Messianic Prophecies Are Unfolding Now Before Our Eyes — Rabbi Tovia Singer

Then why are there still Jews here? They lost the covenant. As far as the church is concerned, the Jews are here as a monument to what happens to people that reject Christianity. A witness people. They can't be totally destroyed cuz we always have to see what happens to people that reject Christianity. In fact, when the Gustapo came into Rome, October 16th, 1943, they took all the Jews out. Almost none of them survived. That was the only time there was some Catholic leaders that said, "Wait, there's a problem because we need to keep those Jews around." The Pope Pas the 12th, Yakimo, was silent. Something very striking in history. The religions in the world that predate the destruction of the second temple. The religion that filled the Greco Roman world were really quite dissimilar to the Jewish faith. Although Judaism and the Jewish people were held in high regard in the ancient world, their religions didn't reflect that. But something strange occurs when the second temple was destroyed. religions emerge that are not just similar to Judaism but are actually predicated on the Jewish faith. This is very striking. This is very odd. The vast majority of the people who live on our planet believe that our Torah is the word of God. And this is prophesied in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. We read it on Shabas not that long ago where it tells us that one day The nations of the earth will look at the Jewish people say what a wise nation this is that has such a wise law. Now Deuteronomy chapter 4 is not a whitewash of the Jewish people. It tells us because of the mistakes you'll make we will go into exile. Verse 27. And you'll be few in number among the nations that you'll reside. Nevertheless, although they're not crazy about you, they believe that your scripture, your Bible is the word of God. It is striking, however, that this flip, this switch occurs only after the second temple's destroyed, Christianity emerges, and then Islam. Why? This is counterintuitive because logic would suggest that while the children of Israel had a common wealth 420 years for the second temple period, 410 years for the first time period, the Jewish people have a massive influence over the non-Jews. And that's when they should have adopted the Jewish faith at least as the foundation of their religion. But it isn't. Why? Braavos. This is not a question that I came up with. It's not a question that I conjured up. It's not that I'm some curious mind. The Rambam, my monities of blessed memory. Hakod addresses this quite directly in what is probably the most famous chapter in all of Mishna. the end of the Mishna the laws of kings and their wars at the very end addresses the role of Christianity in Islam at the end of days and he's addressing this issue in chapter 11 section number four it's vital to understand that the core most important feature of the messianic age Unlike the redemption from Egypt, unlike Yesus Mr where a a single nation was delivered in the year 20448 after creation. Messiah is that the whole world will know the truth. The knowledge of God will cover the world as the water covers the sea. Isaiah 11:9, Kabuk chapter 2:14, that is central to the messianic age, the redemption of the world, not just the Jews. And we say it in Daviding many times. The last chapter of Zechariah Zakaria chapter 14, God will be king of the world. He will be one. His name will be one. Verse 9. What do you mean God will be king of the world? Lamelik is he not now king however if many of his subjects turn their back on him raman then he doesn't he's not accepted universally but a day is coming who preached and lived in the city where I live Zephaniah a contemporary of Jeremiah told us that days are coming when all the nations speak bes suffer in a pure speech. That's the core central feature of the messianic age. In those days, I am not going to have a job. We're going to be unemployed because the prophet Jeremiah who lived at the end of the first temple period, he was a Nvy, remarkable man. You know, the Abarbanel was a giant. Without the Abarbanel, I don't know how we would understand Novi. He was born in Portugal in 1437. He ran the economy for the Portuguese government. in 1481 riding home in his chariot's entourage back home. He's warned by Christians that there is a new king who's going to kill you and they're waiting for you. He turns his charity around in the middle of the night and crosses over into Spain. The Christians adored him. He was our gift. He is essentially to Na'vi what Rashi is to Gammorrau. We cannot possibly imagine how anyone could understand Gomorra without Rashi. He runs for his life to Spain. We usually associate this great man of history with Spain, but he only spent 11 years there. For two months, he was in hiding and he was underground. He then in less than two months writes his entire commentary on the Nvim. I don't know if you understand the magnitude of what you just heard. And he did that. He didn't have Microsoft Word. He didn't have a pen. He had a chicken feather. And no one ever wrote anything like it before. There were some great giants who who copied his style and were deeply enged in indebted to. In 1492 he was in the inner cabinet of Ferdinand and Isabella Yakim Zam. He knew what their plan was. They planned to expel the Jews from Spain unless they converted to Christianity. He offered to pay them billions of dollars not to go ahead with this plan. It almost worked. After all, Spain needed money, needed hard cash because it was launching a very expensive project in the summer of 1492. In a on August 12th, ship set sail for a place unknown. They needed his money. He was an enormously wealthy person. It was a Jew who converted to Christianity. His name was Tokamada. He was the head of the Inquisition. God save us from apostate Jews from self-hating Jews. what you see now with um Norman Finglestein and these other great luminaries and Norm Shamskies and Dave Smith and Bernie Sanders. Ah Bernie Sanders. What would we do without Bernie? Without Bernie, I don't know what we would do. We finished every day. Ah, what a pleasure. These are characters throughout Jewish history where an enemy of the Jewish people always emerge from our own people. And very frequently in every one of those generations, Hashem says a non-Jew to save us from them. Always was that way. When you study Jewish history, you realize it just comes up over and over again. He offered to pay Ferdinand Isabella a fortune of money not to go ahead with the gayish with the expulsion of the Jews. In the summer of 1492, Tokamada threw down a cross on the floor and said, "Ah, you're gonna now sell out you know who for 30 pieces of silver." And walks out the door and the plans are changed. Fernand Isabella offer the Abar Bernanel the opportunity to stay in Spain. You don't have to go. We need you to run our financing. Stay. Keep a minion of Jews with you and remain a Jew. You don't have to go. This is greatness. He said, "If my people go, I go with them." There were rabbis in Spain that converted to Christianity in order not to leave. The chief rabbi Seville got baptized. The Abarabanel left and he moved to Italy. Almost everything that you've read from the Abarabanel was written there except for his parish on Nvim his commentary on the prophets but it was in Italy. It was sort of the end of his life. He was nifter in 1508. He was essentially the last of the rishonim and everything he writes that you're reading was written between 1492 and 1508 from Italy. He was nifa there. His theon very famous is in Venice. He was visiting his son in Venice for Shabas and he was nif and that's where he's buried to this day. And it's Claus that's indebted to him. And the great people of history are those people that despite the vicissitudes, despite their wealth and despite their influence, never sell out. Unlike some people we know who do sell out. That's what these people were like. Mymonities examines this phenomenon of why does Christianity and following Islam emerge after the destruction of the second temple. So it's vital for you to understand this that one of the most important things that Messiah will do will accomplish is build the final temple on the Harabat. This is we have many surah many works in our holy cannon our sacred scripture in Tanakh that tell us about the final temple but the most copious details of bayishi over the third temple is found in the book of yesco and safer chapter 41- 47. In fact, the whole end of the book of Ezekiel, as we're going to discover tonight, provides us with more detailed, more copious information about Msiah than any other saver in Tanakh. There's no parallel to it. Well, if when the second temple is destroyed, that makes it possible for a third temple to be built. Therefore, Messiah essentially emerges once the temple is destroyed. If one of the things the Messiah is supposed to bring about is the building of the temple. Now, someone's going to ask me, does he actually build it? We don't have that text, but I encourage you to read Ezekiel 37, a very famous chapter, the last three passages, 26- 28. You don't have to memor the last three passages is the valley of dry bones. When the Messiah comes, the temple is sanctu be in your midst. The nations will know that I am Lord. There'll be a covenant of peace. So therefore, the moment the second temple was destroyed, the potential of the Messiah is ignited. However, in the ancient world, no one knew what a messiah was. The term anointed messiah Christos in Greek meant nothing to the ancient world. Zero. The word Christos, a Greek word, just means to pour oil on somebody. If you got a shiatsu massage, close enough. But this is a problem. What's the problem? We know from Tanakh explicitly that when the true Messiah comes, the world immediately recognize their error and they go to the Jew and they grab his corner of his shirt and he says Rashi says it sits and says they say let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you that is with you. This is a very critical. This is the singular most important feature of the messianic age is that the world knows the truth and they recognize the mistake. Jeremiah tells us in chapter 16, the end of chapter that the Gentiles will come to the Jews and say to us, surely we've inherited lies and vanity where there can be no truth. How can a man make unto himself when they are not? The world will come to the Jews and say, "We made a mistake. We now know the truth, which is a problem with the church, as you can imagine." And why would it say in Zechariah 8:23, that's the last passage in that numinous chapter, why would they be coming to us if we're wrong about the Trinity? Like, if we're wrong about everything as far as the church is concerned, why are they coming to we blew it? Unless we didn't. And therefore, there must be until the Messiah comes must be This is not politically correct. But what could you do? I'm flying out of here tomorrow. Good luck, guys. It's on you. Um, I got my boarding pass. I don't know about you. I'm ready to go. There must always be false religions in the world until the Messiah comes. If there were no false religions, we'd have no free will. We have no. And if there's no free will, virtue would be impossible. And the key for us is to reject that which is false. But what kind of false religions would fill the world? So does something remarkable. The false religions now emerge as Christianity original a religion that claims it is the fulfillment of Judaism. And it says it openly in the Christian Bible. Some of you went to yeshiva. You studied the book of Luke. I'm kidding. There are actually verses that say this is to fulfill what it says in the prophets and the Torah and the writings that the Messiah is supposed to die and rise on the third day. There is no such verse anywhere in Tanakh. They mamish make this stuff up. First Corinthians chapter 15 says it happened according to the scripture. There's no such scripture. It mish doesn't exist anywhere. I'm not telling you they took it out of context. I'm not saying to you that they mistransated a verse. I'm saying they made it up, but they got away with it. Why? Because in the ancient world, you couldn't just open a safer. It had to be handwritten. People didn't have access to it. Even you did, they couldn't read Hebrew. They could say what they want and get away with it. Therefore, listen up, kind, listen up, children of the most high. Listen, when the true Messiah comes, they all know about the fundamental principles of Judaism of one God. Now, Christianity will damage that monotheism by introducing the doctrine of the Trinity in the 4th century. Hashem Iraim, but they both believe Christian Islam both believe that the Jews were once chosen. They believe that there is a one god concept, a monotheistic concept. They believe there are mitz that were given to the children of Israel. However, because of their prophet and demigod, you don't have to keep them anymore. So when the true Messiah comes, listen up. What will the world say? Now we know you always have the truth. But Judaism to Christianity, Islam is not another religion. It's the default baseline. Meaning, if you asked a Christian, if you're wrong about Jesus, then who has the truth today? It would not be a very comfortable conversation. Maybe it would be, but every Christian would have to admit, if we're wrong, then the Jews are right. And not any kind of Jews, but religious Jews, Phariseaic Jews. After all, they say their founder and the most prolific author, contributing author of the Christian Bible were Phariseaic Jews. That means Orthodox Torah observant Jews. They claim that in fact the Christian Bible says that only Orthodox Jews sit in the seat of Moses and do whatever they tell you. Matthew 23 1-3. And therefore, the Almighty, blessed be his holy name, fills the world with religions that are based on Judaism. They just think that something changed either in the first century or the seventh century. And big because of that, they don't have to keep it anymore. But when the true Messiah comes and they recognize the truth, they merely then fall back to the default and that is they'll come to the Jew and say now we know that brother is with you. The was never changed binding and the knowledge of God will cover the world. Jeremiah 31 tells us in those days no one is going to have to teach anyone about God for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them declares the Lord. So the world today is filled despite the fact my dear brothers and sisters they're not all crazy about us. It's not that I am bringing to the witness stand those who love us. Many of them are very hostile to us. They will then immediately recognize their error and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. May you be za to see this moment. >> We are there now. We're living in this tufa. I'll explain. It's inant. It's interesting. You want to go deep here. >> Good. The one thing could not allow you should know when you after you hear these words, you will not be the same person again. Listen like you've never listened in your life. The one thing the nations of the world could not have the one God concept for sure that there is such an idea of a Messiah for sure that there is such an idea of mitzvot that abiding for sure there once was. But the one thing the nations could not have listen up children of is Shabas. Why not? Because there's a P in the Tory which we say in Kesh on Shabas that Shabas verse 17 of chapter 31 of Exodus that Shabas is a is beni ben Israel. Next time you hear those words think about it. that Shabas is a unique covenant only between God and Israel. It's not for anyone else. It's not for the nations of the world. It's a unique covenant only between. It's the marital chamber between God and Israel. So what does what does do shabas? You can't have shabis. You can't have. So he moves Christianity to Sunday and Islam to Friday. You think Ignatius who invented this who's the bishop of Antioch in the early second you think he was thinking about this he wasn't who changed the world mish the two largest world it's not even close that they should not have shabas only so shabas be set aside for the children of Israel how foolish is the Jew turned over the world. So shabas we set aside only for you. And what do we do sometimes? Look at a newspaper, prepare for a test on Tuesday. Silly bur turned over the world just so Shabas would be for Kalistra. There's no I can assure you there's no theological reason for why Christianity would change the Sabbath to Sunday. They'll have their speeches, but it'll make no sense. Islam, there's no real reason for it. They what what I'm saying is they know that Saturday is the chabas of the Tyra. They're not arguing on that. But they've changed it. And what do we do? We're speaking to each other on chabas about business. We foolish will change the whole world for you. They can have one god. Sure, the Muslims have one god. They want to know about the mitzvah. Sure, they can know shabas. It's enough for them. It's good to be a Jew. No, it's in Chesant. This is interesting as well to make this a little more curious that on the evening of the 15th day of the first month begins Pesak. And that meal that we gather for which is pregnant with more commandments and traditions and customs than any other evening of the of the year. And that evening's meal, that celebration which we all remember as kids growing up, whether you grew up here or not here. This everyone remembers from their childhood. I would imagine if you, ladies and gentlemen, were my committee members and I would ask you, you know what, we need to come up with a name for this meal. What should we call it? I would imagine we'd come up with ideas like the night that celebrates the redemption. Let's use a word like gulan will be called the gula. We'll call the redemption. We can think of a lot of really nuinous names to identify this meal that we eat. Matzen M. We talk about Pesak. Many many names we come up with. I have a suspicion however that almost no one would come up with the name >> Seder which means an order. How odd order. Who came up with that name? like I would have liked to have sit in on that committee meeting like who said let's just call it order oh yeah great we'll call it order why is this now many of you understand precisely why it's called in order in that that evening is in fact an order of events that unfold we sing them together before the seder begins and it's 15 discrete stages where we begin with kadesh and we and Hakur comes and destroys the Malikov and we close the sedar. A seder in fact in Jewish history is the way that God interacts with Kal Israel. It's an order events that unfold. We know very well that the destruction of the commonwealth is foretold in the Torah. In Deuteronomy chapter 28 in the very hard to read, we're told about a long exile that the Jews will endure among the nations they'll reside. You're not going to Korea where they don't hate Jews. They don't even know, you know, till recently they didn't know what Jews were. Now they just want to know how to read the Talmud. For some reason in the Far East they don't anti-semitism wasn't a part of Japanese thinking because there weren't Christians there. But you're going into a very long exile and you will be hated by the nations in which you will reside. Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 60-65. It'll be a bit offens darkness. It's not going to be just enjoying. It's going to be the the the nations of the world will remind you in gulus how much you are hated. But there will begin a return. Tanakh had a funny way of teaching Jewish history. They taught about a history that would not yet occurred at the time and would told Tanakh some very remarkable things about Jewish history. The return of the Jewish people to their land. You know Rashi a blessed memory of all the works that he authored. It's hard to even imagine how he only wrote a hakoma. He only wrote an introduction to one safer in everything that he ever wrote and that's to safer zay the book of Zachchariah. The book of Zechariah begins with an introduction and you could be sure that this was not Rashi style. He did not write introductions but this one he does and he tells us a few things. He first of all wants us to know that I do ha do not have a misura. I don't have a direct tradition on the book of zakaria and therefore you should know that I'm writing to the best of my understanding. This is what rashi was like. This is the hikarashi. He says openly, moreover, he says that Zakaria is not an easy safer and it's not it's not unbelievably difficult, but it begins with eight visions. Many of them you're familiar with. For instance, the ha and so on. They're not that easy to understand. Why was Yeshua brought before by Satan? These are visions that are stumo rashi refers to them. They're difficult. They're they're not no one should think this is nuclear chemistry or something incredibly difficult. But you have to study. It's not so simple. However, Zakaria was a very young man who was of Nvi during the Persian Empire tells us in a very important chapter which any of us could read and understand immediately. Chapter 12 that the children of Israel returned back to the land of Israel before Messiah comes. We're told the same thing in Jeremiah 30:3. They were contemporaries of each other. Jeremiah was an older man. Jeremiah became a Nvi. He was only how old? He was 15 years old. He was a kid. In fact, when Akaru when asked yo, he didn't really ask him. And he said you're going to be a ni yo you know the barbell says he actually rates all the nim in which of importance besides he's the chief of all prophets but he he gives us rias after ri that yo was the greatest of all the afterenu and there also many uh features about them that are similar as an example yer was a nvi for 41 appears the same as Mosher Rabenu. At the end of the game, he he was exiled. Better yet, he was kidnapped and taken to Egypt. But Yeriel tells us that the Jewish people would return back to Israel. It's not going to be fun and games. Yo lived Kindle in a very difficult time. He foretold and witnessed the destruction of the first temple. He pleaded with the Jewish people not to fight with Nvadar, not to go to war against the Neoabylonian Empire. He told them, "God is not with you now. Moreover, the Babylonian Empire will only exist for 70 years." Jeremiah 25:12. He pleaded with them, "Don't fight with them. God is not with you now." But nevertheless, he saw the destruction. And he writes these words in chapter 30:7. There's a day in the far future that something is going to come. He calls it an ail, a time of great tribulation for Jacob, for the Jewish people. There'll be no parallel to it. Men yea the last two words of this passage are but from this trauma it's called Jacob's trouble from the worst event in Jewish history you will be delivered this idea is a theme in the words that echo at a Passover seder the words that echo at a brisma you will live by your blood this passage comes comes from Ezekiel 16:6. You're not sure? I'll send you mom Donnie so he'll make you sure. That's how we do. That's how we we when things are good, it usually spells a disaster for the Jewish people. When Napoleon granted the Jewish people emancipation, the very end of the 18th century and the early 19th century until 1815 when Napoleon was deposed. The Jews enjoyed tremendous freedom in Europe that they never known before. The Balatana opposed it completely. Like a prophet, he could see that this was a disaster. While the Jews were celebrating how they had freedom and a measure of equality. Now, as Americans living in western Pennsylvania, it's not the same. But as far as our gulas was concerned, that was the best of times until Napoleon made the stupid mistake of going to war with Russia. That was a very bad idea. Jews had it good. When Napoleon was deposed, the church sent the Jews back to the ghetto where they remained till 1870 when the Vatican had to give up its control over Rome and other cities in Italy. The Balata understood this was a disaster for the Jews. When it's good and it's Gishmak, that's when trouble's going to come. And he suffered and others suffered in Kabad because of this. Nevertheless, we are told that when the children of Israel return back to the land of Israel, it will trigger something of great magnitude. Will be in the hands of the children of Israel. Will be a heavy burdensome stone to all those who come against it. Zechariah 12:3. He will take a people, a broken people, and will make them strong like David, even like the angels of the Lord of host. Zechariah 12 verse 7 and 8. They Hashem will take broken mentioned and make them strong like David. They'll defeat all their enemies. It'll be in those days that I will destroy all the enemies who come up against will be the center of everything. That's Zechariah 12:9. I want to say this to you my dear brothers and sisters. Zakaria could be some parts I told you a little difficult. This chapter tonight you can read it. Immish go right through it. In fact I would say that Rashi would have given anything. The Rambam openly says he would have anything to be alive during our time and to witness these things. My monities of blessed memory warns his contemporaries not to make calculations and all kinds of things. If Davka the d the generation that lives in the time of the gula, they'll completely understand all these prophecies. And he encourages other of his age not to engage in all kinds of speculation. But there's a powerful hit against the children of Israel, a great attack against Kal Israel. The nation will be endure something so bad they will turn to God. They'll turn to me because of those who are killed in a massive attack. Men and women, the novi says, will mourn apart. You know, kazal tell us that is the only place in all of the corpus of the Hebrew Bible where a mita where a separation between men and women is cited. And our sages learn out from that if during a time of aos if during a time of mourning men and women should not mourn together. How much more so so during a time of file you certainly men and women shouldn't pray together. And it's interesting what was going on before October 7th Supreme Court rulings over in Tel Aiv on the and I'm not making this up. This event is a circus event. So much so that we're told in the gar and migill that it's shabas that comes out that we read Ezekiel 38 and 39 as the ha because that's the time of go and that's the most central feature of these two chapters I want you to see the magnitude of Persia, we're told, Ezekiel 38:5, will go to war against the Jewish people. I want to try to help you understand how unlikely that prediction would have been in the ancient world. when you listen to the news because you want to know what the weather's going to be like. I imagine if it was yesterday you would heard it's going to rain like crazy in Pittsburgh. Hello. And you live in your Schlam. It's very interesting to see rain in the summer. But if you ask the the weather forecasters, the meteorologists, tell me, how do you know what the weather's going to be like on Tuesday? So they'll tell you, listen, it's really not very complicated at all. We're given satellite imagery, images from the government. We have all kinds of very sophisticated technology where they could study barometers and pressure system coming from Ohio. We know pink exactly there's going to be a snowstorm, whatever. What they would concede is what they're doing essentially is they're extrapolating from information that they have now and that would indicate them with a certain level of confidence what the weather will be like tomorrow. They're not claiming that they have some divine information. It's just they're extrapolating from information that was that's plainly in front of them. And therefore, they're able to predict what is very likely to happen tomorrow and the days that will follow. There is nothing, my brothers and sisters, that could have told the prophets of old that Persia at the end of days would be the chief enemy of the Jewish people. I'd like you just to grasp, to wrap your brain around how unlikely this would be. Persia, after all, was not just a a malus, a great empire, but it was a rather benign empire towards the Jews and in fact quite benevolent towards the Jews with some notable exceptions. After all, it was Cyrus Kyish. In fact, the book of Ezra begins with a siloquay of Cyrus. Cyrus has a a navua from Isaiah and Jeremiah that he's supposed to go ahead and say go back and build a bdash. His name is in Isaiah 45:1. Those who do not believe in the God of Israel at at at this university at Pittsburgh will tell you that Isaiah couldn't have possibly had known that. How could he possibly know 200 years ago, 200 years prior to the Persian Empire during the Neoyan Empire? How could he possibly know? This bothers them a lot. Persia. Cyrus tells the Jewish people, "Leave Bavl, leave Babylon, leave the five towns, leave Philadelphia, leave Chicago and go to Israel and go build rebuild your rebuild the basikdosh Cyrus." So just so you understand a scope of history, Cyrus emerges as the king of Persia, the the medial Persian Empire emerges 50 years after the destruction of the first temples. Just so you know, for those 50 years, incidentally, that was the only period of Jewish history since Yoshua Benun crossed the Jordan opposite Jericho that there were no Jews in for those nun for those 50 years. He says, "Go back, build." And Ezra chapter 2 tells us that 42,360 Jews, every name is inscribed of every family that made aliyah with no neeshbeneves, no Jewish agency, no benefits from the state of Israel and moved to Israel. A very small number. In fact, the Gomorrah tells us because it was such a small number, Messiah did not come in that time. The Gomorrah asked the question, why did we ever even need those three Naveim? I know when you hear the term today, you are thinking about Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 tri the 12 other books means 15 sperm. That's not correct. That's a misnomer. The real as far as kazal is concerned is only period. Why did these even exist? Why did why did you need nim during the persian empire? Because mashia could have come then. And if you you're going to have a building of a temple, you need nim. Why wasn't there a temple built? Why wasn't mashiach come be made Ezra? The reason is that the Jews did not return back there to in very significant numbers. Persia. You know how unlikely that is historically the goto which we learn. Bavi the Babylonian Talmud was edited and organized in the manner that we have it in about the year 500 510. It means we had it but ultimately fully uh codified in the manner that we have today. Ashas basically in about the year 500 510. Where were they putting this together? Well, I know you're going to say in Bville or you might say in southern Mesopotamia Narda. These are the great centers of Jewish learning. But I'm asking you a more important question. Who was the boss at the time? That means under what empire was the Babylonian Talmud assembled? Guess >> the Persian Empire called the Cisanian Empire that emerges in 224. Life was good under the Persians. In fact, our sages of blessed memory who were the Amoroy, they knew exactly what the Jews were going through under the Roman Empire, under the Byzantine Empire. It was very very difficult for the Jews who are under Christian Europe. But the Jews who in Bville had it good and Gishmak and they were free to write and organize and practice their faith. They posed no threat to the Persians. And the Persians in turn very there were some hiccups here and there but basically everybody got along just fine. And therefore we able to produce the largest work literature of ancient antiquity is the garra is the bodi. However we're told by the prophet Ezekiel a blessed memory that at the end of days the Jews would return to the land of Israel. Messiah is not here yet because there are wars and when Messiah comes. Isaiah chapter 2 verse 3 and 4 is triggered. Messiah is going to give to the nations. He will judge among the peoples. They will take their implements of war. Swords and spears and turn into plowes and pruning. Nation will not lift up sword against nation. Neither will they learn of war anymore. There's war and it's Persia that's going to go to war with Israel. Ezekiel chapter 38 verse5 Persia and its proxies the world is going to be watching Persia. They're our friends. Naveim had a strange way of teaching Jewish history. And God is going to drag Persia like one puts a hook in the mouth of the beast and draw them in to harden their arch till they go to war with their troll. Do you know what it would have been like in the ancient world to go to war a thousand miles away? Iran is roughly a thousand miles east of Israel. How do you conduct such a war in the ancient world? Moreover, Yakaz tells us the whole world will be watching. How do you watch in the ancient world? If there was a war in in southwest Asia, that's where Israel is. How would they know about that in Southeast Asia? It would take years to find out. Oh no, they'll be watching in real time. And we're told in the Nvi that will produce an army that will destroy Persia. That Iran, modern day Iran will be destroyed. And I I say modernday Iran not lightly or not like a a throwaway line. It's intriguing that the majority of people today who live in Iran can trace their DNA back to the ancient to ancient Persia which is striking because that's not the case for many of the parts of the Levant of Africa because the great wars there's enormous homogenization of populations but not in modern day Iran. The majority of the people are proud of their history that they come from the ancient Persians. Why is there going to be a war at the end of days between the the Jewish people and Persia? So, we're told we're told this at the end of chapter 38 and chapter 39. So, the nations will know that I am Lord. See, as far as Christians are concerned, this is not the way things are supposed to end. As far as the vast majority of the church here in Pittsburgh, there's a very large Roman Catholic arch dasis. That's very well known. As far as the Roman Catholic Church is concerned, the words of Augustine echo. Augustine was the bishop of Hippo lived in the fourth and fifth century. and he addresses the existence of the Jewish people in his magnumopus called the city of God. It's a very large work. It's a 22 volume work written over the course of 13 years. I'm going to snap it up very quickly in the 32nd version. He's addressing two major questions. Number one, Rome converts to Christianity in the 4th century. Constantine converts to Christianity in 312. In 313 the Edith of Milan is passed which means Christianity is addity is now a listic a legal religion empire the the doctrine of the trinity is established as the orthodoxy of Christianity the council of Nika by 380 under Theodocious here now Christianity is the official religion of the Roman Empire and in 410 Rome is sacked by the Visikovs what happened what happened to this religion so he addresses that issue but he addresses another issue and that's the Jews. Why are the Jews still here? If in fact the Jews were once chosen but have been replaced by the church and the church is the new Israel, then why are there still Jews here? They lost the covenant as far as the church is concerned. The Jews are here as a monument to what happens to people that reject Christianity, a witness people. They can't be totally destroyed because we always have to see what happens to people that reject Christianity. In fact, when the Gestapo came into Rome, the date October 16th, 1943, they took all the Jews out. Almost none of them survived. That was the only time there was some Catholic leaders that said, "Wait, there's a problem because we need to keep those Jews around. The Pope Pas the 12th Yakim was silent. What's happening now is not supposed to occur. According to the church, the Jews can never return back to Israel, let alone have Jerusalem as their capital. I mean the Vatican came to have diplomatic relations with Israel but they don't recognize Jerusalem as the capital. Why not? Augustine Christom all them said the same way. And therefore this endof time war where Claus returns back to the land of Israel and Yeshim is liberated is critical so that the world will know the EMS. In chapter 39 21 this is all occurring. that the world knows that I am Lord and my glory will be spread throughout the world. Verse 22, I know you confuse my precious kind literally said dress of the Jews. I know you're a little confused about what's happening. This is so you will understand that God is working here. We're living in a remarkable time right now. It's not that Mashiach is coming, but the words of the Rebu are now echo. We realize now that the words that he expressed over and over again, the Messiah is here. This wasn't hyperbole or he was trying to strengthen the Jewish people during difficult days of the hippie movement and and the Watergate and when no he was telling us the emis it's here it's not that the gula is coming it's happening now but it's a sad of events that are unfolding now I don't know why and my sense is I feel a certain sense of confidence that Neither do you. Why we are za to be part of that generation that witnesses the gula. And I have a certain um I feel that you too have wondered aloud sometimes why me? My great-grandfather was a very holy man. My great great grandmother was a mamika. She's a malik. Why are we z to be here during this time? I don't know. But we're standing on their shoulders. We're part of a chain of shell that goes back to Mount Si. The oracles of prophets now could be echoed around the world. Prepare yourself for the gula which is here today. May to see the coming of the true Messiah Bu. Thank you so much for having me tonight. If you enjoyed this program, please like and subscribe. Don't know. I share my love.