From the Editors Desk December 2018
—A NEW WEBSITE—
Editor: I received the following e-mail from Jeff Casillo from South Carolina. I never mention names but, this gives me an opportunity to recommend Jeff’s new internet site Understanding God’s Laws that came on stream this past month. We like it and have linked it to our website, so you can connect it through ours if you like.
Many Bible scholars have suggested we are in the midst of God’s Judgment on Israel Truth nations, particularly America, and when you read Mr. Casillo’s comments, it is hard to dispute. Mr. Casillo writes:
“Good day to each and all from South Carolina—As you are aware, our state as well as neighboring states have been under siege by two immense hurricanes that have done immense damage to our state. Hurricane Florence moved at a snail’s pace and dropped 10-20” of rain on the eastern corridor of the state, thus flooding towns for days and closing Interstate 95. Following in the next few weeks came Hurricane Michael which came like a racehorse, dropping more rain over the state and again flooding many of the eastern towns of South Carolina. Our brothers and sisters in the states affected by these hurricanes need to be uplifted in prayer as they begin re-building their homes and their lives.
Our world is full of birth pains and the USA is a strong indicator of those birth pains in 2018 with massive fires in the west, devastating hurricanes in Hawaii, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, [with] the Middle East and North Korean flexing their muscles with nuclear capabilities and the bear [Russia] from the North quietly utilizing computer technology to affect our country. Our country has seen the meteoric rise of false religions, church closings, feel good churches and Bibles that allow various sections omitted so this will be accepted by all people and no one will be offended.
Brooks, I wish to add the following: Turn to Psalm 75—I feel this Psalm tells all when God, who is the final judge, will judge the wicked and the arrogant who have threatened our security and will destroy them.”
—JACK TAR—
Question: I was listening to John Phillip Sousa’ march, Jack Tar” and a friend told me this related to the Israel Truth. Can you comment?
Reply: Jack Tar was a common English term originally used to refer to seamen of the Merchant or Royal Navy, particularly during the period of the British Empire. By World War I the term was used as a nickname for those in the U.S. Navy as well. Both members of the public, and seafarers themselves, made use of the name in identifying those who went to sea. (this paragraph courtesy Wikipedia free encyclopedia)
Our predecessor magazine, “The Anglo-Saxon World” gave this answer way back in 1945 “In all probability the British sailor’s affectionate nickname has its origin in God’s vital but sealed language of prophecy. “The ships of Tarshish” (Tarsish or Tar Men) are mentioned frequently in Scripture, and from the twenty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel we learn that their cargoes were silver, iron, tin and lead. These were essentially the exports of ancient Britain, and we may safely assume that, even in Ezekiel’s time, the ships of Tarshish were vessels from British ports manned, possibly, by seagoing Israelites or, as so many historians call them, Phoenicians. Again, in the great conflict to take place in the latter days ‘the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof,’ (Ezekiel 38:13), is a description now generally agreed to refer to Great Britain and the Dominions. And since Jack is a corruption of Jacobus or Jacob, we may reasonably deduce that Jack Tar means a ‘seaman of the House of Jacob”.
—WINGED INSECTS—
Editor: I received a note from a reader on an old article I wrote on food, wherein I wrote, “If you are in for a good feed of grasshoppers, that’s alright”. Of course, it was meant as a light comment but in reality, it is true. Still, Mrs. Vivien Cooksley from Australia says it much better in her booklet “the Biblical Food Laws” and you might enjoy her small section on Winged Insects. She wrote:
Clean Winged Insects
“Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap the earth, these you may eat” Leviticus 11:21-22
The locust, cricket and the grasshopper, after their kind. These insects are called Orthoptera ‘Saltatoria’ and they have legs for leaping. Today locusts are eaten by the Arabs near Mecca and considered to taste somewhat like shrimp. In the New Testament John the Baptist ate locusts (Matthew 3:4) and honey. There is a locust tree (ceratonia siliqua) that has long sweet pods, called St. John’s bread by the monks of Palestine. The word written in Scripture referring to John the Baptist defines the insect.
Unclean Winged Insects
“All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you” Leviticus 11:20)
These insects are called Orthoptera ‘Cursoria’ and they have legs for running, e.g. cockroaches.
—ASCENDING FROM THE NORTH—
Editor: A conversation recently came up in connection with the termination of the Iranian nuclear accord and I was asked, “Could this be a lead-in to Ezekiel 38:9 “Thou shall ascend and come like a storm …” I suggested that in the fulfillment of this critical passage in God’s Great Plan, Iran could definitely be involved because they are identified, as Persia, in verse 2, where it is prophesied they will be a participant in the invasion.
Still, as I was reflecting upon our conversation, particularly the number of times the modern State of Israel is on record of going to war if Iran continues with its nuclear program, I couldn’t help but think of a 2012 “Reuters” article in my archives, that had as its headline, “Iran claims power to destroy U.S. bases, Israel ‘minutes after attack’”. So, the Middle-East continues to be a tinderbox and now that Iran is experiencing the devastating effect of sanctions, with more to come, and the crippling effect on its oil revenues, you could certainly see they could be the hook in the jaws, bringing a reluctant Gog into the final battle. (Ezekiel 38:4)
Time will tell!
