Archive for Assyria

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Between Two Kings… Joshua of Ghana

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Joshua Ghana with tags , , , , , , , , on June 23, 2022 by paulthepoke

ISAIAH 7:10-25

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

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Ahaz was a weak-minded and idolatrous king of Judah. He reigned in the days of Isaiah the prophet. As a confederacy of the forces of the northern kingdom of Israel and the heathen nation of Syria made plans to attack Judah, the Lord showed up for deliverance. He asked Ahaz to ask for a sign concerning any troubling matter. But the king presented a façade of meekness, saying he would not ask for a sign nor “tempt the LORD.”

But the all-seeing Lord would not be fooled. God’s grand purpose to defeat the devil and save mankind will be done, regardless of some men’s shiftiness, tardiness or refusal to cooperate. So, He proceeded to give the sign. Ahaz lost the golden opportunity to be the vessel through whom the prophecy about the coming Savior of the world would have been made.

Hezekiah

A contrast came some decades later when another king of Judah, Hezekiah, was given the chance to ask for a sign following a sickness that was about to take his life. He called for a sign from the Lord who not only healed him, but also prolonged his life by fifteen years. Hezekiah was a righteous monarch, who was not afraid to present his supplication before the Lord; unlike Ahaz who was scheming to forsake the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for an alliance with Assyria. Ahaz trusted in the Assyrian army, not the Lord of hosts.

Man is the loser when he turns down His Maker’s open invitation for a resolution of the conflicts in his life. The ‘Immanuel’ the Lord promised would establish heavenly peace in the hearts of those who believe in Him through His presence.

But wicked men and women, regardless of their status in society, will not enjoy His presence until they acknowledge Him and His signs, wonders and miracles; the greatest being the salvation He brought to the fallen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Rejecting the sign of Immanuel leads to eternal regrets.

The Bible IN ONE YEAR: NUMBERS 16 – 18

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The Fall of the Arrogant… Joshua of Ghana

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Joshua Ghana with tags , , , , , on November 14, 2020 by paulthepoke

TEXT: ISAIAH 10:1-19

“And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?” (Isaiah 10:3)

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Arrogant and godless man is infirm and helpless in the face of the fury of the elements such as when there is a severe earthquake or a devastating hurricane that comes with massive flooding. Trees are uprooted, buildings are brought down and entire heavily-populated settlements are swept away. We look small and present a pitiable sight when these disasters visit us.

If man can scarcely survive the onslaught of nature, how will he stand the greater fury of the Almighty? That was the message the Lord had for the people of Judah, Israel and Assyria in the days of Isaiah the prophet when they had all gone astray. The kings and governments made laws that alienated the weak of the society from their right to the good things of the land. They also worshipped idols to whom they ascribed their successes, prompting the Lord to ask derisively: “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?”

God declared a two-prong war against two nations. He would use Assyria as “the rod of [His] anger” to judge Samaria for forsaking the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and going after idols which had left the children of Israel vulnerable in the hands of its enemies. But the Lord said He would follow that up with a punitive action on Assyria which arrogantly assumed that its prowess was responsible for its successful military campaign in Israel.

Today all that is left of the great Assyrian Empire are stone relics, a testimony to the fulfilment of God’s promise to “punish the… stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks”. God’s action on Assyria’s pride was because the land refused to acknowledge Him as the Source of its power. Divine judgment led to its extinction. It symbolically foreshadows the eternal judgment that awaits unrepentant sinners who trust in themselves.

*THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:* Extinction follows rejection of God.

The Bible IN ONE YEAR: NUMBERS 35 – 36  

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In That Day…

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Egypt/Nile River, Millennial Kingdom, Prophecy with tags , , , on March 31, 2019 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 19:16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them.

The politically correct police will not be pleased with God’s language. But He is in charge. He probably does not care about humanity’s linguistic standards. Deal with it.

In Isaiah 19, verses 16-25 are a unit that results in the return of Christ and the Millennial Kingdom. The section starts with fear, which leads to correction, which ultimately leads to peace. These verses talk and end when there is peace between Egypt, Israel, and Assyria. These areas will all worship the God of Israel and they will all be called “my people” by God.

In March 2019, this seems unthinkable and impossible. Imagine going to the Middle East and telling the Arab and Muslim people, the key to peace is to turn to and worship the triune God of the Bible. Imagine going to Israel and telling Jews, the key to peace is to turn to Jesus Christ as Messiah. There is a ton of passion over there. How well do you think those concepts would be accepted?

These verses are bound together by the term “in that day”. The phrase “in that day” is noted six times in these nine verses. Five times it is the start of a sentence and one time it ends a sentence in the NASB translation.

Verse 16: In that day the Egyptians will become like women, and they will tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them.

This is an example of idiomatic language. Focus on the verbs tremble and dread. It is a word pair of charad and pachad.

Tremble or charad (Hebrew): to tremble, quake, move about, be afraid, be startled, be terrified

Dread or pachad (Hebrew):  to fear, tremble, revere, dread, be in awe or dread

Why the need for all of this fear? The text is emphatic, God is the cause. It is stated twice that God is waving His hand. The concept is to swing or wield His hand over them. The grammar is a Hiphil stem verb which indicates God is actively causing things to happen. Lastly, there is the military term LORD of hosts. He is the military commander directing the action.

Before anyone gets upset and their pants get in a wad, spare me the “God is a sexist” nonsense. God is an equal opportunist when it comes to inciting fear. He can also whip men into a frenzy of panic just as well. Ezekiel 21:7 provides a nice example of men being scared. God is talking to nation Israel through the prophet.

“And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

The phrase … all knees will be weak as water… is another way of saying they wet down their leg. In our culture, they whizzed their pants. It is just a matter of fact, declares the Lord GOD.

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Trend Update: King Sennacherib Rediscovered, March 2017

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2017 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 37:37-38 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

See also 2 Kings 19:36

In July 2014, this is what ISIS thought of Jonah. They destroyed his remains at the shrine of Jonah. They wanted to remove and delete as though he never happened or existed. ISIS militants believe giving special veneration to tombs and relics is against the teachings of Islam. ISIS considers these shrines as a form of idolatry.

In the Hebrew language, Jonah’s name means “dove”. In the Bible, the dove is a symbol of peace. The dove is likened to the descent of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus at His baptism. Luke 3:22a and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove…

Fast forward to March 2017. ISIS has been removed from ancient Nineveh or what is eastern Mosul, Iraq. Ancient Nineveh is located east of the Tigris River.

Under the rubble of what used to be the tomb of Jonah, a discovery has been made. The 7th century BC palace of King Sennacherib has been found. The palace was later renovated by his son Esarhaddon as indicated from the relics.

Iraqi archaeologist Layla Salih found, “a marble cuneiform inscription of King Esarhaddon thought to date back to the Assyrian Empire in 672 BC.”

Tunnels to the site are at risk of collapse due to poor construction.

Eleanor Robson, head of the British Institute for the Study of Iraq stated, “The objects don’t match descriptions of what we thought was down there. There’s a huge amount of history down there, not just ornamental stones. It is an opportunity to finally map the treasure house of the world’s first great empire, from the period of its greatest success.”

ISIS has plundered the site. Archeological artifacts have been stolen. ISIS is selling the historical items for revenue. It is estimated 80% of the religious archeology sites have been destroyed. The ancient city of Nineveh is estimated to be 70% destroyed. ISIS has used bulldozers and explosives as their method of destruction.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/27/previously-untouched-600bc-palace-discovered-shrine-demolished/

http://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-state-looting-uncovers-ancient-palace-beneath-jonahs-tomb/

King Sennacherib of Assyria was a real person. His son Esarhaddon assumed power. They ruled from a palace in Assyria in the ancient city of Nineveh. Thanks to ISIS destruction in the 21st century, the accounts from 7th century BC in the Bible have been confirmed.

2 Chronicles 32:22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 

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Trend Update: Assyrian Empire/Nineveh/Jonah, July 2014

Posted in Gospel, Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 16, 2014 by paulthepoke

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2685923/Shocking-moment-ISIS-militants-sledgehammers-Mosul-tomb-Prophet-Jonah-50-blindfolded-bodies-massacred-south-Baghdad.html

To the critic who says Jonah was not a real person, ISIS and Muslims disagree with you. Jonah was a prophet and a real human being in the Old Testament who died. This is what ISIS thinks of Jonah. They are destroying his remains. They want to remove and delete as though he never happened or existed. ISIS militants believe giving special veneration to tombs and relics is against the teachings of Islam. The Book of Jonah is about a prophet who was called to warn a foreign country, an enemy of Israel, of God’s coming judgment. The people of Nineveh responded to the prophet’s call during their day and changed their minds and ways as a nation. God’s judgment was spared on that generation in Nineveh. The Book of Jonah demonstrates God’s mercy and grace to a nation who was behaving in a destructive and brutal nature.

Jesus Himself points to Jonah as a sign or a shadow of His death, burial, and resurrection. Matthew 12:39-41 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREENIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

That “any” includes terrorists. Even terrorists can avoid eternal judgment in Christ. We are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26).

What does it mean to repent? It is the Greek word “metanoia”. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: to change one’s mind, compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication, reversal of decision.

Things do not have to continue on their current path. We have the capacity to change our minds as individuals and corporately as humanity.

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Isaiah 10:16 Burn, Burn, Burn!

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , , on October 27, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:16 Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; and under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

There are three names or concepts of God mentioned in the initial part of this verse.

Adonai is the Hebrew term that is translated “Lord”. It can mean ruler, master, owner, or sovereign. The word is plural. When Adonai is the term for God, it indicates His absolute sovereignty and greatness (The Doctrine of God, Chester McCalley).

Yahweh YHWH (scholars refer to this as the Tetragrammaton, Greek for four letters) is the proper name of the Hebrew God of the Bible. The correct spelling is YHWH. Note there are no vowels in this term. Vowels from the name Adonai were substituted and the term Yahweh emerged. Jehovah is a word that has been translated to English from the Hebrew, Yahweh. The name for LORD is Jehovah. It means the existing one. This name is so sacred, Jews refuse to pronounce it. The name is first introduced in Exodus 3:14 when Moses and God are having a discussion. His name is a statement of existence. Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Lord of Hosts is a military term. He commands the armies or angels.

The king of Assyria has been informed who is in control and in charge of the situation. God is intentionally sending a nasty disease to the Assyrian army. This disease will affect the strongest and most vigorous of the troops, the fat ones.

… and under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. The Hebrew language is repetitive with this portion of the verse. Another loose translation could read …burn, burn, burn, burn! The last reference in the verse for flame is the Hebrew word ‘esh. One of the definitions for this word according to Strong’s is a supernatural fire with accompanying theophany. To the king of Assyria, fire is coming. Is this a hint of what is to come?

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Isaiah 10:15 Assyrian Arrogance, Part 3 The Tool

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

How effective can a tool be if it is not directed by somebody? What good is a tool if it is laying on the ground or hanging on a nail in shop? A tool is made of separate pieces or crafted into use by a creator. A tool is forged into existence. This tool, the king of Assyria, thinks he is greater than the Creator. He thinks he is smarter than the One who made him. The king thinks he is stronger than the hand that is holding him and using him. To the king of Assyria, you are a tool.

Romans 9:20-21 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

In this example, God is the potter. We the people, are molded objects made by God. What right does humanity (the pot) have to question God’s intent when it comes to our lot in life? Like it really matters what we think. A modern day translation would be, “Don’t talk back to God.”

Does humanity think they know what is best? That is what is happening in effect when we question God? We are questioning God’s intention, plan, and purpose for us.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. Yes, we have the capacity to improve and get better. But ultimately, our abilities whatever they may be are limited.

God made some of us to be honorable. The Greek work for honorable is time (tee-may). It means special, reverence, deference, expensive in cost, precious. Some people were made to be fine, ornate vases for display. They are put on a pedestal.

God made some of us for common use. The Greek word for common is atimia. Translators were being kind when they used the word “common”. Atimia means dishonor, ignominy, or disgrace. Some people were made to be toilet bowls and defecation comes their way.

Whether we are an implemented tool or a molded pot, we are not responsible for our existence. We did not create ourselves. We are all made for God’s purpose.

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Isaiah 10:12-14 Assyrian Arrogance, Part 2

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , on October 13, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.”

This verse brings to a close the judgment on Israel. The series of four judgments began in Isaiah 9:12. God is proclaiming that His current job in Jerusalem is finished. The phrase, In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out…, has been completed four times and has come to a close.

Adonai is the Hebrew term that is translated “Lord”. It can mean ruler, master, owner, or sovereign. The word is plural. When Adonai is the term for God, it indicates His absolute sovereignty and greatness (The Doctrine of God, Chester McCalley). God is in charge and not the king of Assyria.

God’s punishment will be directed towards the “fruit” or children of the king.

Look at the adjectives and other translations and how they describe the king of Assyria.

The king’s heart is described as prideful and insolent. The pride is great in magnificence and magnitude. His haughtiness and arrogance are described as glorious and splendorous.

Isaiah 10:13-14 For he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; and I removed the boundaries of the peoples and plundered their treasures, and like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants, and my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, and as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; and there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

Here is a direct quote from the king of Assyria. God is directly quoting the king. Look at the number of times “my” and “I” are used. “My” is noted three times. “I” is noted five times. This guy is a real team player. He did it all by himself.

The king sees himself as a strong and brilliant leader. There are no boundaries for this guy. He goes where he wants. He admits he steals from others from all of the earth. He brags about conquering and looting. He takes whatever he pleases. No one can contest him as he sees it. This guy is a real leader recognizing the efforts of those around him and supporting him, not!

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Isaiah 10:3-4 No Place to Run, No Place to Hide

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , on September 21, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:3-4 Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out.

The day of punishment is a day of visitation. The Hebrew word for punishment is paquddah.

The visitation will come from afar or a distant country in the original Hebrew.

There is no place to run or hide. There will be nobody to help. Israel will be isolated as a nation.

There will be no place to store or hide their assets. As a reminder, these assets were gained illegally by Israel’s leaders. The wealth was acquired by theft. Assyria is on the verge of stealing these possessions from Israel’s leaders.

The devastation is complete. The only place to hide is among the dead or hide with the prisoners. The verse foreshadows Israel going into captivity.

The phrase His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out is noted for the fourth time in Isaiah 10. The fourth judgment is coming at the hands of Assyria. The series of judgments will come to a close when completed.

The next verse identifies who the instrument of God’s judgment will be. This prophecy was fulfilled with the Assyrian captivity.

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Isaiah 8:1-4 Isaiah’s Family and Prophetic Implications

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 8:1 Then the LORD said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey (Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz).

Isaiah 8:2 “And I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 

God has witnesses to what he is saying. He chose Isaiah, Uriah, Zechariah. Look at the character of the men He chose to be witnesses. He selected a priest and two prophets (Isaiah included). All three are men of God.

Look at the names of the people and their meaning. According to Strong’s Concordance, Uriah means “Jehovah is my light (flame)”. Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers”. Jeberechiah means “Jehovah blesses”. We cannot forget Isaiah, his name means “Jehovah has saved”. Here is the message in the witnesses to God’s word. He saves, remembers, blesses, and illuminates.

God wants this written down and he wants human witnesses to His word.

Isaiah 8:3 So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz;

Yes, there is sex in the Bible. Isaiah had sexual relations with his wife and she became pregnant. God did tell Isaiah to give the child a specific name. He was married to an unnamed prophetess. Isaiah and his wife had two sons, Shear-jashub (meaning the remnant shall return, Isaiah 7:3) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (meaning speed the spoil, hasten the prey). Jewish tradition notes that Isaiah may have been a relative to Jewish nobility, a nephew to King Amaziah. His cousin would have been King Uzziah in Chapter 6.

Isaiah 8:4 for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

According to Ryrie Study Notes, the child was approximately two years old when Tiglath-Pileser III tore through Damascus and Samaria in 732 BC.

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