“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)
Yoke Of Bondage
Dear Friends,
The first article below was passed on to us by a regular reader of People of the Keys. We have done very little to alter how it was given to us.
The event mentioned, after doing some research, is said to be the largest Satanic gathering in the world.
This is taking place right now as you read this.
If all of you reading this could pray against the demonic influence of this festival we are sure it will do a great good.
Thank you and God bless you!
The second article titled “TOP RABBIS: UNMISTAKABLE SIGNS OF MESSIAH COMING” is from WND. We often use articles from this site. We, however, felt it was necessary to respond to this article. We directly wrote to one of the people quoted in the article.
Our response to them has been very slightly edited so as to leave out personal information.
Hope you find it informative.
Have a great week ahead.
***
נושא:
important prayer alert concerning Jerusalem this week
URGENT PRAYER ALERT: “TomorrowLand” event in Jerusalem 23 July (17th
Tammuz)…an attempt to make demonic covenant with the Land through the youth of Israel
The 17th of Tammuz is a Jewish fast observed yearly to commemorate among other disasters the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. An event is being held during this fast, this year, which has the potential to be another disastrous breaching of the (spiritual) walls of Jerusalem.
TomorrowLand is an electronic music festival that goes beyond anything I have ever heard of, in terms of open communication and covenant with major demonic principalities. The festival has grown to over 400,000 attendees in Belgium, where it originated in 2005.
Here is an example of the openly demonic nature of this festival, as described by one trusted Intercessor (all of this can be easily confirmed in a quick search on the Internet):
“On the centre stage of Tomorrowland is a huge slowing spinning replica of the CERN hadron collider gate. Do you think there is any possibility of hypnosis or mind control going on? Also on stage is a giant mirror in which the digitally created face of the goddess Kali appears and speaks to the crowds. These messages were seductively spoken over the masses of eager participants, As helicopters flew overhead, and as beacons of colored lights flashed across the night sky a deep, powerful male voice said:
“People of Tomorrow, as a new chapter unfolds, you will learn about one man, who knew the mysteries of the universe from within, Because of his vision a great work was completed (CERN) With its sacred key, the machine can forge unique experiences continuously. Humanity can be reborn. The heartbeat of this device can be felt by all of you.
(THIS WAS BEING SPOKEN AS THE IMAGE OF THE CERN MACHINE REVOLVED IN FRONT OF THE CROWDS)
As the mirror lit up, and the face of Kali appeared, a sweet, seductive, mesmerizing, female voice said:
There is so much that can come between people. This can be healed by the expression of pure unity. Hold up your wristbands so that we can witness this illumination together
( KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS SEDUCTIVELY SPOKEN BY A DIGITALLY PROJECTED FACE OF KALI SHOWN IN A MIRROR. KALI THE HINDU GODDESS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. Kali is the wife of Shiva, the cosmic god, lord of the beasts, lord of the cosmic dance, the Destroyer. A statue of Shiva stands outside of the CERN headquarters.”
Here is a direct quote from the TomorrowLand website of their vision to unite seven key gateway cities of the world for their ceremonies on 23 July:
“On Saturday July 23rd, the second day of Tomorrowland, 7 countries will Unite with the People of Tomorrow in Belgium. A live video connection will be made between Tomorrowland (Belgium) and Mexico, India, Japan, Colombia, Germany, South Africa and Israel. Building bridges between Belgium and the rest of the world with a live connection from the Tomorrowland Mainstage, Live DJ sets on the local UNITE stage and the unique, magical Tomorrowland atmosphere: that's UNITE, the mirror to Tomorrowland. People of Tomorrow, get ready to Unite…” http://[http://www.tomorrowland.com/unite].
NOTE: I would strongly encourage you to pray for the covering of the blood of the Lamb over you and your family before viewing any of their website photos or videos. We hope to have some more detailed information up on our website soon.
SOME KEY WAYS TO PRAY:
1. DIVISION – Although Satan obviously uses this weapon against Christians and messianic Jewish believers, Yeshua (Jesus) clearly taught it as something we are to use against the demonic powers and those controlled by them:
“So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.” Mark 3:23-26
After declaring the protection of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ over ourselves and over our families, let us declare division over this effort to “UNITE” these gateway cities and their youth in demonic covenants. May there be division in their relationships, communications, and technical attempts to “UNITE”.
2. DISRUPTION – In 2006, I was part of a group of Jerusalem pastors and ministry leaders who were led to proclaim in unity that the gates to our city be closed to a large, world-wide gay event that was to bring over 100,000 gays together for days of “revelry” in Jerusalem. This also was to be around the 17th of Tammuz. But Hizballah started firing missiles into Northern Israel, and the army announced that, for security reasons, all large events were cancelled, as they did not have the extra manpower to provide security for events. Let us agree that there will be major disruptions of this event, both in Jerusalem, and in the six other cities and nations, where it is scheduled: May the Lord of the Armies of Heaven release His mighty arsenal of creative weapons to disrupt and stop this event from reaching its goals.
3. DELAY – There are times when we are called to delay the enemy’s plans when he attempts to accelerate events ahead of the Lord’s timing. In Revelation 10:6 an angel declares, before an outpouring of judgment, that “There will be no more delay! This implies that there had in previous times been delays in the mercy of God. There are times when we as intercessors are to proclaim: "Let there be a moment of delay”. This is like hitting the "pause button" on what the enemy may later be allowed to do. I believe this is one such moment, when a generation of young people in Israel and around the world is ripe for a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for this delay, that this generation will not be unknowingly swept by unholy worship music into making covenants with the spirits of death, but that this generation will be freed from the power of demonic sounds to hear the sound of the Lord, and to come into the life-giving worship of the One, True, Living God.
4. DECLARE HIS PRAISES – It is obvious that the demonic beings understand the power of music to open hearts to the spiritual realms. As they are seeking to deceive and capture the souls of youth through their demonically anointed music, we need to release the far greater power of anointed worship music to sing “songs of deliverance” over a generation and over Jerusalem. About 25 years ago, we received an assignment from the Lord to counter a 2,000-year-old altar to Baal located on property of the Royal family in Belgium. When they kindly allowed an employee to guide us to this altar in the forest, we found a stack of large, flat stones. We felt the Lord guided us to not pray a thing, but simply to worship, and we sang: “For Thou O LORD, are high above all the gods…We exalt Thee”. When another team went there just six months later, the employee was shocked to find that the 2,000-year-old stack of stones had crumbled into small pebbles strewn on the ground!
5. DISCLOSURE – We need to pray that this will not remain hidden, but will be exposed and revealed, especially to spiritual leaders/gatekeepers and Intercessors of the seven cities/countries targeted. Also, we need to pray that the youth, and especially the youth of Israel, will not be led astray by the lies of the enemy and lured into his traps.
Let us pray that this generation in Israel will not be deceived into “marrying the Land to Baal”, but that they will receive and enact the revelation of Isaiah 62:4b,5a: “…to Him your Land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you.”
Isaiah 49:24-25
Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives be rescued from the fierce? But this is what the Lord says:“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce;I will contend with those who contend with you,and your children I will save.
(NOTE: Before I sent the email to you, I also looked into some sites and found this article that was written last year, but whether he attended, I don’t know but it was his intention to. Interesting to know if he will be there.)
WORLD NEWS NOVEMBER 6, 2015 by R. HOBBUS J.D. Pope Francis to Attend 2016 Tomorrowland Music Festival in Belgium
BOOM, Be. – Pope Francis and a small delegation from the Vatican will attend the upcoming 2016 Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, announced Friday. “His Holiness will be in attendance along with Cardinal Sandri of Argentina and Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard of Mechelen-Brussels,” Father Lombardi said.Held annually in Belgium and Brazil,
Tomorrowland
is said to be the world’s largest electronic dance music festival and boasts a wide variety of notable performers including David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Skrillex, and Fatboy Slim. Set in the small Belgian town of Boom, thirty-two kilometers north of Brussels, the three-day festival has been known to draw in upwards of four hundred thousand attendees.
The Vatican has reserved a small plot of land on the outskirts of the festival grounds where a large tent, complete with electricity, running water, and internet access, will house Pope Francis, his entourage, and a small security force made up of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. “The Pope has expressed a desire to immerse himself in the festival,” Father Lombardi said, adding, “His Holiness understands the positive effect music has on young people. He wishes to use this experience not only to spread the Word of God, but to interact on a personal level with the youth of today and promote a message of peace, love, and unity.”
Working in conjunction with the Vatican, ID&T, a Dutch entertainment enterprise and Tomorrowland’s chief organizer, announced it has secured a spot for Pope Francis among the official 2016 lineup which, ID&T said, has yet to be disclosed in its entirety. “We are pleased to announce that in addition to the regular musical acts appearing at the 2016 installment of Tomorrowland, Pope Francis will celebrate a special EDM-style midnight mass on the main stage,” Emma Van Dijk, a spokesperson for ID&T, said Thursday.Branded by both the Vatican and ID&T as “the most unique and visually stunning religious experience of its kind,” the ninety minute mass, presented in Latin by Pope Francis, will include a synchronized visual and musical production performed by Tomorrowland veterans
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. “Pope Francis and the Vatican have pulled out all the stops to make this as distinct and unforgettable as one can possibly imagine,” Van Dijk said, adding that production costs for the mass alone, which the Vatican has said it will pay in full, are likely to surpass 3.5 million EUR, the equivalent of roughly $3.8 million USD.Tickets for Tomorrowland 2016 will be available through a number of online ticket outlets including
festicket.com. The exact dates of the event have yet to be announced but organizers speculate 2016 is likely to see the largest turnout in the festival’s history.
KEHILA NEWS ISRAEL
Occult Music Festival “Tomorrowland” Invades the Holy Land
The annual festival that uses music as a cover for occult indoctrination stakes a claim in Jerusalem.
Kehila News Israel Staff
Jul 20, 2016
If the name makes you think of Disneyland, you’re right. “Tomorrowland” is a theme section at Disneyland. The original Walt Disney, a great fan of futuristic ideas, said that the Disneyland version was designed “to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future.” The global music festival called “Tomorrowland” (apparently sharing the name with no objections from Disney) has the same goal… sort of. What is being offered, however, is neither a musical experience nor a technological one. The festival is openly spiritual, weaving “stories” and “fairy tales” in between the musical performances to communicate a hybrid of Luciferian, Wiccan and Hindu religion.
This year the “Tomorrowland” festival comes to Israel for the first time as the new 11,000-seat Payis Arena Stadium in the Holy City of Jerusalem hosts this pagan missionary outreach extravaganza, choosing instead to see it as “the world’s biggest music festival”.
Is “Tomorrowland” just another music festival? Here’s a little background.
This festival began in 2005 in Belgium, and its growth has been impressive. Starting in 2008, it settled on a weekend in late July, and the numbers topped 50,000. By 2012, the headcount was an incredible 185,000 participants. In 2013, a companion festival was established in the USA (Georgia), named “Tomorrow World”. The following year, “Tomorrowland” opened a second base in Brazil. Then in 2015 came the idea of “mirror” festivals, live-linked from different locations via giant video screens. The “Mirror to Tomorrowland” festivals enabled youth to “unite” through the mirror and “be part of the Madness” in six countries: Mexico, India, Japan, Colombia, Germany and South Africa. On July 23 (the second day of the 3-day Belgian festival), Israel becomes mirror number 7 to join the madness. The Jerusalem event is scheduled to run on July 23, 2016 from 8:00pm until 4:00am.
Why a linked “mirror”, and not just a simultaneous festival? Apparently there is no compromising on the goal of “building bridges” between Belgium, which directs the spiritual content; and the satellite cities, which manage the local music talent, stage sets and fans. Read on to discover why this link is so vital.
Each year revolves around a theme, and these provide the first clue that despite its billing as a global music festival, “Tomorrowland” is not really about music. The concepts of “life” and “happiness”, the “power” and “mysteries” of the invisible world, are explored in captivating, high-budget theme clips released well ahead of each festival. Often music is not even mentioned in these introductions. The second clue is that every single intro clip – as well as the festival kickoff ceremonies beamed from Belgium – includes the reverent opening of an animated book called “the book of wisdom”, from which all the festival’s “stories” are drawn. On its cover is the logo of “Tomorrowland”, an ambiguous design except for the “third eye“, the traditional occult sign of spiritual enlightenment. The eye is crowned, symbolizing a claim of lordship over this spiritual power source.
“The book of wisdom” was mentioned in the video promo clip for 2013 Georgia festival, stating, “The book of wisdom will be opened in our second home.” In the 2012 video, these explanations and visuals leave no doubt as to the pagan roots of this “wisdom”. The custodians of these writings (portrayed in the clip as bizarre horned characters engaged in various occult activities) are described as a “magnificent civilization” composed of “fairy-tale keepers”, and they receive honorable mention during the festivals.
The video promo clips also follow the accepted method of gradually introducing the occult New Age philosophy called the Ageless Wisdom, to achieve the “transformation” of the masses and prepare them to unite under the “world teacher”. “Tomorrowland” themes in later years carefully extended the foundation laid in 2012.
In “The Arising of Life” (Tomorrowland 2013 Trailer), hints are dropped about an unidentified man who is “hidden from civilization” somewhere, and who is unlocking ancient secrets for mankind. This clip invites you to “connect with the beings who roam in the heart of this magical land… Just because you haven’t seen something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
“The Key to Happiness” (Tomorrowland 2014 Trailer) “reveals a secret behind a magical key…” which acquaints festival-goers with another occult symbol of the mythical pathway to enlightenment: a mythical ancient machine waiting to be reactivated. Here again, we are told that this machine was built for mankind in the past by a mysterious hidden man, who entrusted the key to “guardians”.
Only once does music become a theme (“The Secret Kingdom of Melodia”, 2015). The short intro teases the viewer by asking where all music comes from. A longer clip presents music as merely a gateway into the spirit dimension, using innocent children as models, but doesn’t answer the question. You get that later at the Belgium festival, which introduces “the king of Melodia”… an image embedded in what looks like a Christian cathedral, framed by organ pipes. In fact, the audio reveals church-like organ music playing… not exactly the favorite genre for party-loving youth, but some things are more important than pleasing fans. Over this background music, the narrator explains that “The king of Melodia holds all music in his heart. His only desire is to unite the world in a single melody, and giving joy to all who come to his kingdom.”
Readers who know their Bibles will remember that as “the covering cherub” in God’s holy mountain, one particular archangel was endowed with musical ability, described as inlaid “tambourines and pipes” (Ezek.28:13, Hebrew). His Hebrew name, “Heilel ben Shahar” (Isa.14:12, “brightstar, son of the dawn”) indicates his ability to illuminate the darkness. So when the Belgian “mirror” tells us that the music produced by the king of Melodia has “immense power, filling the world with illuminating sounds,” we can know exactly which “kingdom” is sponsoring “Tomorrowland”.
Can it get any worse? Sadly yes. This year’s theme is “The Elixir of Life” (Tomorrowland 2016 Introduction Trailer) in which a beautiful Wiccan maiden roams through an equally beautiful forest, consulting a book and gathering ingredients for a spell. The witch tells us that “it is from the past that our secret elixir originates,” and that the necessary ingredients are “in a place where only the chosen ones can enter.” Her cryptic statement, “We are all connected to her; it is her voice that guides me,” is left unexplained, but Gaia worshipers will understand. She needs one last ingredient to establish “my road to eternal bliss”, and to find it she has to walk blindfolded – a common requirement for an occult initiate.
There’s no mention whatsoever of music in the Tomorrowland 2016 Introduction Trailer. And we’re supposed to believe that this is the “the world’s biggest music festival”?
Nevertheless, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has welcomed this blatantly occult festival to carry out its activities in Jerusalem, the city in which God has chosen for His name to abide (2 Chron. 6:6). So what does the Israeli media say about “Tomorrowland”?
Sadly Israel’s secular media has suffered from a similar willful blindness. The Jerusalem Post obediently described “Tomorrowland” as “one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world“. The Tourist Israel site also went along with the “electronic music” story, but also embedded the Tomorrowland 2016 promo clip that proclaims that “something miraculous is about to happen,” if participants will just “look into the mirror and unite” with the power coming through the Belgian live-feed.
And Ynet naively accepted the fairy tale that this pagan festival has come to Jerusalem out of kindness to save Israelis their travel expenses: “On Tour, the primary marketer of the festival in Belgium, says that popular Israeli demand led to the decision to host the special event in Israel. Huge numbers of Israelis travel to the ‘Tomorrowland’ festival every year.”
Do you believe that? Bringing the “Tomorrowland” occult festival to Jerusalem is to save money for Israeli travelers? As one of the “Tomorrowland” promo clips so smugly remarks that with occultists “nothing is what it seems.”
But we don’t need “Tomorrowland” to tell us that we live in a spiritual world.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. – Eph.6:12
What can we do, those of us who love the God of Israel and His people? “All authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18) belongs to Yeshua, no matter what the Tomorrowland’s “book of wisdom” might claim! We ask the Body of Messiah worldwide to stand with us in prayer, as we intercede for our nation of Israel and our people.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm… With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. – Eph. 6:13, 18
WND
TOP RABBIS: UNMISTAKABLE SIGNS OF MESSIAH COMING
End-times expert: Demonstrates how Christians and Jews are reconciling
Published: July 21, 2016
A conversation between two of the most distinguished rabbis in Israel indicates scholars of the Torah see unmistakable signs of the coming of the Messiah. What’s more, in the Messianic era, Christians will become a source of Torah learning, as believers in Jesus Christ rediscover the source of their beliefs in both Judaism and the Torah.
The conversation took place between Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch and Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, both of whom are regarded as leading experts in the Torah.
During the conversation, Rabbi Kanievsky reportedly predicted the imminent coming of the Messiah, before the end of the year after the Shemitah. The Shemitah is a seven-year cycle which seems to correlate with dramatic events in history, as explained by messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn in “The Mystery of the Shemitah.”
Rabbi Sternbuch contested the timing, and said before the Messiah will come, the Christians and the Arabs will “come to Israel.” Rabbi Kanievsky added “all the non-fruit bearing trees in Israel will bear fruit,” meaning Christians will be learning Torah. Thus, the breach between Christians and Jews will be healed, as both communities turn to the study of God’s Word.
Christians obviously believe the Messiah has already come in the form of Jesus Christ and what is being discussed is not His “arrival,” but His return. Nonetheless, several Christian leaders who have been prominent in the growing movement to reconnect Christianity with its Judaic roots welcomed the comments by these prominent Torah scholars.
Jonathan Cahn, the leader of the largest Messianic congregation in the world and the bestselling author of several books, “The Harbinger” and “The Mystery of the Shemitah,” welcomed the rabbis’ comments as another sign the original breach between Judaism and Christianity is being healed.
“We are seeing things that no other generation has seen, since the book of Acts,” said Cahn.
• He said these include:
• Churches celebrating Passover
• Believers calling Messiah by his true Hebrew name “Yeshua”
• Israeli flags being flown over Christian gatherings
• Believers from South America to India, Africa, and China celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles
• Israeli leaders speaking at Christian events
• Shofars sounding Christian gatherings and church services
• Believers in Jesus lighting Menorahs, partaking in the Sabbath, even worshiping in Hebrew
• Israel coming to the realization that the most faithful supporters they have in the world, and the greatest friends are the followers of Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus.
Cahn argues this isn’t some dramatic reformation of the faith, but rather a return to its original form.
“Most of this would have been unthinkable not long ago,” he told WND. “In fact, for two thousand years of church history, it has largely been absent. The irony is it all began this way. Christianity in its original and most natural form was (and is) totally Jewish. So what we’re seeing is a restoration.”
Cahn agreed with the rabbis this dramatic shift constituted a sign the end times were coming soon.
“There is a mystery that at the end of the age, things return to the form they had at the beginning,” he said. “This includes the reappearance of Israel and Jerusalem – and the now the coming together of the church and Israel, Christians and the Jewish people.
“Every weekend we see people of all nations, all backgrounds, all colors coming together at my own place of worship, the Jerusalem Center, to worship the God of Israel and to grow deeper in the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus. It’s an end-time phenomenon … and it’s exciting!”
Mark Biltz, the discoverer of the “Blood Moons” phenomenon and the author of the upcoming “God’s Day Timer: The Believer’s Guide to Divine Appointments,” said the acceptance by all the nations of the wisdom of the Torah and the divine significance of Hebrew are critical for Christians to understand, especially in the end times.
“The Bible declares that during Messianic times the knowledge of the Torah and the acknowledgment of the God of Israel will completely cover the Earth,” Biltz told WND. “The Torah is often likened to water as both descend from heaven. We read in Habakkuk 2:14, ‘For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.’ Hebrew is a pure language and the original language at creation. Everything is being restored much like a reversal of the Tower of Babel where all nations will know Hebrew in Messianic times.”
Bill Cloud, who heads Shoreshim Ministries and is the author of “Esau Rising: Ancient Adversaries and the War for America’s Soul,” is excited by what he sees as an embrace of what he’s been teaching for years.
“This is the Talmudic side of what I taught years ago in a message called ‘the fullness of the Gentiles,'” Cloud told WND. “It’s about the grafting in of the wild olive branch and how that provokes the unfruitful tree to bear. Believers in Messiah who are also embracing the Torah as a guideline for how to live is most definitely a sign of his return. It’s part of the restoration of all things that is spoken of in Matthew 17 and Acts 2.”
Cloud says there is a Scriptural precedent for ethnic non-Jews who became part of the Kingdom of Israel.
“It’s connected to the idea that Elijah the Tishbite was not ethnically Israeli but of the toshavim – ‘resident aliens’ – who joined themselves to Israel (1 Kings 17). According to the Messiah it is Elijah – or shall I say those represented by Elijah (the Wildbranch) – who restore all things (Matthew 17).”
Cloud says the consequences of this kind of teaching spreading among Jews could be earth-shattering.
“This is exciting news because it demonstrates how many Christians and many Jews are recognizing that Messiah’s coming is near and how that portends a reconciliation between the two,” he said. “In my view, as Christians awaken to what they have been blind to – an obligation to keep the Torah – it will provoke our Jewish friends to see what they have been blind to – the identity of the Messiah.”
Carl Gallups, a pastor and the author of several books including “Be Thou Prepared,” sees these reports as yet another indication Jewish experts in Torah are moving closer to what he calls “the ultimate truth concerning Messiah.”
“He indeed is coming (again), and He will most certainly deliver His people and pour out His blessings on Israel,” the pastor predicted. “And there will most assuredly be a time of ‘Jacob’s Trouble,’ before Yeshua’s arrival – a cataclysmic event in which the Jewish people will see the hand of God alone as their deliverance from what would appear to the world as Israel’s certain destruction.
“While I do not require the musings of Jewish rabbis, who to this date still reject Yeshua as Messiah, to strengthen my faith in the return of Messiah, I am still thrilled that these two prominent leaders are speaking so boldly, and recognizing the biblically prophetic times in which we are living. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is in the process of plowing up the previously hard soil of unbelief and preparing the way for the soon-coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ.”
Gallups compared the reports of the rabbis’ discussion to his investigation of Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri in his book and documentary, “The Rabbi Who Found Messiah.”
“Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, modern Israel’s most venerated rabbi, declared in his own handwriting that the name of the long-awaited Messiah is none other than Yeshua,” claimed Gallups. “This fact is attested to in reliably documented sources, but also through the testimony of almost a dozen of Kaduri’s own Yeshiva students, (who sat under Kaduri’s teaching on Messiah) who are now outspoken believers in Yeshua as Messiah and Lord. And now, we have two more prominent living rabbis stirring up the fires of Messianic expectancy among the Jewish population!”
Gallups also said it is important for Christians to study Torah, though he cautioned the ultimate “bearing of fruit of which the Word of God is actually speaking” manifests in faith in Jesus as the Messiah. However, Gallups expressed confidence the end times are coming soon because the world is in “prophetic times.”
The author of “Final Warning” laid out a few specifics.
“Without setting dates, it is still safe to say that the world is very close to witnessing the return of Yeshua, just as He promised,” he told WND. “Israel is back in the land. Jerusalem is in the possession of Israel. The Ezekiel 38 nations, led largely by Islam, are coalescing right before our eyes. Russia and China are in the Middle East colluding, along with Persia (Iran), and their military troops are planted firmly in Syria. The ancient Ottoman Empire, with its center at Turkey, is on the verge of resurrection led by a man threating to execute thousands of his detractors.”
Gallups also spoke of the importance of the Shemitah, as outlined by Jonathan Cahn as a focal point for the fulfillment of prophecy.
Gallups urged believers around the world to be prepared not just physically but spiritually for what he believes is the imminent fulfillment of extraordinary prophecies.
“We see these amazing 2,000-year-old prophecies rapidly converging upon on our unique generation,” he exclaimed. “And in the midst of it all, some of the most prominent leaders of the Jewish faith are declaring the Messiah is coming soon, an end times prophecy fulfillment in itself. It’s time to be ready. The ‘lion of prophecy’ is roaring.”
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Dear,
God bless you for the wonderful work you do for our Lord Jesus,
My reason for writing you concerns an article I read on the WND web site titled “TOP RABBIS: UNMISTAKABLE SIGNS OF MESSIAH COMING” in which you are quoted. In my opinion your comments on the subject matter were the most relevant and correct concerning the topic discussed.
Let me digress a moment here. Upon my return from my first trip to Israel I visited a Messianic Church in called House of David Ministries. While the congregation were obviously spirit filled Christians it was impossible not to see that the service was based predominately around Old Testament practices rather than New Testament beliefs.
I went there with the hope of finding an area where I might be of some usefulness but after attending the service I realized this would not be the case.
I would like to address some of the bulleted points mentioned in the article all of which you may already be aware.
The first point I would like to address is:
• Israeli flags being flown over Christian gatherings
The following testimony is part of a much longer transcription I first read in 1981.
(From tape recorded Lectures by John Todd, Ex-Grand Druid Witch, at Bible Baptist Church, Elkton, Md., USA, Fall 1978)
“You see, I was born in a witchcraft family where I inherited everything my parents had. In other words, I inherited their demons, or ones just like the ones they had. So I was never free from the time the doctor spanked me on the bottom in the delivery room until that night of '72. And you may have felt great when you got saved, but I don't think you felt as great as I felt when I got saved! We may argue that point...
The greatest Wizard that ever lived was King Solomon. As great as his writings were in our Bible, they were as great in the Witchcraft bibles: initiation rites, how to conjure demons up, everything, even how to commit human sacrifices are writings that he created.
The Star of David has just recently been called the Star of David. For thousands of years it was called the Hexagram or the Crest of Solomon.
Now when a witch wants to practice witchcraft, she’ll get in a pentagram, that’s the five-pointed star in the circle, their strongest form of protection. Then they will lay this six-pointed star, or hexagram — which means “to hex” or to cast black magic or to put a spell on somebody – they’ll put it in a circle on the floor and this will cause the demons to appear at their instructions. It is the most evil sign of witchcraft. It’s dangerous to have it. The pentagram, the pinnacle with the one point up, means Witchcraft; two points up means demon-worship or Satanism. A two points up, five-pointed star symbolizes the goat head, which is representative of the devil.”
When in London in 1983 I was able to receive a pass to the British Library where Icarried out research concerning John Todd's allegations concerning King Solomon.
I was able to confirm Todd's allegations concerning Solomon and the Crest of Solomon. I came across an article from a magazine from I believe 1917, if my memory serves me correct, called the “Occult Gazette” which had an article titled “The Little Key of Solomon”. This article, which I unfortunately no longer have, showed the origins of the six pointed star which is on the Israeli flag.
This article in turn pointed me to a book called “The Key of Solomon”.
This book was in the ancient manuscript section of the library where I had to sit at a specific table where I could be watched since the materials in that section of the library were so valuable.
The book was not long but was basically a book on how to conjure up demons. It was not a lot of hocus pocus but was very basic in its understanding. Almost like a cook book, you do this, add this, etc. etc. and this is the result.
I also later found out the “Key of Solomon” is considered the most important book concerning the occult.
We also know from the book of l Kings chapter eleven that Solomon “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as [did] David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.”
If you research or are aware of some of the practices of these religions they include vile sexual perversions.
To have the Crest of Solomon flying on Christian churches does not bode well. The ancient symbol that was always associated with Israel was the harp.
I would next like to address the following two bullets from the article.
• Churches celebrating Passover
• Believers in Jesus lighting Menorahs, partaking in the Sabbath, even worshiping in Hebrew
Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” That's it. No more keeping Jewish customs, laws or traditions, although many like the Ten Commandments continue to be a great moral compass.
Paul even warned the Galatians in Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
And again Paul even withstood Peter to the face for wanting to impose Jewish customs on the gentiles who had received Jesus as their messiah. Galatians 2:11-16 expands:
“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We [who are] Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Concerning Christians worshiping in Hebrew:
The Septuagint (LXX) History of the Septuagint
Here is a little background on the Septuagint. This is from the Preface and Introduction to the Septuagint itself written by Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton in 1851:
"The Septuagint (from the Latin septuaginta, meaning "seventy," and frequently referred to by the roman numerals LXX) is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The name derives from the tradition that it was made by seventy (or seventy-two) Jewish scholars at Alexandria, Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-247 B.C.).
"The earliest version of the Old Testament Scriptures which is extinct, or of which we possess any certain knowledge, is the translation executed at Alexandria in the third century before the Christian era.
"The Septuagint version having been current for about three centuries before the time when the books of the New Testament were written, it is not surprising that the Apostles should have used it more often than not in making citations from the Old Testament. They used it as an honestly made version in pretty general use at the time when they wrote. They did not on every occasion give an authoritative translation of each passage de nova [which means anew], but they used what was already familiar to the ears of converted Hellenists, when it was sufficiently accurate to suit the matter in hand. In fact, they used it as did their contemporary Jewish writers, Philo and Josephus.
"The veneration with which the Jews had treated this version [the Septuagint] (as is shown in the case of Philo and Josephus) [because Philo and Josephus quoted the Septuagint], gave place to a very contrary feeling when they [the Jews] found how it could be used against them in argument: hence they decreed the version, and sought to deprive it of all authority. [Previous to this, it was the Word of God as they were concerned. But as soon as the early church started using it against them, they tried to discredit the Septuagint]. As the Gentile Christians were generally unacquainted with Hebrew, they were unable to meet the Jews on the ground which they now took; and as the Gentile Christians…fully embraced…its authority and inspiration.”
The Jews upheld the Septuagint very strongly for the first 300 years as the Word of God, but when the Christians took a hold of it, then the Jews rejected it. Then the Jews started rewriting the Septuagint in the 2nd and 3rd centuries to suit their purposes.
The following is from the introduction of the book called "Grammar of the Septuagint Greek" by Connie Bearer and Stock, written in 1905:
We are familiar with the constant appeal made by the writers of the New Testament to quote scripture, an appeal couched in such words as "it is written" or "as the scripture saith." In the great majority of cases, the scripture thus appealed to is undoubtedly the Septuagint. Seldom, if ever, is it the Hebrew original. We have seen how, even before the Christian era, the Septuagint had acquired for itself the position of an inspired book. Some four centuries after that era, Augustine remarks that the Greek speaking Christians, for the most part, did not even know that there was any other Word of God than the Septuagint.
"So, when other nations became converted to Christianity and wanted the scriptures in their own languages, it was almost always the Septuagint which formed the basis of the translation. This was so in the case of the early Latin version, which was in use before the Vulgate, and it was so also in the case of the translations made in Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Gothic, and other languages. The only exception to the rule is the first Syriac version, which was made direct from the Hebrew. This Syriac version, by the way, when translated into English, lines up harmoniously with the Septuagint when translated into English.
The reason the Septuagint came about is because in Alexandria, Alexander the Great had come through and conquered many of those nations, and Greek became the predominant language. So they took the original Law, and translated it into Greek for those Jews that no longer spoke Hebrew, and also to convert many of the Greeks over to Judaism. They translated the original into the Greek at approximately 285 BC. Basically, you see many of the quotes from the New Testament and they're direct quotes from the Septuagint, you don't find the same terminology in the original Hebrew.
Hebrew text which has come down to us as the present masoretic text.
"...the writers of the New Testament seem often to differ from those of the Old, because they appear uniformly to quote from some copy of the Septuagint version; and most of their quotations agree verbally, and often even literally, with one or other of the copies of that version which subsist to the present day." Clarke's Commentaries, The New Testament, Volume 5A, page 48.
Almost every bible in existence uses the Masoretic Hebrew (and not the Septuagint) for its Old Testament translation.
What is alleged to be Hebrew today, or is spoken as Hebrew, is the Masoretic Hebrew. Nobody really knows what the original Hebrew sounded like, or how it was pronounced.
The following quote is from Wikipedia concerning Isaiah 7:14 and shows the difference between the Masoretic Hebrew text and the Septuagint. This is just one of many differences.
“In the Early Christian Church, the presumption that the Septuagint was translated by Jews before the era of Christ, and that the Septuagint at certain places gives itself more to a christological interpretation than 2nd-century Hebrew texts was taken as evidence that "Jews" had changed the Hebrew text in a way that made them less christological. For example, Irenaeus concerning Isaiah 7:14: The Septuagint clearly writes of a virgin (Greek παρθένος) that shall conceive. While the Hebrew text was, according to Irenaeus, at that time interpreted by Theodotion and Aquila (both proselytes of the Jewish faith) as a young woman that shall conceive. According to Irenaeus, the Ebionites used this to claim that Joseph was the (biological) father of Jesus. From Irenaeus' point of view that was pure heresy, facilitated by (late) anti-Christian alterations of the scripture in Hebrew, as evident by the older, pre-Christian, Septuagint.”
Jesus quoted the Old Testament approximately forty-five times in the Gospels. If you look up Jesus' quotes in the Old Testament you will see that they do not fit exactly the quotes from the Old Testament. But if you look up Jesus' quotes in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament you will see they are almost spot on. There is of course a reason for this.
Between the sixth century AD and the year 1000 there was a subset of Jews known as the Masoretes.
They took it upon themselves to retranslate the Septuagint from the Koine Greek back into Hebrew. In doing so they left out words like 'Christ' amongst other changes as well.
Another point, if you look at the original Hebrew called Paleo Hebrew found with the Dead Sea Scrolls which were found at Qumran along the Salt (Dead) Sea you will see there is virtually no resemblance to modern Hebrew. Palio Hebrew was a pictographic language which some say was derived from ancient Aramaic. The reason Jesus' quotes do not match that well in the King James Version of the Bible and almost every English translation is because they were translated from the Masoretic version of the Old Testament.
While visiting Israel and listening to the people speak “Hebrew” I began to question 'is this really the language of God. It was so, so guttural.
Concerning the last bullet point I would like to address is:
• Believers from South America to India, Africa, and China celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles
Concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, while it is true that most religious Jews do observe this feast day, again it was never intended to be observed by Christians or gentiles until after the Battle of Armageddon during the thousand year reign of Christ as Zechariah 14:16-19 makes clear.
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall be left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem, shall even come up every year to worship the king, the Lord Almighty, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever of all the families of the earth shall not come up to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord Almighty, even these shall be added to the others. And if the family of Egypt shall not go up, nor come; then upon them shall be the overthrow with which the Lord shall smite all the nations, whichever of them shall not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the sin of Egypt, and the sin of all the nations, whosoever shall not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”
Hope this is a blessing.
Yours in Jesus,
Robert
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BREAKINGISRAELNEWS
Will We See Progress on the Third Temple Next Month?
By Rivkah Lambert Adler July 18, 2016 , 10:30 am
A model of the Second Holy Temple (Photo: Shutterstock.com)
Since the month of July, 2016 began, Israel appears to be experiencing new energy around the Temple Mount.
The funeral for 13 year-old Hallel Ariel who was stabbed to death as she lay in her bed in the Israeli city of Kiryat Arba, not far from the Biblical city of Hebron, took place on July 1. Hallel is the daughter of Rina Ariel, a well-known Temple activist and one of the founders of Women for the Mikdash (Temple).
On Tuesday, July 12, just after Hallel’s family completed the 7-day mourning period, her parents gathered hundreds of supporters to rename the one gate through which non-Muslims are allowed to enter the Temple Mount in memory of their slain daughter. Hallel’s father recited a version of the Priestly Blessing when he ascended the Temple Mount that morning.
In between these events, international Bible Code expert Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson released a new Bible Code video he called “Temple will come down to Jerusalem 5776 in bible code.”
At the 3:15 mark, Glazerson points to a Bible code that translates as “God will inform on the 15th of [the Hebrew month of] Av.” This year, the 15th of Av corresponds to Friday, August 19.
“We don’t know exactly what it refers to,” commented Glazerson, but the clear implication is that God will notify us about something important having to do with the Temple on the 15th of Av.
What is the significance of the 15th of Av in the Hebrew calendar? Glazerson opens the 5-minute video with a quote from the 19th century Rabbi Zadok ha-Kohen of Lublin who wrote that “the 15th of [the Hebrew month of] Av is the time for building the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple) since on that date the sin of the spies was.”
The spies Rabbi Zadok ha-Kohen was referring to were the group of 12 sent by Moses to scout out the Land of Israel prior to the Israelites’ entry (Numbers 13). Of the dozen men sent to report on the land, ten of them returned with scathing criticisms of the Holy Land.
Their speaking against Israel was an egregious sin which is marked each year on the 9th of Av with a day of mourning and a full 25-hour fast. The 9th of Av is also the anniversary of the destruction of the First and Second Temples and a host of other tragedies in Jewish history.
As a result of the evil report delivered about the Land, that generation of adult men was sentenced to death. Each year during the 40 years in the desert, on the 9th of Av, a percentage of the men died. On the 15th of Av in the 40th year after leaving Egypt, the annual deaths ceased. To this day, the 15th of Av is a minor day of celebration in the Jewish calendar.
Turning to the table at the 1:44 mark, Glazerson points to the code that means the Temple will descend. This is a reference to the idea, expressed in multiple Jewish sources, that the Third Temple will be brought down from Heaven. This code was found right next to the words Moshiach (Messiah) and Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Nearby, Glazerson points to a clear reference to the current Hebrew year, which ends at nightfall on Sunday, October 2, 2016 ahead of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana. Attached to the date, Glazerson points out the code for “it will be shining”.
Answering the question, “What will be shining?”, he identifies the word haShechinah. A difficult word to translate, haShechinah refers to dwelling of God’s divine presence in this world. Throughout rabbinic literature, it is associated with the Tabernacle, the First Temple and the Third Temple, which are considered dwelling places for the Shechinah.
To make the association between the Shechinah and the Temple even stronger, Glazerson points out the words mihahar (from the mountain). From which mountain will the Shechinah come? In answer to the question, the code for Moriah is right there. Mt. Moriah is the site where King Solomon built the First Temple.
Then Shlomo began to build the house of Hashem at Yerushalayim in mount Moriah, where [Hashem] appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 Chronicles 3:1
Moriah was also the place where the binding of Isaac took place.
And He said: ‘Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Yitzchak, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’ Genesis 22:2
As always, Glazerson is careful to conclude by clarifying that the appearance of the Temple on Mt. Moriah next month is conditional on the Godly behavior of the Jewish people. Bible codes are not meant to predict, but to indicate that certain times are auspicious, if the conditions are right.
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BREAKINGISRAELNEWS
What's the One Way to Prepare for Messiah? You'll Be Surprised
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz July 20, 2016 , 12:30 pm
“’Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” Malachi 3:1 (The Israel Bible™)
Rabbi Shalom Berger, the spiritual leader of the Mishkoltz sect of Hassidic Orthodox Jews meets with Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky. (Photo: Y. Min HaHar)
Last Saturday night, Rabbi Shalom Berger, the spiritual leader of the Mishkoltz sect of Hassidic Orthodox Jews, paid a visit to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, one of the leading rabbis of this generation.
A large crowd gathered to witness the auspicious meeting of these two great Torah authorities. Rabbi Berger brought a copy of his book on the section of the Talmud (Oral Law) dealing with Shabbat as a gift for Rabbi Kanievsky, who studied a few pages and encouraged him to write more books of this kind.
Rabbi Berger then asked Rabbi Kanievsky if it is true that this year is especially auspicious for the coming of the Messiah.
Rabbi Kanievsky answered without hesitation. “Of course, the year, 5776, in Hebrew letters (תשע”ו) spells ‘salvation’ (תשוע).”
Breaking Israel News spoke to Rabbi Yosef Berger, the son of Mishkoltz Rabbi Shalom Berger and the rabbi of David’s Tomb in Jerusalem, about Rabbi Kanievsky’s declaration. Rabbi Yosef was by his father’s side when the two Torah greats spoke.
Rabbi Yosef told Breaking Israel News, “It is generally accepted that Rabbi Kanievsky is on a high spiritual level approaching prophecy, what Jewish scholars call ruach hakodesh (holy spirit). He has been speaking about Messiah this year in a way he has never done before.”
Rabbi Berger asked Rabbi Kanievsky what must be done to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Rabbi Kanievsky gave an unexpectedly direct and simple response: Wait.
“Now,” said Rabbi Kanievsky, “All that can be done is to anticipate the imminent arrival of the Messiah.”
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HAARETZ
Leading Zionist Rabbis Protest 'Abomination' of Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade
Leaders of the Hardali faction have denounced Thursday’s event, though a number of religious-Zionists activists will take part.
Israeli rabbis who are both Zionist and ultra-Orthodox have published a letter opposing Thursday’s gay pride parade in Jerusalem, calling the event a “parade of abomination.”
The president of Jerusalem’s Har Hamor Yeshiva, Rabbi Zvi Tau, published the letter Wednesday with Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the head of the Ateret Yerushalayim Yeshiva in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter.
The two are Hardali, a Hebrew acronym for ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) and national religious. In their letter, they “protest the parade of abomination in our city, the holy city of Jerusalem.”
“We are protesting even more strongly the terrible desecration of God’s name; they are bringing in sinners from abroad to participate in this abomination in our holy city,” the rabbis wrote.
“And we are protesting even more strongly the fact that for the first time there is a government budget from the money of faithful Jews to encourage this abominable tourism in the heart of the world, our city of strength.”
Rabbi Shlomo Aviner.Tomer Appelbaum
Jerusalem has held a gay pride parade since 2002; only in 2006 was there a stormy protest by the ultra-Orthodox.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat supports the holding of the parade but has said he will not take part for fear of insulting religious Jews. Barkat is secular but is considered close to the Hardali faction.
Several prominent religious-Zionist activists have declared they will attend the event, along with a number of religious people who have announced their participation on social networks.
Tau leads a Hardali stream that includes institutions such as the premilitary academy in the West Bank settlement of Eli. Its head, Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, has called gay people “perverts.”
Aviner, who belongs to the same stream, has posted on Facebook biblical verses and religious laws against gay relations. He also posted a promotion for Atzat Nefesh, the hotline he founded for religious gay young men to undergo “conversion therapy.”
“The expression ‘abomination’ emphasizes that this sin is not natural, not normal, not suitable for anyone, whether Jew or gentile,” Aviner wrote.
He told Haaretz that he does not remember whether this is the first time he has protested the Jerusalem parade. He said the letter was meant to protest the Tourism Ministry’s plan this year to allot 11 million shekels ($2.85 million) to a campaign encouraging foreign tourists to take part in the Tel Aviv gay pride parade.
This pIan, however, was frozen, and the Tel Aviv parade was held around six weeks ago.
Tau and Aviner join another leading Hardali rabbi, Dov Lior, who this week wrote a letter in favor of Lehava, a far-right anti-assimilation group that is organizing a demonstration against the Jerusalem parade.
“You are joining the great Jewish sages throughout the generations who by protesting such acts saved the Jewish people,” Lior said.
Yair Ettinger
Haaretz Correspondent
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WND
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HONORS MESSIANIC PRO-LIFE CAMPAIGN
Award recognizes 'significant contribution to the protection of mothers and children'
Published: July 16, 2016
BOB UNRUH
An Israeli organization that works to defeat abortion simply by offering support to new mothers and their infants during the first year of the child’s life has been honored by the Israeli government.
The Operation Moses program run by Be’ad Chaim provides moms with a baby carriage, bed, chest of drawers, diapers, clothing and formula, if needed, to make that first year just a little smoother. It also coaches about nutrition, fetal development, stages of pregnancy and offers ultrasound imaging and well as housing help.
Now, the Messianic pro-life and women’s health group has been honored by the government, according to a report from Israel Today.
The honor recognizes what started out as a small Messianic prayer group for its “significant contribution to the protection of mothers and children.”
The report explained, “It began back in the 1980s, when Messianic Pastor Tony Sperandeo, together with other local believers, initiated a fight against what they called ‘the shedding of innocent blood’ in Israel. They started a regular prayer meeting, lectured in congregations across the land, and passed out fliers on street corners teaching people that abortion is a sin against God, and against our own people.”
In Israel, abortion is legal and there are tens of thousands performed annually.
Now the organization has 12 offices, estimates more than 1,500 babies have been saved through the program, and generates support for Israel from around the world.
“We have donations from China, Hawaii, Finland – all over the world. If they want, sponsors are able to have a personal relationship with mom and baby. They share pictures, and many are in regular prayer for the young families,” Sandy Shoshani, a director for the group, told Israel Today.
On its website, it explains one case in which it was able to help.
“We received a call from a very distraught husband who heard about us from a friend. David said that his wife was pregnant, but overcome with nausea and planning an abortion. Just a month before he had been released from prison after serving two very difficult years away from his wife and two sons. David was adamant that Carly should not abort, but he had no job and no way to support his family.
“Because Carly was too sick and weak to travel to the office, the counselor and I visited her in their tiny, one-room apartment. Carly was in bed – the same bed where she slept with her 10 year old and 5 year old son because she had no other beds. Her husband slept on the floor on a mattress.”
Be’ad Chain provided a connection to get a larger apartment at a discount, beds, tables, chairs and an oven, as well as cooked food and groceries.
Shortly later, David got a job, and Carly gave birth to Talia, “a beautiful baby with big brown eyes. Her name means ‘Dew of God.'”
“It is very significant in our short history that a Messianic Jewish organization is now recognized as a well-known, humanitarian organization in Israel,” Shoshani said. “I am humbled, honored and appreciate all those who went before me.”
In an interview with Israel Today, Shoshani said the group helps all mothers.
“Sudanese, Arab and Jewish mothers all come to us,” she said.
She explained the costs are a major driving force for abortion.
“We ask the women if they would keep their babies if they knew that the baby’s stroller, crib, diapers and other needs would be provided for during the first year. Almost all of them say yes, they would. So we developed the concept of Operation Moses where we find sponsors to pray and provide for Israel’s babies until their first birthday.”
The organization runs a Hebrew language website, www.lovelife.org, and also presents its pro-life message in schools, to youth groups and to women’s groups when it can.
It provides its newsletters in Dutch, German and English, too.
It asks supporters to pray “for open doors to meet with legislators and Knesset members who will defend life. The security of our nation depends upon the security of our weakest members. … We pray for laws to protect the personhood of the individual, including the unborn.”
MailOnline
Wanted: 'Adventurous woman' to give birth to Neanderthal man - Harvard professor seeks mother for cloned cave baby
Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School believes he can reconstruct Neanderthal DNA
His ambitious plan requires a human volunteer willing to allow the DNA to be put into stem cells, then a human embryo
By ALLAN HALL FOR MAILONLINE and FIONA MACRAE FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 15:36, 20 January 2013 | UPDATED: 09:16, 21 January 2013
They're usually thought of as a brutish, primitive species.
So what woman would want to give birth to a Neanderthal baby?
Yet this incredible scenario is the plan of one of the world’s leading geneticists, who is seeking a volunteer to help bring man’s long-extinct close relative back to life.
Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School believes he can reconstruct Neanderthal DNA and resurrect the species which became extinct 33,000 years ago.
His scheme is reminiscent of Jurassic Park but, while in the film dinosaurs were created in a laboratory, Professor Church’s ambitious plan requires a human volunteer.
He said his analysis of Neanderthal genetic code using samples from bones is complete enough to reconstruct their DNA.
He said: ‘Now I need an adventurous female human.
‘It depends on a hell of a lot of things, but I think it can be done.’
Professor Church’s plan would begin by artificially creating Neanderthal DNA based on genetic code found in fossil remains. He would put this DNA into stem cells.
These would be injected into cells from a human embryo in the early stages of life.
It is thought that the stem cells would steer the development of the hybrid embryo on Neanderthal lines, rather than human ones.
After growing in the lab for a few days, the ‘neo-Neanderthal’ embryo would be implanted in the womb of a surrogate mother – the volunteer. Professor Church, 58, is a pioneer in synthetic biology who helped initiate the Human Genome Project that mapped our DNA.
He says Neanderthals were not the lumbering brutes of the stereotype, but highly intelligent. Their brains were roughly the same size as man’s, and they made primitive tools.
He believes his project could benefit mankind.
He told German magazine Der Spiegel: ‘Neanderthals might think differently than we do. They could even be more intelligent than us.
‘When the time comes to deal with an epidemic or getting off the planet, it’s conceivable that their way of thinking could be beneficial.’
Scientists say that his plan is theoretically possible, although in Britain, like most countries, human reproductive cloning is a criminal offence.
But Professor Church’s proposal is so cutting-edge that it may not be covered by existing laws.
However, experts worry that neo-Neanderthals might lack the immunity to modern diseases to survive, and some fear that the process might lead to deformity.
There is also uncertainty over how they would fit into today’s world. Bioethicist Bernard Rollin of Colorado State University said: ‘I don’t think it’s fair to put people... into a circumstance where they are going to be mocked and possibly feared.’
In a scathing reaction, Philippa Taylor of the Christian Medical Fellowship said: ‘It is hard to know where to begin with the ethical and safety concerns.’
(“And the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals.” Jashur 4:18)
SPUTNIK
Russia on Verge of Major Breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence
23:16 19.07.2016
Artificial intelligence research is approaching a major development that would enable scientists to create machines capable of understanding human emotions, Moscow-based National Research Nuclear University MEPhl Cybernetics Department Professor Alexei Samsonovich told Sputnik.
NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Samsonovich made the comments while attending the 2016 Annual International Conference on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures (BICA) in New York City, which takes place from July 16-19.
The conference was sponsored by MEPhl and attracted more than 200 participants.
"We are on the verge of a major breakthrough that was discussed since the fifties of the previous century," Samsonovich said on Tuesday.
The breakthrough, according to Samsonovich, is the creation of free thinking machines capable of feeling and understanding human emotions, understanding narratives and thinking in those narratives, as well as being capable to actively learn on their own.
"Those are the three key capabilities in my view that will determine the breakthrough," Samsonovich said, adding that progress is expected to be made in "several years."
However, despite a recent increase in funding for artificial intelligence research from the Russian government, Samsonovich said additional funding is needed.
"I agree and believe that actually we need more of this funding because this research determines the future and all arrays of human life. Everything depends on the future of artificial intelligence, therefore the money spent on it today will never be lost," Samsonovich noted.
(“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Revelation 13:15)
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BREITBART
Wear a Headscarf Or Be Raped, Swedish Women Warned
by DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS14 Jul 20165,387
Stickers calling for democracy to be replaced with Islam and for women who do not wear a veil to be raped have appeared in public places in Sweden. They have been reported to the police.
Pictures of the stickers, which have been stuck to objects on streets in Nybro, Småland, have been circulating on social media.
One of the stickers reads, in English: “Women who don’t wear a headscarf are asking to be raped.” Another reads: “No democracy. We just want Islam,” Fria Tider has reported.
The stickers have been reported to the police who are currently investigating who placed them there, but admitted that at the moment they do not know who is behind them.
The appearance of the stickers comes just weeks after a number of stickers appeared in nearby Emmaboda bearing the message “Multiculturalism is bad for your children and your grandchildren.” However, those stickers were emblazoned with ‘Nordfront’, the Swedish branch of the Nordic Resistance Movement, a national socialist movement. They were also stylised, made to look like the health warnings carried on cigarette packets.
But unlike the Nordfront stickers, the Islamist stickers feature plain white text on a plain dark grey background with no logo or marking to indicate who placed them. Consequently, while some people have argued that they were placed by newly arrived asylum seekers with an agenda to promote Islam in Sweden, others have argued that they could be the work of Swedes seeking to “incite hatred” against the immigrants.
In that respect, the controversy closely resembles a recent case in which leaflets were posted through letterboxes in Manchester, England, calling on British people not to walk their dogs in public in order for the area to be kept “pure” for Muslims.
“As citizens of a multicultural nation, those who live in the UK must learn to understand and respect the legacy and lifestyle of the Muslims who live alongside them,” the leaflets read.
They were distributed by a group called Public Purity, who stated on their website their intention to have all dogs removed from the public sphere in Britain to keep Muslims pure. “If dogs are not permitted to be present in public, Muslims could live their lives with a burden lifted from their shoulders and without having to fear being tainted with no fault of their own,” the group argued.
But it was unclear who was behind the campaign, leading to disagreement online over whether it was the work of Islamic fundamentalists or British nationalists as a false flag operation.
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news.com.au
NASA is monitoring an enormous dark region spreading across the surface of the sun
JULY 18, 20166:42PM
Matthew Dunn
news.com.au
NASA has spotted an enormous black mass growing on the surface of the sun.
The gulf in our parent star was first spotted by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft and while it looks troubling, the space agency has assured the dark region is nothing to fear.
NASA said the dark patch is called a coronal hole, which is a large version of a phenomenon frequently occurring on the surface of the sun.
“Coronal holes are low-density regions of the sun’s atmosphere, known as the corona,” NASA wrote.
“Because they contain little solar material, they have lower temperatures and thus appear much darker than their surroundings.”
This may look scary, but NASA said it’s all good. We trust NASA.Source:Supplied
The space agency said the mass can take up a quarter of the sun’s surface and is created by a gap in the magnetic field.
“Coronal holes are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the sun,” NASA said.
While emitting a stream of highly charged particles won’t have any negative consequences on Earth, it can cause problems for communications satellites packed full of sensitive electronics.
(“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”? Acts 2:20)
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RT
Mammoth blade-wielding ‘God of War’ statue unveiled in China (PHOTOS, POLL)
Published time: 16 Jul, 2016 20:21
Edited time: 16 Jul, 2016 20:21
China have redefined the concept of ‘statue’ and put Lady Liberty to shame with the unveiling of a colossal 1,320-ton, 58-meter-high statue of legendary general and “God of War” Guan Yu.
The intimidating statue stands in the city of Jingzhou in Hubei province – and you would be well advised not to pick a fight with it.
A 1,320-ton sculpture of the Chinese god of war “Guan Yu” has been unveiled in Jingzhou city, central China’s Hubei Province. The fearsome bearded warrior stands 58 meters tall and watches over the panorama of the city and its people with a grave and dignified bearing.
Guan Yu lived during a restless period in Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms, and is celebrated for cutting down enemies using an enormous axe-like weapon called a Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
The brave general has also been deified as a god of wealth and is worshipped by many Chinese people, especially in the southern parts of the country.
Along with fooling aliens into thinking we’re a world full of warrior giants, the statue is also home to an 8,000-square-meter Guan Yu museum, according to CCTV News.
The general fought to end the reign of the Han dynasty and establish the Shu Han state before he died in 220 CE. In the sixth century he was deified, earning him the very cool title of “God of War”.
He must have been a popular guy, because he has already been immortalized in several statues around the world including in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Surprisingly the latest statue isn’t actually the biggest - that honor goes to his hometown of Changping in the Shanxi province, where Guan Yu dominates the town from a height of 61 meters.
Jingzhou’s statue may be smaller but it boasts an impressive mid-action pose that shows Guan Yu in full fighting mode. Standing in a sweeping motion with his signature weapon the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, he looks ready to attack.
Made by gluing over 4,000 bronze strips over the statue standing on a 10-meter-tall pedestal modeled as an ancient warship, Guan Yu wears a terrifying expression sure to scare off any low flying airplanes.
The statue was designed by Han Melin, who also designed the 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots, whom we don’t think would last too long in a fight against Guan Yu.
(And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Revelation 16:12)
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SHTFplan.com
Is Putin’s Purge Of Top Russian Commanders An Advance Warning Of Large-Scale Military Action In The Near Future?
Author Jeremiah Johnson
Date July 17th, 2016
In a previous article on the U.S. backing Russia into a corner and provoking a response that can lead to WWIII, we referenced the following report from the Daily Mail: Putin sacks EVERY commander in his Baltic fleet in Stalin-style purge.
The information is important, because the article details the importance of Kaliningrad, the westernmost Russian military staging base on the Baltic and the hub of a tremendous amount of posturing by Russian forces to counter the US-NATO buildup in the area. Kaliningrad is detailed in purpose and history, and this in itself is important to understand in order to follow future movements and deployments by Russia. There is another, subtler reason the article’s information is critical to understand: the mind of a Russian leader who was “brought up” and schooled in the Soviet system of warfare.
Past articles pertaining to Russia have mentioned the work “Inside the Soviet Army,” by Viktor Suvorov, (true name Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun) who during the 1980’s authored some other works, pertaining to “the Aquarium” (the GRU, the USSR’s-Now-Russia’s version of the CIA), Spetsnaz, and such. Although written in the1980’s, the tactics have not changed in terms of an “evolution” with the USSR’s transformation to Russia post “debridement” of the former SSR’s and becoming leaner and more technologically advanced.
One of the things that Suvorov mentions is that prior to an operation or a large-scale military action, the Soviet command would purge itself of its highest-ranking generals and officers, and emplace those seconds-in-command to each of the “vacated” positions, or those immediately succeeding deemed worthy. The reasoning for this was to limit complete understanding of the entire situation only to what the Kremlin wanted known, and even for the final plan of attack/defense to be released only upon the eve of the actual operation.
In this manner, the Kremlin was assured of handpicked leaders with the loyalty level they wished for and a removal of potential dissenters. Additionally, it also removed the possibility of a “leak” prior to the engagement’s commencement. The actual overall plan was only given out to the highest members of the newly-formed chain-of-command to assure centralized secrecy and control up until the time that the command to move forward with the operation was given.
This policy does not even have its roots grounded in the Soviet Union; it is an ancient technique of restructuring to assure secrecy and centralized command that dates back a thousand years or more in Russia. When on a war-footing, it does not necessarily mean the cashiered officers are “disgraced” so much as that they are reshuffled to other areas to serve in other ways, while this technique is being implemented.
If you should manage to get a hold of a copy of Suvorov’s book, another thing that bears mention is the superb manner that the Russians “stockpile” reserves of equipment, weapons, and supplies. Suvorov mentioned that tanks, for example, were built that had few amenities and creature-comforts: rugged in their simplicity that could be operated with a minimum of training. The doctrine very much followed (and still does) of quick, deep penetration that promotes large gains of territory quickly and manages to instill “shock and awe” in an opponent.
The Russians believe in a good, quick offense that takes ground swiftly. This offense is also defensive in nature in the mindset, because by seizing territory in warfare, it creates a larger buffer and simultaneously keeps an enemy off balance. Speed and deep penetration of armored units into an enemy’s (formerly) rear area is the concept. It follows that simplistic, time-honored tenet: “The best defense is a good offense.”
This is why it is important to understand the effects of the US-NATO encroachment on the “mind” or mindset of Russia. Perhaps the West views the additional troops and units as “routine,” however, this “minimization” of a threat in the West’s eyes is nothing less than an attack posture in Russian eyes, and right in their own backyard. What the former views as nothing, the latter views as a direct provocation and an attack. Then when (or if) Russia responds, the West points a finger and denounces Russian “aggression” when the West’s own actions have provoked a threat response and fulfilled Russia’s “matrix” for actions.
Such is precisely what happened with the annexation of Crimea. The West initiated a coup d’état and ousted the elected President of Ukraine, then inserted Yatsenuk. Some lag time occurred, in which Russia acted decisively rather than lose Sevastopol and its naval base of operations for its entire Black Sea fleet. Such is also why Syria, and now Eastern Ukraine are such flash points, just as the entire region for the Baltic States has now become.
Russians have been famed as great chess players for many decades, and they are smart enough and decisive enough to act and make wise moves when needed that do not necessarily affect a balance of power while protecting their own interests in their sphere of influence. A prime example of this is Syria. ISIS is a creation of the United States, and used as a “vehicle” for the West to try and topple Assad, leader of Syria. Underlying this was the desire for the West to “knock the knees” off of Gazprom (hence Russia’s) importation and sales of natural gas to Europe. The West intended to run a gas pipeline from Qatar through northwestern Syria to do this.
Russia was brilliant. First they “invited” the US to “team up” with them in the war against ISIS. Obama was dumbstruck, as this would mean the US would be fighting its own creation. The Russians then acted decisively: They bombed the daylights out of Assad’s opposition (who we backed), bolstered Assad’s forces, left a token force of their own (largely air assets), and then declared the actions to be “over.” Obama the community organizer was no match for Putin the former Colonel of the KGB. Furthermore (if you notice), all of the West’s actions have been shifted in focus by the media to “protect the refugees/humanitarian aid/defense,” a lying slant to mask the underlying desire of the US to topple Assad and control Syria.
So to conclude, something is definitely happening, with the Russian Vice-Admiral and another 50 or so officers either relieved or removed and shuffled to parts unknown. It may interest you to know that an article appeared entitled Russian Armageddon Convoy Practices for WWIII that details movements and shuffling around of nuclear missiles (ICBM’s) of the Topol and Yars missile systems, which are multiple warhead systems, as well as deploying NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) units. The article describes how convoys with as many as 400 vehicles have been observed moving around from the European border all the way to Mongolia.
The situation changes by the day, and Putin himself warned the western journalists that they were presenting a picture of the overall situation that was false and misleading…and that we are on the precipice of WWIII. Food for thought, and almost anything can trigger a response in any of the current flashpoints that can easily escalate into a world war.
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PRESSTV
Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr tells followers to target US troops
Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:46PM
Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (AFP)
Iraqi shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has told his followers to target US troops who are to be deployed in Iraq as part of Washington’s alleged fight against the Daesh terrorist group.
On Monday, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that 560 more US troops will be sent to Iraq as part of an upcoming operation aimed at retaking the key city of Mosul from Daesh.
A comment was posted on Sadr’s official website after one of his followers asked for the cleric’s response to the announcement.
"They are a target for us," replied Sadr, without further elaborating, Reuters reported on Sunday.
The move to increase the number of US troops comes despite growing concerns among the Iraqi public that the US is planning to use battle against Daesh as a pretext to return to Iraq. US forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple long-time dictator Saddam Hussein but the large-scale military operation deteriorated security in the Arab country and gave birth to various militant groups.
The increase announced on Monday will bring the number of US troops in Iraq to more than 4,647.
The US and allies formed a so-called international coalition against Daesh in late 2014, with the ostensible aim of targeting positions of the group in northern and western Iraq. The coalition air strikes were later expanded to purported Daesh-held territories in neighboring Syria, despite criticism by Damascus that the attacks violate the Arab country’s sovereignty.
Zero Hedge
John Kerry Threatens Turkey With NATO Expulsion
by Tyler Durden
Jul 18, 2016 8:12 AM
While the experts debate if Turkey's flash coup was staged or merely grossly incompetent, a rather theatrical fallout is taking place between Turkey and the US.
Recall that on Saturday, as part of its populist campaign to blame the coup on the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, Turkey accused the US of being "behind the military coup", to which John Kerry promptly responded that such allegations are "utterly false" and harmful to relations. Kerry also said that authorities should respect the rule of law during their probe of the coup. Kerry also noted that there would be no prompt deportation of Gulen (something which is also in Erdogan's favor), when he said that "we fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Gulen, and obviously we invite the government of Turkey ... to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny and the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments appropriately," he said.
This however did not lead to any moderation in Turkish rhetoric, and yesterday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim threatened to go to war with any country that would "stand by" the exiled Fethullah Gulen; this would naturally imply the US which is where Gulen is currently located. "The US is behind the coup attempt. A few journals that are published there [in the US] have been conducting activities for several months. For many months we have sent requests to the US concerning Fethullah Gulen. The US must extradite him," said the Labor Minister in a statement.
Curiously, despite all the posturing, Turkey has yet to send out a formal extradition request.
However, the tensions between Turkey and US appear to have spilled over this morning, when moments ago John Kerry threatened Turkey that it could lose its NATO membership "if it fails to uphold the principles of democracy in the wake of an attempted coup" the US has warned.
“NATO also has a requirement with respect to democracy and NATO will indeed measure very carefully what is happening,” Kerry tells reporters in Brussels after attending a meeting of European Union foreign ministers. It was unclear how that "requirement" fits with Turkey - one of the world's largest, US-supplied military forces - housing the all-important Incirlik airbase which provides the US (and NATO) with a convenient staging point for air missions across the entire middle east.
“My hope is that Turkey is going to move in ways that do respect what they have said to me many times is the bedrock of their country,” he says. Kerry adds: “I spoke with the foreign minister three times in the last days and he assured me that they fully intended to respect the democratic process and the law; now obviously a lot of people have been arrested and arrested very quickly” and “the level of vigilance and scrutiny is obviously going to be significant in the days ahead."
This is happening as none other than one of the EU's top bureaucrats voiced a suggestion that the coup had indeed been staged. As Reuters reported earlier, the swift rounding up of judges and others after a failed coup in Turkey indicated the government had prepared a list beforehand, according to EU commissioner dealing with Turkey's membership bid, Johannes Hahn, said on Monday. "It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage," Hahn said. "I'm very concerned. It is exactly what we feared."
So very concerned that Europe is doing, drumroll, precisely nothing. Why? Because Erdogan still holds two million Syrian refugees as the most important bargaining chip that allows him to do anything and everything and get away with it, or else unleash another wave of migrants into Germany, leading to another collapse in the popularity of the German chancellor if not worse.
That said, we wonder if Kerry has seen the latest news according to which Turkey has "democratically" purged around 8,000 police officers following the failed coup, with more than 6,000 people in the army, the judiciary and other state bodies arrested as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's response to Friday's staged coup, in which rebel pilots held Erdogan's Gulfstream in their sights and yet inexplicably did not shoot.
At a joint news conference with EU foreign police chief Federica Mogherini, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that America stands "squarely on the side of the elected leadership in Turkey," but that "we urge the government of Turkey to to uphold the highest standards of respect for the nation's democratic institutions and the rule of law".
"We will certainly support bringing the perpetrators of the coup to justice but we also caution against a reach that goes beyond that and stress the importance of the democratic rule being upheld," he added.
We, on the other hand, expect the hollow jawboning and empty threats to continue even as Erdogan rounds up tens of thousands of political opponents and throws them in prison without any due process, all in the name of the "democratic process."
(Whether this was a false flag or put together by the US or some other factor the thing to watch for is how this effects Turkey's relationship with Russia.
Ezekiel 38:3-6 are of interest concerning this issue:
“Behold, I am against thee, Rhos prince of Mesoch and Thobel: and I will gather thee, and all thine host, horses and horsemen, all wearing breast-plates, with a great multitude, shields and helmets and swords: Persians, and Ethiopians, and Libyans; all with helmets and shields. Gomer, and all belonging to him; the house of Thorgama, from the end of the north, and all belonging to him; and many nations with thee.”
"The house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands." There is a controversy between some students of ancient history and geography and the Bible as to whether that means Russia or Turkey. Since in this passage Russia is already called Magog, I am inclined to believe it means Turkey. Joseph Candel)
RT (While we don't necessarily agree with the “tone” of this article is nevertheless does bring out the truth of the subject matter. Ed)
Pokémon Go and the coming zombie apocalypse
Sam Gerrans
Published time: 18 Jul, 2016 12:11
Edited time: 19 Jul, 2016 08:54
I don’t need simulated drama in my life. When you stand up and speak out, more of the real thing will find you than you could possibly want.
Since I stopped working in the corporate world, I don’t even carry a mobile phone. I have one, but it is permanently in airplane mode, has no sim card, and I don’t take it anywhere. I use it as an alarm clock.
When I go for a walk, I actually look where I am going.
I’m used to being walked at by apparently brainwashed automata oblivious to their surroundings tapping furiously into their phones. I make no attempt to walk round these zombies. If one walks into me I stop and I stand there till it enters consciousness sufficiently to move around me.
But I noticed – beginning in the park a little while back – a new type of living dead. This new model moved with a purpose I had not seen before, and often in a pack. I even saw them running. They seemed to be on an invisible paper chase.
And now I know: they are playing Pokémon Go.
Useful idiots
Can you imagine what would happen if you told Generation Me that you wanted it to go around the place and hoover up the last few bits of the earth’s surface not currently covered by Google (also known as the NSA)?
Nothing, that’s what.
But if you wrap the process up in a game and promote it relentlessly in the media, you can get swarms of people whose daily exercise regimen normally extends no further than getting up to answer the door when a pizza arrives to run – and I mean run – around doing exactly what you want.
This free application has raised the market value of Pokémon’s parent company Nintendo by 7.5 billion dollars.
But how can a free app do that?
Nothing is free. These zombie clusters are unwittingly collecting data and sending it to Nintendo’s servers, which it then sells. Pokémon clearly states in its terms and conditions that it can use the data you provide it to any government or law-enforcement agency it wishes.
The man behind Pokémon Go is John Hanke. Hanke is also behind Google Earth, Google Maps and Google Street View. He did this with a company called Keyhole, which got its funding through In-Q-Tel.
In-Q-Tel is strategically located in Arlington, Virginia, and invests in companies the sole purpose of which is to keep the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies equipped with the latest technology in support of US intelligence capabilities.
In short: Hanke’s specialization is making stuff and gathering data for the CIA. And now he has millions of little helpers doing his work and making him richer – for free.
The Dividing Line
I have no objective data, but when I look at Pokémon players, they don’t strike me as the self-reliant, conservative type into minimal government, personal initiative and responsibility. They look like their range of concerns drops off dramatically at the point of a decent Wi-Fi connection and a new set of ear buds.
I have long been aware that society is splitting along a fundamental fault line. There are those who understand that the whole game is rigged, spend their time researching how it is rigged, and look for ways to prepare mentally, spiritually, and physically for the tsunami of planned chaos which is already breaking on the shore.
Then there are those who play Pokémon Go.
These are functionally irrelevant zombies; unthinking foot soldiers in the army of Mammon; drones of Baal; peons of pusillanimity.
But now their private, stinky-sock worlds based on a small-screen simulation of life have spilled out into the streets, it looks like the zombie apocalypse has begun.
Liberals and phone zombies
The broadsheet-reading corollary to the zombie phone addict is the liberal.
Both are fundamentally socialistic in outlook: they are highly suggestible, hardwired into groupthink, think virtue resides in numbers, and are suspicious and frightened of reality.
The Guardian recently reported on an event in Hull in the north of England where thousands of expertly conditioned souls were persuaded to remove their clothes, paint themselves blue and allow themselves to be photographed in the name of art.
I was fascinated by this demonstration of mass brainwashing; it was the famous Milgram experiment all over again, which tested for blind obedience and compliance in the face of authority.
And this is why phone zombies and liberals are really in the same camp. Whereas someone with conservative or libertarian values pretty much sticks with his values and deals with life around him as it is, the phone zombie and liberal can be re-molded and re-engineered to accept any set of values you like given sufficient media support and education.
And this seems to be the primary fault line in society: between the majority who like groupthink; those who prefer to be told what to do; those who are happier in the hive mind than in thinking for themselves – and the remainder.
But it is the remainder – those who are left over once the masses have been removed – who are responsible for the ingenuity, inventions, artistic and practical innovations which form the engine which drive society forward.
The kind of people who play Pokémon or paint themselves blue on command are natural followers. They have no inherent genius, and they resent it in others.
And, again, those who pertain to this bigger group are highly suggestible. They can be conditioned to accept almost anything if it is positioned correctly and fed to them slowly. And they always incline towards greater government control, whether it be called Socialism or Fascism or Environmentalism or something else.
Then there are the individualists, those who don’t need government and over-zealous bureaucrats and other functionaries telling them what to do; those who can think without the need for training wheels; those who pick up a gun rather than the phone when they hear the door being kicked in. And these people don’t play Pokémon or take their clothes off and paint themselves blue and allow themselves to be photographed in the street.
As the number and scale of global violence increases, the lemming mentality of the herd will incline toward greater conformity and seek sanctuary in greater domination by government. Herd mentality unconsciously revels in a masochistic defenselessness and the willing abnegation of personal responsibility. It is a small, weak, envious child; not only will it not grow up itself, it wishes those who can and will achieve maturity to be beaten.
At the same time, those who do not play Pokémon politically speaking will be forced to eat the consequences of their conclusions as they find themselves increasingly vilified, attacked and persecuted by the zombie herd under the direction of its white-collar corollary: the liberal.
Looking ahead
Extrapolation means looking at where you have come from to where you are now and envisaging – given that trajectory – where it is likely you are going.
Where we have come from is a place where huge swathes of young people have been rewired to point and shoot on command at anything which has a point value attached to it in order to make the kind of progress through hardship and levels which is rightly the preserve of actual life. These people have little or no interest in – or grasp of – the social upheavals going on around them. They are supremely obedient because they have obeyed in the virtual millions upon millions of times.
They are also unable to deal with either ambiguity or real-life complexity. A subject is either good or bad. And if it’s bad: shoot it and bag the points to get to the next level.
We also have a management class which is, likewise, highly suggestible and similarly conditioned to hate individuality and non-conformity. It is trapped in a set of protocols based on doublethink which itself runs along pre-laid pathways of emotive trigger words such as ‘hate’ and ‘diversity’, and it is functionally unable to think outside that paradigm.
On that basis, is it so mad to envisage a point where the government issues the zombies weapons which connect with a mobile device and a game in which you go around the streets killing all those who don’t check out in the CIA’s database of approved persons?
Given the suggestibility, conditioned reflexes, ingrained obedience, inability to distinguish reality from fiction – combined with fear of and envy towards real achievement – in the minds of the key players, the pieces are in place for just such an outcome given the right set of crises and media support.
Perhaps Pokémon Go is ‘just’ a data-gathering operation which leverages the naivety and loneliness of lost, solipsistic degenerates with no real war to fight or real points to collect.
Or perhaps it is what it looks like: a beta test for the zombie apocalypse.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
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Science alert
Working full-time could be bad for your brain after a certain age
We knew it.
FIONA MACDONALD
20 JUL 2016
Working long hours Monday to Friday is tough no matter how old you are, but recent research suggests that, if you're over 40, working more than 25 hours a week could actually be affecting your cognitive performance.
After testing 6,500 workers in Australia, researchers found that workers had the best mental abilities when working around three days a week, but anything more than that was associated with a decline in memory and intelligence. So... anyone else want to call in sick tomorrow?
Interestingly, working less than 25 hours was also associated with low cognitive scores, which led the researchers to conclude that there's a sweet spot for mental stimulation above a certain age.
To find this out, an international team of researchers tested 3,000 Australian men and 3,500 women over the age of 40 in three categories: a memory score test, a reading test, and a perceptive ability test.
"In all three cases it was found around 25 to 30 hours of work per week will maximise your cognitive skill," one of the researchers, Colin McKenzie from Keio University in Japan, told ABC News.
"For cognitive functioning, working far too much is worse than not working at all," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "In the beginning work stimulates the brain cells. The stress associated with work physically and psychologically kicks in at some point and that affects the gains you get from working."
So how can too much work be bad for us? The research only looked at the link between working hours and performance, and didn't investigate what could be causing this change, so it's too soon to say for sure that it was work doing the damage.
But the level of cognitive decline associated with long hours was the same in both men and women, and only the amount of time worked seem to explain the difference in test performance across the sample size.
The researchers hypothesise this is to do with two things - stress and a lack of sleep.
Stress has been known for decades to impact our cognitive function through the production of hormones - and research has even shown that prolonged stress can trigger the loss of neurons in the brain.
Lack of sleep has a similar effect, with studies showing that the white matter inside your brain can significantly change after a night of no sleep.
The researchers only looked into workers over the age of 40 in this research, so they can't say for sure how long working hours impact people who are younger.
But the team is particularly interested in that period of life, seeing as it's what McKenzie calls the "sandwich years", when people are often caring both for young children and older relatives - which means they have a job on top of a job.
Despite all that added pressure, retirement ages are being pushed back and the average working week is getting longer and longer in most developed countries - despite no evidence that it's actually making us any more productive.
The research was published in April as a working paper for the Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series, and more study is now needed to confirm exactly how long people should be working for optimum performance - and to examine how too much work affects us on a neurological level throughout our lives.
But in the meantime, maybe we need to take some inspiration from companies in Sweden, which are trialling a mandatory six-hour work day to get the most out of their workers.
Or Ontario, Canada, which is experimenting with paying people a set wage each month, just for being alive - no work required.
Let's hope some solid science will help restore a little bit of work/life balance to the world - because we definitely need it.
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Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions
“We
must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is
coming, when no one can work.”
(John 9:4)