Chapter Twelve <*><*><*><*><*><*>After Yahuweh showed us in the previous chapter that the leadership of Israel should fail, we are now shown that there will be a change. Yahuweh is going to intervene.
Verse 1.
The uplifting word of Yahuweh upon Israel, declares Yahuweh (who is) stretching out heavens establishing Earth forming spirit of man in his innermost.
The Hebrew word 'masa' quit often is translated as burden or oracle. However, it can also be translated as uplifting and since I am translating according to the context, which is about the good news for Israel, I use uplifting.
The Hebrew grammar also indicates that the actions of Yahuweh were started at some time and are still continuing.
Verse 2.
Take notice! I am to set Yerushalaim goblet of reeling to all the peoples around and also because of Yehudah they shall be in siege against Yerushalaim.
The goblet (cup, chalice) of reeling is a biblical symbol of Yahuweh's wrath, Isaiah 51:17&22, Jeremiah 25:15&51:7.
The peoples, meaning the nations around Yerushalaim, shall lay siege against it.
A siege that also affects Yehudah but this siege shall evoke Yahuweh's wrath.
We may ask ourselves if the name Yehudah is used here, because Yahuweh knew that in our times every descendant of Israel (Ya'akov) is called a Jew?
We have seen for some time now that the people of the contra-religion claim Yerushalaim as theirs. Satan inspires this contra religion and all other religions, which say that they have a claim on Yerushalaim.
Satan knows that Yahuweh has rightfully claimed Yerushalaim as His city and has given it to the nation Israel as a Capital City.
Satan however, claim's the city for himself and will do anything to take it by force and this stirs up Yahuweh's anger over him and over those who listen to him.
Verse 3.
And it to be in the day the him (That day) I shall set (or appoint) Yerushalaim stone burdensome to all the peoples, the whole load to carry, to be cut to be lacerated. And to be gathered upon her all goyey (nations of) the Earth.
To carry heave stones by hand could cause one to cut himself and to end up with lacerated hands. This symbolic is used for the nations that shall come upon Yerushalaim. In other words, once they started they find it a burden they may come to regret.
Could this also be a snide remark to the stone throwing Palestinians?
There is also an allusion to this, in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 2:31-35. In verse 44-45, the stone is referred to as a kingdom, set up never to be destroyed, which shall destroy all existing kingdoms.
This stone is Yerushalaim from where this kingdom shall originate. This stone shall cut to dust the materials from which the kingdoms were made.
Verse 4.
In the day the him, declares Yahuweh; I shall strike every horse in bewilderment and his rider in madness and upon Beyt Yehudah be open my eyes and every horse the people I shall strike in blindness.
Again we have to consider a horse to be a war implement. Yahuweh is telling us that the war implements are going to behave erratic which drives the soldiers mad.
Whilst Yahuweh is keeping his eyes on Israel, the enemy is not able to see them. This means in modern warfare that they are not able to track their movements and therefore are unable to react.
Verse 5.
And are saying friends of Yehudah in their hearts, strength to me inhabitants of Yerushalaim because of Yahuweh Tzevaot their Elohiem.
Again I have carefully considered the context and the possibilities for the translation. I find that the Hebrew word 'alluph' used in this text as 'allupey', can mean Friend in the form 'friends of'.
Like there are at the present friends of Israel living outside Israel so there will still be friends of them in those days.
They become filled with courage because they see that Yahuweh is with Israel and Yerushalaim.
Verse 6.
In the day the him I shall set friends of Yehudah like brassier (of) fire in the woods and like torch fire in a row of fallen grain and they devour on the right hand and on the left side all the peoples round about. And are able to dwell in Yerushalaim again they that are in Yerushalaim.
From this we can learn that those who are friendly with Israel, because they have recognised Yahuweh as the Elohiem of Israel, shall come to their aid and like a raging fire consume the opponents of Yahuweh left right and centre. They that are in Yerushalaim can live again in the city because they are aided and protected by friends.
We will find that in the writings that follow, the same things will be related again but with a different expose of the happenings.
Verse 7.
And to deliver Yahuweh the homes of Yehudah in the first place in order that not to be magnified glory Beyt-Daviyd and glory dwellers Yerushalaim above Yehudah.
Instead of going directly to Yerushalaim, the country around Yerushalaim shall be delivered from the enemy first. This to show that Yerushalaim and the House of David are not more important then the rest of the country.
Verse 8.
In the day the him, to defend Yahuweh the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And the feeble among them in the day the him, be like Daviyd. And the Beyt-Daviyd like rulers, like representatives of Yahuweh before them.
Again this differs from most translations but again I have used the context to determine the translation.
Elohiem is a plural used for Yahuweh as Deity but it also can be used for Rulers and Judges.
The Hebrew word 'Malach' means 'representation' it is usually translated as Angel but this is not always correct. 'Malach-Yahuweh' means either 'representation of Yahuweh', which means Yahuweh presenting Himself in a form man can observe, or it also can mean 'representor of Yahuweh.' This can be a messenger or anyone acting on behalf of Yahuweh.
Again the context has to provide the right translation.
Verse 9.
And it shall be in the day the him; I shall demand to destroy all the nations the ones coming against Yerushalaim.
The order will be that all the opponents of Yahuweh who came up against Yerushalaim shall have to be destroyed.
In the next verse we have to clearly keep in mind that Yahuweh is speaking. It is His word according to the first verse of this Chapter.
Verse 10.And I pour out over Beyt Daviyd and on the dwellers in Yerushalaim spirit acceptance and supplications (for acceptance) and they shall look upon me as the one they pierced and lament over him like wailing over the only one and embitter over him like wailing over the first-born.
Let us have a look at Hosea 13:4 before commenting on this verse.
And I am Yahuweh your Elohiem since country Egypt. And Elohiem besides me not to perceive. And moshiya (deliverer) there is not except me.
And Isaiah 45:5-6. I Yahuweh and there is not another. Besides me there is not Elohiem . . . . .. because it ceases besides me. I Yahuweh and there is no other.
These are but a few of the references in the Tanakh to the uniqueness of Yahuweh.
If there is no other Deity besides Elohiem and no Moshiya except Him, then Yeshuah the Moshiya is none other then Yahuweh. Yahuweh says therefore, they shall see me who they have pierced and over him who they see they shall wail bitterly. There is no bigger grief known in the Bible then the grief over a first-born son.
With this degree of grief they will be embittered because they pierced and rejected Yahuweh as their Moshiya.
However Yahuweh has forgiven them this and has accepted them.
Verse 11.
In the day the him great be the wailing in Yerushalaim like wailing hadadrimon in the valley megidon.
From other Bible books and from the reference made in the later Chapters, we know that there were many people killed before Yahuweh finally intervened.
This is why there is such a great wailing, a wailing like that when King Josiah was killed at Megiddo see 2Kings 23:29-30.
Verse 12-14.
And wail the country's families, families by themselves. Family Beyt-Daviyd by themselves and their wives by themselves. Family Beyt-Natan by themselves and their wives by themselves. Family Beyt-Leviy by themselves and their wives by themselves. Family Hashimiy by themselves and their wives by themselves. All the families the remnants, family by family by themselves and their wives by themselves.
The Families of the rulers, the prophets, the Priests and of the common people all lost family members and the mourned them.
The wives apart from the men because each gender has its own way of dealing with grief. The loud wailing of the women would interfere with the more introspective mourning of the men.
This also indicate that at that time the classes of King, Prophet, Priest and common people are restored and everyone knows his category.
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This Chapter gives us an insight about the happenings around the time of the end of this Era. The following Chapters again will look at the same happenings from a different angle. <*><*><*><*><*><*>