Shabbat Bible Study for April 15, 2017

©2017 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 2 – Shabbat 3

Exodus 12:29-51 – Isaiah 21:11 – Psalm 49 – Revelation 18:1-24

Shemot 12.29-36 – Does anyone remember Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In? “Here come da Judge! Here come da Judge! Yabeddah watch out, now, cuz Here come da Judge!” And this is no joke. Y’hovah has judged Egypt in the balances and found her wanting. He has pronounced his righteous condemnatory sentence and is about to execute it. 

Y’hovah went through the land of Egypt and killed every firstborn in the land, including the animals, that did not have the blood painted on their lintels and doorposts, or who were outside of their homes on which doorframes it was painted. If Y’hovah gives us parameters under which he will protect us and we don’t stay within those parameters, it becomes our own fault that we suffer the result. Remember last week’s haftarah portion in YirmeYahu 43? He has given us instructions on how to be blessed with his chai. Obey, and you have his blessing: disobey, and you don’t – and that may bring the curse. 

At midnight, all Egypt was awakened; by what, Torah does not say; but I surmise it was the terror that Elohim brought on them when he entered their homes to remove the breath of life from every firstborn in the land. The only firstborn that was not affected was, presumably, Paroh himself, who was, again presumably, the firstborn child of the previous Paroh (though it IS possible that his elder sibling was a sister or a brother who died before he married and fathered children). I assume this because it is generally assumed that the Paroh of the plagues is the Paroh who would chase Israel to the sea a week later. But Y’hovah had an even more demonstrative plan for him, which we will see in 2 weeks. Paroh awoke to discover his own son was dead and, in his anguish, he finally relented and sent to Moshe and Aharon to get out of his land. Moshe’s perseverance paid off. The last time he’d seen Paroh (10.26), he’d told him the parameters – ALL Israel was going to leave, including every animal they owned, or the destruction would keep multiplying against Egypt. Yeshua made reference to this by analogy (OK, so it’s not a perfect analogy, but it is plausible) in the parable of the unjust judge (Lk.18.1-8), who was finally entreated of the woman and passed righteous judgment for her. 

Egypt knew that if they didn’t get Israel out of their land, the next plague would kill them all, so they quite literally chased them out. Israel had their bread dough ready, sans leavening agent, and their go-bags packed and on their backs, as I speculated last week. Israel went and asked the Egyptians for what Benny, Creflo and all the rest of the gospel peddlers would call ‘seed money’, and Egypt was so fearful of what might come next that they FORCED Israel to take all their gold and silver – “You want a silver cup? Please take my sterling tea service and my gold serving utensils, too. Just GET OUT!” Egypt literally EMPTIED itself of its silver and gold – ANYTHING to be rid of these Hebrews. The war was over. Egypt lost. Israel took the spoils by right of conquest, but without violence. Israel’s Y’hovah had defeated the most powerful nation on earth without firing an arrow or wielding a spear. And 2 weeks from now we’ll see him defeat the most powerful military on earth in the same manner. You may rest assured that the Amorites, Amalekites, Moabites, et al-ites took heed of what was happening in Egypt, and they were scared SPITLESS of Israel and her Y’hovah. Rachav told the spies in Yir’cho

8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9 And she said unto the men, I know that Y’hovah hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how Y’hovah dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for Y’hovah Elohechem, he is Eloha in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by Y’hovah, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: 13 And ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. [Yehoshua 2.8-13]

 All of Cana’an was scared spitless of Y’hovah and His people, Yisrael. Q&C

Vv.37-51 – So Israel left Goshen and camped at Succoth, the tent city where Yoseph administered the welfare project that made Egypt the world power she had become, to gather up Yoseph’s bones for burial at Shechem (Josh.24.32), one of only 2 places Israel had title to in Canaan – the other being Machpelah, near Hevron (Gen.23). The only parcels of land Israel owned in Canaan were cemeteries. Israel traveled by foot to Succoth, 600,000 men and their families – a total of between 2 and 4 million Israelites and their livestock. And with them went the ‘mixt multitude’ of Egyptians and other gentiles who trusted Y’hovah enough to kill the passover and paint their doorframes between the evenings the day before. The total leaving Egypt was at LEAST 2.5 million, perhaps as many as 5-6 million. While in Succoth, they baked their unleavened dough into cakes to eat on the way out of Egypt.

In vv.40-42, I think Egypt is representative of the world system, since Israel was NOT in Egypt physically for 430 years. They were in Egypt for approximately 200-220 years. But it was 430 years TO THE VERY DAY after Y’hovah gave Avraham the mandate that Yisrael came out of Egypt. Israel had sojourned in the world for 430 years, and was now going to claim her inheritance – from the Euphrates to the Nile and from the Caucasus mountains to the Indian Ocean. This was not just the day that Y’hovah promised Avraham the land (Gen.15.13-14), but I think, it was also Yitzhak’s birthday (in biblical reckoning) and the day on which Avraham bound Yitzhak on Mt. Moriah (Gen.22.9-10). This is part of the reason that we are to commemorate Pesach forever in our generations; not just Jews, but all B’nei Israel. In the Millennium, we will be keeping Pesach and Sukkoth by going up to Yerushalayim. There is no mention in Ezekiel 40-48 about Shavuoth or Yom Kippur/Yovel. We will be commemorating Pesach forever and still rehearsing Sukkoth, which will not see complete fulfillment until Avinu lives among us on the New Earth in the New Yerushalayim wherein dwells Righteousness. 

In our keeping of Passover IN EGYPT; there was to be no stranger that ate it; our servants WERE to eat of it AFTER they had been CCd; each family was to eat it in ONE HOUSE; ALL the FLESH was to be consumed, either down our throats or by fire, no flesh to be carried out as ‘leftovers’; no bone of the lamb was to be broken and EVERY Israelite was to observe it. If a stranger in future wanted to observe it with us, his males were to be CCd, the native Israelite and the sojourner were to observe one law of the Passover. And Israel left Egypt – the word is al-tsivotham – ‘by their hosts’, I think by tribes. 

Is.21.11 – Today is the weekly Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and tomorrow begins the counting of the omer to culminate 7 weeks from today and in the Chag, or Feast Day that would fall on the following 1^st day, Shavuoth (evening of the 3rd, day of the 4^th of June). So the question of Is.21.11 is salient today. Sundown today begins our counting – Tomorrow is the First day of the first week of the counting of the omer. In 49 more days we would have the light of Torah given to us; and with it, the potential to never live in darkness again. So what of the night, watchmen? Then in the year Yeshua died, arose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of Majesty on high, he sent his Ruach to give us power to live in the Torah he gave us 1500 years before. And I think … WARNING! Speculation coming! Speculation coming! And I think that on a Shavuoth in a year very soon – perhaps this or next year – Y’hovah will set apart by anointing his 144K servants for a 1260 day ministry that coincides with and may be led by the 2 witnesses, and will end on the day of Yom Teruah. The parameters under which this may work out is IF that 1st year is miraculously SHORT – 11 months – and then the next 3 are all 13-month years. Since this past year was a leap year, the chances of this year being one are quite slim, so I lean toward NEXT year being the Shavuoth of the sealing and anointing of the 144,000 witnesses, assuming I am correct – which is admittedly a LONG shot.  END OF SPECULATION! End of Warning! Move along now, folks! Nothing to see here! Q&C

Psalm 49.1-4 – David, the king, is speaking to us all, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, believer and unbeliever, as there is but one Torah for all men that shall be administered by Mashiach, the son of David. He is speaking to us of chochmah, wisdom, as the meditation of his heart speaks of biynah, understanding the dark sayings, the parables, the deep things of Y’hovah. Biynah (an aspect of Elohim’s Ruach) + chochmah (an aspect of Y’hovah Avinu) = da’ath, knowledge (an aspect of Mashiach). Parables express the deep things of Elohim, the dark sayings of the Almighty that the average person either can’t or won’t understand. The ‘deep things of Elohim’ are not known to most men – not even to most believers. Paul speaks of this in 1Cor.2.6-15,

6… we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of Elohim in a mystery, the hidden (parables or dark sayings), which Elohim ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known, they would not have crucified the Master of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Elohim hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But Elohim hath revealed unto us by his Ruach: for the Ruach searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of Elohim. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of Elohim knoweth no man, but the Ruach of Elohim. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Ruach which is of Elohim; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of Elohim. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which Ruach haKodesh teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Ruach of Elohim: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of Y’hovah, that he (Y’hovah) may instruct him? But we have the mind of Mashiach.

Had men known the hidden, dark, deep things of Elohim, they would not have crucified Yeshua, because it was BY his death and resurrection that he defeated the strength of sin, which was death, not just of the body (1^st death) but also of the soul (2^nd death). By the way, did you see how Sha’ul juxtaposed the mind of Y’hovah with the mind of Mashiach in 1Cor.2.16? Mensa-mensa, 6 of one -1/2 dozen of the other, same-same. 

Vv.5-13 – Why should I fear when the sin that stalks me surrounds me in these evil days? Do you see the prophetic significance of v.5? I think it’s talking about the consequences of my sin in this world of action, when I have life in the supernal world that is to come. Carnal man trusts only what he sees and lives by his sight, not by faith in Y’hovah, who is spiritually discerned (^1Cor.2.14^). These wicked, natural men do pretty well for themselves in this world, because everyone does some things worthy of reward and Y’hovah will see that they are given their rewards – here and now. The spiritual man, by the same token, also does things for which he needs to suffer loss, which he suffers in this world, as well. This is the only place a believer can suffer loss, and also the only place the unbeliever can enjoy his reward. This explains why David Rockefeller lived to 101 and only recently died in mid-late March of 2017. This helps us to understand why the vilest men are also the wealthiest and have what seem to be the easiest and most luxurious lives on earth. These things that can only be delivered here and now are meted out to us here and now. For the believer, though, even the loss he suffers is for his ultimate good, as it will teach him to trust his Abba to bring him through even the worst calamities. The rewards the carnal man accrues in this life, just feed his pride and self-trust. The carnal man who feigns his religion may even think he is righteous, thinking he is being rewarded by his god. His righteousness, however, is not objective according to Y’hovah’s Word of Truth, or his D’var L’Emet, but is subjective and in accord with his own imagination. The wicked man thinks he can buy his way out of any calamity, even exile from the presence of Y’hovah for eternity. But no man can ransom his OWN soul from his eternal destruction, much less his own and someone else’s. He certainly isn’t paying his own ransom and that of his entire tribe, family or even household. The only one who is righteous enough to affect the ransom for more than his own life is Y’hovah, and he did just that as the Lamb. The wicked man is encouraged by his posterity, his sons and daughters and hangers-on. They live sumptuously on his labors, and so they encourage him to keep on as he is, only worried about being kept in their present lifestyle, which they probably could never maintain on their own. They may fear being disinherited. And so the wickedness of the wicked produces more wickedness – more people who will trust only themselves. Let’s think about that for a few seconds. Q&C

Vv.14- – The wicked have nowhere else to go at death than Sheol, the grave, to await their resurrection to judgment and dissolution, for they have received their reward. Think about that, when you are tempted to attract the praises of men, like the scribes and Pharisees who wore their fasting on their countenance, so men would think them super-saints. Remember what Yeshua said about them in Mat.6.1-4;

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 

When the wicked rule, there is darkness in the land and Y’hovah’s people mourn, but when they are deposed and tzadikim bear rule, the light shines forth and the people rejoice (Prov.29.2). The time the wicked rule is likened to night and exile, but when tzadikim rule that time is likened to daylight, redemption and deliverance. So don’t fret yourself when the wicked are exalted in the world – it MUST be for a time, so they can fill up the cup of the Wrath of Y’hovah Elohenu. He has already received his rewards, he has nothing left to receive but his condemnation. He will take nothing with him. The ‘generation of his fathers’ is the stuff they’ve earned in eternity – NOTHING! No light, no honor, no understanding, no life. As conditions wax worse and worse for us, the cup of Y’hovah’s wrath is getting fuller and fuller against them, and your rewards accrue to you. Keep the thoughts of your heart on the Kingdom and the eternal state, for Y’hovah Yeshua is faithful to usward, if we keep our trust in him. Q&C

Rev.18.1-8 – If the United States of America is end time Egypt [and I think it is, right now], this commercial Babylon is New York City. The reason the Moslem hordes have targeted the WTC TWICE is because it quite literally IS the center for trade in the world. If you go to the Kitco.com live metals charts, you will see that everything is based on the NYMEX and New York GLOBEX, which closes at 1730 Eastern and reopens at 1800 daily, and closes for 48½ hours from Friday 1730 to Sunday 1800. When neither GLOBEX nor NYMEX are open there is NO TRADING anywhere in the world. The entire world’s economy is centered in NYC. I think the Moslem hordes are now working on another attack against NYC’s commercial center – Wall Street. 

The voice out of heaven, presumably that of Y’hovah, commands his people to get out of her, because his wrath is about to be poured out on her, and we need to heed that command, as the mixt multitude did in Egypt by painting the blood on their doorposts so Y’hovah would pass over their houses and they would live. Remember 1Cor.10.1-4 & 11;

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Mashiach. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Yisrael did not live amongst the Egyptians, but in Goshen, and no Egyptians lived among them. Will Y’hovah honor those of his people who simply place the blood on their doors, as he did in Egypt? I don’t know, but I think not because the warning has been given to get out of harm’s way. I wouldn’t live in NYC or its environs for any amount of money. When v.5 says Elohim ‘remembered her iniquities’ it means he is acting because of those iniquities. Elohim does not forget and then remember what he forgot. He gives even the wicked and reprobate time to repent and turn to him, but when their cup of wrath is full, he acts to bring judgment on them – he ‘remembers’ their iniquity.

The plagues that come down on Babylon will be twice as bad as any she’s afflicted on others, so the stuff is REALLY going to be hitting the fan there. Fukishima Daiichi and the Deepwater Horizon oilrig disaster in the Gulf will seem like a game. I think NYC and vicinity will see numerous mushroom clouds. We’ll see various commercial products torched and glowing. I think the Moslem hordes will pull off a coordinated attack and literally within an hour NYC will be gone and all – or at least MOST – animal life with it. Except the cockroaches, of course. They’ll just grow large enough to become bellmen in the finest hotels in town, IF there is anyone left to hire them. 

Vv.9-16 – OH! How the ‘kings of the earth’ will bewail her! The ‘kings of the earth’, of course, are the Illuminati’s masters, like the Rothschilds, the Rockefellers, the Gates’, et al. All the global and internationalist commercial enterprises are in their sphere of economic influence, and Y’hovah is going to bring their judgment on them quickly. In fact, some of them may actually die in the explosions. Those ‘kings’ who are not there will watch the devastation of much of their holdings live and in living color via the surveillance equipment they’ve set up everywhere to show themselves how powerful they are. If you think the rich young ruler was depressed when Yeshua told him to sell all he had, these guys are going to be in a positive funk over the loss of stuff. When the Spirit repeats himself, he is saying whatever he says is perfect – as in Shalom Shalom = perfect peace. When he said Babylon the Great is fallen is fallen, he means the fall was absolute and complete. The same goes here with “Alas, alas”. It means the kings’ mourning and grief over the loss is absolutely complete. They went from indescribably wealthy to indescribably poor paupers in the blink of an eye. They will be so poor they might even ask ME for a loan. Of course, they will have no collateral, so …

Another thing that tells me this is NYC is that the merchants are selling stuff there, and there is noone left to buy their stuff anywhere. This was the center of all world trade. We now see the merchants saying “Alas! Alas!” for they have just seen their comfortable lives go literally ‘up in smoke’, from what they think is a safe distance – but it ain’t.

Vv.17-24 – Their grief is over the Great City. Some think this is describing Jerusalem, but I don’t think J’lem is close enough for ship’s captains at sea to see her burning. It HAS to be a major seaport, and the leading commercial center of the earth. It is definitely NOT Babylon in Iraq, which is over 100 miles from the sea. It could be Rome, if that were the commercial center of the earth. London could be the commercial center, but is also too far from the sea. I think it HAS to be NYC, unless there are some massive economic shifts real soon. BECAUSE it’s NYC, I see the Illuminati propping up the American economy once again. America’s destruction will come quickly, but not until nearly the end of this age, which I think is at least 2-3 years away. I think China WANTS to pull the plug right now, but the PTB are stopping them from doing it – yet! Besides, China is using all those dollars we send over to them for the cheap crap they sell to us to buy up every spare ounce of gold being mined in the world [thus keeping gold prices low].

The ship’s captains are bewailing the loss of the city and of their revenues in a series of mushroom clouds. They let out the 3^rd and final “Alas! Alas!” I assume they will leave the area and look for fuel and a cargo to carry home. The people of Y’hovah, specifically those sent by Y’hovah to prophesy against the wickedness of the earth, are COMMANDED to rejoice over the utter destruction of Babylon the Great, for this is Y’hovah’s vengeance poured out on her for them. The angel casting a stone ‘like a great millstone’ into the sea, represents Babylon the Great being consigned to the depths of the sea, the bottomless pit, with the angels that ‘kept not their first estate’ (Jd.6) in Gen.6. That last verse is telling, as well,

And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Every drop of innocent blood is on the hands of the kings of this city. This tells me that EVERY war that Egypt (corpocratic America) has been involved in has been over commerce, not freedom or democracy or any lofty principle. They are ALL about $$$$. And so, Y’hovah is going to bring the $$$ to an ignominious end. 

For those of you in NYC or its environs, the time to get out is as soon as practicable. Move to Schenectady or Watertown or somewhere in the hills of Pennsylvania or Virginia or West Virginia. Forget Watertown – it’s too close to the St. Lawrence and the fault-lines. When the stuff hits the fan, NYC will be the epicenter, and I don’t think it will be seismic, but nuclear. Of course, the nukes COULD trigger something seismic… Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study