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| A cave uncovered during excavation work by Israel Railways in Jerusalem contains the largest and most impressive underground water sources ever discovered in Israel |
Fulfillment
by haRold Smith
Jerusalem, Israel
"On that day, living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter." Zechariah 14:8
"The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. " Ezekiel 47:1
July 1, 2011 - Prophecy becomes reality as Israel's largest underground water source is discovered near the Jerusalem convention center. Over the past few days, scholars from the Cave Research Unit of the Hebrew University's Department of Geography have been crawling through the underground nooks and crannies. The surveyors said that during their initial exploration, they found water flowing through the cave from northwest to southeast (excerpt from Haaretz click on highlighted words to view).
This discovery came during the week of Israel's celebration of Yom Yerushalayim, "Jerusalem Day", commemorating the liberation of Jerusalem in 1967 and also comes on the heels of yet another prophetic fulfillment of Isaiah 60:5 when two huge natural gas deposits were found just off the coast of Haifa and Hadera in 2009. Other prophetic fulfillments have been seen in recent years as well.
November 29, 1947 was an epochal prophetic fulfillment moment in all of the history of mankind, for it was on this date when David Ben Gurion signed Israel's declaration of independence, that all the prophecies given over the past centuries concerning the rebirth of Israel came to fulfillment for the entire world to witness. This people, the only people on the face of the planet - ever - that He has called His People, are being gathered from the four corners of the earth to this tiny strip of land, the only land on the face of the planet - ever - that He has called His Land, as has been foretold by the ancients (Isaiah 11:11-12).
June 7, 1967 was another prophetic fulfillment for that was the day Israel, as prophesied by Yeshua in Luke 21:22-24, reclaimed and asserted her rightful sovereignty over the entire city of Jerusalem and, thus, the times of the Gentiles became fulfilled. Some would say that, since the mosque is still there, this scripture has yet to be fulfilled. Those making that claim do not have a proper understanding of sovereignty. Sovereignty means a right to exercise authority - it does not necessarily mean that authority has to be exercised. Even though Israel allows the mosque to presently exist because, at the moment, it is politically expedient - she is still the principal authority over the area. Once YHVH begins to restore the Land to Israel, fulfilling His promise to Abraham, that mosque will be of little consequence - Israel's Islamic neighbors will have much more to be concerned about.
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| View "Jerusalem - 4000 years in 5 minutes" |
When these prophetic fulfillments are set alongside the news descriptions of the turmoil all over the world the past 18 months or so - greatest floods ever; greatest fires ever; greatest snowfalls ever; greatest and most earthquakes ever; greatest and most tornadoes ever; greatest hurricanes and tsunamis ever; greatest droughts ever; greatest famines ever; greatest diseases ever; greatest dust storms ever; greatest oil spills ever; unprecedented volcanoes suspending air flights ever; greatest economic instability ever; most unprecedented governmental overthrows ever; the list just goes on and on - and it sure sounds as though the world is careening headlong toward a great Day of Catastrophic Judgment upon the world - right? Couple these with the consequences of the ripple effects resulting from these catastrophes and it is enough to make one's heart fail with fear (seems I read that somewhere).
Westernized concepts of prophecy create huge problems among believers because there is this tendency to extract all of the verses concerning future events out of context, roll them into one big vat, stir them all up together and then pull them out, strung together as though they are all speaking of the same thing, written yesterday just for us today. It makes for big business - there is a lot of Profit in Prophecy. Unfortunately, most of what is presented is not what scripture declares. In order to properly understand prophecy, the recognition must exist that all the letters of the Book were written to, by and about Hebrews. That consideration must include all of the prophecy contained within those books - even the book of Revelation for, it was also written by a Hebrews\ and is addressed to other Hebrews.
For instance, within the passage of Zechariah 6, while there can be parallels drawn concerning the Branch to the Messiah, the reality is that there is not one mention of the Messiah anywhere in that chapter (unlike Isaiah 7:14, which speaks specifically about the Messiah to come). In reality, the Branch is referring to the role Joshua, the first born son of Jehozadak the high priest, was filling as a kinsman redeemer to his family, the status bestowed on the firstborn of every household of Israel (see Establishing the Signet). This prophecy is speaking to a particular people in a particular place about a particular event surrounding a particular person - all of which came to pass exactly as it was recorded way before the Messiah ever appeared on the scene. In like manner, the prophetic events Yeshua spoke of in Matthew 24 were about the fall of the Temple, which were fulfilled in 70 AD. We would be well served to consider prophecy in the light of who these words were spoken to - they were not written yesterday to a "Christian" audience. There were no "Christians" around when they were written. While there are many who have different agendas aimed at convincing the masses otherwise, it should constantly be remembered that all prophecy contained in scripture is in regard to Israel (see the Bride for a further understanding of this principle).
| "And 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 |
There are many who look at these events transpiring in the world and believe we are now on the brink of Gog-Magog, precipitating the Armageddon war described in the Book of Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation. However, before the events described in Ezekiel 37-39 happen, there must first come a time of peace. If you study very carefully, verse by verse, then all the conditions described in these verses have not yet been fully met for the ultimate invasion from the North. It says Israel must be living in peace and security, with unwalled villages, etc. - indicative of a country that has placed all of its enemies at bay (whether that be militarily or economically or both) and is at rest. If ALL the events of chapters 36 and 37 must precede chapters 38-39, then we should also expect a dramatic and massive spiritual outpouring here in Israel first. Many are looking for a "last days" outpouring of the Spirit world-wide, but the only place scripture speaks of that happening is in Israel. If Ezekiel 37.9-14 is read closely, this has not happened yet. We are still waiting for those dry bones to come fully alive - seemingly, the next big event that has to happen here in the Land. With the turmoil we are witnessing in Syria today, the destruction of Damascus, a terrible and still future calamity for them as indicated in Isaiah 17, could happen almost anytime now - but, it has not happened yet and must BEFORE we ever get to the Gog and Magog scenario of Ezekiel 38-39.
Consider that, if a time of great peace and prosperity is to exist in Israel as mentioned, it would mean that Israel had taken on her enemies - and prevailed. This would result in leaving a very bitter taste in the mouths of her vanquished foes and their allies, particularly Russia who is increasingly investing in everything anti-American and, by extension, anti-Israel, in the Middle East. That kind of a defeat would foment a hatred and a jealousy within them, motivating them to be looking with even more intensity to avenge that loss and setting the stage for that major invasion from the North depicted in the prophetic, Hebrew scriptures.
The sense to be drawn from these scriptures is that there is going to be war here and very soon, but when the dust clears Israel will be, if not THE superpower of the world, at the very least among the two or three that are. So radically swift, impressive and undeniable will be YHVH's intervention on Israel's behalf in defeating her attackers that it will be reminiscent of times in history past when He has rescued her and will engender a turning of the hearts of the people of this Land back to YHVH (70% of which are considered to be secular Jews) to receive this massive outpouring of the ruach hakodesh (the spirit of holy) prophesied of old (Ezekiel 39:29). The calamities we are seeing in the world are merely pushing events to culminate upon and within Israel (see the Land People).
The forces loosed upon the globe today are irreversible and will have far-reaching consequences across the soul of mankind - consequences and effects never before imagined in the hearts of men. If you think what the world has been enduring over this past year has been intense, hang on - for this shaking has only just begun. These forces have not been loosed to bring an end to the world, however; but are unleashed to bring Israel to fulfillment among the nations (see the Gospel). The One True Holy One of Israel is calling His Family back to the Land promised to their fore-fathers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (who was re-named, Israel). The Kingdom of Light is advancing on the kingdom of darkness and at the point of interface, where those two entities converge, there will be turmoil such as the world has not known from the day of creation (Mark 13:19-20). Much like what happens when fire is placed under water to produce turmoil on the surface - everything that can be shaken will be shaken so that all that is left standing is only what is secured to the Rock (Hebrews 12:26-27), How, then, do we become secured to the Rock of Life?
Yeshua tells us in John 6:53) that unless we consume His Flesh and drink of His Blood - we have no Life in us. There are only six times the Greek word, trogo (translated as "eat or eating"), appears in scripture. It means "to gnaw, crunch, or chew (as in nuts, almonds)" and is found four of those six times in John 6:54-58 where Yeshua likens His Flesh to the bread-like substance of manna, the provision given to the children of Israel in the wilderness - the Bread of Life (John 6:35, read the Testimony for an extended explanation of what it means to eat of His Life).
Today, a new era of 'change' is being invoked across the Middle East cloaked in the highest nobility of the human spirit - freedom and dignity. That is all well and good - except for the various agendas affixed to that change that will cause an eruption engulfing the affairs of mankind such as has never been seen before. We must remember that, just as it was in the days of Noah, men have no idea what the result of their actions hold in store for them. The reason men scoffed at Noah was because before the flood, they had not yet experienced rain (Genesis 2:5-6). They could not imagine what Noah was warning them of. YHVH has much that He has not yet revealed - things that surpass human comprehension. That is what makes Him God. The things men were doing during the time of Noah such as marrying, giving in marriage, eating and drinking seemed perfectly all right to them - but, there must have been something fundamentally wrong with the way they were engaged in those actions for YHVH to look upon them with repentance in His heart for ever creating man (Genesis 6:5-6).
The first time we see this Greek word trogo is used is in Matthew 24:38 where it describes the actions of men before the flood. They were gnawing on the definition of their own tradition instead of doing His Words - the Bread of His Life (Genesis 6:5, see Abiding In His Name). The last time trogo appears is in John 13:18 to describe what happens with those who do not eat of the flesh of the Truth of His Words but try to commune with Him under their own agenda with their own definition of what His Words mean. Matthew 7:22-23 makes it clear that simply because people are able to maneuver in the Spirit realm, dies not mean they KNOW Him. To know Him is to hear His Voice, to exhibit His Nature and Character and to teach others how to do the same (see what it means to be in Agreement with His Words).
Yeshua said when you see these events begin to happen, lift up your head and Rejoice, for your redemption is near
(Luke 21:28).
It will appear as though darkness is triumphing, but scripture says that where evil and darkness abound, there grace and Light abound that much more
(Romans 5:20).
If we look for the hand of darkness, we will find it. But, for those who look for the Hand of YHVH, for those who abide in the secret place of the Almighty, He will be found there in the midst of that darkness
(Psalm 18:11).
So, then, how do we as followers in the Way of Yeshua function in the midst of darkness we see enveloping us? We follow His example that He gave with the Life He led before us. We BECOME Yeshua in this place of turmoil. It is within this turbulence that the Righteousness of the Saints will shine. For as many as there are embracing 'change', there are many more who will become disillusioned with promises that can only remain unfulfilled in this time of global upheaval and expectations of an order that will be radically altered from events yet to transpire. To them, we appear as a beacon of light set upon a hill in the individual relationships we can build with them because the chaos eclipsing their lives has propelled them to now become seekers of Truth (Matthew 5:14), The work of the ministry is not in developing a 'place to come to', it is in developing relationship in people's lives where they are at. Start looking, they are all around us. They have need of knowing the assurance of what it means to have the Refiner's Fire at their doorstep - that He is near to us in judgment (Malachi 3:2-6).
| "�until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom." Daniel 7:22 |
Please feel free to email them to me at harold@hethathasanear.com. While not claiming to have all the answers, it would be an honor to share with you what the Spirit is uncovering.