Through the years I've spoken to many people who lived in Pre-Castro Cuba, and without any exceptions, regardless of their own ethnicity or ancestry, or even religion; they all have the same love and fondness of memories of a bygone era, of a place that was for them quite like no other, nor shall there ever be.
Everyone of them tell me that had Cuba remained as it was before the Revolution, they would have been completely happy and content to stay there. For them, as my mother in law and my mother, and the older generations say, Cuba was home. There was no other place.
For them, there was no reason to go anywhere else, and when they did go, they were compelled by events and circumstances that were beyond their own control, events which wrenched them from their families, friends, neighborhoods, communities - thier native land and people - to foreign lands they knew or cared little about, most of whom did not speak the language.
What is most amazing is that in Cuba, everyone – Jew, Arab, and everyone else got along, and were part of the greater community of Cubans. Pre-Castro Cuba was, to all intents and purposes, a true melting pot, where various communities formed the greater whole while bringing to the island the richness of their own heritage, as they added to the overall heritage of Cuba which what made it unique.
Predominantly Catholic, Cuba also had large enclaves of Protestants, Jews, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and some Moslems, and allowed for the peaceful coexistence of all of these under its laws.
Because Cuba was very much like the US, one did not see the Anti-Semitism there that plagued much of the other countries as one sees other parts of Latin America, and because of this, Cuba in its day, flourished and was blessed with a rich culture of music, food, arts, science, and yes, religion.
The various communities founded what was known in Pre-Castro Cuba were called “sociedades” or societies, where its members could preserve their unique cultural customs, music, and celebrations.
The island was filled with them from one side to the other, and one particular “sociedad” of one type or another could be found in every city, in every town, in every hamlet, no matter how small.
Even the blacks of Cuba and those of mixed African and European stock had their own societies. The Spaniards had theirs. And so did every other community where Europeans, Africans, and yes North Americans migrated to during the pre and post war period prior to the Revolution.
During Carnival Time in Cuba, one could witness representatives from each of the myriad communities march attired in the traditional acuetraments of their ancestors from the respective lands of their origins, dancing the traditional dances of those lands, in the procession.
One could see Spaniards from the Spanish Province of Galicia performing traditional sword dances while playing bagpipes much like the Irish and Scots, sons and daughters of African slaves would dance their traditional African dances, one could hear the traditional Chinese clarinets playing as Floats would carry the most beautiful representatives of the Chinese Cuban Community dressed in their traditional Chinese costumes.
Every community was represented. Veterans from the various wars, members of the VFW, marched with the flags of the nations which took part in those conflicts and the colors of the units in which they served. If ever there was a melting pot, Pre-Castro Cuba had it.
Those who lived there and were privileged to see it and take part in it, some of whom I’ve spoken with throughout the years, and all agree; there was never quite a place like it, nor will there ever be. Pre-Castro Cuba may have not been perfect, but it was for these people the closest thing to paradise they had ever seen in their lifetime.
For a well written and fair treatment of Cuban history and culture, I recommend the link to the following site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba , where one may read about the development of Cuba through the colonial period right up to the present day.
For a little slice of Cuba and a little slice of Abraham, very much like America – perfect together, I recommend that the reader visit the following site at this link: About the Jewish Cuban Community: http://www.thecajm.org/cajmnws.html#Cuban_Jewish_Community_attending_MASA_Israel_for_the_first_time
Cuba also had an Arab Community comprised of Lebanese and Syrian Cubans, and an interesting article can be found at the following link: http://www.unionarabecuba.org/fearabe011203e.html
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
A WATCHMAN'S CALL TO AMERICA: THE HARBINGER - ISAIAH 9:10 - Is America Under Judgment?
Joseph Farah, editor in chief of World Net Daily, and one of our nation’s leading conservative voices, has written perhaps the most definitive article describing the topic of a new book by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn which describes what may very well be the fate of the United States according to the Hebrew Scriptures. The topic itself is very difficult to explain, but Mr. Farah does precisely that in the article which I cite below. Kudos to Mr. Farah for a superbly written article, and for the boldness to broach a topic which is sure to engender controversy from a good many quarters, but which currently dominates the mindset of many Americans this year.
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn is the presiding Rabbi of the congregation my wife and I are members of at the Beth Israel Jerusalem Center in Wayne, New Jersey, located on 11 Railroad Avenue. Shabbat services are held every Friday at 8:00PM and Sunday morning services are held at 11:00AM every Sunday in commemoration of the Messiah’s resurrection. It behooves every person reading this and my other articles in my Watchman’s series to pay close attention to this one, and understand that what happened to the kingdom of Israel for its disobedience to the fundamental Laws of G-d is happening to America even as I write this.
Like Israel, which split into a northern and southern kingdoms, and was led into exile, America also was split into a northern union and a southern confederacy during our own period of civil war, and we are now facing an engineered economic collapse of such a magnitude that it is about to bring great changes to every nation on this planet in the coming year. We have exiled ourselves from the precepts and concepts that built this nation into the greatest republic the world has ever known.
At its founding, the greatest collection of minds ever assembled in one place and at one time, providentially gathered to draft the most equitable and far reaching document outside of the Bible – a document so truly unique that it would protect the rights and liberties of its citizens for generations to come. But today we are governed by their complete opposites. Our nation has for quite some time, been beset with men and women who have not had its best interests at heart, but whose allegiances and careers been tailored by a monied interests of international banking cartel of the world’s richest families, and not those of the American people who elected them to office.
Through the policies of successive legislation and court orders, enacted by our elected representatives and presidents, we now stand at the precipice of our own demise. The dollar stands at the brink of collapse, in fact some say it is eminent and will occur sometime this year, the Euro has been propped up with an capital infusion on Christmas Day by the Federal Reserve of $639 billion dollars, which the ECB then disbursed to its troubled banks, because Germany got tired of having to bail the rest of Europe out. Interestingly, this little act inflated the dollar even more and went – like so many other things – unreported by the alphabet soup channel media. Through continued foreign entanglements and interests, our military is currently spread to over one hundred nations across the planet, and the costs of so much of our blood has been to profit the powerful and elusive interests of the banking cartel who control our politicians and our media. It has done little for America.
The repercussions of what is about to happen to America for its departure from its biblical foundation, and the continued apathy and false belief by a great number of its Evangelicals and Catholics that “the rapture” will spare them any suffering, as well as the deceptive 100 year old doctrine that because we are living in the end of days, and G-d’s kingdom is not of this world; has resulted in a great number of Christians do not get involved in civil or political affairs. They have lost their effectiveness and influence in American society in being the light of the world and salt of the earth. An injunction that Jesus gave to all His followers, which if applied properly, would change the course of this nation and nations like it radically. Rather, because of Christian apathy and complacency and irresponsibility; we have seen the fall of our republic, as more and more Christians go about their daily routine and await the second coming the Messiah without doing a thing about the deterioration of our social values and the crumbling morality we see around US in our nation today.
It would do good to every person reading this and watching the videos, to heed the warning, regardless of whether or not they are Christians, Catholics, Coptics, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or even agnostic, or atheist in their beliefs, and to assess what exactly is happening, because if we as a people do not turn this nation around from its current course and change its trajectory, there will be a collapse of our nation and civilization the likes of which will make all of the rest pale in insignificance. Now why do I way this? Because of this nation’s unique historical Judeo-Christian origins.
Aside from the ancient nation of Israel and the Jewish people, there has never existed a union of communities quite like what we have in this great republic in its founding documents, its most cherished precepts, and its most beloved traditions – all founded upon the bedrock of the Holy Scriptures in our Judeo-Christian principles which have for generations formed the bedrock of our nation. This has never been witnessed in history, with the exception of ancient Israel. And because the only nation that parallels it is Israel, therefore it is from the history of Israel and the Holy Scriptures – the Hebrew Bible – where we must go to find the answers, and having found the answers; we must act quickly if we are to forestall and prevent the continued deterioration of our society and the fall of our beloved nation.
Please pay close attention to what you are about to read, and consider how you and your community, and other communities like yours within our nation fit into the overall picture, but most importantly, what we as a people can do about it. And remember where you and your family stand this coming year – 2012 – will depend upon the decisions you make today for your future tomorrow, and where and in whom you place your faith and your trust; in fallible men as the country did in 2008 when it voted for the current president believing he could fix all problems, right all wrongs, and rendered to him almost godlike qualities – a demigod among his peers as many of you reading this thought of him – yes, those who claim to be people of faith.
Faith is good if faith is placed in G-d, but faith in man will only lead to disappointment and despair. “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto the Lord what is the Lord’s” by doing your civic duties and taking a stand with your vote, with your voice, with your house of worship, and impact your community, and “let your light so shine before men, “ being “a city set on a hill,” and you will impact our nation for good, and take it back from the globalist special interests, the secular humanists, the Anti-Semites and Anti-Christians, and the Muslim hoards who occupy our country and build mosques all around it as shrines to their conquest of our great republic. Do it now, do it today, and be proactive not inactive by “coping out” and claiming that you don’t get into politics or religion, and that only “spiritual matters” occupy your interests. That’s only an excuse for doing nothing, and that is why the Anti-Semites and Anti-Christ elements have won battle after battle in our courts and in our legislatures.
The time for excuses is long past, and those who resist evil in our age must stand up against the coming tyranny and darkness that will beset the human race. It is time again for Americans to bring our nation to the forefront in its fight against the evil of our day, and bring it back from the brink of total economic, systemic, and societal collapse to which our current leaders have led it. It is time to arise and shine in the darkness, and do good.
And those of US who recognize and know the name and identity of the Messiah must with patience and with understanding share what we know with those who do not as yet know Him or His name, because His face has been hidden from His people for too long now, and we must stand in the breach and be the voices crying in the wilderness of this age; the Elijah of our age – shouting to the world that Moschiach’s coming draws near, and that if America stands on the right side with Israel and its people, even in the face of world opposition – it will be spared the wrath to come.
Make no mistake about it, it’s going to get ugly out there, and if you haven’t noticed, SINCE THE OLSO ACCORDS, AMERICA HAS LED THE NATIONS IN BEING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE EQUATION WITH ISRAEL, AND THIS PRESIDENT HAS FAST-TRACKED IT BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME, AND HE HAS GREAT WRATH AGAINST ISRAEL AND AGAINST JEWS AND CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE THEY ARE G-D’S PEOPLE.
November, and what we do between now and then with our lives, with ourselves, with G-d, with our friends, families, and communities, with our vote; will determine the future of this great republic. Like Neniveh, we have been given a reprieve; it is up to US what we as a nation and a people will do with it before the end of this year. We messed up royally in 2008 and have been messing up for a long time. Let’s get it right before we finish ourselves off.
The article I cite above is titled, Isaiah 9:10: America under judgment?
It can be accessed on World Net Daily at the following link:
http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/isaiah-910-america-under-judgment/
An earlier article written by Rabbi Cahn on the Harbinger based upon his book of the same name, can be found at the following URL:
http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10453
For those who wish to read both of these articles here, rather than on those sites - if they have any problems accessing them, or if they ever get pulled down at some future date - I have included both of them below for their reading.
Isaiah 9:10: America under judgment? Written by Joseph Farah
Posted: December 30, 2011
1:45 am Eastern
There is an obscure verse in the Bible that seems to be speaking to America today as it spoke to ancient Israel – shortly before the nation was judged, invaded and dispersed.
It was through the work of a messianic rabbi in New Jersey that I learned of the striking parallels between what happened in Israel and what is already happening to the U.S. – all revolving around Isaiah 9:10.
Jonathan Cahn has a new book out on this subject called "The Harbinger." And I am in the midst of producing a DVD documentary on the subject, with his cooperation, called "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment," which I hope to release toward the end of January.
This story starts about 3,000 years ago. You can read about it in 1 Kings. Solomon builds the Temple according to his father's instructions. The Temple is dedicated to the Lord in a ceremony that lasts days. Then in chapter 9, the Lord appears to Solomon. And here's what He says in 1 Kings 9:3-9: "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou has made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou has built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
"And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
"Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
"But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
"Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
"And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?
"And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil."
Here we see what we so often see in the Bible – promise of a blessing for obedience and a curse of turning away from the Lord.
And we all know the outcome, so I'm not giving anything away here. Long before the death of Solomon, the children of Israel began to turn away from the commandments and serve and worship other gods. Even Solomon himself turns to this kind of spiritual adultery – leading to the divided kingdom in one generation.
But the dividing of the kingdom was yet just a warning, a harbinger, a limited judgment. God was shaking His people trying to get their attention and return them to the covenant.
He sent them prophets like Isaiah to rebuke them and correct them. But still they would not listen. They put their faith not in God, but in various military alliances and their own resourcefulness – both in Israel and in Judah. As you might remember from your Bible studies, the northern kingdom of Israel even allied itself with Syria against the southern kingdom of Judah.
As we learn in Chapter 9 in Isaiah, God used one of the severest of enemies of both Judah and Israel, the Assyrians, to strike the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali in the northern kingdom. This was another one of those limited judgments the Lord was using to turn the people away from their sin.
Did it work?
We get the answer beginning in Isaiah 9:8 – and all the way through the end of chapter 9. You should take the time to read all that carefully later. But, for now, I want to focus just on the key to understanding this message today: Isaiah 9:8-12: "The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
"And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
"Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin (king of Syria) against him, and join his enemies together;
"The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
The key verse of this presentation is the highlighted one you see – Isaiah 9:10. "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." What's happening here is that God has judged the nation, but the people are defiant – and expressing their defiance. Instead of turning to God in repentance after this attack from the Syrians, they are proudly and arrogantly expressing their faith in THEMSELVES. God, you may have knocked down our bricks, but we'll just rebuild with hewn stone (like the kind that were used to build the Temple). You might have knocked down our little sycamore trees, but we will replant bigger cedars in their place.
This proud spirit of defiance leads to God removing His hedge of protection over the nation and more judgments – all still simply intended to bring the people around to repentance and obedience and covenant. As you see at the end of verse 12, God still has his hand out to the people: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
But we all know what eventually follows for His people and the two nations. First the northern kingdom is swept away by invaders. And later, the southern kingdom is carried off into captivity for 70 years.
But what does this have to do with the United States of America – particularly what we experienced on 9/11 and thereafter?
It's really an amazing story.
But first, let's begin with a little forgotten American history, because the parallels between the foundation of this country and the foundation of Israel are quite striking.
April 30, 1789, is a profound date in American history with similarities to Solomon's dedication of the Temple. It actually represents the real birth of the United States of America. Some of you are probably scratching your heads and wondering why this date is unfamiliar to you. You are probably thinking the country was born on July 4, 1776, with the Declaration of Independence. But that was merely the date our independence was declared. We weren't really a functioning country at that point. There were years of war that followed. And it wasn't until April 30, 1789, that George Washington, our first president, gave his inaugural address, following the ratification of our Constitution, and we had a functioning federal government for the first time.
You might want to read Washington's proclamations that day, because they hold a striking resemblance to what Solomon said at the dedication of the Temple – that God would bless the nation if it remained obedient, but He would judge the nation if it did not.
The location of that speech is also of note. It took place at America's first capital city – New York. Immediately following the inauguration at Federal Hall, George Washington led the Senate and the House of Representatives in a procession through the streets of the nation's capital to the place appointed for prayer at St. Paul's Chapel a few blocks away.
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn suggest judgment came to America on Sept. 11, 2001, at the precise location of the nation's spiritual dedication – just as it came to Solomon's Temple, the location of the nation's spiritual dedication.
The foundation of Federal Hall was actually cracked by the explosions of 9/11. St. Paul's Chapel became known as the "miracle church" that survived the attack.
I think very few people associate the 9/11 attack and the destruction of the Twin Towers with the location of America's spiritual dedication. But there's much more to the parallels with ancient Israel.
The day after the attack, Sept. 12, 2001, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was chosen to speak to the nation from the Capitol. You probably don't remember this speech. I sure didn't. But this is the key speech that brings the Isaiah 9:10 effect into the 9/11 attack. Because, just like the leaders of Judah and Israel back in Isaiah's time, it begins to show us that we missed the message God was sending when he sent our enemies to attack us. This is a speech you have to see, not just read:
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s speech before Congress on September 12th, 2001
I want you to notice that Daschle has no idea what he is doing here. He is embracing the spiritually defiant and arrogant words of the children of Israel, the leaders of that nation, and uttering them as words of comfort. He doesn't realize the context of the message – these are words that invite more judgment. It's worth noting that Daschle, one of the most powerful men in the nation when he spoke those words, later fell into disgrace – to the point where he couldn't even serve in Barack Obama's Cabinet. I mean, that's disgrace. Obama's Cabinet is like a rogue's gallery. But Daschle's nomination had to be withdrawn.
Was that the end of the Isaiah 9:10 connection to the events of 9/11? Not by a long shot. It was merely the beginning. On the third anniversary of Sept. 11, in 2004, another powerful U.S. senator, then running for vice president, gave a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus. What did he say?
Senator John Edwards’ speech before the Congressional Black Cuacus on the Third Anniversary of 911
Like Daschle, Edwards thinks he's invoking inspirational and comforting words from the Bible, but he's actually inviting judgment on America. He's repeating the words that angered God to the point where he decided to turn up the heat on Israel.
And Daschle and Edwards were hardly alone among U.S. leaders. It started the day after 9/11 and continues right through today. I urge you to read Jonathan Cahn's "The Harbinger" to see the other amazing parallels between the history of behind Isaiah 9:10 and America's 9/11.
Specifically, you will learn about the sycamores felled in the 9/11 attack and the way they were replaced by cedars. You will learn that after the bricks fell, hewn stones were brought to the site in ceremonies of rededication to build stronger and bigger and better.
You will also learn about the continuing judgments directly tied to 9/11 – a series of economic judgments that began as a direct result six days after the attacks and continue to plague America today.
My hope is that I have at least whet your appetite for more – the book by Jonathan Cahn available now and the documentary I am producing for the weeks ahead.
What I have learned in a few short months since I began studying the Isaiah 9:10 effect has changed my entire perception of 9/11 and the future of America. It has been a wake-up call that I believe the entire nation needs to hear. I hope and pray you will help me spread the word.
The Harbinger written by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Is it possible that there exists an ancient mystery in which is hidden the secret of America’s future? Is it possible that this mystery lies behind everything from 9/11, to the War in Iraq, to the American housing bubble and its bursting, to the crash of Wall Street and the global economy, to the Great Recession and much more, even the President of the United States?
It might sound like the plot of a science fiction or Indiana Jones movie — but it’s real. One more question: Is it possible that God is now sending a prophetic word to America, a word of warning that the nation lies in danger, and unless it returns to Him is heading for impending judgment?
A number of years ago, as I was standing at the edge of Ground Zero in New York City, I came across the first puzzle piece of an ancient biblical mystery and a prophetic message known as The Harbinger that concerns the future of America. My friend Sid Roth asked if I could give you, his Mishpochah (family), some exclusive insight into the mystery of The Harbinger.
The Nine Harbingers of Judgment
Before God judges a nation, He sends warning. He sent warning to ancient Israel. He even allowed its enemies to breach its borders in a devastating strike that would traumatize the nation. It was a wake-up call, the call to return to God. But the nation responded with defiance. God then gave Nine Harbingers of Judgment, nine prophetic signs, alarms, and foreshadows of what was to come.
Now America is the nation in rapid departure from God’s will. And God has likewise allowed an enemy to breach its borders in a devastating strike — the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was, likewise, a wake-up call. But America, like Israel, has not responded with repentance but with defiance. And now the Nine Harbingers of Judgment have reappeared and have done so on American soil. Four harbingers have manifested at Ground Zero, two harbingers in Washington, D.C., and several involving the highest of American leaders — each harbinger containing a prophetic message and warning. There isn’t space here to even begin to cover all the mysteries — but I’ll touch on one of the Nine Harbingers and three of the mysteries.
The Word that Pronounced Judgment on America
As the dust settled on ancient Israel after the first attack and calamity, the nation’s leaders uttered a specific series of words. The words formed a vow of defiance (see Isaiah 9:10). It would seal their fate. It would declare that they would not repent before God, but would defy Him instead. It was the Ninth Harbinger. It would seal their fate as a nation and lead to their destruction.
On the very morning after September 11th, the Ninth Harbinger now manifested in America. It happened in Washington, D.C. On that day, from Capitol Hill, out of the mouth of the Senate Majority Leader, proceeded the exact same words uttered by the leaders of ancient Israel 2,500 years before, in the last days of that nation’s judgment (Isaiah 9:10). Having no idea what he was doing, the Majority Leader was declaring America as under the judgment of God. It was the reenactment of an ancient mystery — and bore the most grave of consequences.
The Biblical Secret that Caused America’s Economic Collapse
According to the ancient mystery revealed in the Book of Isaiah, if after that first calamity and warning, the nation doesn’t return to God but responds in defiance, it will end up triggering a second calamity. It was because of this ancient key, that, seven years after 9/11, the American economy collapsed. In the days after 9/11, the Federal Reserve slashed the base interest rate in an attempt to defy the consequences of the attacks. That action put us on the path leading to the collapse of the American economy seven years later.
In 2008, the government made a second fatal mistake, another ill-fated financial decision, that would trigger the collapse of the American economy. Amazingly, it took place on the seventh anniversary of the uttering of the ancient vow on Capitol Hill.Wall Street and the Mystery of the Shemitah
As the prophets gazed out at the ruins of ancient Israel, they realized that there was a mystery to the timing of God’s judgment. That mystery centered on the biblical Shemitah. Every seventh year, the Shemitah, or Sabbath Year, would cause the land to rest, when sowing and reaping, buying and selling, would come to a standstill. The Shemitah was unique in that it specifically affected the nation’s economic and financial realms — wiping out all accounts of credit and debt. For the nation that departs from God, the Shemitah becomes a sign of judgment.
The year of Shemitah reaches its culmination on the last day of the Hebrew year. In September of 2008 came the greatest stock market point crash in American history. When did it happen? On the biblical day of the Shemitah — the very day when credit and debt, the accounts of the financial realm, are wiped away! Seven years earlier was the second largest crash in American history — it was the one caused by 9/11. When did that crash take place? On the day of the Shemitah! Thus the two greatest financial collapses in American history both happened on the exact same Hebrew day — the day of the Shemitah — the sign of a nation departed from God. And the night after each of America’s stock market crashes came the Feast of Trumpets, the sounding of the shofar — the other biblical sign of judgment.
America’s Mystery Ground
When judgment came to Israel, the calamity returned the people’s attention to the place where the nation had been consecrated to God — the Temple Mount. God was calling the nation back to Himself. What about 9/11? Could there be, in the American calamity, as well, a mystery of return? Could there be a prophetic message hidden in the place where it happened? There is a place, where America was consecrated to God in prayer. It is also a place linked to a prophetic warning given on that same day — uttered by the nation’s first President — now coming to pass. What is that place? Ground Zero.
In 1789, newly inaugurated President, George Washington, gave a prophetic warning at Federal Hall in New York City. He declared that America’s prosperity and protection were dependent upon its adherence to God. Later, the political leaders of this young nation gathered at St. Paul’s Chapel to commit the nation’s future to God’s purposes. That Chapel is located at Ground Zero and survived 9/11 virtually unscathed.
Things to Come and the Call of the Watchmen
Two years before 9/11, I stood overlooking the Hudson River in a gathering of prayer for God’s mercy on New York — a gathering based on a prophetic sense that a terrorist attack would come to the city in future days. As I led in prayer, my focus was drawn to the two towers of the World Trade Center across the water. A deep sense came over me of things yet to come for America. Two years later it would all begin.
There is much more concerning the ancient mystery and what the future holds than I could possibly share here — but I do so now as a prophetic call to you as God’s people. On the biblical calendar, September is the time of the trumpet call, the days of repentance, and the calling to return. Our nation is in danger — and God is calling. Pray for America, for God’s mercy, for repentance, and revival. Arm yourself by ordering my seven CD series that reveals these ancient mysteries hidden in the pages of biblical prophecy (see ordering information on the right). Then pray that the message of The Harbinger now goes forth.
The signs are clear — the Nine Harbingers of Judgment have appeared, the sign of Shemitah has been fulfilled, the ancient progression of judgment has advanced to the next stage, each one a foreshadow. What then does the future hold in store for America — and for us?
Jonathan Cahn is Rabbi and Pastor of the Jerusalem Center in Wayne, NJ, and leader of Hope of the World Ministries.
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn is the presiding Rabbi of the congregation my wife and I are members of at the Beth Israel Jerusalem Center in Wayne, New Jersey, located on 11 Railroad Avenue. Shabbat services are held every Friday at 8:00PM and Sunday morning services are held at 11:00AM every Sunday in commemoration of the Messiah’s resurrection. It behooves every person reading this and my other articles in my Watchman’s series to pay close attention to this one, and understand that what happened to the kingdom of Israel for its disobedience to the fundamental Laws of G-d is happening to America even as I write this.
Like Israel, which split into a northern and southern kingdoms, and was led into exile, America also was split into a northern union and a southern confederacy during our own period of civil war, and we are now facing an engineered economic collapse of such a magnitude that it is about to bring great changes to every nation on this planet in the coming year. We have exiled ourselves from the precepts and concepts that built this nation into the greatest republic the world has ever known.
At its founding, the greatest collection of minds ever assembled in one place and at one time, providentially gathered to draft the most equitable and far reaching document outside of the Bible – a document so truly unique that it would protect the rights and liberties of its citizens for generations to come. But today we are governed by their complete opposites. Our nation has for quite some time, been beset with men and women who have not had its best interests at heart, but whose allegiances and careers been tailored by a monied interests of international banking cartel of the world’s richest families, and not those of the American people who elected them to office.
Through the policies of successive legislation and court orders, enacted by our elected representatives and presidents, we now stand at the precipice of our own demise. The dollar stands at the brink of collapse, in fact some say it is eminent and will occur sometime this year, the Euro has been propped up with an capital infusion on Christmas Day by the Federal Reserve of $639 billion dollars, which the ECB then disbursed to its troubled banks, because Germany got tired of having to bail the rest of Europe out. Interestingly, this little act inflated the dollar even more and went – like so many other things – unreported by the alphabet soup channel media. Through continued foreign entanglements and interests, our military is currently spread to over one hundred nations across the planet, and the costs of so much of our blood has been to profit the powerful and elusive interests of the banking cartel who control our politicians and our media. It has done little for America.
The repercussions of what is about to happen to America for its departure from its biblical foundation, and the continued apathy and false belief by a great number of its Evangelicals and Catholics that “the rapture” will spare them any suffering, as well as the deceptive 100 year old doctrine that because we are living in the end of days, and G-d’s kingdom is not of this world; has resulted in a great number of Christians do not get involved in civil or political affairs. They have lost their effectiveness and influence in American society in being the light of the world and salt of the earth. An injunction that Jesus gave to all His followers, which if applied properly, would change the course of this nation and nations like it radically. Rather, because of Christian apathy and complacency and irresponsibility; we have seen the fall of our republic, as more and more Christians go about their daily routine and await the second coming the Messiah without doing a thing about the deterioration of our social values and the crumbling morality we see around US in our nation today.
It would do good to every person reading this and watching the videos, to heed the warning, regardless of whether or not they are Christians, Catholics, Coptics, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or even agnostic, or atheist in their beliefs, and to assess what exactly is happening, because if we as a people do not turn this nation around from its current course and change its trajectory, there will be a collapse of our nation and civilization the likes of which will make all of the rest pale in insignificance. Now why do I way this? Because of this nation’s unique historical Judeo-Christian origins.
Aside from the ancient nation of Israel and the Jewish people, there has never existed a union of communities quite like what we have in this great republic in its founding documents, its most cherished precepts, and its most beloved traditions – all founded upon the bedrock of the Holy Scriptures in our Judeo-Christian principles which have for generations formed the bedrock of our nation. This has never been witnessed in history, with the exception of ancient Israel. And because the only nation that parallels it is Israel, therefore it is from the history of Israel and the Holy Scriptures – the Hebrew Bible – where we must go to find the answers, and having found the answers; we must act quickly if we are to forestall and prevent the continued deterioration of our society and the fall of our beloved nation.
Please pay close attention to what you are about to read, and consider how you and your community, and other communities like yours within our nation fit into the overall picture, but most importantly, what we as a people can do about it. And remember where you and your family stand this coming year – 2012 – will depend upon the decisions you make today for your future tomorrow, and where and in whom you place your faith and your trust; in fallible men as the country did in 2008 when it voted for the current president believing he could fix all problems, right all wrongs, and rendered to him almost godlike qualities – a demigod among his peers as many of you reading this thought of him – yes, those who claim to be people of faith.
Faith is good if faith is placed in G-d, but faith in man will only lead to disappointment and despair. “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto the Lord what is the Lord’s” by doing your civic duties and taking a stand with your vote, with your voice, with your house of worship, and impact your community, and “let your light so shine before men, “ being “a city set on a hill,” and you will impact our nation for good, and take it back from the globalist special interests, the secular humanists, the Anti-Semites and Anti-Christians, and the Muslim hoards who occupy our country and build mosques all around it as shrines to their conquest of our great republic. Do it now, do it today, and be proactive not inactive by “coping out” and claiming that you don’t get into politics or religion, and that only “spiritual matters” occupy your interests. That’s only an excuse for doing nothing, and that is why the Anti-Semites and Anti-Christ elements have won battle after battle in our courts and in our legislatures.
The time for excuses is long past, and those who resist evil in our age must stand up against the coming tyranny and darkness that will beset the human race. It is time again for Americans to bring our nation to the forefront in its fight against the evil of our day, and bring it back from the brink of total economic, systemic, and societal collapse to which our current leaders have led it. It is time to arise and shine in the darkness, and do good.
And those of US who recognize and know the name and identity of the Messiah must with patience and with understanding share what we know with those who do not as yet know Him or His name, because His face has been hidden from His people for too long now, and we must stand in the breach and be the voices crying in the wilderness of this age; the Elijah of our age – shouting to the world that Moschiach’s coming draws near, and that if America stands on the right side with Israel and its people, even in the face of world opposition – it will be spared the wrath to come.
Make no mistake about it, it’s going to get ugly out there, and if you haven’t noticed, SINCE THE OLSO ACCORDS, AMERICA HAS LED THE NATIONS IN BEING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE EQUATION WITH ISRAEL, AND THIS PRESIDENT HAS FAST-TRACKED IT BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME, AND HE HAS GREAT WRATH AGAINST ISRAEL AND AGAINST JEWS AND CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE THEY ARE G-D’S PEOPLE.
November, and what we do between now and then with our lives, with ourselves, with G-d, with our friends, families, and communities, with our vote; will determine the future of this great republic. Like Neniveh, we have been given a reprieve; it is up to US what we as a nation and a people will do with it before the end of this year. We messed up royally in 2008 and have been messing up for a long time. Let’s get it right before we finish ourselves off.
The article I cite above is titled, Isaiah 9:10: America under judgment?
It can be accessed on World Net Daily at the following link:
http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/isaiah-910-america-under-judgment/
An earlier article written by Rabbi Cahn on the Harbinger based upon his book of the same name, can be found at the following URL:
http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10453
For those who wish to read both of these articles here, rather than on those sites - if they have any problems accessing them, or if they ever get pulled down at some future date - I have included both of them below for their reading.
Isaiah 9:10: America under judgment? Written by Joseph Farah
Posted: December 30, 2011
1:45 am Eastern
There is an obscure verse in the Bible that seems to be speaking to America today as it spoke to ancient Israel – shortly before the nation was judged, invaded and dispersed.
It was through the work of a messianic rabbi in New Jersey that I learned of the striking parallels between what happened in Israel and what is already happening to the U.S. – all revolving around Isaiah 9:10.
Jonathan Cahn has a new book out on this subject called "The Harbinger." And I am in the midst of producing a DVD documentary on the subject, with his cooperation, called "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment," which I hope to release toward the end of January.
This story starts about 3,000 years ago. You can read about it in 1 Kings. Solomon builds the Temple according to his father's instructions. The Temple is dedicated to the Lord in a ceremony that lasts days. Then in chapter 9, the Lord appears to Solomon. And here's what He says in 1 Kings 9:3-9: "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou has made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou has built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
"And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
"Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
"But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
"Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
"And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?
"And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil."
Here we see what we so often see in the Bible – promise of a blessing for obedience and a curse of turning away from the Lord.
And we all know the outcome, so I'm not giving anything away here. Long before the death of Solomon, the children of Israel began to turn away from the commandments and serve and worship other gods. Even Solomon himself turns to this kind of spiritual adultery – leading to the divided kingdom in one generation.
But the dividing of the kingdom was yet just a warning, a harbinger, a limited judgment. God was shaking His people trying to get their attention and return them to the covenant.
He sent them prophets like Isaiah to rebuke them and correct them. But still they would not listen. They put their faith not in God, but in various military alliances and their own resourcefulness – both in Israel and in Judah. As you might remember from your Bible studies, the northern kingdom of Israel even allied itself with Syria against the southern kingdom of Judah.
As we learn in Chapter 9 in Isaiah, God used one of the severest of enemies of both Judah and Israel, the Assyrians, to strike the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali in the northern kingdom. This was another one of those limited judgments the Lord was using to turn the people away from their sin.
Did it work?
We get the answer beginning in Isaiah 9:8 – and all the way through the end of chapter 9. You should take the time to read all that carefully later. But, for now, I want to focus just on the key to understanding this message today: Isaiah 9:8-12: "The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
"And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
"Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin (king of Syria) against him, and join his enemies together;
"The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
The key verse of this presentation is the highlighted one you see – Isaiah 9:10. "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." What's happening here is that God has judged the nation, but the people are defiant – and expressing their defiance. Instead of turning to God in repentance after this attack from the Syrians, they are proudly and arrogantly expressing their faith in THEMSELVES. God, you may have knocked down our bricks, but we'll just rebuild with hewn stone (like the kind that were used to build the Temple). You might have knocked down our little sycamore trees, but we will replant bigger cedars in their place.
This proud spirit of defiance leads to God removing His hedge of protection over the nation and more judgments – all still simply intended to bring the people around to repentance and obedience and covenant. As you see at the end of verse 12, God still has his hand out to the people: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
But we all know what eventually follows for His people and the two nations. First the northern kingdom is swept away by invaders. And later, the southern kingdom is carried off into captivity for 70 years.
But what does this have to do with the United States of America – particularly what we experienced on 9/11 and thereafter?
It's really an amazing story.
But first, let's begin with a little forgotten American history, because the parallels between the foundation of this country and the foundation of Israel are quite striking.
April 30, 1789, is a profound date in American history with similarities to Solomon's dedication of the Temple. It actually represents the real birth of the United States of America. Some of you are probably scratching your heads and wondering why this date is unfamiliar to you. You are probably thinking the country was born on July 4, 1776, with the Declaration of Independence. But that was merely the date our independence was declared. We weren't really a functioning country at that point. There were years of war that followed. And it wasn't until April 30, 1789, that George Washington, our first president, gave his inaugural address, following the ratification of our Constitution, and we had a functioning federal government for the first time.
You might want to read Washington's proclamations that day, because they hold a striking resemblance to what Solomon said at the dedication of the Temple – that God would bless the nation if it remained obedient, but He would judge the nation if it did not.
The location of that speech is also of note. It took place at America's first capital city – New York. Immediately following the inauguration at Federal Hall, George Washington led the Senate and the House of Representatives in a procession through the streets of the nation's capital to the place appointed for prayer at St. Paul's Chapel a few blocks away.
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn suggest judgment came to America on Sept. 11, 2001, at the precise location of the nation's spiritual dedication – just as it came to Solomon's Temple, the location of the nation's spiritual dedication.
The foundation of Federal Hall was actually cracked by the explosions of 9/11. St. Paul's Chapel became known as the "miracle church" that survived the attack.
I think very few people associate the 9/11 attack and the destruction of the Twin Towers with the location of America's spiritual dedication. But there's much more to the parallels with ancient Israel.
The day after the attack, Sept. 12, 2001, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was chosen to speak to the nation from the Capitol. You probably don't remember this speech. I sure didn't. But this is the key speech that brings the Isaiah 9:10 effect into the 9/11 attack. Because, just like the leaders of Judah and Israel back in Isaiah's time, it begins to show us that we missed the message God was sending when he sent our enemies to attack us. This is a speech you have to see, not just read:
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s speech before Congress on September 12th, 2001
I want you to notice that Daschle has no idea what he is doing here. He is embracing the spiritually defiant and arrogant words of the children of Israel, the leaders of that nation, and uttering them as words of comfort. He doesn't realize the context of the message – these are words that invite more judgment. It's worth noting that Daschle, one of the most powerful men in the nation when he spoke those words, later fell into disgrace – to the point where he couldn't even serve in Barack Obama's Cabinet. I mean, that's disgrace. Obama's Cabinet is like a rogue's gallery. But Daschle's nomination had to be withdrawn.
Was that the end of the Isaiah 9:10 connection to the events of 9/11? Not by a long shot. It was merely the beginning. On the third anniversary of Sept. 11, in 2004, another powerful U.S. senator, then running for vice president, gave a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus. What did he say?
Senator John Edwards’ speech before the Congressional Black Cuacus on the Third Anniversary of 911
Like Daschle, Edwards thinks he's invoking inspirational and comforting words from the Bible, but he's actually inviting judgment on America. He's repeating the words that angered God to the point where he decided to turn up the heat on Israel.
And Daschle and Edwards were hardly alone among U.S. leaders. It started the day after 9/11 and continues right through today. I urge you to read Jonathan Cahn's "The Harbinger" to see the other amazing parallels between the history of behind Isaiah 9:10 and America's 9/11.
Specifically, you will learn about the sycamores felled in the 9/11 attack and the way they were replaced by cedars. You will learn that after the bricks fell, hewn stones were brought to the site in ceremonies of rededication to build stronger and bigger and better.
You will also learn about the continuing judgments directly tied to 9/11 – a series of economic judgments that began as a direct result six days after the attacks and continue to plague America today.
My hope is that I have at least whet your appetite for more – the book by Jonathan Cahn available now and the documentary I am producing for the weeks ahead.
What I have learned in a few short months since I began studying the Isaiah 9:10 effect has changed my entire perception of 9/11 and the future of America. It has been a wake-up call that I believe the entire nation needs to hear. I hope and pray you will help me spread the word.
The Harbinger written by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Is it possible that there exists an ancient mystery in which is hidden the secret of America’s future? Is it possible that this mystery lies behind everything from 9/11, to the War in Iraq, to the American housing bubble and its bursting, to the crash of Wall Street and the global economy, to the Great Recession and much more, even the President of the United States?
It might sound like the plot of a science fiction or Indiana Jones movie — but it’s real. One more question: Is it possible that God is now sending a prophetic word to America, a word of warning that the nation lies in danger, and unless it returns to Him is heading for impending judgment?
A number of years ago, as I was standing at the edge of Ground Zero in New York City, I came across the first puzzle piece of an ancient biblical mystery and a prophetic message known as The Harbinger that concerns the future of America. My friend Sid Roth asked if I could give you, his Mishpochah (family), some exclusive insight into the mystery of The Harbinger.
The Nine Harbingers of Judgment
Before God judges a nation, He sends warning. He sent warning to ancient Israel. He even allowed its enemies to breach its borders in a devastating strike that would traumatize the nation. It was a wake-up call, the call to return to God. But the nation responded with defiance. God then gave Nine Harbingers of Judgment, nine prophetic signs, alarms, and foreshadows of what was to come.
Now America is the nation in rapid departure from God’s will. And God has likewise allowed an enemy to breach its borders in a devastating strike — the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was, likewise, a wake-up call. But America, like Israel, has not responded with repentance but with defiance. And now the Nine Harbingers of Judgment have reappeared and have done so on American soil. Four harbingers have manifested at Ground Zero, two harbingers in Washington, D.C., and several involving the highest of American leaders — each harbinger containing a prophetic message and warning. There isn’t space here to even begin to cover all the mysteries — but I’ll touch on one of the Nine Harbingers and three of the mysteries.
The Word that Pronounced Judgment on America
As the dust settled on ancient Israel after the first attack and calamity, the nation’s leaders uttered a specific series of words. The words formed a vow of defiance (see Isaiah 9:10). It would seal their fate. It would declare that they would not repent before God, but would defy Him instead. It was the Ninth Harbinger. It would seal their fate as a nation and lead to their destruction.
On the very morning after September 11th, the Ninth Harbinger now manifested in America. It happened in Washington, D.C. On that day, from Capitol Hill, out of the mouth of the Senate Majority Leader, proceeded the exact same words uttered by the leaders of ancient Israel 2,500 years before, in the last days of that nation’s judgment (Isaiah 9:10). Having no idea what he was doing, the Majority Leader was declaring America as under the judgment of God. It was the reenactment of an ancient mystery — and bore the most grave of consequences.
The Biblical Secret that Caused America’s Economic Collapse
According to the ancient mystery revealed in the Book of Isaiah, if after that first calamity and warning, the nation doesn’t return to God but responds in defiance, it will end up triggering a second calamity. It was because of this ancient key, that, seven years after 9/11, the American economy collapsed. In the days after 9/11, the Federal Reserve slashed the base interest rate in an attempt to defy the consequences of the attacks. That action put us on the path leading to the collapse of the American economy seven years later.
In 2008, the government made a second fatal mistake, another ill-fated financial decision, that would trigger the collapse of the American economy. Amazingly, it took place on the seventh anniversary of the uttering of the ancient vow on Capitol Hill.Wall Street and the Mystery of the Shemitah
As the prophets gazed out at the ruins of ancient Israel, they realized that there was a mystery to the timing of God’s judgment. That mystery centered on the biblical Shemitah. Every seventh year, the Shemitah, or Sabbath Year, would cause the land to rest, when sowing and reaping, buying and selling, would come to a standstill. The Shemitah was unique in that it specifically affected the nation’s economic and financial realms — wiping out all accounts of credit and debt. For the nation that departs from God, the Shemitah becomes a sign of judgment.
The year of Shemitah reaches its culmination on the last day of the Hebrew year. In September of 2008 came the greatest stock market point crash in American history. When did it happen? On the biblical day of the Shemitah — the very day when credit and debt, the accounts of the financial realm, are wiped away! Seven years earlier was the second largest crash in American history — it was the one caused by 9/11. When did that crash take place? On the day of the Shemitah! Thus the two greatest financial collapses in American history both happened on the exact same Hebrew day — the day of the Shemitah — the sign of a nation departed from God. And the night after each of America’s stock market crashes came the Feast of Trumpets, the sounding of the shofar — the other biblical sign of judgment.
America’s Mystery Ground
When judgment came to Israel, the calamity returned the people’s attention to the place where the nation had been consecrated to God — the Temple Mount. God was calling the nation back to Himself. What about 9/11? Could there be, in the American calamity, as well, a mystery of return? Could there be a prophetic message hidden in the place where it happened? There is a place, where America was consecrated to God in prayer. It is also a place linked to a prophetic warning given on that same day — uttered by the nation’s first President — now coming to pass. What is that place? Ground Zero.
In 1789, newly inaugurated President, George Washington, gave a prophetic warning at Federal Hall in New York City. He declared that America’s prosperity and protection were dependent upon its adherence to God. Later, the political leaders of this young nation gathered at St. Paul’s Chapel to commit the nation’s future to God’s purposes. That Chapel is located at Ground Zero and survived 9/11 virtually unscathed.
Things to Come and the Call of the Watchmen
Two years before 9/11, I stood overlooking the Hudson River in a gathering of prayer for God’s mercy on New York — a gathering based on a prophetic sense that a terrorist attack would come to the city in future days. As I led in prayer, my focus was drawn to the two towers of the World Trade Center across the water. A deep sense came over me of things yet to come for America. Two years later it would all begin.
There is much more concerning the ancient mystery and what the future holds than I could possibly share here — but I do so now as a prophetic call to you as God’s people. On the biblical calendar, September is the time of the trumpet call, the days of repentance, and the calling to return. Our nation is in danger — and God is calling. Pray for America, for God’s mercy, for repentance, and revival. Arm yourself by ordering my seven CD series that reveals these ancient mysteries hidden in the pages of biblical prophecy (see ordering information on the right). Then pray that the message of The Harbinger now goes forth.
The signs are clear — the Nine Harbingers of Judgment have appeared, the sign of Shemitah has been fulfilled, the ancient progression of judgment has advanced to the next stage, each one a foreshadow. What then does the future hold in store for America — and for us?
Jonathan Cahn is Rabbi and Pastor of the Jerusalem Center in Wayne, NJ, and leader of Hope of the World Ministries.
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