacific	21,600
Latin America	8,800

 Garrison's approach focused solely on Muslims converting to Christianity. He conducted interviews with over 1000 converts in 14 countries using a questionnaire he developed. The house of Islam can be divided into nine geo-cultural rooms; three in Africa, the Arab world, the Persian world, Turkestan, West India, East India, and Indonesia. He went to all nine travelling 250,000 miles. He only counted movements with more than 1000 converts or more than 100 churches. The questionnaire itself can be found in his book "A Wind In the House Of Islam" [3]. His questionnaire and interviews went beyond estimating numbers of converts, to an attempt to answer the questions of how and why the conversions were taking place, and why they are accelerating.

How Is It Happening?

During the first 13 centuries of Islam, the only conversions either way, Muslim to Christian or Christian to Muslim appear to have been forced. Christian missionaries had little to no success in proselytizing Muslims. In fact, missionaries were often forbidden from preaching to Muslims. The first breakthrough came from a local Javanese evangelist Radin Abas Sadrach Surapranata (1840 - 1924) remembered as "Sadrach, The Apostle of Java". His success was the product of at least two new factors - he was a local, and the recent publication of the Bible in Javanese, that is Muslims distrust Westerners, and now they could read the Bible in their native language.

Native language  Bible translations were partly responsible for the success of William Carey [6] (1761 - 1834), aka father of modern missions, who translated parts or all of the Bible into 44 Bengali languages. Bengali is the sixth most common language spoken today. Again, people could see for themselves.

Native language Korans are also making a huge difference. Muslims can read the Koran and the Bible and decide for themselves.

Sheikh Bilal added, “The translation of the Qur’an is changing everything. Before, it was only in Arabic, which no one understood. -  "A Wind In the House Of Islam" [3]

Not only can the House of Islam now compare doctrines and ideologies, they can also compare the actions of Muslims and Christians. Not only is the gospel reaching the House of Islam through media outlets like radio, TV, and Internet, but local news and world news is reaching them as well. There are certainly people who give Christianity a bad name, but the overwhelming number of terrorists are Muslims. It seems hard to believe there have been over 28,000 Islamic terror attacks since 9/11/2001 - TheReligionOfPeace [7]. But the Muslim to Christian converts experienced Islam up close and personal like none of us in the West, that is to say they have seen or felt the hate and cruelty themselves, indeed they have lived it. Here are some quotes from A Wind In the House Of Islam.

As we will see in many subsequent Rooms in the House of Islam, one of the greatest recurring motivations for Muslims coming to Christ is a rejection of the militant expression of Islam itself. 

God is using dissatisfaction within the Muslim community itself to draw Muslims to faith in Christ. 

[Berbers] saw in the way of Jesus a stark contrast to that of Muhammad. 

Often enough, it is injustice within the Muslim community itself that leads Muslims to turn to Christ. 

In these and similar testimonies, one observes a pattern. When the Muslim community mistreats one of their own, that person is more inclined to find an alternative sanctuary in the person of Christ and the Christian faith.

But Wait, There's More 

This will be harder for those of us in the Western world to accept. Story after story is emerging that Jesus is calling Muslims through dreams, visions, healings, and answered prayers. Tom Doyle, author of   "DREAMS AND VISIONS: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World" - [8], "has encountered a staggering number of Muslims who were first introduced to Jesus through a vision or dream so powerful that they eventually turned from their lifelong religion of Islam and embraced Christ as their Savior". He also wrote "Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe to Believe" - [9], which recounts the journey of several people coming to Jesus through dreams. Here is one exchange between a Muslim and a Christian.

I’ve been hearing a lot about Muslims having dreams about Jesus. And they’re not the kind of dreams someone has after a bad plate of baba ghanoush or something like that. These are high-definition dreams— visions!— of Jesus, and good-hearted Muslims who have them end up asking Jesus followers what they mean. Isn’t that cool?”

Family members often have the same dream. But it doesn't end with dreams. They are driven to know more about the Jesus who appeared to them, and seek out Bibles. You can't base your faith on dreams and visions and ignore the written Word of God. As best I can tell, the dreams decrease in frequency when a person matures in their faith. They also find a group to worship with, maybe an established Western church, but often small home groups where they can meet in safety. And within weeks or months, these same people are out evangelizing in a war zone or refugee camp.

I personally have never had a dream or vision of Jesus. I have to wonder why He chooses such a direct method of calling Muslims. Then again, I've had access to the Bible in English all my life, and the peace and safety to attend any church I want. And visions aren't the goal, they are only an introduction, then a Bible (in their native language), then a church. Muslims turned Christian can be called to martyrdom, and they are willing to suffer death for Jesus. You might say Jesus gives them a lot because He's going to ask a lot of them.

But what about [insert your pet doctrine here]? No church has perfect doctrine. The Muslims turned Christians are showing their faith by their works. As one woman said "They're turning away from Islam!!!! God can fix the rest!" None of the dreams retold by Garrison or Doyle contradicted scripture. Not much is said about specific teachings other than who is Jesus, baptism as a sign of conversion, receiving the Holy Spirit, and evangelizing. What is clear is that lives are changing for the better. Muslim lives. Millions of them. The fields are truly ripe for harvest, pray that He sends laborers.

References

1. http://www.religjournal.com/pdf/ijrr11010.pdf

2. http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/millions-of-muslims-converting-to-christ.html

3. https://www.amazon.com/Wind-House-Islam-Drawing-Muslims/dp/1939124034

4. http://www.operationworld.org/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_World

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carey_(missionary)
7. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com
8. https://www.amazon.com/DREAMS-VISIONS-Jesus-Awakening-Muslim-ebook/dp/B0078FAA3M
9. https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Christians-Living-Faith-Believe/dp/0718030680

The More I Learn About Islam, the More I Hate It

Refugees heading to Europe

Islam has been in the news a lot lately, with Syrian refugees pouring into Europe, the vast majority of these refugees being Muslim males. Many Europeans are uncomfortable with the influx, for several reasons: financial, crime, integration, terrorist Trojan horses. Rapes and other violence from the refugees has skyrocketed, so some cities and countries want to ship them back.  Those who welcome them in argue that "Islam is a religion of peace", and cite humanitarian grounds.

What is the truth about Islam?

  

I've been collecting articles about Islam for a while intending to write a blog. As part of my research, I read "It IS About Islam" by Glenn Beck [1], and I found he already wrote what I wanted to say and more. So this blog is more of a book report. He makes his arguments from Islamic sources and Islamic authors, not posing as an expert himself, not trying to interpret the Koran for the reader, but taking statements from Islamic leaders and scholars. All quotes are from "It IS About Islam" unless otherwise noted.

In Part One of "It IS About Islam", Beck covers the agenda of Islam, which is to bring about a confrontation with the West, also known as Armageddon or the End Times. Again, this is in the words of Muslims, not Glenn Beck. He also covers the history of Islam, starting with its prophet Muhammed. He explains the major sects of Islam (Wahhabism and Salafism), Sharia law, and Islam's sacred texts. Most everyone has heard of the Koran, also spelled Quran, but less well known to Westerners is the Hadith "the collected deeds and sayings of Allah’s prophet Muhammad, which form one of the primary bases of Islamic law."

In Part Two, Beck discusses thirteen lies about Islam. Many of these lies we hear routinely from Islamic apologists like the ACLU or media outlets. I will summarize two lies so you get the point.

Lie #1: Islam Is A Religion Of Peace

Muslim/Islam/Salam. It seems logical if salam (peace) is in the name, it's a religion of peace, right? President Obama, among countless others, have asserted that Islam preaches peace - page 92. Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes explains,

The word Islam more accurately translates to “submission.” “There is no connection in meaning between salām and islām, peace and submission,” These are two distinct words with unrelated [meanings]. In brief, ‘Islam = submission.’ - page 93

ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said bluntly:

O Muslims, Islam was never for a day the religion of peace. Islam is the religion of war.

Where do modern Islamic leaders get these notions from? Here is a quote from Sura 9:29:

Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e., Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. - page 96

What about those who say the terrorists don't represent Islam? That they are extremists and don't speak for all Muslims? Take it from the Koran directly:

And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to strike terror into the enemies of Allah and your enemy - Quran 8:60

Or take it from the Hadith:

 Allah’s Apostle said, “I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror. . . .” Sahih al-Bukhari 4:52: 220

The Koran and other sacred Islamic writings repeatedly command Muslims to fight, and to inflict terror, especially on Christians and Jews. It is not some modern interpretation by extremists that came up with this, it is in Islam's founding documents. Today's Muslim leaders DO know what they're talking about, they DO represent Islam, and command a large following among Muslims.

It is important to look at the facts, that is the behavior of Muslims, not argue philosophy or who wrote what. I was shocked to learn the extent of Islamic terrorism.








According to TheReligionOfPeace [2], since September 11, 2001, there have been over 28,000 Muslim terror attacks. 28,000!! That's over 1800 per year for fifteen years. The Religion Of Peace "monitors acts of Muslim violence from a range of news sources that are reliable, when it can be reasonably inferred that the perpetrator was motivated to some degree by their Islamic faith." - WND [3].

No way does Islam qualify as a religion of peace.

Lie #4: Muslims don’t actually seek to live under Sharia

Here is the lie in different terms from an Islamic apologist.

“There are so many varying interpretations of what sharia actually means that in some places, it can be incorporated into political systems relatively easily.” —Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations

But what do Muslim scholars say?

“Islam, it is generally acknowledged, is a complete way of life, and at the core of the code, is the law of Islam. . . . No other sovereign or authority is acceptable to the Muslim, unless it guarantees the application of the laws (shariah) in their entirety. - Imran Ahsan Kahn Nyazee 

By Bill Warner, PHD

The fact is that Sharia law has overwhelming support among Muslims. Beck gives the results of a Pew poll in Muslim nations asking who favors Sharia as the official law of the country, some countries polling as high as 99% - page 122. Get the truth straight from Osama Bin Laden himself:

Muslims, and especially the learned among them, should spread Shari’a law to the world— that and nothing else. Not laws under the “umbrella of justice, morality, and rights” as understood by the masses. No, the Shari’a of Islam is the foundation. . . . In fact, Muslims are obligated to raid the lands of the infidels, occupy them, and exchange their system of governance for an Islamic system, barring any practice that contradicts Shari’a from being publicly voiced among the people, as was the case in the dawn of Islam. . . . They say that our Shari’a does not impose our particular beliefs upon others; this is a false assertion. For it is, in fact, part of our religion to impose our particular beliefs upon others. . . . Thus whoever refuses the principle of terror against the enemy also refuses the commandment of Allah the Exalted, the Most High, and His Shari’a. - Osama bin Laden

Why do Muslims feel free to commit rape and other violence in Europe? They don't respect the laws of the lands they live in, they follow Sharia.

The Quran, Hadith, and a consensus of Islamic scholars suggest that Muslims should respect sharia law over the laws of whatever nation they happen to live in. - page 130 

Muslim immigrants are pressing for Sharia law in the US, the UK, and other European countries. Sharia law is incompatible with the constitution of the US and probably all Western nations.

There ARE decent Muslims in the world who don't approve of terrorism, violence, and Sharia law. The problem is there are large numbers who do, and they find justification in their founding documents.

Below are the thirteen lies Beck covers in "It IS About Islam". There are more. See The Myths Of Islam [4] for more. I did not go into Islam vs Christianity, or Koran vs Bible, or Allah vs God - maybe in a future post. The information is out there, the truth is out there. Islam is not a misunderstood religion. Muslims view their mission as a religious war. We would be foolish to ignore that.

1. Islam is a religion of peace, and Islamic terrorists aren’t really Muslims.
2. Islam is not much different than christianity or judaism.
3. Jihad is a peaceful, internal struggle, not a war against infidels.
4. Muslims don’t actually seek to live under Sharia, let alone impose it on others, there are so many different interpretations of it anyway.
5. America is safe from Sharia law.
6. The caliphate is a fanciful dream.
7. Islam is tolerant toward non-Muslims.
8. Addressing frustration, poverty, joblessness in the Muslim world— maybe even climate change— will end terrorism.
9. Critics of Islam are bigots.
10. Islam respects the rights of women.
11. Iran can be trusted with a nuclear weapon.
12. The Muslim brotherhood is a moderate, mainstream Islamic group.
13. Islam respects freedom of speech.

References

1. http://www.amazon.com/About-Islam-Exposing-Caliphate-Control/dp/1501126121

1. http://www.glennbeck.com/islambook

2. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

3. http://www.wnd.com/2012/12/guess-how-many-islamic-terror-attacks-since-911/print/

4. http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/myths/index.aspx

Is Leaven Sin?

Many churches who observe the Days of Unleavened Bread teach that leaven symbolizes sin. They base this on Jesus' words "beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" in Matthew 16:6. The message was initially lost on the audience (the 12 disciples) because they thought He was talking about bread.

Even Jewish rabbis view leaven as symbolizing sin - Jews For Jesus [1]. Let's see how Jesus Himself interpreted leaven. In verse 12 of Matthew 16, Matthew says they (the disciples) understood Jesus was talking about the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Well, which is it? Does leaven represent sin or does it represent doctrine? As Grant Luton of Beth Tikkun [2] says, "If a scripture can be taken two ways, do it". That doesn't mean that an interpretation can contradict other verses however. But in this case, it seems reasonable to interpret leaven as sin or doctrine depending on the context.

Doctrine of Pharisees and Sadducees

Pharisees and Sadducees

On its own, doctrine is a neutral word meaning teaching. However, improper doctrine can give people license to sin. For example, the Pharisees and Sadducees had many traditions that set aside the word of God - Mark 7:13. The New Testament authors spent time refuting Gnosticism, a belief system that crept into the first century church, teaching that salvation was a matter of secret knowledge or gnosis. Gnosticism also teaches the spirit is good and the body is evil, therefore "one must defile the body through immoral activity" - Wiki [3], again giving people the license to sin. Not that it takes much to convince people to do what they wanted to do anyway.

A person who teaches a false doctrine, aka heresy, knowingly or unknowingly, puts themselves above God and His word, the Bible.

• Does your church teach that the Sabbath has been changed to Sunday? 
• Does your church teach that the Ten Commandments are done away?
• Does your church teach that their prophet's writings supersede the Bible? 
• Does your church teach Christmas and Easter instead of God's holy days revealed in the Bible? 
• Does your church put a priest between you and God?
• Does your religion reject Jesus as Messiah?
• Does your religion teach that it's OK to kill infidels?
• Does your religion teach that it's OK to lie to unbelievers?

Leaven of Hypocrisy

Luke records the same event with different wording, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" - Luke 12:1. This puts a different twist on it. I doubt anyone would argue that the teaching of the Pharisees was hypocrisy, it just came out that way in their actions. A hypocrite is someone who is pretending, someone who has taken God's name but doesn't live a godly life, that is, someone who takes God's name in vain. Taking His name in vain means more than speaking His name casually or using His name in an idle curse. Consider how the example of the Pharisees (hypocrites) affected the people observing them.

Jesus likened the conduct of the Pharisees to actors–men pretending, playing a role. The Pharisees of Christ’s day were a powerful leadership body who claimed to be more zealous and more righteous than the rest of Jewish society. They set themselves up as models of what was right and godly, yet in Christ’s eyes their example was actually destructive. In Christ’s estimation the conduct of these men had a corrupting effect upon those who followed their example–a leavening effect, if you will. -  Howard Marchbanks [4]

Leaven of Herod

Mark records an interesting additional detail to Jesus statement, "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod" - Mark 8:15. This takes it out of the church, sort of. Herod represents politics. One simple meaning of the leaven of Herod is to avoid politics in the church. The dirty little secret is that in Jesus' time, Herod appointed the high priest, and he was always a Sadducee, obtaining the position by bribery - High Priest Corruption [5]. Today, some Christians believe if they get their candidate elected, they can establish the kingdom of God on earth, then Jesus can return and take over, this is called Dominion Theology. In other words, create utopia by political machinations - Gayle Erwin [6].  "You can't solve spiritual problems with political means" - Fred Coulter  [7]. Getting involved politically goes beyond church politics, goes beyond making a deal with the government for your own benefit, it goes to becoming the government. It seems that church leaders get obsessed with establishing the perfect government (with them at the top of course), then everything will be OK. But God already had a perfect government long ago, and Satan still rebelled.

It's Not About the Bread

Over and over in John chapter 6, Jesus described Himself as the true bread from heaven. Some were offended when He said "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Once again, we can take that two ways. He was certainly talking about the Passover service where we take the unleavened bread and wine as symbols of His body and blood. But He could have also meant to refer back to "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" - Matthew 4:4. And Jesus, being the Word of God, was referring to Himself, but also the written word of God - in other words, His teaching, His doctrine. It's not really about the bread.

Which is it then? Does leaven represent sin or does it represent heresy/hypocrisy/politics? I'm comfortable with "all of the above", because heresy/hypocrisy/politics lead to sin. Let us not focus solely on "putting sin out" because of a narrow interpretation of what leavened bread pictures. Let us focus on taking in the bread from heaven every day, pictured by eating unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

References

1. http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/march-2007/02

2. http://bethtikkun.com/

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism

4. http://www.ucg.org/sermons/the-spirit-of-leavened-hypocrisy-how-jesus-christ-used-the-symbolism-of-leaven

5. http://jewishroots.net/library/miscellaneous/high_priest_corruption.html

6. http://www.servant.org/writings/articles/p_loh.php

7. http://www.cbcg.org/

I Am A Worm - Gospel In A Grub

"I am a worm, and not a man

A reproach of men and despised by the people.

All who see me sneer at me;"

Psalm 22:6

When I read that, I always pictured an earthworm, the kind we use for fishing around here. And it struck me as a statement of utter humility, after all, what could be lower than an earthworm? We also know that Psalm 22 was on Jesus' mind while He was on the cross. He spoke only seven times (at least that's how many are recorded), and the fourth thing He said was "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" which is Psalm 22:1. Some speculate that Jesus recited the entire Psalm 22 to leave no doubt it referred to Him.

Coccus Ilicis

But, Jesus was not thinking of earthworms in Psalm 22. Digging deeper we learn that there are two words for worm in Hebrew, one meaning maggot (rimmah), and the other meaning crimson worm (tola'at shani) - Lori Pagel [1]. Apparently no earthworms. The word in Psalm 22:6 is tola'at shani. Shani is another word for red, tola'at is the actual worm, a grub that is red in color, even used for dye. Its Latin name is coccus ilicis. People used to think it was part of the plant - Chris W. Clark [2]. What is so special about a red grub worm that Jesus would liken Himself to it?

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If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.

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The Gospel In A Grub Worm

Let's look at how this grub worm has parallels with the life and death of Jesus. We can start with what I mentioned above, that for centuries, people did not realize the  tola'at was a worm. And for centuries, many people have not realized that Jesus is the Messiah, especially in His time here on earth.

Feed On Me

When the female tola'at is ready to lay eggs, she climbs an oak tree, a fencepost, or a stick, and attaches herself so permanently that removing her would kill her. She makes a crimson shell at this time that stains the wood and her eventual young - Discover Creation [3]. On the cross (wood), Jesus spilled His blood, no doubt staining the wood. We, His spiritual children, symbolically wear His blood inside and out which protects us.

The tola'at lays her eggs under her protective shell, and the larvae are nourished by eating the living flesh of their mother Discover Creation [3]. Referring to Passover,  Jesus said we are to eat His flesh and drink His blood - John 6:53. During His final Passover, He made the connection that the wine (always red wine) served represented His blood of the New covenant.

Passover Wine and Matzo

John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."

But "consuming Jesus" is not a one time event, it's a daily thing. He is the Bread of life, He is the Word. Man is to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He is our daily bread. He is our manna from heaven. You might say the Bible is Jesus in print.

From Crimson To White

When the larvae can fend for themselves, the mother tola'at dies. After three days, her body turns into white wax and falls to the ground like snow - Chris W. Clark [2]. After Jesus' death, He was three days in the tomb. And then what happens?

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 

Be Healed 

The tola'at historically had medicinal value too - Omega Mann [4]. In the Old Testament, we read of God as YHVH Rapha, Yehovah our Healer. We recognize that healing takes place because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

Be Cleansed

Slaying the Red Heifer

Most people don't eat worms. I, like a lot of people, would consider them Biblically unclean. Yet the tola'at worm is an ingredient in the cleansing ashes made from the red heifer. These ashes were used to cleanse a person who was defiled by a corpse. Where it reads "scarlet material" in Numbers 19:6, the Hebrew actually says tola'at shani, the scarlet grub. I have not uncovered an explanation of why an unclean worm should be part of this particular sacrifice. [A friend sent me a link to an article by chabad [5] which says we can't understand this command. Obey even if you don't understand. Apr 25, 2016]

Numbers 19:6 The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet material and cast it into the midst of the burning heifer.

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All of nature points to God in some way, but this little grub worm is called out specifically as pointing to Jesus our Messiah, from the blood color to the life saving properties to the way it nourishes its young. Yet another wonder hidden in the Torah.

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References

1. http://www.thecrimsonworm.com/
2. https://www.facebook.com/notes/chris-w-clark/messiah-and-the-crimson-worm/10151783788218935
3. http://www.discovercreation.org/blog/2011/11/20/the-crimson-or-scarlet-worm/
4. http://www.omegazine.com/spiritual/worthystudy/worm.html
5. http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/387975/jewish/A-Strange-Commandment.htm

Sycamore of Ground Zero

[This is a transcript of a speech I gave to our church men's club in 2013.  Minor details were edited and references added to accommodate the written and visual form]

Sycamore of Ground Zero

Sycamore of Ground Zero - flickr image (2)

On September 11, 2001, a steel beam falling from the north tower of the World Trade Center would have damaged a small church named St. Paul's Chapel if it had not struck a Sycamore tree. Instead, this Sycamore tree was cut off and gave its life to protect the Chapel [thebanner.org (1)].  St. Paul's Chapel, across the street from the World Trade Center site on Church Street soon became a de facto 

St. Paul's Chapel (3)

dormitory and relief center for rescue workers in the days after 9/11. What's so special about St. Paul's Chapel?  Was this coincidence?  Or can we see God's hand at work?  Does God care about church buildings?

God is at work, and He does care about this building.  Let me show you why.

The next day, September 12, 2001, then Senate majority leader Tom Daschle spoke to the combined Senate and House of Representatives, to the people of the United States and the world. He didn't yet know about the "sycamore of Ground Zero", as it came to be known.  In his speech he quoted Scripture. 

But there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that I think speaks to all of us at times such as this:

'The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees (sycamore in KJV and most translations) have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.' That is what we will do. We will rebuild and we will recover. [youtube (4)]

Defiance

That’s from Isaiah 9:10.  And it is meant to sound encouraging, that we will face this trial and come out better at the other end. The Sycamore isn't a strong tree, not highly regarded for building or furniture. But the Cedar (or pine tree) is – it grows tall, some species have straight grain, good for building, smells nice, good for furniture. But read the verse in context. Let's go back to verses eight and nine.

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob,And it has fallen on Israel.9 All the people will know-Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria-Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones;The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

That's not heeding the warning in verses 8 & 9 - that's defiance.  One Bible commentary [W. Clarkson (5)] even said "thus they breathed the very spirit of defiance".  Don't take my word for it, or the commentary's word for it, listen to what public officials said. That same day, September 12, 2001, Senator John Kerry stated in a speech on the Senate Floor.

I believe one of the first things we should commit to - with federal help that underscores our nation's purpose - is to rebuild the towers of the World Trade Center and show the world we are not afraid - we are defiant.  [freerepublic.com (6)]

July 4, 2004, Then governor of New York George Pataki said this at a ceremony at the floor of Ground Zero "today, we, the heirs of that revolutionary spirit of defiance, lay this cornerstone …" [renewnyc.com (7)]

This is what President Obama stated in his second inaugural address Jan 20, 2009.      

…We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you… [youtube (8)]

September 11, 2004, then Democratic Candidate for Vice President John Edwards spoke the same curse upon America using the same verse at a prayer breakfast for the Congressional Black Caucus.  He said

Good morning. Today, on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord’s word to get us through. 'The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.'
... And let me show you how we are building and putting cedars in those three hallowed places - the footprints of the Towers, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania. ... [prophezine (9)]

Like a chess game, God’s next move was determined by America’s response to the warning of 9/11 – humility or defiance.  The Sycamore of Ground Zero was uprooted. Quoting from [trinitywallstreet news (10)], let’s see what happened to the Sycamore of Ground Zero.

http://www.wnd.com/2011/12/379829/ (11)

“In September 2005, a bronze sculpture memorializing the surviving root of the fallen sycamore tree that shielded St. Paul’s Chapel from debris on 9/11 was installed in the south courtyard of Trinity Church. Created by noted artist Steve Tobin, the Trinity Root, as the sculpture is known, is a favorite attraction in the churchyard, fascinating young children, community members, and tourists alike.”

The sculpture sits at the head of Wall Street on Broadway, in a courtyard of Trinity Church, the Episcopal parish that operates St. Paul's. 

Remember the prophecy "The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” The Hebrew for cedar just means pine tree.  In ancient times, destroying the trees symbolized the uprooting of a kingdom and adversely affected the rebuilding.  The Sycamore of Ground Zero was not just cut down, it was uprooted.  In the spirit of defiance, a pine tree was indeed planted at the very spot where the Sycamore fell. Of course there was a public ceremony.

The Rector of St. Paul’s Chapel at the Tree of Hope dedication in late November 2003 said:

Tree of Hope (13)

This Ground Zero Tree of Hope (a Pine tree) will be a sign of the indomitable nature of human hope...The Tree of Hope is planted in the very spot where the 60 year old Sycamore stood the morning of September 11, 2001.[pepperhawkfarm (12)].

           

So what's the big deal about this Chapel anyway? Why is it the only building near the World Trade Center that escaped damage? 

History lesson

Early Dutch settlers on the island of Manhattan built a wall to protect themselves from Indians and Pirates. Merchants set up shop along this wall, which became the center of trade for the area. The British tore down the wall, but the street retains the name "Wall Street". [wikipedia "History of Wall Street" (14)]

Depiction of traders under the buttonwood tree [wikipedia {15)]

And how did it go from a wall to the world's leading financial center? It started on May 17, 1792, 24 leading merchants of the day signed an agreement which would eventually become the New York Stock Exchange. This was called the Button Wood agreement, because it was signed in the shade of a button wood tree – an 18th century term for Sycamore tree. So the Sycamore is the symbol of America's financial power, more accurately the symbol of the origin of its strength [wikipedia "Buttonwood Agreement" (16)]. 

Unlike the Sycamore of Ground Zero, this symbolic sycamore of America's strength has not been uprooted yet, but let me show you how it is being cut down.

The NYSE closed for six days after 9/11.  When it reopened on September 17, 2001, it suffered its largest one day loss in history up to that time. [futures.tradingcharts.com historical data (17)] This was the eve of Feast Of Trumpets [world.std.com (18)], the day and year of the Biblical year of release (every seven years). 

Because of government policy to jumpstart the economy with low interest rates, the stage was set for a greater stock market crash on September 29, 2008, again the eve of Feast Of Trumpets, and the year of release.  Exactly seven years apart on the day [world.std.com (18)]. The NYSE dropped $700 billion, 7%, 777 points [futures.tradingcharts.com historical data (17)]. Do you see God's hand?  I make no predictions what will happen in 2015, but I would like to point out there will be four lunar eclipses 2014 & 2015, aka a Tetrad, and a partial solar eclipse the day before Feast Of Trumpets (Sept 13, 2015). [NASA (19)] [wikipedia "September 2015 lunar eclipse" (20)]

Why was St. Paul’s chapel spared?

One more history lesson.

On April 30, 1789, after George Washington's inauguration in our nation's

Federal Hall, St. Paul's Chapel, Ground Zero

capital as our first president, and after delivering his first presidential address, he led the Senate and House of Representatives on foot in a procession through the streets of the capital from Federal Hall, the site of the inauguration, to the place appointed for their prayers, to a little stone church, called St. Paul's Chapel [examiner.com (21)].You see, New York City was the nation's capital in 1789. Federal Hall was on Wall Street, across from the New York Stock Exchange. [wikipedia "Federal Hall" (22)]

Bells rang all over the nation that day to remind people to pray for the country.  Pres. Washington and all the congressmen gathered at St. Paul's Chapel and prayed for two hours. They dedicated the United States of America, (which the Pilgrims that landed at Plymouth Rock saw as new Israel) to the God of heaven. They consecrated it if you will. Pres. Washington said "the propitious smiles of Heaven cannot be expected on a country that disregards the eternal rules of order and right that heaven itself hath ordained". [www.ushistory.org (23)]

This nation was founded at Federal Hall and dedicated to God at St. Paul's Chapel. 

When the towers fell, a shockwave cracked the foundation of Federal Hall National Memorial.  Is this symbolic of a crack in the foundation of the United States of America?

Ezekiel 13:14  So I will break down the wall (Wall Street?), you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

St. Paul's Chapel sits on a little piece of land now, but used to own a field between the Chapel and the water to the west (see map above). Today this field is known as Ground Zero. St. Paul's Chapel was the Ground Zero for the founding of America.  That’s why God cares about this building.

If you enjoy conspiracy theories about the fall of the World Trade Center, you will have to accept that the God of heaven is in on it.

What’s next? Let’s read the next verses, Is 9:11-12.

11 Therefore the Lord shall set upThe adversaries of Rezin against him,And spur his enemies on,12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind;And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth.

End of speech

---

Some of you may recognize this as derived from the writings of Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future (24), on the NY Times bestseller list for 100 weeks.  He goes into vastly more detail than I could do in a ten minute speech.  Some object to his writing style, “The Harbinger” is written as a narrative with fictional characters.  Personally, I liked his method, it may attract more readers than it repels.  For those who want the message in sermon format, check out isaiah910.com (25) – warning: Cahn does not hold back.  Cahn has appeared on TV on the Sid Roth Show (26).  He has delivered this warning to national leaders at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast [youtube (27)], again not holding back.  He has his own blog and Facebook page too.

I believe the message in the book and the sermons.  But I also did my best to verify the facts.  I tried to quote primary sources, but sometimes the references get circular and point back to Cahn as the source.  There is lots more out there.  Use search terms like “Sycamore of Ground Zero”, “Harbinger”, “Jonathan Cahn”, “Tree of Hope”, etc.  You can also verify eclipses, Hebrew calendar, stock market indices, etc.

Links

1. http://www.thebanner.org/features/2011/01/new-york-city-s-tree-of-hope

2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/neddy/2471094572/

3. http://clearedready.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-york-city-week-911-st-pauls-chapel.html

4.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukYiWd3T9sk

5. http://biblehub.com/sermons/auth/clarkson/the_evil_spirit_of_defiance.htm

6. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1108774/posts

7. http://www.renewnyc.com/content/speeches/Gov_speech_Freedom_Tower.pdf

8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zkdS1XkkgA

9. http://www.prophezine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=530:gods-judgment-pt-4-the-bricks-are-fallen-down-but-we-will-build-with-hewn-stones&catid=42:rokstories

10. http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/news/features/the-trinity-root

11. http://www.wnd.com/2011/12/379829/

12. https://pepperhawkfarm.wordpress.com/tag/tree-of-hope/

13. http://www.wnd.com/2011/12/379829/

14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street

15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buttonwood.png

16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttonwood_Agreement

17. http://futures.tradingcharts.com/historical/DJ/2001/9/linewchart.html

18. http://world.std.com/~reinhold/jewishholidays.txt

19. http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html

20. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_2015_lunar_eclipse

21. http://www.examiner.com/article/george-washington-1789-inauguration-and-our-nation-today

22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hall

23. http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/earnestprayer.html

24. http://www.amazon.com/The-Harbinger-Ancient-Mystery-Americas/dp/161638610X

25. http://www.isaiah910.com/

26. http://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/jonathan-cahn-part-1

27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9xMxkNROto

Additional links

1. http://www.politijim.com/2011/09/monday-freak-out-tom-daschle-and-john.html

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/06/arts/design/06chur.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
3. trinitywallstreet news

4. http://www.wnd.com/2011/12/379829/

5. http://www.wnd.com/the-isaiah-910-judgment-sneak-peek/

6. https://www.facebook.com/TheOfficialHarbinger

7. http://theharbinger-jonathancahn.blogspot.com/

8. http://sidroth.org
9. trinity.bandwidthproductions.com

EOF

Paradise Pi - A Slice Of Heaven

Most Bible believers recognize that the Scriptures are deeper than the words on the surface, that is, the text has layers of meaning. Christian commentaries however seldom dig past the surface meaning of the words written. Not that they're wrong (well, sometimes they are), but that they usually don't dig deeper into the text. The Jews teach that every passage has four levels, from simple to hint to insight to secret. These are the descriptions of the four levels from Wikipedia Pardes  [1]

• Peshat (פְּשָׁט) — "surface" ("straight") or the literal (direct) meaning.
• Remez (רֶמֶז) — "hints" or the deep (allegoric: hidden or symbolic) meaning beyond just the literal sense.
• Derash (דְּרַשׁ) — from Hebrew darash: "inquire" ("seek") — the comparative (midrashic) meaning, as given through similar occurrences.
• Sod (סוֹד) (pronounced with a long O as in 'sore') — "secret" ("mystery") or the esoteric/mystical meaning, as given through inspiration or revelation.

Take the first letter of each Hebrew word, and you get the unpronounceable acronym PRDS, add a couple vowels and make it Pardes. In English, we could add some different vowels and make it PaRaDiSe. Pardes in Hebrew means garden or orchard, and paradise is etymologically related to it - Wikipedia Pardes [1].  "The journey into Pardes also represents our journey into deeper levels of intimacy with God our Father. It represents our journey into the relationship we once had in the Garden of Eden, hence the word Pardes ~ Paradise." - yesheva4me  [2]. In the words of Woodstock "And we got to get ourselves back to the garden." - CSNY Lyrics [3]. But remember, WE can't get ourselves to the garden - DIY Salvation [4]. Note that Pardes is not just about Bible knowledge, it is about restoring the relationship with God our Father. As we study the Bible deeper, we draw closer to God, He draws closer to us (James 4:8), we build our relationship with Him. Pardes tells us how to draw closer to Him.

The Bible also says "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." - Ps 12:6. Does this mean there are seven levels? And if that weren't enough, Jewish commentaries say "the Torah has seventy faces" Shivim Panim  [5], meaning seventy levels of interpretation. I can hardly get my head around four levels of meaning, much less seven or seventy.

PaRaDiSe

The Mirror Image of Pi is Pie...

Let's look closer at these four levels of meaning - P'shat, Remez, D'rash, and Sod; or Simple, Hint, Insight, Mystery.




P'shat (Simple) is where we all begin. Take the words of scripture at face value. There are certainly figurative passages, for example when God said to Israel "I bore you on eagles' wings" (Ex 19:4), keep in mind they walked. But mostly the text says what it says. One rule of Pardes is that a deeper level cannot contradict the plain meaning of a passage. For example, when Jesus said ""Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." - Mt 5:18. You can't twist the word fulfill to mean that He did abolish the Law and the Prophets. "Fulfill" cannot contradict "not abolish".

P'shat implies to me that the text will be understood in any language, the Simple meaning will come through in a translation (531 languages so far - Wikipedia Bible Translations [6]). Not everyone has to be a Hebrew and Greek scholar.  It is my opinion that P'shat understanding is sufficient for salvation. However, understanding the text at face value is harder than it first appears, people disagree all the time over the Simple meaning of Biblical passages. According to David Barrett [7], Christianity has split into 33,000 denominations. I suspect most of the splits are over authority, not doctrine. The caution to all of us is to make sure you understand the Simple first.

Remez (hint or allegory). While the text has a Simple meaning, it alludes to something deeper. For example, Paul writes "For it is written in the Law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.' God is not concerned about oxen, is He?" - 1 Co 9:9. Paul is saying plainly the text alludes to something more than oxen.

Events, places, things, and people are often "types" fulfilled later in history or prophecy. Here is another example by Paul, writing about Sarah and Hagar, "This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar." - Gal 4:24. He comes out and says the two women are allegories of two covenants. Take that as a hint to look for other parallels between  Hagar typifying the Old Covenant and Sarah typifying the New Covenant. He continues the analogy by stating that Hagar is Mount Sinai and also the present Jerusalem, but Sarah is the new Jerusalem.

Parables are Remez. How many times did Jesus say "the kingdom of heaven is like ..."? One goal was to impart a truth (actually the point was to hide the truth Mt 13:10-11), another was to get the hearers to think. It is said that Jesus spoke to the crowds in Remez (Parable), but spoke to the Pharisees in P'shat (Simple). He spoke the D'rash (Search) only to His disciples, and the Sod (Mystery) only to James, Peter, and John - yesheva4me [2].

D'rash means to dig or to search. Pardes levels can overlap - just like Remez hints at a deeper meaning, something in a verse causes one to dig deeper. According to Wikipedia Midrash [8] "Presence of apparently superfluous words or letters, chronology of events, parallel narratives or other textual anomalies are often a springboard for interpretation of segments of Biblical text." yesheva4me [2] describes D'rash as "peering into the very core and nature of the individual words of the Bible by going back into the original languages, and other texts for the purpose of discovering and understanding intent and ideas." Yet others describe D'rash as a teaching or even a sermon, emphasizing the moral lessons revealed - yashanet [4].

Let me list several examples that might be Remez or D'rash. Perhaps it depends on how deep you dig.

• Gen 22:3 "So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey." Abraham is about to take his son Isaac to sacrifice him. Why does the Bible record a detail like "he saddled his donkey"? 
• John 21:10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn." After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples went fishing unsuccessfully till He came along telling them to throw the net on the right side of the boat. Why does it mention they caught 153 fish?
• Gen 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness". This verse is a challenge for monotheists who believe God is one being. Who was He talking to then? It can't be the angels, because we are not made in their image.

Sod refers to a hidden or mystical meaning of the text, something not even hinted at by the Simple meaning of the words. Often Sod is associated with Gematria, using the numerical value of letters and words to "hyperlink" words and verses together. The most familiar example is the number or the Beast (666) in Rev 13:18.  Some say Gematria falls between D'rash and Sod. Gematria can be interesting, but also taken too far. Remember, Pardes cannot contradict the Simple meaning of the text. 

Some also teach that Sod is the Zohar of the Kabbalah, the secret of the mystical tradition - Shivim Panim  [5]. I think this leads one away from the intent of Pardes, which is to draw closer to God Himself. I don't believe that one has to seek mysticism to know God, who gives wisdom freely to all who ask - James 1:5.

yesheva4me  [2] argues that the four levels of Pardes correspond to breadth, and length, and depth, and height as desribed by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians. Have you ever wondered why there are four dimensions mentioned here? But notice Paul concludes by saying the love of Christ passes knowledge.

Ephesians 3

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

So What's That Got To Do With π?

One last example of Pardes, in keeping with Pi Day 2016. Consider the following verse.

"And he made a molten sea [tank], ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and its height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did circle it round about". [Holy Scriptures, p. 412]

The observant reader will note that this implies π = 3. Every school child knows that's not (quite) right. Various mathematicians and historians have assumed the ancient Hebrews thought exactly that based on this verse - Belaga [9]. We have a hint (Remez) to dig deeper (D'rash). Possible explanations.

• Priests aren't expected to know math. Except they did the calendar calculations.
• The value of π wasn't known then. Except the Egyptians knew it before this.
• The laver described was an ellipse. Nope, it says it was circular.
• The value of π isn't the point of the story. True, but ...
• Dig deeper.

Diving into the original Hebrew, we see the word line is translated from qaveh, but the margin says qav. The margin is what is read aloud, the text is what is written. Additionally, this verse is repeated word for word in 2 Chr 4:2, except that line is translated from qav not qaveh. Diving even deeper (Sod), the gematria value of qaveh is 111, value of qav is 106. The written value divided by the read aloud value becomes a correction factor for π = 3. The understanding of this correction factor is attributed to Rabbi Max Munk, 1962 - Belaga [9] (who gives much more detail than I give here). It is unclear whether Munk rediscovered it or whether it was passed on to him.

π = 3 x 111/106 = 3.1415094...

Remarkable isn't it? On a 10 cubit circle, the error in circumference (about 47 feet) from true π is about a half inch or ten millimeters.

Of course, it might be coincidence.

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)
2. https://guapotg.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/pardes-paradise
3. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/crosbystillsnashyoung/woodstock.html
4. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2016/02/diy-salvation.html
5. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Seventy_Faces/seventy_faces.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_translations
7. http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/a106.htm
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midrash
9. http://www.math.ubc.ca/~israel/bpi/bpi.html