2222

 On Wednesday, June 26^th, we received an email requesting our thoughts about, among others, the “Nephilim”. It so happens that they are also mentioned in this week’s Parasha (Numbers 13:33). Some of you may remember that a couple of years ago, I had an ‘encounter’ with Time. The number 333 kept popping up several times during the week, resulting in an article by that name. Not remembering the date I posted it, I opened up the blog site, and the first thing that stood out was the number of postings: 333. When I searched for the article mentioned above, I was surprised that it was posted on June 26^th, 2020. For the past week, the number phenomenon has recurred again, only this time the digits were 222 or 2222.  This begs questions about the Nephilim, and their connection to the reoccurrence of 2’s.   

In recent years, there has been a growing fascination in Christian/Messianic circles with enigmatic-supernatural phenomena, such as extra-terrestrials, the Nephilim (first mentioned in Genesis 6:4), and more… Numerous efforts are being made toward that end. Dreams, visions, and extra-biblical narratives are melded together and presented in a variety of ways in order to satisfy the interest in these topics. As mentioned, the subject of Nephilim, and even their “return”, has been primary. The root meaning of “Nephilim” in Hebrew is “fallen ones”, with the principal consonants being n.ph.l (noon, pey/phey, lamed). Even though we are not about to delve here into the subject of the ancient Nephilim, as such, it’s worthwhile examining the literal meaning of Genesis 6:4 (as translated in the NRS version): “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of Elohim went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown”. Notice that the children of the sons of Elohim and the daughters of humans are not classified as being the same as the Nephilim. Yet, the former, as well as the latter are all defined as “heroes/mighty men of renown” of that era. However, the text informs us that the Nephilim continued to exist beyond that era. We meet them again in the Promised Land, during the exploratory journey of the twelve spies who were dispatched by Moses (Numbers 13:1ff).

As we know, ten of the twelve spies “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘the land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.  There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight’" (Numbers 13:32-33 emphasis added).

Again, what does this have to do with 222 or 2222?  To find out, I turned to 2^nd Peter 2:22 (2222).   “It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit’, and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire’".  Who are the “them”? I prayed. Going back and reading the whole chapter opened the door to further understanding of today's “Nephilim” (the fallen ones).

In 2^nd Peter 2:20 (222), we read: “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first”.  These are the same ones who are mentioned in Hebrews: “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of Elohim, and put Him to open shame” (6:4-6 emphasis added).  Paul also mentions “falling” in Galatians: “You have been severed from Messiah, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (5:4 emphasis added).

Peter warns the true believers that: “there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2^nd Peter 2:1). The most dangerous of all the false prophets and teachers are those who have “tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away”. Along the way many of those have gained the status of “men of renown”. 

With all that said, I now understand why the Holy Spirit drew my attention to numbers marking time and to other digits. YHVH was making clear to me how intimately He is involved in every millisecond of our lives. We are warned not to be like the ten spies who saw themselves as grasshoppers compared to the Nephilim (and also imagined that the latter were perceiving them thusly).  Some of the fallen false teachers are extremely intelligent, gifted, and charismatic, so much so that you may feel like a grasshopper by comparison.  Be careful not to be distracted by the ancient unseen Nephilim, while at the same time being deceived by the ones you see, thus getting dangerously close to an impending fall. 

Invasion

 Invasion

1“Ask rain from YHVH at the time of the spring rain-- YHVH who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man. 2 For the teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see lying visions, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd” (Zechariah 10:1-2).  

Two weeks ago, we published an article centered on this scripture, but going over these words again, we discovered an emphasis that needs to be added from the literal Hebrew rendering.  Thus, where it says “for” in the English translation, the Hebrew word is “ki” (caf yod), which, if translated literally, is “because”.  Why must we “ask” the Almighty to send this latter-day rain? It is because of the reality described in the following verse (v. 2). If we examine our world, especially in its most recent displays, we must admit that this particular word of YHVH to Zechariah is very applicable now. Some of what characterizes our world, its opinions, and actions is brought to bear very accurately in the following interview with Douglas Murray, which is a ‘must’. He is a true watchman and is not afraid to state the facts as they are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTXB8sWfCDE

In the past, we encouraged you to watch the documentary “Farewell Israel”, which gives a perspective on the agenda of Islam, and that is to avenge the Western civilization for what they inflicted upon the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire.  In the 1990s Saddam Hussein stated that he would start the “mother of all wars,” and being true to his word, he did so by dragging the most powerful nation on earth into the Middle East conflict.  Since that time, the Muslim army of civilian refugees has been flooding, by the millions, the countries of the three main armies that chopped up the Caliphate: Britain, France, and the US.  While this invasion was going on, the enemy threw up a smoke screen called the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  Under this fog, no one seemed to notice that the refugees were not going to other Muslim countries but only to the West.  Sadly, the Biblical word called to, “Look and see what I will speak to you” (Habakkuk 2:1), but only a few of Elohim’s people had ears to hear or eyes to see.  Instead of paying attention to “thus says YHVH”, they were blinded by lying spirits. The Jews and Christians alike were sympathetic toward those fleeing the wars in the Middle East and Africa (caused by Islamic Jihad). The former unwittingly “comforted in vain” these refugees and were deceived by lying spirits, false prophets, and teachers who left the sheep without shepherds. 

Thankfully, we may still have a window of time as the Great Shepherd of Israel will, as prophesied, come for His sheep: “For thus says YHVH Elohim, ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day’” (Ezekiel 34:11-12 emphasis added).  

We are to ask for the latter rain because we are grieving over the condition of YHVH’s flock, the whole House of Israel. We are grieving over the condition of Western civilization as we watch it self-destruct by YHVH’s righteous judgments. Jews and Christians alike should know that there are consequences to sin and iniquity - no rewards, only punishments. The sword of Islam just may be the curse that falls on the decadence of Western civilization (see Mal. 4:6 and Hab 1:5-11).

Some time ago, a very prominent Islamic thinker (an Israeli citizen who had betrayed the State and was eventually arrested) boasted that although the Jews have become very influential in democratic nations, the Muslims will outdo them.  What did he mean? Simply, ‘we will educate our young people to become lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, scientists, bankers, politicians, etc., areas where the Jews have excelled, but we will become better at it.’ This is a new form of Jihad, a takeover that will eventually end up in the rule of Islamic Law. Cutting off the heads of the sinners and maybe even a few of the saints may become the norm. On October 7^th, the Almighty One of Israel sent a stern warning and a gauge to test men’s hearts.