He knew the End at the Beginning?

What can it mean, that G'D KNEW the end at the beginning? Is it possible that G'D knew what I am going to decide before HE started the World? Is there any chance that G'D will not follow through with the curses and the trouble leading up to the END of DAYS?

Numbers 23:19) God is not man to be capricious, or mortal to change His mind. Would He speak and not act, promise and not fulfill?

Isaiah 45:18) For thus saith the Lord, The Creator of Heaven who alone is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who alone established it– He did not create it a waste, But formed it for habitation: I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:19) I did not speak in secret, at a site in the land of darkness; I did not say to the stock of Jacob, “Seek Me out in a wasteland”– I the Lord, who foretell reliably, Who announce what is true.

Isaiah 46:9) Bear in mind what happened of old; For I am God, and there is none like Me. I am divine, and there is none else.
Isaiah 46:10) I foretell the end from the beginning, And from the start, things that had not occurred. I say: My plan shall be fulfilled; I will do all I have purposed.

These are only a couple of instances where God makes these statements. A couple of years ago while reading Isaiah, I was struck by the message in 46:10) I foretell the end from the beginning.... I started looking at the Tanach differently. I started seeing the hand of G’D in events in the Bible and Today. Prophecies become more alive when you can see that the text is not haphazard in nature. For example Genesis 1:28 “....Be fruitful and increase, fill the earth and master it;” in the JPS 1999 translation this is listed as a blessing. I now see it in context with Is. 46:10 where “...My plan shall be fulfilled;....”

How has this change my thinking? I see the story of the ARK and Noah as a lesson about faith, obedience and how One Righteous Person can save much. I don’t see that G’D wants to wipe out the earth, but wants to teach us many lessons. Mostly it identifies problems with human perception and understanding. We have a short term point of view, at best a few years, but the Lord’s plans are Thousands of Years. The Lord’s knowledge of us and our decisions must be just as vast and detailed. Truely, no thing is hidden from G’D, but each of us must still make our choices, for even deciding not to make a choice is a choice.

May the Lord Bless you with Hears that hear(Perceive) and Eyes that see(Understand) and may it be today.

Shalom,

James

The First Temple’s destruction

In a recent discussion, it was presented that the destruction of the First Temple was a shock and a surprise to the people. I propose that this could only be true if One does not or was not exposed to history, prophecy or G’D. Which of course there were a least a large number of prophets of G’D(Hundreds of them), they gave messages to the people,the Kings and us. These messages are the LORD’s complaints which are in abundance in the Torah and Tanach. The people turn away from G'D, then the people are in trouble and pain, turn back to G'D for salvation and when they are again saved, ....they again trun away from G'D. Obviously, almost no one was paying attention. It does seem to relate to Noah’s Ark in that for a long time the evidence was presented, but nobody noticed the ARK or Noah's work.

Here are my reasons for this statement.

The First Temple’s destruction happened because, King Solomon was told by G’D what would happen if this people turned from the LORD. King Solomon knew the destruction this was going to happen. When he dedicated the temple he asked for mainly two things. An heir on the throne of his father King David(1Kings 8:25) and G'D's promise to be attentive to this place(1Kings 8:29..53).

Why is such a prayer needed, when King Solomon’s reign is a time of peace and grace? Does he know something that we should know?

The wording of the prayer, the response by G'd and a review of Lev. 26:31..33 and Deuteronomy 28:64, 31:17&18 is warranted.

How important are the Laws given to Moses? Deut. 32:45..47.

The greatest thing that prophet King Solomon(prophet** in that G'D spoke to him and in the writings he tells us) did was getting G'D's promise that G’D would Perpetually attend to the location HE placed HIS Name, even when G'D said hear will turn away and not hear us. 1Kings 8:22..53 -- the prayer of King Solomon,
1Kings 9:3..9 The LORD's Response to the King's Prayer.

For me, I find that the Torah holds the greatest thing in the world. It contains G'D's teachings for the people he created when we are but dust, without the breath HE placed in us. The Breath, The Soul this is what the LORD counts as valuable, it seems that the SOUL is tested here for something the LORD has designed for later. Walk before ME and be HOLY for I YOUR GOD AM HOLY. (Paraphrased)

Please do not be agree with me for what I am trying to share.

Question: How many of the curses are not fulfilled yet? Background: Deuteronomy is specific about the curses, and Deut. 30:1 sets the end events in a what must happen before Israel repents.

**Prophet : In religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has claimed to have been encountered by the supernatural or the divine. (A clip from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Shalom,
James

A new understanding?

Recently, I heard it said that Ezekiel invented a new understanding of what G'D wants.

Ezekiel the Prophet did not invent a new understanding, he merely clarified what the Snake in the Garden of Eden already knew. We think that the death of the body is what G'D talks about when HE speaks of death, but Ezekiel in Chapter 18 tries to explain that the SOUL, the breath of G'D belongs to G'D. It is that part that gets punished for SIN. When the death of the body takes place, you no longer are allowed to repent to G'D. Your test is over. The difference between the Righteous(Holy) and the Sinner(un-Holy) is ONE SIN vs Repentance for the sin and the refraining from do it again, this is where the LORD makes you Righteous again.

Ezekiel is not defining something new, he simply attempts to clear up a bad understanding of what G'D wants. Because of the misunderstanding it has been construed that: "If you suffer in this world, you must be a sinner." Conversely, if you are not punished in this world you are not a sinner. This has been used to question whether there is a G'D or maybe G'D does not mean what HE has said. This is a serious mistake that is continually used against having faith. After all when I look around I see many, many, bad people that seem to have great blessings and no punishment, I have wondered what is wrong in my understanding.

I know this: We are all tested, the great and the small, the rich and the poor, to understand (SEE) whether we will chose G'D or not.

I chose G'D.


Shalom,
James

Blessings or Prophecy?

Recently I was told by a Rabbi at the Torah Study I attend that Blessings by GOD are different that Prophecies or Curses. I have come to the understanding that every word or thought by GOD will happen. The chosen people according to Moses will be cursed until they all return to G'D in the manner described in Leviticus 26 and in Deuteronomy 30.

In Numbers 23:19) God is not man to be capricious, or mortal to change HIS mind. Would HE speak and not act, promise and not fulfill? Isaiah 46:10) I foretell the end from the beginning, and from the start, things that had not occurred. I say: My plan shall be fulfilled; I will do all I have purposed.

(All quotes today are from Jewish Publication Society(JPS) 1999 translation)


Shalom,
James

If they had only!!!!

I have heard it mentioned that if they(Judah), had realized the sign(prophecy**) when King Jehoahaz of Judah was taken into captivity in Egypt. They would have turned back to G'D. [It was King Josiah of Judah, King Jehoahaz father who was presented with a scroll found in the Holy of Holys by the priest Hilkiah. This scroll, when it was shown to King Josiah, caused the King to tear his clothes and cry out loud.(Possibly the Book of Deuteronomy which contains blessings and curses in regards to following G’D’s Laws given to Moses)] If this scroll is the Book of Deuteronomy then **Chapter 28: 36) The Lord will drive you, and the king you have set over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers, where you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone. 37) You shall be a consternation, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples to which the Lord will drive you. (All quotes today are from Jewish Publication Society(JPS) 1999 translation)

I disagree with the assertion that they(Judah) would have returned to the LORD if they understood the events. I would also point to Leviticus 26 which describes when, how and why the children return to the LORD.


Shalom,
James