  |
|
|
|
Painting by Mel Copeland from '86. |
page 1
Listen, O Isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people from afar: The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he did me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; He said unto me, thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then said I, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. He asked, who will contend with me? Let us stand together: who is mine adversary? Let him come near to me [Isaiah 50.8].
The Lord gave him the tongue of the learned, that he should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakened Him morning by morning, He wakened his ear to hear as the learned; and He was not rebellious, neither turned away back [Isaiah 50.4-5].
He said, Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand: Ye shall lie down in sorrow [Isaiah 50.11].
He asked, who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass? (Isaiah 51.10].
He said, break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted His people. He hath redeemed Jerusalem [Isaiah 52.9].
He did claim the inheritance of the desolate heritages and did defend them [Isaiah 49.8].
Israel was gathered from the west in His time [Isaiah 43.5].
He did come from afar and his lips were full of indignation [Isaiah 30.27].
He did sift the nations with the sieve of vanity and there was a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err [Isaiah 30.28].
He did appear to the residue of his people [Isaiah 28.5]; He did appear to them that are escaped of Israel [Isaiah 4.2]; He did say that Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth [Isaiah 8.3].
He rose up and discovered that the earth was a tiny place! [Habakkuk 3.6]. He said, [Psalm 50.21] thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
He was the light of the Gentiles and the hope of those who are troubled of heart [1 Enoch 48].
He did say he would declare your righteousness, and your works, and said that you will not profit by them [Isaiah 57.12].
page 2
He did show you [the Israelites] how you were redeemed without money--with neither repentance nor doing good deeds [Bavli XCV.K].
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea [Galilee], beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation [Isaiah 9.1-3].
When all are heretics, it is a sign that the world is about to be purified by the advent of the Messiah [Bavli LXXXVII.F].
None called for justice, nor any pleaded for truth: they trust in Vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity [Isaiah 59.4]; The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come [Isaiah 57.1].
He reminded you that in the time when the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem are brought the Lord God will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision [Joel 3.1-3.14].
Then said He to Israel, then you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations [Ezekiel 36.31], but your shame shall be temporary and soon pass.
Because of their guilt the fountain of understanding and the counsel of truth was hidden; but he overcame it and the Lord showed his greatness through him [Dead Sea Scrolls, Thanksgiving Hymns].
He did acknowledge the Sons of Zadok as awaiting him at the end of days [Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Rule].
He did prove that no work can remain hidden from before the Lord's face [Enoch 66.6]; He did lay these things bare in the books [Enoch 52.15]; He cursed those who bring the Lord's creation into contempt [Enoch 52.6].
page 3
He did remind you that it has been two days since Israel was scattered, that after two days they have again been revived [Hosea 6.2].
It was a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time: and at that time my people were delivered, every one found written in the book [Daniel 12.1].
Said R. Hama bar Hanina..He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks [the precepts--by linking verses-- of the Lord] and take away and cut down the branches (Isaiah 18.5) and further: In that time shall the present be brought to the Lord of Hosts of a people that is scattered and peeled (Isaiah 18.7) [Bavli XCVIII.B].
He did complain that none called for justice, nor any pleaded for truth; all trust in vanity and speak lies; they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity [Isaiah 59.4].
He reminded that the beasts now accuse man, who feeds them ill [Enoch 58.7]; He complained that the furrows of the earth cry out against man [Job 31].
Your eyes did see his substance, yet being unperfect; and in the Bible all of his members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them [Psalm 139.16]--Verily, he did show his members to you, how he was clothed with the precepts of the Lord.
He said, lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me [Psalm 40.7].
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee [Isaiah 60.1].
He said that he was quickened according to the Word [Psalm 119.54]; and he beheld the transgressors and was grieved, because they kept not the Lord's Word [Psalm 119.158].
He said that every one of the Lord's righteous judgments endure forever [Psalm 119.160].
Verily, by his knowledge many were justified [Isaiah 53.11]; had he not shown the children of the Bible--the Jews, Moslems, and Christians--how to resolve their disputes? [Koran, The Cow 2:116] yet he heard no answer.
page 4
He shot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded [Psalm 64.7]; and His thought was like a letter; his will descended from on high, and it was sent like an arrow which is violently shot from the bow; the letter was one of command, for there were included in it all districts; and there was seen at its head, the head which was revealed even the Son of Truth from the most high Father; and he inherited and took possession of everything and the thought of many was brought to nought. All the apostates hasted and fled away, and those who persecuted and were enraged became extinct.
The letter was a great Volume which was wholly written by the finger of God, and the name of the Father was on it, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, to rule for ever and ever [Odes of Solomon, 23].
· ..In the future to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will create ten new things. The first is that He will light up the world [Exodus Rabba].
The Holy One, blessed be He, will sit and expound the new Torah which He will give through the Messiah. New Torah means the secrets and the mysteries of the Torah which have remained hidden until now [Midrash Talpiyot, 58a].
He rises at a time when a woman compassed a man. Hence, R. Sh'muel bar Hahmani said: In this world the male courts the female, but in the future to come the female will court the male [Midrash Tehillim, p. 168a].
He hisses from the ends of the earth: all will come quickly [Isaiah 5.26].
I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the House of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward [Ezekiel 39.21-22].
page 5
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes [Ezekiel 36.23].
..When I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God [Ezekiel 28.26].
To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear [Isaiah 28.12].
He had in his hand a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth [Revelation 10.2].
Surely he wrote that book and it was a Book of Remembrance for them that feared the Lord [Malachi 3.16]. For the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a Book that is Sealed [Isaiah 29.11]; yea, did he not open it ?
Did not the pestilence go before him? [Habakkuk 3.5]. Has not God waged war with blood?
The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth; he hath broken the covenant, he that despised the cities, he regardeth no man. The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down...Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
He was the man clothed with linen which had the inkhorn by his side, who said unto His Lord, I have done as thou hast commanded me [Daniel 9.11].
Surely his book was that book which was written within and without, for it was written within and without, and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe [Ezekiel 2.10].
Was he not sharp towards the nations of the world and soft toward Israel? [Sifre Deuteronomy, ed. Friedmann].
page 6
He maketh thy borders peace [Psalm 147. 14]; said a Midrash of the 14th century: When King Messiah comes--may he be revealed quickly in our days and save us, as it is said, For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing (Isaiah 55.12); and as it is written, I will make thy officers peace (Isaiah 60.17)--then the blessing of the earth will be peace, as it is said, for as the seed of peace, the vine shall give her fruit, and the earth shall give her increase (Zechariah 8.12.). And the land of Israel will be elevated in peace, as it is said, He maketh thy borders peace (Psalm 147.14). And for the sake of peace the Holy One, blessed be He, will establish the throne of David, as it is said, in his days shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace (Psalm 72.7). And so in peace He will prepare his throne and the throne of his seed after him, and will build him a faithful house forever, as it is said, great is the salvation of His king, and He showeth mercy to His Messiah, to David, and to his seed for evermore (Psalm 18.51) [Midrash Gadol uG'dola, BhM 3:130].
A bruised reed did he not break, and the smoking flax did he not quench until he brought judgment unto truth; for he did go unto you precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little, never stopping until you fell and were consumed [Isaiah 42.1].
Did he not write a book and proclaim that the [Berlin] wall would be brought down long before it happened?
Did not Hayyim Vital [1542-1620] dream of Him? I saw a certain man, a good friend of mine, bringing me a letter of the size of one-half of our usual papers, written in large Assyrian [Hebrew] characters, similar to the letters of the script of our Torah scrolls. And he put it into my hand and said to me: You have always been desirous to see the handwriting of the Messiah, King of Israel. Behold, I brought it to you from a land more distant than two years [journey], from the place where the [lost ] tribes live. But I brought it to you in a hurry, in a short time, and it is written by the hand of the Messiah himself, and he sent it to you...And I opened it and, behold, in its beginning he wrote many greetings as is usual in letters, and after that he wrote at length and in a general way to let me know that he was already preparing to come to the land of Israel, and that therefore I must make efforts to turn Israel to repentance so that this should be a help for him when he will come soon [Hayyim Vital, Sefer haHezyonot, p 71-72].
page 7
Surely Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) dreamed of him! ..."One night I had a wonderful dream: King Messiah came, and he was old and glorious. He lifted me in his arms, and he soared with me on the wings of the wind. On one of the clouds, full of splendor, we met the figure of Moses (his appearance was like that of Moses hewn in marble by Michelangelo; from my early childhood I like to look at the photographs of that statue), and the Messiah called to Moses: For this child I have prayed! Then he turned to me: Go and announce to the Jews that I will soon come and perform great miracles for my people and for the whole world! I woke up, and it was a dream. I kept this dream a secret and did not dare to tell it to anybody" [Hayye Herzl, Reuben Brainin, p 18].
Surely you can see that his tongue was the pen of a ready writer! [Psalm 45.1].
His brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power [Habakkuk 3.9].
In that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it [Zechariah 12.3]; and it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem [Zechariah 12.9].
R Hosha'ya said: In the future Jerusalem will be a lantern for the nations of the world, and they will walk in her light...In thy light do we see light (Psalm 36.10. This is the light of the Messiah, as it is written, And God saw the light that it was good (Genesis 1.4)..Satan said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the world! The light which is hidden under your throne of glory, for whom is it? He said to him: For him who will turn you back and disgrace you, and shame your face. He said to him: Master of the World! Show him to me! He said to him: Come and see him! When Satan saw the Messiah, he trembled and fell upon his face and said, Surely this is the Messiah who in the future will cast me and all the princes of the nations of the world into Gehenna..[Pesiqta Rabbati 162a]. Verily, Jerusalem is a lantern to the world.
page 8
Said R. Eleazar bar Merom, This nation preserves [makes whole] the stability of the world, both in this age and in the age to come [Genesis Rabbah LXVI.II.1.J].
He did subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname Himself by the Name of Israel! [Isaiah 44.5]. He did open the Tent of Righteousness which is the Opening of Righteousness, as the Psalmist says: open for me the gates of righteousness [Zohar-re: Psalm 118.19].
He did know the three books [Dead Sea Scrolls, Horoscope of the Messiah].
Surely he is like Daniel the beloved man [B. Sanh: 98b]; and as Y. Ber. 5a said, he is David and as R. Ydan the son of R. Aybo said, Menahem [comforter] is his name.
His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled [Psalm 97.4].
..No person who hears a teaching from the mouth of the Messiah will ever forget it, for the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself in the House of Study of the Messiah, and will pour His Holy Spirit upon all those who walk on earth, and His Holy Spirit will be upon each and every one [Yemenite Midrash, pp. 350].
He is lowly, alone, rejected of men: no one answers him
He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and you did hide as it were your faces from him: he was despised, and you esteemed him not (Isaiah 53.30; when you saw him, there was no beauty that you should desire him [Isaiah 53.2].
He was a stranger unto his brethren, and an alien unto his mother's children [Psalm 69.8].
page 9
Surely he was one whose friends and brethren were driven far from him; he was held for a broken vessel [Dead Sea Scrolls, Thanksgiving Hymns 7].
Reproach hath broken his heart; and he is full of heaviness: and he looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but he found none [Psalm 69.20].
For he beheld, and there was no man; even among them and there was no counsellor, that, when he asked of them, could answer a word [Isaiah 41.28].
Yet he was not discouraged, knowing he had set judgment in the earth [Isaiah 42.4].
He said, Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? [Psalm 56.8].
He did tread the winepress alone [Leviticus Rabbah XIII:V.6g].
He said, I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled on my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the Day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of My Redeemed is come [Isaiah 63.3-4].
Surely he stirred up jealousy [Isaiah 42.13], for all men are jealous over the Temple Mount and his right to establish the Lord's Temple and Tabernacle there.
He said, I am for peace but they are for war and wondered how he might cause Jerusalem to behold the precepts of the Lord, how not by might but by his spirit will they be redeemed [Psalm 120.7]; yet they did not answer.
page 10
He answered, surely if all the world is heretic, I also am to the world a heretic [Bavli LXXXVII.f]; and if I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me: Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end [Psalm 73.15].
He complained that a sparrow has his house and the swallow her nest, but I have no place to lay my head [Psalm 84.3].
He said, I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for God [Psalm 69.3]; and they that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away [Psalm 69.4].
To the people he was a worm and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people and all manner of people refused him [Psalm 22.6].
He did judge all the gentiles, though as many of them believed him not when he appeared on earth; and his work will convict Israel through the chosen ones of the Gentile [Testament of Benjamin II.19].
Look upon ...a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth : the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them [Joel 2.2-3].
Yet he declared the glory of God, that in them He set a Tabernacle for the sun; he was as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiced as a strong man to run a race [Psalm 19.1,5]; he saw that there was no man running that race with him. How odd, he thought; then he knew that he would run the race and win. For his race was with the precepts of the Lord and no one thought--when the redemption of Israel came--to enter that race with him!
page 11
Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might (Isaiah 33.3).
Was he not like Piers the Plowman? Behold, he warned that the plowman is about to overtake the reaper! [Amos 9.13]. He was Neshamah of Neshamah: completely Hidden away! [Zohar]; for light is sown for the Righteous One; joy for the upright in heart...but until the day when the word that is coming arrives, it is stored and hidden away [Zohar]. Surely he was hidden--like Moses--in the shadow of the Lord's Hand and the Lord made him like a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid him [Isaiah 49.2].
All those who see him will be astonished: for from another race is he: for the Father of Truth remembered him, who possessed him from the beginning [Odes of Solomon 41.8]. Surely his works are a wonder to many [Psalm 71.7]; and his soul is balanced against the whole world [Bavli, LLXXXX1d].
... (10)Blow the great Shofar for our freedom, and lift up a banner to gather our exiles, and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who gatherest the banished of thy people Israel. (11) And to Jerusalem thy city return in compassion and dwell therein as thou hast spoken and build her soon in our days to stand for all eternity, and reestablish in her the throne of David quickly. Blessed art thou, O Lord, the builder of Jerusalem. (12) Let the Shoot [Branch] of David thy servant sprout up quickly, and raise up his horn with thy salvation, for all day long we hope for thy succor. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who makest the horn of salvation grow [Seder 'Avodat Yisrael, pp. 96-97].
King Messiah will arise in the future and will restore the kingship of David to its ancient condition, to its rule as it was at first. And he will rebuild the Temple and gather the exiles of Israel. And in his days all the laws will return as they were in the past... And he who does not believe in him, or he who does not await his coming, denies not only the [other] prophets, but also the Torah and Moses our Master. For behold, the Torah testifies about him, as it is written, The Lord will return your captivity and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it. (Deuteronomoy 30.3-5)...And think not that the Messiah must perform signs and portents and bring about new things in the world, or that he will resuscitate the dead, or the like. Not so..the essence of the matter is that the laws and ordinance of this Torah are forever and ever, and one must neither add to them nor subtract from them.
page 12
And if there should arise from the House of David a king who studies the Torah and occupies himself with the commandments as his father David had, according to the written and the Oral Torah; and if he forces all Israel to follow the Torah and observe its rules; and if he fights the wars of the Lord--then he must be presume to be the Messiah. And if he succeeds in his acts, and rebuilds the Temple in its place, and gathers the exile of Israel--then he certainly is the Messiah. And he will repair the whole world to serve the Lord together, as it is written, For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent (Zephaniah 3.9) ... In the days of King Messiah, when his kingdom is established and all Israel are gathered into it, the descent of all of them will be confirmed by him, through the Holy Spirit which will rest upon him, as it is written, And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver (Malachi 3.3)...The sages and the prophets yearned for the days of the Messiah not in order that they should rule over the whole world, and not in order that they should lord it over the idolaters, and not in order that the nations should elevate them, and not in order that they should eat and drink and rejoice; but in order that they should devote themselves to the Torah and its wisdom, and that there be nobody to oppress them and to negate, so that they should merit life in the world to come...And therefore Israel will be great sages, and knowers of secret things, and they will attain a knowledge of their Creator as far as the power of man allows, as it is written, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11.9) [Maimonides (1135-1204), Yad haHazaqa, Shoftim, Hilkhot M'lakhim 11-12].
...and they [the Children of Ishmael] will rebuild the desolate cities; and they will sweep the roads; and they will plant gardens and orchards; and they will repair the breaches in the walls of the Temple; and they will erect a building in the Temple place..and the Children of Ishmael will wage three wars of discomfiture in the land at the End of Days...and from [Rome] the Son of David will sprout up, and will witness the destruction of the idolaters, and from there he will come to the land of Israel...[Pirque R. Eliezer, 30].
page 13
As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation [Genesis 17.20]. Ishmael could be sure that his blessing too would be fulfilled.
...insolence will multiply and honor will disappear...the wisdom of the scribes will become corrupt. The fearers of sin will be despised. The truth will disappear. Youths will shame the faces of the old, old men will stand up before children. The son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man's enemies are the people of his own house (Micha 7.6). The son will not be ashamed from his father. And on whom can we lean? On our Father who is in heaven [M. Sota 9.15).
...and many nations will gather against him, and he will stir up wars in the whole world. And at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, will manifest His power against all the nations of the world, and King Messiah will become known in all the world, and all the kings of the world will rise up to wage war against him. And many of the wicked among the Jews will join them and come with them to wage war against King Messiah. And then the whole world will darken..and many of the people of Israel will die in that darkness [Zohar 2.7b].
Therefore sufferings will overtake Israel, and all the nations and their kings will consult together against her, and many evil decrees will arise and will bring trouble upon trouble.. [Zohar 2.7b].
These are the glad tidings of the Messiah ben David, that is, Ben Adam [the Son of Man].
At the coming of the Messiah there will be one faith in the world, the faith of all, and knowledge will multiply, and the Lord will be one and His name will be one.
Did He not scent the truth? Did not the Oral Torah proclaim: About the Messiah it is written, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11.2). And further it is written, And He will let him have delight in [literally , will let him scent] the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11.3). R. Alexandri said, This teaches us that they burdened him with commandments and suffering like millstones. Rava said, that he will scent the truth and will adjudicate, as it is written, And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes...but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the land (Isaiah 11.3-4) [B. Shabbat 93b].
page 14
These are the glad tidings of the reign of Messiah ben David: some he will bring low, and others he will elevate.
..At the coming of the Messiah there will be general peace and eternal peace, and even the wild animals will cause no harm
At the coming of the Messiah there will be general and eternal salvation for Israel.
At the coming of the Messiah Jerusalem will be settled.
At the coming of the Messiah the air will be healed and nature strengthened, and men will live long [Hebrew manuscript no. 1048, Harley, British library, London, fol. 128a-134a, dated 1466 A.D.].
Have you not asked how it is that he has come from Edom? [Isaiah 63.1], from midst the Christians (Rome) which the Oral Torah says is Edom? Behold, he did eat the flesh of the fat and did tear their claws in pieces! [Zechariah 11.16]; He did appear at the dawn of the sixth day and was of the First Resurrection! [Revelation 20.5].
To him a day in the courts of the Lord is better than a thousand and he would rather have been a doorkeeper in the house of his God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness [Psalm 84.10].
Firstly, He said, the Tabernacle of God is with men [Revelation 21.3]; yet no one answered!
He was--as it were--the fallen Tent of David who arose to save Israel [Dead Sea Scrolls on Amos 9.11].
Then he said, Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them and I will praise the Lord [Psalm 118.19]; yet the gates were sealed before him and no one answered how the sealed gates (even the Golden Gate) might be opened to all men.
He knew the tricks of language and the solving of riddles, the outcomes of seasons and periods, He judged his people uprightly [Wisdom of Solomon 8.6-9.15]. Yea, He judged peoples and nations in the wisdom of his righteousness; neither did he trust in horse, and chariot and bow [Psalms of Solomon 17.21-36]. He commanded the nations to cause swords and wars to cease [Hai Gaon, Responsum, p. 60b].
page 15
R. Yosef said, Are not the days of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead one and the same? R. Nahman said to him, No. For we have learned that the rebuilding of the temple will precede the ingathering of the exiles; the ingathering of the exiles will precede the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead is the last of all of them [Zohar 1.139a-b, Midrash ha Ne'elam]. But he was the first of the resurrection.
And on the twentieth of Shevat, Messiah did come and angels of destruction will descend and wreak havoc in all that multitude, and not a soul will be left [Sefer Eliyahu, BhM 3.65-67].
They could not see him for in the secret of His Tabernacle was he hidden [Psalm 27.5]; he would bring forth righteousness as the light, and judgment as the noonday [Psalm 37.6].
His works carry a precious wisdom never known to you before: these alighted on him so that he could judge the world [Zohar]. He said that he is like unto a mirror unto you; for like Moses did he not attain the mirror that shines which oversees the one that does not shine? But his mirror did shine, though concealed, and he is knowing [Zohar--re: Eccl. 7.12].
Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim; but chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved [Psalm 76.67-68].
He did teach righteousness at the end of days [Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Rule vi].
He said, Let the rabbis not have dominion over me, then I shall be upright Bavli CCXLIXh--re: Psalm 19.13]; he said he will walk in his own integrity [Psalm 26.11].
Did he not know how to tell the exact time at which the Holy One, blessed be he, was angry? [Bavli CCXVIII.n]. Did he not complain that if you do not receive your shepherd there will be no world? [Genesis Rabbah XLII:III 2.d].
But he did seek out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered during the cloudy and dark day! [Ezekiel 34.12]; it is written I will gather them unto their own land [Book of Disputation, R. Shem Tov ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut]. He did agree that neglect of the Torah by the Jews did bring curses and exile upon them [Book of Disputation].
page 16
He did agree that if you turn to God he would bring you--through the Spirit of Burning--out of exile [Book of Disputation].
He did agree that there shall not fail God a man of the seed of David on the throne of Israel [Book of Disputation].
He did provide a means for you to establish the throne of David over Israel [Book of Disputation].
He did judge between the nations and did decide for many peoples [Book of Disputation--re: Isaiah 2.4].
He did judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more [Micah 4.4].
He did not visit those that are cut off, neither did he seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he did feed on the flesh of the fat and did tear their claws in pieces (Zechariah 11.16].
He did say unto Zion, thou art My People [Isaiah 51.16].
He did call all those left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem Holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem [Isaiah 4.3].
He did carry the plummet with those seven [Isaiah 4.10].
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf, in that day when the decree was far removed and the walls of Jerusalem are to be built [Micah 7.11-16].
For with stammering lips and another tongue did he speak to this people [Isaiah 28.11].
God did shoot at them with him, as it were with an arrow [Psalm 64.7].
Surely the earth is full with the knowledge of the Lord! [Book of Disputation--Re: Isaiah 11.6].
Surely all the tribes of Israel are being gathered to the land [Book of Disputation--re: Ezekiel 37.19, 22.24].
Surely the daughters of Israel were carried upon the shoulders of the Gentile, and their sons were carried in the arms of the Gentile (as they waded ashore to Palestine) [Isaiah 49.22]; did not the Ships of Tarshish bring thy sons from far to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee? [Isaiah 60.9].
page 17
He did remind them that when all the curses come upon them and catch up with them to destroy them and blot them out, then shall they know that the truth has been fulfilled with regard to them [Dead Sea Scrolls, on Moses].
He did cross over the tops of the mountains, as it was said, the mountains are the prophets [Dead Sea Scrolls, on Melkizedek and Moses]. He did make them understand all the ages of time [Dead Sea Scrolls, on Melkizedek and Moses].
And one did say unto him, why sighest thou? And he did answer, for the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass..[Ezekiel 21.7].
He complained, there is no man to join himself to me, to be with me, as it is said, The man of Elohim is to be on the level of Zaddiq [Zohar].
By the Lord God he ran through a troop; and by His Lord he leaped over a wall [Psalm 18.29].
He covered himself with a garment of light (the precepts of the Lord) [Psalm 109.29] and laid the beams of his chambers, like Noah, in the waters [Psalm 104.3].
Verily, his way is in the sea, and his path was in the great waters, yet his footsteps were not known [Psalm 77.19].
He was drawn out of many waters [Ezra 4].
He was as a sailor in a ship and amid furious seas..where there is no calm in the whirlwind [Dead Sea Scrolls, Thanksgiving Hymns 9].
He understood more than his teachers and more than the ancients, because he kept the Lord's precepts [ Psalm 119.99,100].
All those who assail him will be condemned in judgment; for the Lord has distinguished through him between the Just and the wicked [Dead Sea Scrolls, Thanksgiving Hymns 9]; was he not a stumbling block to all those who swallow him up, and a snare to all those who battle against him? [Dead Sea Scrolls, Thanksgiving Hymns 14]. He judged the people with his Truth [Psalm 96.13].
Surely when the Lord built up Zion, he appeared in his glory [Psalm 102.16].
He redeemed the poor and was a father of the fatherless [Psalm 68.1]; he redeemed their soul from deceit [Psalm 72.14].
page 18
He remembered the works of the Lord: surely he told you about the wonders of old [Psalm 77.11]. Surely he uttered parables and dark sayings of old [Psalm 78.2].
He said that they that fear thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in the Lord's word [Psalm 119.74].
Verily he was come into deep waters. Where the floods overflowed him [Psalm 69.2]; and he saw that the proud have dug pits for him which are not after thy law [Psalm 119.85].
Yet, he set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers [Psalm 89.25].
Yea, he even stood upon the sea and upon the earth and lifted up his hand to heaven [Revelation 10.5].
Did he not come out of the heart of the seas and carrying the Tabernacle with the Cloud of Heaven, the Shekinah of God? Behold his terrible deed, for he has determined the survivors; and before him fell the trees of a multitude, though he held neither spear nor weapon [Ezra 4].
He made darkness his secret place--for his was a dark and gloomy day, so dark and gloomy there was no other like it nor to follow it; and his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies; the wind was always with him [Psalm 18.11].
The Lord delivered him from his strong enemy, and from them which hated him: for they were too strong for him [Psalm 18.7]; and he was prevented in the day of his calamity [Psalm 18.18].
The Lord brought him into a large place [Psalm 18.19].
He said, surely Israel will not lie concerning the Promises made to them, even the Promise of the New Land of Beulah; surely the people will be willing [Psalm 110.3], but they did not know that he was a priest after the order of Melchizedek [Psalm 110.4].
The Lord sent from above and took him and drew him out of many waters [Psalm 18.6].
He spoke peace to the heathen [Zechariah 9.10].
page 19
He offered a good offering and a pleasant offering, which is the Tabernacle. But the kings of the earth and the rulers took counsel together against him, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us [Psalm 2.2-3]. He reminded them to look upon Zion of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken [Isaiah 33.20].
He argued to place the Lord's Tabernacle in Zion and that the heathen will know that God sanctifies them when they see his sanctuary in the midst of them [Ezekiel 37.27]; yet you would not hear. He argued that your mischief preventing the Tabernacle will not stand and you shall all be slain and fall as a bowing wall and a tottering fence [Psalm 62.3]; yet you would not hear.
Verily he said there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and rain [Isaiah 4.6]; yet no one would inquire of him.
Yet, he was as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land [Isaiah 33.2] and said that he is the Tabernacle; yet you would not hear.
He sought out Israel to build the old waste places of the Temple mount; He was the repairer of the breach and the restorer of paths to dwell in [Isaiah 58.12], yet they would not hear.
He said the Lord had told him to build a sanctuary on His Holy Mountain, a copy of the Holy Tent which the Lord prepared in the beginning [Wisdom of Solomon 8.6-9.15].
When the Lord restored the Children of Israel to Jerusalem, and when they were defended by a wall of fire against the Assyrians (Saddam Hussein) he was the most feeble among them [Isaiah 12.8]. He reminded the Gentile and the Heathen that whosoever shall gather against them shall fall for their [the Jew's] sake [Isaiah 54.15-17].
He reminded Jerusalem that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins (through the two captivities) [Isaiah 40.1]; yet she would not hear.
page 20
He said these things even though Israel was not altogether gathered [Isaiah 49.5].
Surely the Lord's name (El) is in him [Exodus 23.21]; he did not pardon your transgressions.
He asked them whether they were awaiting the sign of the Virgin and the Afflicted Soul [Isaiah 7.14]; yet there was no answer. Were they awaiting the diaspora again, to be scattered with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not, to have the land desolated after them, to suffer the battle of the warrior, with confused noise and garments rolled in blood, and with burning and fuel of fire? [Zechariah 7.14; Isaiah 9.5]; yet there was no answer.
Did he not remind Israel that the Lord had given them up until the remnant returned and that this is the day of their redemption, when the Assyrian comes into the Holy Land? [ Micah 5.3-5].
Did he not point out how the remnant of Jacob was in the midst of many people as a dew from the lord? [Micah 5.7].
Did he not call into remembrance all things and did he not write him a copy of the Law of the King in a book and present it before the priests and the Levites? [Deuteronomy 30.7;17.14].
He made the crooked ways straight and the rough places plain [Isaiah 40.4]; yet they would not hear.
But wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of his times and the strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure, though you do not know it [Isaiah 33.6].
So he took him up his axe and cut down a great tree, even many trees [Psalm 74.5]; yet, no one at first noticed!
With whom could he take counsel? For there was no man; the Lord himself instructed him and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding [Isaiah 40.13]; He knew the secrets of men [Dead Sea Scrolls, Horoscope of the Messiah] and brought them into his judgments [Eccl. 2.16].
False witnesses did rise up against him and laid to his charge things that he knew not [Psalm 35.11].
page 21
He contacted you at the time the Children of Israel were delivered, even every one that was written in the book [Daniel 12.1]; he wrote you that the Lord has accomplished to scatter the power of the Holy People and that it is time that all these things are finished [Daniel 12.7]; yet you would not hear and Israel did not see it worthwhile to acknowledge their restoration to him, though they could not see him, that he was clothed in linen which is the clothing of a poor and humble man and the angels of heaven.
He reminded you how terrible are the Lord's works (how the name, Cherubim, means Terrible Ones), how the Lord rides on the wings of cherubim [Psalm 18.10]; yet you would not hear.
It displeased him that there was no judgment, and he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore, his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness sustained him; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak; so shall they fear his name from the west [Isaiah 59.16-19].
Verily, he lifted up his ensign from far and hissed unto them from the end of the earth [Isaiah 5.26]; yet they did not hear.
He dealt prudently and was fair in his judgments of Jerusalem [Isaiah 52.13]. He reminded Israel that praising the name of God with a song, and magnifying him with thanksgiving, shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs [Psalm 69.30-31].
He was of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he smote the earth with the Rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips. [Isaiah 11.4]; among all things He was Faithful and True and the Son of Truth [Revelation 19.11]; yet you would not hear. He knew that the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies [Isaiah 28.17] and in his haste he thought that all men were liars [Psalm 116.11]. He asked you why you thought God is a liar and of waters that fail [Jeremiah 15.18].
page 22
He cut the spirit of the princes and was terrible to the kings of the earth [Psalm 76.12]. He poured contempt upon princes and caused them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way [Psalm 107.40]. All iniquity shall stop their mouth at him [Psalm 107.42]. Yea, the Kings shut their mouths at him [Isaiah 52.15].
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth; when the ear heard him, then it blessed him; and when the eyes saw him, it gave witness to him [Job 29.10-11].
Yet he said, I am no prophet, I am a husbandman: for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth [Zechariah 12.11]; though he came from the sea he did raise cattle in his youth.
Yet, he was gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous [Psalm 112.4]..
He reminded you that you who compass yourselves about with sparks shall walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that you have kindled, and this shall you have of his hand: you shall all lie down in sorrow [Isaiah 50.11]; yet you would not hear. He reminded you of God's oath, that in this day you will consider the thoughts of his heart perfectly [Jeremiah 23.20]; yet you would not hear. He was envious of the foolish, when he saw the prosperity of the wicked; that pride compassed them as a chain and violence covered them as a garment; he complained to you [Psalm 73]; yet you would not hear.
Yet, at his rebuke the enemies of the Lord fled; at the voice of his thunder they hasted away [Psalm 104.7]; He remembered the promise to David, that God will establish David's seed forever, and build up his throne to all generations [Psalm 89.4].
He complained that all the workers of iniquity boast in themselves and afflict the Lord's heritage [Isaiah 94.4-5]; yet no one answered. Then he prayed unto the Lord, saying, It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy Law! [Psalm 119.126].
Verily, rivers of waters ran down his eyes because you keep not His Law [Psalm 119.136].
Surely he let you know that he esteems the precepts of the Lord and he hates every false way [Psalm 119.28]; did he not chastise the heathen? [Psalm 94.10].
He warned you how your own foot will be caught in the snare you set for others [Psalm 9.15]; yet you would not hear.
He was your comforter, yet you would not comfort him [Mid Mishie, ed. Buber of Rav Huna; John 16.8, 14.26].
page 23
He reminded Israel that it would be called by a new name, Beulah, meaning Married; yet they would not hear [Isaiah 62.2].
In his days Judah was saved and Israel shall dwell safely [Jeremiah 23.6].
When he lifted up himself the nations scattered and the land of Assyria became a reproach unto men [Isaiah 33.3]; when he appeared to the residue of his people [Isaiah 28.5] and when the Lord have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning [Isaiah 4.4]; yet no one answered him when he noted how the Spirit of Judgment and Spirit of Burning passed over the Children of Israel.
Had he not shown them how they had been scattered to the four corners of the world in this judgment and Spirit of Burning and grown up as calves driven from the stall? [Malachi 4.2]. Yet they would not answer. Had he not attempted to make them understand the doctrine, that he brought his knowledge to them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts [Isaiah 28.9]; had he not appeared midst the scattered sheep?
Verily, he spoke unto these people like Moses before him with stammering lips and a foreign tongue; he was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, here a little, and there a little, to whom he said, This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest: and this is the refreshing [Isaiah 28.10]; yet they and you would not hear.
On his head were many crowns and he had a name written that no man knew, but he himself [ Revelation 19.12].
From his mouth went a sharp sword which smote the nations; he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God [Revelation 19.15].
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf [Micah 7.16]; yet he was unto them precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. He knew he shall be a fire and his briars and thorns shall be burned and devoured in one day [Isaiah 53.17].
Surely he will have glory among the multitude and honor with the elders, though young; He will be admired in the presence of monarchs and when he is silent, they will wait for him to speak; when he speaks they will pay attention; and if he talks at some length they will put their hands over their mouths [Wisdom of Solomon 8.6-9.15]
The Lord at his right hand shall strike through kings in the Day of His Wrath [Psalm 110.5]; he judged among the heathen [Psalm 110.6]; yet he was ever mindful of the Lord's covenant [Psalm 111.5]. He even showed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen [Psalm 111.6].
page 24
He said that this man, who is Immanuel, who is called Jesus, was born in Zion; he said when he wrote up the people that this man was born there [Isaiah 87.5-6].
He reminded you that God has brought Israel again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands and will be sanctified in them in the sight of many nations [Ezekiel 39.27].
His 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. A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers; he reminded you the Lord's determination to gather the nations, that he may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them his indignation, even all his fierce anger, for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of his jealousy; yet you would not hear [Zephaniah 1.15-16].
He noted to you how Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down, how it was time for him to rise [Isaiah 33.9]; yet you would not hear; he noted how you would see him in the land that is very far off [Isaiah 33.17]; yet you would not hear.
His decree on fulfilling the Promise concerning the New Land of Beulah he sent from afar, for he was far removed from Israel, among the captivity [ Micah 7.11]; yet you would not hear.
Yet, he was determined to hunt you from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks [Isaiah 2.19; Jeremiah 16.16].
The kings shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider [Isaiah 52.15]; he brings them all to shame. For He reminded them that the Lord hath a controversy with the nations [Jeremiah 25.31].
He sought to inherit the desolate heritages [Isaiah 49.8], and his righteousness he showed openly in the sight of the heathen [Psalm 98.2] as a small light in a dark and gloomy world.
He remembered the truth towards the house of Israel [Psalm 98.3] and reminded them of it and God's Mercy. He reminded them how all knees will bow, every tongue shall swear to the Lord God, YHVH [Isaiah 45.23]; yet they would not listen. He reminded you how God will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent, and how the Holy Land is for all people who serve God, not just the Jews [Zephaniah 3.9]; yet you would not hear. He reminded you that a New Heavens and a New Earth shall be made, and it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before the Lord [Isaiah 66.22-23]; yet they would not hear. He reminded you how God, through his prophets, showed you all things from the beginning lest you should say your molten image commanded these things [Isaiah 45.8] or lest you think these things coincidence. He reminded you how the Lord would make the Children of Israel a name and a praise among all people of the earth against the reproach they had suffered, when He turned back their captivity before their eyes [Zephaniah 3.20]; yet they would not hear.
page 25
He is greater than the fathers. For it is written, Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain (Zechariah 4.7). What does it mean, Who art thou, O Great Mountain? This is King Messiah. And why does he call him Great Mountain? Because he is greater than the Fathers...loftier than Abraham...more elevated than Moses...and higher than the ministering angels...And from whom will he issue? From Zerubbabel... [Midrash Tanhuma, ed. Buber 1.139].
God redeemed his soul from the power of the grave [Psalm 29.14]; then he remembered the years of the right hand of the most high, knowing it was his infirmity [Psalm 77.10].
He reminded you that an acceptable fast is to draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul; and if you do this the light will rise from obscurity and your darkness will be as the noon day; He showed you the Afflicted Soul of Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 and 69 and reminded you that if you satisfy that soul you will see your glory [Isaiah 58.10]; yet you would not hear.
He reminded you that the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God; yet you would not hear [Psalm 9.17]; He said, O how I love thy Law [Psalm 119.97]; yet no one would know him.
He asked the wicked why they have declared His statutes and taken His covenant in their mouth, yet seeing that they hate instruction, why they cast God's Word behind them [Psalm 50.16-17]; yet they who have forsaken the Torah would not answer. You all have unwisely considered his doing [Psalm 64.9].
Woe is me! He did more than we can list and he called it a Book of Remembrance. See, it is listed in this book!
M
9.28.91
Please beam me back up to Maravot's Homepage
Please open From
Dust and Ashes to Joy.html
Please open The
Acceptable Day of the Lord.html
Please open Light.html
Please open Judgment.html
Please open My
Father is Greater than I.html, a collection
of teachings of Jesus: how He viewed His relationship with God,
the Father.
Launched 11.28.96;
Updated 5.10.97; 8.23.97; 6.27.99; 5.27.200; 4.14.02; 2.14.06
Copyright © 1991-2006Maravot. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1991-2006 Mel Copeland. All rights reserved.
