Snakes, Elections, and the Messiah
Breaking Israel News reported the following:
Snakes, Elections, and the Messiah
November 7, 2018
Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi, a mystic rabbi with a strong following in Israel, explained the connection between the snake, the U.S. elections, and the Messiah, who he says is already among us, describing him in great detail. …
“God rules over everything but gave us free choice through Adam and Eve,” he said. “They chose freely and sinned because they didn’t listen to what God told them and by doing so, they brought death into the world.”
This free choice from Eden is expressed today in daily life as well as politics. …
“Everything that is happening in the world now is a sign of the coming Messiah, preparing the way for him to be revealed,” Ben Artzi said, referring to several unusual occurrences that drew international attention to the Temple Mount. In July, a large stone fell from the Kotel (Western Wall), which the rabbi insisted was “far from random.” On the last day of the holiday of Sukkot, precisely at sunrise, a mist suddenly billowed up from the ground on the Temple Mount and surrounded the Dome of the Rock. Sinkholes recently appeared near the Sha’ar HaRachamim (Gate of Mercy or Golden Gate). …
The rabbi emphasized that the strange appearance of a snake crawling out from the rocks of the Western Wall was clearly significant.
“The snake didn’t simply crawl across the floor or hide in some corner,” Rabbi Ben Artzi said. “They discovered him in the middle of the wall, crawling out of the stones, there for everyone to see.”
Ben Artzi, interpreted the appearance of the snake as a divine reminder for the elections.
“The snake was a sign, sent by God,” Rabbi Ben Artzi argued. “The archetypal Biblical snake caused problems for Adam and Eve, tricking them into choosing incorrectly. With the snake at the Kotel, God was saying, ‘Choose well; be pure and holy, stand with God and Messiah.” …
“Nachash (snake) is gematria (Hebrew numerology) 358, equal to Moshiach (Messiah). We have the choice of which we want: Messiah or the snake.” …
“The Messiah is among us now. He is a regular man living a regular life. He has a wife and children. There are no special signs or public relations. In simplicity and modesty, he works for Israel 24-hours a day. It is his simplicity which is confusing to so many. The Messiah breathes like everyone, dresses like everyone.” https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/116559/snakes-elections-messiah/
No, a snake at a wall in Jerusalem eating a pigeon (see below) was not a reminder for the elections nor a messianic sign. Furthermore, the Messiah is not a man living a regular life with a wife and children.
If the Jews would be willing to look at the evidence from the Bible, as well as certain interpretations of their sages, they would be able to clearly prove to themselves that Jesus is the Messiah.
One item that I covered in my last sermon, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, had to do with the fact that the Book of Daniel prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed after the Messiah came and was cut off (Daniel 9:25-26). The Temple was destroyed after Jesus was executed. Hence, since the Temple was destroyed the Messiah had to have already come. Certain Jewish writings outside of the Bible also seem to support that view (for details, check out the free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah).
Despite clear proof related to Jesus, perhaps I should mentioned that a famous rabbi claimed that the Messiah was born this past July:
Messiah-mania has reached a fever pitch in Israel, as one prominent rabbi says the prophesied redeemer was born a week ago, while a group promoting the rebuilding of the Temple released a new TV spot saying, “The time has arrived.” …
Maybe it’s the blood moons. Maybe it’s the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Or, maybe, suggest other rabbis, now that the majority of Jews in the world now live in Israel, prophecy is read to be fulfilled.
Perhaps the most surprising development is a statement by a well-respected Israeli rabbi, Chaim Kanievsky, a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society, stating unequivocally that the messiah was born July 21.
Kanievsky, hailed as one of the leading rabbis of his generation, wrote a book, “Siach Nechama,” or “A Comforting Discourse,” that claims the messiah is alive today and when Israel merits it, he will immediately reveal himself.”
A Hebrew-language religious news site explained the rabbi based his statement on the Jerusalem Talmud (Tractate Brachot) and Midrash Rabbah, a collection of homiletic teachings believed to have been compiled in the fifth century in Tiberias, which states that the Messiah will be born on Tisha B’Av, which is observed as a fast day mourning the destruction of the Jewish Temples. This year, Tisha B’Av fell on Saturday, July 21.
“It seems to me that the sages intended to teach us that even when the Temple is destroyed, in any case the Redemption exists,” he said. “And the Messiah actually exists and lives among us. He passes from one body to another in each generation.” 07/29/18 https://www.wnd.com/2018/07/messiah-mania-hits-fever-pitch-in-israel/#yKZHtghGhb2pFSqW.99
The idea that the Messiah would be born on B’av is not new to Chaim Kanievsky. We also covered that before (see Rabbi claims Messiah was born last week, but Jews should know He was born over 2000 years ago) and even brought it up in a video sermonette: Jerusalem Temple Destruction and the Messiah.
But what about this snake matter?
I read several articles about this recently. Here is some information about that from two of them:
November 5, 2018
FEARS the Apocalypse may be approaching were fuelled by three events taking place within just a few months echoing scriptures about the end of the world. …
The birth of a red heifer in Israel, the Dead Sea replenished with fish and a snake slithering out of Israel’s Western Wall – these three unusual events have all been listed as signs of the end times in holy scriptures. …
The {Temple} Institute, after the examination, deemed the cow a “viable candidate for the Biblical red heifer”, Breaking Israel News said.
The second apocalyptic sign consists of the sighting of fish in the Dead Sea, a body of water with a salinity so high it makes life there almost impossible. …
The third sign of the Apocalypse sparked “panic and embarrassment” according to The Times of Israel.
A snake slithered out from stones above the women’s prayer section at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on October 31.
This weird event sparked speculation among bloggers and online commentators the snake is a symbol we are living in “dangerous times” and that “we are all being warned”.
This difficult period will lead, they continued, to the second coming of the Messiah. https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/1040849/end-of-the-world-bible-old-testament-israel-jerusalem-red-heifer
November 1, 2018
A snake wriggling out from between the stones of the Western Wall in search of a meal brought with it a message straight from Jewish mystical teachings; connecting the archetypal enemy of man with the High Priest in the Temple, and also, perhaps, serving as a harbinger of the Messiah. …
The snake was probably seeking a meal of pigeons or eggs but it brought with it a powerful message.
A Hebrew language blogger quoted by Ynet News noted the serpent made its Jerusalem appearance during a hotly contested mayoral election, connecting it to the destruction of the Second Temple.
“The snake appeared during this time of dispute and divisiveness at the site of the Temple which was destroyed because of widespread hatred and divisiveness.” …
Pointing to the pigeon that fled the snake in the video, Sod1820, a Hebrew language kabbalah site, cited Midrash (homiletic teachings), Israel is compared to a pigeon or dove, …
The site also claimed the appearance of a snake coming out of the stones of the Temple Mount could be seen as an auspicious sign. In gematria (Hebrew numerology) nachash (snake) נחש equals 358, the same as Moshiach (Messiah) משיח. The Zohar (the basis of Jewish mysticism) explained that the evil inclination, personified by the snake in Eden, will make a resurgence in the days before Messiah, tempted to come and drink sustenance from the enormous levels of holiness that will appear in the world in the end-of-days. …
It does indeed seem like the Temple Mount is trying to speak to the Jewish people. About four months ago, a large piece of one of the stones weighing several hundred pounds suddenly fell, barely missing one of the women who came to pray at dawn. Another sign appeared on Hoshana Rabba, the last day of Sukkot, when a large cloud of mist began billowing up from the ground inside the Temple Mount Compound, surrounding the Dome of the rock for several minutes. https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/116242/snake-temple/
Anyway, no, I do not believe that a snake found on the Western Wall is a prophetic sign nor do I believe it was related to the US midterm elections. Nor do I believe that a falling rock, fish in the Dead Sea, or some mist by the Dome of the Rock are prophetic signs.
The Jewish mystics are wrong about this.
As far as the red heifer goes, that might have significant importance.
The Bible teaches that regular/daily animal sacrifices will be stopped in Jerusalem in Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31. In order for them to be stopped, they must first be started. Groups like the Temple Institute have declared that they need a pure red heifer in order to resume those sacrifices (as well as official governmental permission). If they determine that they really do have a proper red heifer they may well pressure the government of Israel for permission to resume animal sacrifices. For more about that, check out the following:
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to two related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
As far as the Messiah goes, notice some of what Daniel was inspired to write from a Jewish translation of the Bible into the English language:
24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place. 25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times. 26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:24-26, Jewish Publication Society)
This is proof of Jesus’ messiahship.
How so?
Well, it shows that the Messiah was clearly to come before the Temple is destroyed.
26 Then, after the sixty-two weeks, Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a prince yet to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but his end will come with a flood, and desolations are decreed until the war is over. (Daniel 9:26, Complete Jewish Bible)
The “anointed one” is the Messiah (rendered as the “Mashiach” in the Complete Jewish Bible).
So, the Messiah had to come before the Temple was destroyed. If not, the Bible is not true. But since the Bible is true, the Jews should consider the ramification of Daniel 9:26.
Furthermore, the prophecy in Daniel 9:24 ties the timing of the “anointed one/Mashiach” in verse 26, to a decree. This is the decree of Ezra 7:12-26. Daniel also mentions that Jerusalem will be rebuilt and that happened as we can see in the Book of Nehemiah.
Daniel 9:25 says that after the cutting off of the “anointed one” the city (Jerusalem) will be destroyed and the sanctuary (the Temple) will be destroyed as well. The sanctuary/temple was destroyed by General Titus in 70 A.D.
In the Continuing Church of God, we have taught that Jesus was resurrected in 31 A.D. or possibly 30 A.D. (this is also partially based upon the date on the Hebrew calendar in which Jesus took His last Passover on, plus outside confirmation related to darkness that happened per Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, and Luke 23:45). Hence the Temple was destroyed after the Messiah came. Jesus fulfilled that Messianic prophecy.
Let’s look at an explanation of Jesus’ timing from the old Radio Church of God related to the Daniel 9 prophecy:
At the time of Jesus’ life on this earth, Herod — the king in Judea — the wise men from the nations to the east, and many of the priests, scribes, and elders, as well as the common people, realized that the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9 was nearing its completion. The Messiah, the Prince, was eagerly looked forward to, to free them from the yoke of Roman oppression. The Messiah was expected because of an understanding of this prophecy. But He was misunderstood when He appeared in the fulfillment of this prophecy, because they refused to recognize the first portion of the prophecy and hung their hope only on the last portion. …
Here, very plainly, is listed the exact time at which the prophesied Messiah would appear to begin to do the work mentioned in verse 24. The command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. Much of the book of Ezra and the entire book of Nehemiah cover this particular event. Seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks equal sixty-nine weeks. So the prophecies show that from the going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem in 457 B. C. it would be 483 years until the appearance of the prophesied Messiah to begin fulfilling the works of verse 24. (Hill DJ. HERE’S WHY Jews Reject Jesus and Christians Reject Christ! Plain Truth, April 1962)
Adding 483 to the year 457 B.C. brings us to the year 27 A.D. (there was no year “zero” between B.C. and A.D.). That also brings us to the time that Jesus began His ministry (apparently in the Fall of the year). His ministry is believed to have lasted 3 ½ years, hence the veil would have been torn in the Spring of 31 A.D.
According to Jewish writer, Abba Hillel Silver, many Jews did expect the Messiah during the first century:
The Book of Daniel, the one canonized apocalyptic tract out of many which were widely circulated and held in high regard by the people dwelt upon the mystery of the “end of days” …
Prior to the first century, Messianic interest was not excessive …
The first century … witnessed a remarkable outburst of Messianic emotionalism. This is to be attributed … to the prevalent belief induced by the popular chronology of that day (Silver AH. The History of Messianic Speculation in Israel. Written 1927. Kessinger Publishing paperback 2010, pp. 4,5)
So, there was a lot of Messianic expectation in the first century, based upon calculations from writings such as Daniel.
Shlomo Yitzchaki, also known as Rashi (RAbbi SHlomo ben Isaac), of the 11th century, wrote about Daniel 9:24,26:
Seventy weeks [of years] have been decreed on Jerusalem from the day of the first destruction in the days of Zedekiah until it will be [destroyed] the second time. to terminate the transgression and to end sin so that Israel should receive their complete retribution in the exile of Titus and his subjugation, in order that their transgressions should terminate, their sins should end, and their iniquities should be expiated, in order to bring upon them eternal righteousness and to anoint upon them (sic) the Holy of Holies: the Ark, the altars, and the holy vessels, which they will bring to them through the king Messiah. The number of seven weeks is four hundred and ninety years. The Babylonian exile was seventy [years] and the Second Temple stood four hundred and twenty [years]. …
And after those weeks. the anointed one will be cut off Agrippa, the king of Judea, who was ruling at the time of the destruction, will be slain and he will be no more Heb. וְאֵין לוֹ, and he will not have. The meaning is that he will not be the anointed one Heb. מָשִׁיחַ. This is purely an expression of a prince and a dignitary and the city and the Sanctuary lit. and the city and the Holy and the people of the coming monarch will destroy [The monarch who will come] upon them. That is Titus and his armies. (Rashi. Judaica Press Complete Tanach, Daniel – Chapter 9)
So, Rashi admitted Daniel 9 was a messianic prophecy that was fulfilled about the time of Jesus.
‘Herod’ Marcus Julius Agrippa was king of Judah from around A.D. 27—basically the same time Jesus started His ministry. So, if the timing of Agrippa is right like Rashi wrote, then obviously the timing of Jesus was in accordance with Daniel 9:24-26.
As far as Agrippa goes, the Jews revolted against him in 66. Later, he helped the Romans and their general Titus conquer Jerusalem. Agrippa was rewarded for his efforts in helping Rome and lived and reigned decades after the fall of Jerusalem. King Agrippa II was not the anointed “King Messiah.”
As far as Rashi goes, apparently the reason for the messiahship going to Agrippa was because of Israel’s sins. Rashi also declared:
After 2000 years of Torah it was God’s decree that the Messiah would come and the wicked generation would come to an end and the subjugation of Israel would be destroyed.
But Jesus did come at the right time and the Temple was afterwards destroyed as was prophesied in Daniel 9:24-26.
Anyway, neither a snake on a wall, fish in the Dead Sea, a mist near the Dome of the Rock, nor a falling rock are signs that the Messiah will come for the first time, nor are any truly related to the USA midterm elections.
For more real reasons that Jews should have accepted Jesus, including how the New Testament recorded that He fulfilled over 200 prophecies in the Old Testament, check out our free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here is a link to a related sermon: Proof Jesus is the Messiah: Certainty.
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Is God Calling You? This is a booklet discussing calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to two related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building?
Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications? After a 20 year negotiation, the Church of Rome has negotiated the right to have Catholic mass in the building known as the Cenacle. It is in the area where the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill once stood. This is believed to be the location of the earliest Christian church building. How does the Bible define the ‘temple of God’ in the New Testament? Could this be the area where the ‘man of sin’ will sit in the “temple of God’ that Bible prophecy discusses in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4? This is a YouTube video.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编： 谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
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