China may be moving closer to the holy grail of submarine stealth technology – a propulsion system with no mechanical moving parts. Such technology would eliminate all detectable vibrations, allowing for unprecedented underwater stealth capabilities.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists have found a way to significantly improve the efficiency of laser propulsions, which could one day drive submarines.
China and US locked in underwater race to produce new generation of submarines driven by less-detectable propulsion technologies
The report says the new technology can produce nearly 70,000 newtons of thrust, using 2 megawatts of laser power emitted through the submarine’s coating of optical fibers, each thinner than a human hair.
The SCMP report notes that the technology works by leveraging supercavitation generated by laser pulses vaporizing seawater, which can significantly reduce water resistance. It claims that the “underwater fiber laser-induced plasma detonation wave propulsion” eliminates detectable mechanical noise, enabling greater stealth.
To be sure, laser propulsion technology is not new. Twenty years ago, Japanese scientists introduced the concept of using lasers to create plasma in water and harness the detonation wave produced by plasma expansion for propulsion.
However, the idea didn’t progress as the scientists found it challenging to generate a directional driving force as the detonation wave expands in all directions from a single point.
Despite that setback, China and several other countries have funded research on using tiny spherical metal particles to create a force on submarines.
Detonation waves can propel particles in a specific direction, exerting an opposite force on the submarine. Still, the current efficiency is too low to be practical, with 1 watt of laser power generating only one-millionth of a newton of thrust.
However, the SCMP report says Chinese scientists from Harbin Engineering University have designed a laser engine that improves the efficiency of converting lasers into thrust by three to four orders of magnitude.
They modified the fibers by adding a gun barrel-like device with a U-shaped interface and used a pair of barrels to bombard particles in the working medium. They also added designed protruding structures inside the barrel to minimize interaction and internal friction between shock waves.
While SCMP says that a submarine nuclear reactor produces over 150 megawatts, which is enough for the laser propulsion system, it notes various design challenges such as heat dissipation by the optical fibers, resilience in high power and high salinity environments, and the alignment of optical fiber emission apertures with the submarine’s anechoic panels.
In contrast to China, the US has researched magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD) technology since the 1960s as an alternative to mechanical propulsion. MHD technology uses magnetic fields and electrically conducting fluids to generate thrust, potentially offering several advantages over traditional propeller-driven systems.
In a May 1991 article for the peer-reviewed Naval Engineers Journal, Daniel Swallom and other writers note that MHD offers increased stealth, maneuverability and survivability, eliminates detectable noise from mechanical components and enables higher payload capabilities due to efficient use of space.
Swallom and others also outlined the optimal design for MHD thrusters. They used mathematical modeling to evaluate various neutrally buoyant configurations of MHD thrusters that could seamlessly integrate with existing submarine power plants. They also proposed a segmented, annular thruster optimized for performance in generic attack submarines.
However, they also highlighted significant design challenges, such as developing appropriate superconducting magnets and structural support for MHD thrusters. These require advancements in superconducting materials and cryogenic systems while ensuring neutral buoyancy to avoid interference with the submarine’s operational capabilities.
As with China’s laser propulsion technology, DARPA says that MHD propulsion has been successful on a small scale yet remains impractical due to the inability to generate powerful magnetic fields for high-efficiency pumps. It also mentions electrode corrosion and erosion problems due to contact with seawater.
However, DARPA says advances in the commercial nuclear fusion industry have enabled the production of rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) magnets that could generate magnetic fields up to 20 Tesla that could give 90% MHD efficiency. This advancement would solve the problem of generating powerful magnetic fields for pumps, leaving electrode longevity the main challenge.
DARPA says it hopes to leverage material science advances in fuel cell and battery technology to reduce the formation of gas bubbles on electrode surfaces, which decreases efficiency and erodes electrode surfaces.
However, since MHD operates on the principle of magnetism, it may become more detectable by magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) systems.
Such advances could further the development of next-generation submarines, which may be all-electric with no mechanical moving parts in future. With advancements in battery technologies and air-independent propulsion (AIP), the possibility of all-electric military submarines is becoming increasingly feasible.
In October 2022, Asia Times noted that lithium-ion batteries can significantly enhance submarines’ underwater endurance, acceleration and speed due to their higher energy density than traditional lead-acid batteries, faster charging rate, greater discharge speed and longer lifespan.
However, lithium-ion batteries have a significant drawback: they are prone to thermal runaway and fire hazards. This risk is high in submarines, where a single overheating cell can trigger a thermal runaway across the entire battery bank, resulting in devastating fires.
Iron and phosphate can be used instead of nickel and cobalt to solve the thermal runaway problem in lithium batteries, providing a safer and equally performing alternative. Submarine lithium-ion batteries can be made safer using hard carbon and ceramic coating for battery packaging.
Lithium-ion submarines are also possibly quieter than nuclear-powered ones. Nuclear submarines have unlimited range, but their constantly running coolant pumps can emit detectable noise. They also emit radiation traces that can be detected with specialized sensors.
Navies can pair lithium-ion batteries with fuel cells, which offsets the former’s limitations. However, fuel cells pose design challenges, primarily due to their means of storing hydrogen fuel and unproven technology.
Next-gen lithium-ion + fuel cell submarines, equipped with propulsion technologies such as laser propulsions and MHD, may have extreme endurance, incredibly quiet operation, fast acceleration and high dash speeds. However, cost and complexity are still issues for mainstreaming such designs.
“He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him. He shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.”
“The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, “a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young. “And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee. “And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates until thy high and fortified walls come down wherein thou trusted, throughout all thy land; and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land which the Lord thy God hath given thee,” Deuteronomy 28:44,49-51
The Talmud is a collection of writings that covers the full aspect of Jewish law and tradition, compiled and edited between the third and sixth centuries; it is the body of Jewish civil and ceremonial law and legend comprising the Mishnah and the Gemara. There are two versions of the Talmud: the Babylonian Talmud (which dates from the 5th century AD but includes earlier material) and the earlier Palestinian or Jerusalem Talmud.
The Talmud is the learning of men, even the learnings of Rabbis, not directly the Word of God. If their learning is in line or coinside with the Word of God, then it could enlighten our understanding. But sometimes, their learnings could veer wide off the Word of God, unfortunately, then they should be avoided.
One example worth studying from Sanhedrin, the Talmud:
And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: A Gentile who engages in Torah study is liable to receive the death penalty; as it is stated: “Moses commanded us a law [torah], an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob” (Deu 33:4), indicating that it is an inheritance for us, and not for them. Sanhedrin 59a
To Rabbi Yoḥanan God want the children of Israel to study the Torah, which is true, but he doesn’t want Gentiles to study and know the Scriptures; which is untrue, for God want “all people, nations, and languages should serve Him:” How could one serve God without an understanding of serving Him?
“And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:14
How could people of the nations serve God if Gentiles couldn’t or now allowed to study his Word? Or how could a Gentile know God if they were not allowed to study the Scriptures?
“And the nations shall know that I, the Lord, do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.’” Ezekiel 37:28
From this angle, an overzealous Rabbi Yoḥanan certainly had gone too far and subjected himself to adding the Word of God and teaching falsehood.
However, from another angle, Rabbi Yoḥanan has some truth if any Gentile teaches any concept that deviated from the Scriptures. For example, where “ben ha arbayim” had been defined by the Orthodoxy as “after noon . . . til nightfall” and then the Gentile came alone to redefine it as “between sundown and dark,” then this Gentile has taught heresy; such crime is very serious, and is worthy of a death sentence.
1 “When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee — the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou—
— the Hittites; this people were descended from Heth, the second son of Canaan; the Girgashites; supposed by some to be the same as the Gergesenes, who lay to the east of Lake Gennesareth; but they are placed on the west of Jordan;
— the Amorites, descended from the fourth son of Canaan. They occupied, besides their conquest on the Moabite territory, extensive settlements west of the Dead Sea, in the mountains; the Canaanites, located in Phœnicia, particularly about Tyre and Sidon, and being sprung from the oldest branch of the family of Canaan, bore his name;
— the Perizzites, that is, villagers, a tribe who were dispersed throughout the country and lived in unwalled towns; the Hivites, who dwelt about Ebal and Gerizim, extending towards Hermon. They are supposed to be the same as the Avims;
— the Jebusites, resided about Jerusalem and the adjacent country; seven nations greater and mightier than thou; ten were formerly mentioned (Ge 15:19-21); it could be three of them, the Kenites, and Kenizires, and the Rephaim; were either destroyed by foreign or domestic wars, or by marriage united with and swallowed up in some of the rest.
2 and when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them. Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them. — nor show mercy unto them; by sparing their lives, bestowing any favours upon them, or giving them any help and assistance when in distress.
3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them. Thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son;
— neither shalt thou make marriages with them; unless they became proselytes, as Rahab; or as Ruth the Moabitess, and so any captive taken in war; otherwise it was not lawful, to prevent being snared and drawn aside into idolatry, which was the case of Solomon;
4 for they will turn away thy son from following Me, that they may serve other gods. So will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly.
— so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly; by some immediate judgment striking dead at once; there being nothing more provoking to God than idolatry;
5 But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their graven images with fire. — and cut down their groves; sacred to idols, which were usually planted on hills, and about pagan temples, and under which idols were placed to be worshipped;
6 “For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. — the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth; for special service and worship, and to enjoy special privileges and benefits, civil and religious;
7 The Lord did not set His love upon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people; — ye were the fewest of all people; it may be observed that the development of the Moabites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites, and Edomites (all, like Israel, descended from Terah), was far more rapid than that of the chosen line;
— Abraham had twelve grandsons through Ishmael, but only the same number of great grandsons through Isaac and Jacob. Edom, Moab, and Ammon all preceded Israel in the conquest of territory. Kings reigned in Edom “before there reigned any king over the children of Israel” (Genesis 36:31);
— it was only “when the time of the promise drew nigh” that the Israelites grew and multiplied in Egypt; the Scripture is throughout consistent in representing their development as due to the special providence of God (Deuteronomy 10:22);
8 but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
— and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers; the promise he had made, confirmed by an oath: hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand; out of the land of Egypt; and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen; where they were slaves to the Egyptians;
9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations,
— with them that love him, and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations; Exodus 20:6 which are not the causes or conditions of his covenant and mercy, nor of his keeping them, but descriptive of the persons that enjoy the benefit thereof;
10 and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him that hateth Him; He will repay him to his face. — he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face; not defer the execution of his judgment and vengeance, which may seem to slumber and linger, but will quickly and openly bring it upon the sinner.
11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which I command thee this day, to do them. — which I command thee this day, to do them; Catholics and Protestants alike giving lip services in the name of the Lord; by virtue of which he made fake declaration of obedience to put them out of their mind in order to justify themselves.
12 “Therefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He swore unto thy fathers. — the observance of these commandments would also bring great blessings (Deuteronomy 7:12-16). “If ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them”
13 And He will love thee and bless thee and multiply thee; He will also bless the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy land, thy corn and thy wine and thine oil, the increase of thy cattle and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee.
— and bless thee, and multiply thee; that is bless thee with a multiplication of offspring, which was what was often promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that their seed should be as the stars of heaven, the dust of the earth, and the sand of the sea;
— the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep: their larger and lesser cattle, oxen and sheep: in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee; the Land of Promise, given in a promise, and that established by an oath.
14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your cattle. — there shall not be male or female barren among you; which to be was reckoned a reproach, and the contrary a blessing, Luke 1:25 Psalm 128:3.
15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay them upon all those who hate thee. — the evil diseases of Egypt; such as the Egyptians were infected with, either commonly, or miraculously;
— it seems to refer not only to the plagues of Egypt, but to some other epidemic diseases, which they remembered to have prevailed among the Egyptians, and by which God had chastised them for their national sins;
— confirmed by the reports of many modern writers, who tell us that, notwithstanding its equal temperature and sereneness, that country has some indigenous maladies which are very malignant, noxious and nauseous, such as ophthalmia, dysentery, smallpox, and other plagues.
16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them; neither shalt thou serve their gods, for that will be a snare unto thee.
— and thou shall consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, which the Lord should deliver into their hands; them they were not to spare, but utterly destroy men, women and children.
17 “If thou shalt say in thine heart, ‘These nations are more than I. How can I dispossess them?’ — if thou shall say in thine heart; should have secret thoughts arise in the heart, misgivings of heart, fears and doubts there, which, though not outwardly expressed, might be inwardly retained;
18 thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all Egypt— but shall well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; a people more numerous and potent than the Canaanites, among whom the Lord wrought such wonderful things by his power, which obliged them to let Israel go;
19 the great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm —whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out. So shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
— and the mighty hand, and stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out; that is, out of Egypt, which was an instance and proof of his almighty power:
— so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid; not perform the same miraculous operations among them, but exert the same power in the destruction of them, and in dispossessing them of their land, as in destroying the Egyptians, and delivering Israel from among them.
20 Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from thee be destroyed. — until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed; such of the Canaanites who escaped the sword of the Israelites, and hid themselves in holes and caverns of the earth;
— these the hornets would find out and sting them to death, until they were all destroyed; thus God can make use of small creatures, even insects, to destroy nations the most populous and mighty.
21 Thou shalt not be frightened at them; for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and fearsome. — for the Lord thy God is among you: in the tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies, which was in the midst of them, and besides would give proof of his powerful presence among them, in protecting them, and destroying their enemies;
22 And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee little by little; thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. — thou mayest not consume them at once; though it was in the power of their hands to do it, there being some wise reasons for sparing them awhile, at least for not cutting them off all at once;
23 But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction until they be destroyed. — but the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee; gradually, by little and little, until at length they should all come into their hands: and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction until they be destroyed; even all of them;
24 And He shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven. There shall no man be able to stand before thee until thou have destroyed them. — thou shall destroy their name from under heaven; not only destroy the name of the reigning kings;
— so as that they should not be remembered and made mention of any more, but put an end to the name and race of kings among them, so that they should never have any more, as they never had.
25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire. Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. — an abomination to the Lord thy God; not only the idol itself, being put in the place of God, and so derogatory to his honour and glory;
— but the gold and silver on it, being devoted to a superstitious and idolatrous use; and even the taking of it, and appropriating it to a man’s own use, was an abomination, and resented by the Lord as such.
26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it; but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing.
— and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing; devoted to destruction; and to have anything to do with it is the way to entail a curse, and bring to everlasting ruin and destruction;
So don’t be intimidated by them. God, your God, is among you—majestic God, awesome God. God, your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won’t be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you.
But God, your God, will move them out of your way—he’ll throw them into a huge panic until there’s nothing left of them. He’ll turn their kings over to you and you’ll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you’ll put an end to them all. Deuteronomy 7:21-24
Deuteronomy 8
1 “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers.
— all the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do; this is repeated over and over again, to impress on their minds and to show the importance and necessity of it, how greatly it was expected from them, and how much it was incumbent on them;
— that ye may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers; for their temporal life, and the mercies and comforts of it, the multiplication of their offspring, and of their substance, their entrance into the land of Promise;
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments or not.
— to know what was in thine heart, that is, that thou mightest discover to thyself and others that infidelity, inconstancy, hypocrisy, apostacy, rebellion, and perverseness, which may lay hidden in thy heart;
3 And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know, that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
— but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live; the Targum of Jonathan says, “but by all that is created by the Word of the Lord doth man live;”
4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years.
— thy raiment waxed not old upon thee; the common interpretation of these words is, that, by a miracle, their clothes did not so much as decay, nor their foot swell; or thy shoe did not wax old upon thy feet; that is, “You were not reduced, through poverty, to wear shoes till they were grown so old and torn that they could not defend your feet against tumours.
5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. — thou shalt also consider in thine heart; and meditate upon, revolve in your thoughts, well weigh in your minds, and take into thorough and deliberate consideration in your hearts;
— that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee; that they stood in the same relation to God as a son to a father, and therefore happy and honourable; that all their afflictions came from God;
6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God to walk in His ways and to fear Him. — to walk in his ways, and to fear him; to walk in the ways he directed, to be under an awe of his majesty, a fear of offending him,
— unlike in the New Testament era, where most Potestant bigwigs thought you could chitchat with him and ignoring his laws, statutes and judgments, which the Lord repetitively and steadfastly commanded.
7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills,
— and this, an excerpt from “America the Beautiful”
“O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!”
8 a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil, and honey, — a land of plenty, in fact “overcapacity” with lots for export; see details in Agriculture in the United States
9 a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness. Thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. — thou shall not lack anything in it; for necessity and convenience, and for delight and pleasure;
— a land whose stones are iron; in which were iron mines; and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass; both which are taken out of the earth and the stones of it;
10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee. — for the good land which he hath given thee; which supplied them with such plenty, that they enjoyed full meals every day.
11 “Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping His commandments and His judgments and His statutes which I command thee this day, — again, a constant reminder of keeping his commandments, statutes and judgments;
12 lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein, — lest when thou hast eaten and art full; not only once and again, but continually, day after day, being indulged with great plenty;
— and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; who for forty years had only dwelt in tents, moving from place to place in the wilderness.
13 and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, — and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply; having good pasture for them in so fruitful a land: and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied; by trading with other nations;
14 then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage,
— and thou forget the Lord thy God; from whom all good things come, and who can take them away when he pleases, and therefore should be ever kept in mind, in deep remembrance always; who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
15 who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought, where there was no water, who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint, — and drought where there was no water; a dry and barren place where no water was to be had; or it may be rather another kind of serpents may be meant,
16 who fed thee in the wilderness with manna which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; — that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee; they were kept humble, being dependent on God for their daily bread;
— having nothing in the wilderness to support themselves with; and this tried them, whether they would trust in God for their daily supply, and be thankful for it, or not;
— at thy latter end, that is, that after he hath purged and prepared thee by afflictions, he may give thee, and thou mayst receive and enjoy, his blessings with less disadvantage, whilst by the remembrance of former afflictions thou art made thankful for them, and more cautious not to abuse and forfeit them again.
17 and thou say in thine heart, ‘My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.’ — or thus Israel thought in his heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth; so ascribing that to themselves, their labour, and diligence, instead of ascribing the bounty and blessing of God;
18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
— for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth; for though men may have seeming opportunities for getting wealth, may have capacities for the management of business for the acquisition of it; it is the blessing of God that makes rich, and to that it should be imputed whenever it is enjoyed;
19 And it shall be, if thou at all forget the Lord thy God and walk after other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. — a pure prophecy that if thou forget the Lord thy God, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish;
— by one judgment and calamity or another, as the sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity; there being nothing more provoking to God than idolatry, breaking his laws, commandments, the statutes and judgements;
20 As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. — your nation will be in the same ruin and destruction that you are now going to execute upon the Canaanites for your national sins.
BARCELONA, April 19 (Reuters) – Chinese carmaker Chery (CHERY.UL) said on Friday its newly-acquired Barcelona plant will be one of its main exporting facilities worldwide, aiming to produce 150,000 vehicles a year by 2029 as part of a joint venture with Spanish firm EV Motors.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks at the new factory of China’s Chery Auto, at Zona Franca, in Barcelona, Spain
Production will begin at the end of the summer at the plant, Chery’s first in Europe, and the carmakers will initially hire 150 former Nissan workers, who are currently on a training program financed by authorities after the Japanese firm divested in 2021.
The venture ultimately intends to hire up to 1,250 workers.
“Once we reach enough (production) scale, we will plan exporting to the rest of Europe and other countries, turning it into one of Chery’s main exporting facilities worldwide,” said Chery’s Executive Vice-President Guibing Zhang during a presentation by the joint venture at the facility, which was partly handed to EV Motors after Nissan’s exit.
Electric carmakers worldwide are waging an aggressive price war to win market share and the European Union is investigating whether Chinese EV makers benefit from unfair government subsidies.
Chery and EV Motors will invest around 400 million euros ($426.64 million) in the plant, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at the same event.
Sanchez said such investments showed that Spain is becoming a large EV hub for Europe after it launched a 5 billion-euro plan in 2020 to attract production using European Union pandemic relief funds.
This year, Chery will manufacture its SUV Omoda 5 model, both in its EV and combustion engine versions, in Barcelona and will later also produce its Jaecoo 7 model there.
Chinese carmaker Chery says Spain to be among its main exporting plants
Using a shared production platform and technology with Chery, EV Motors will relaunch the Spanish brand EBRO, which ceased sales in 1987.
EV Motors will begin manufacturing two SUV models in plug-in-hybrid and combustion versions in the fourth quarter.
They will also apply for public funding, EV Motors said in a statement.
Authorities in Catalonia, the region of which Barcelona is the capital, said earlier this week they would help with financing for the project, but did not elaborate.
The two carmakers could also request funds from Spain’s central government, which has 1.7 billion euros available this year under the pandemic relief program.
BEIJING (Reuters) – Sales of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s first electric car have been 3-5 times higher than expected, CEO Lei Jun said on Thursday, as the company began delivering standard versions of the so-called SU7 to buyers ahead of schedule.
Lei, Xiaomi’s founder, made the comments during a two-hour livestream on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, that garnered over 34 million viewers.
Xiaomi launched its car, which draws styling cues from Porsche, late last month, entering a crowded China EV market with an attention-grabbing price tag – under $30,000 for the base model, which is $4,000 cheaper than the base model of Tesla’s Model 3 in China.
Xiaomi has deep pockets and has said it expects to lose money on the SU7.
It started some deliveries from a limited batch of 5,000 cars it had already produced – called the “Founder’s Edition,” equipped with additional accessories for early buyers on April 3 but Thursday marked the beginning of deliveries of the SU7’s standard version in Beijing and Shenzhen.
Lei said Xiaomi had brought forward deliveries of its standard version by 12 days. Asked by online users about future development plans, he said Xiaomi had no plans to build off-road vehicles and would primarily focus on the SU7.
“As for the software, I require it to be quickly iterated at least once a month. If there are any problems, they should be improved as soon as possible,” he said.
Besides the Standard version, Xiaomi previously said it plans to start deliveries of Max models this month and Pro models by the end of May.
Lei was repeatedly asked during the event whether Xiaomi was planning a sports utility vehicle but did not take the question.
He was accompanied during the livestream by Wei Jianjun, CEO of Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor, who complimented Xiaomi on having been able to produce such a car within three years.
The debut of Xiaomi’s EV has caused waves within the Chinese market, with other Chinese EV brands with comparable models announcing price cuts and subsidies after its launch.
While the world’s largest auto market is challenging for newcomers due to a cut-throat EV price war and slowing demand, analysts have said Xiaomi has deeper pockets than most EV startups and its smartphone expertise gives it an edge in smart dashboards – a feature prized by Chinese consumers.
Analysts predict that losses on the SU7 could be substantial. Based on a projected volume of 60,000 units this year, Citi estimates the SU7 could generate a net loss of 4.1 billion yuan, or an average 68,000 yuan per car.
Mehdi Hasan Lays Out First 100 Days Of A Second Donald Trump Term In Chilling Detail
"Don't say you weren't warned."
In one of the most important segments I've ever made, & using Trump & Trump aides' *own* words & pledges, I lay out, for #MehdiUnfiltered, what a Trump first 100 days could look like in 2025. How bad, fascistic it would be.https://t.co/8g57sEoG8Cpic.twitter.com/wXqVg7rEEB
Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan used comments, claims and threats from presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump and his allies to predict how “bad” and “fascistic” a possible second Trump White House would be.
Hasan described the video for his new media venture Zeteo as “one of the most important segments I’ve ever made.” On X, formerly Twitter, the clip garnered more than 1.6 million views in its first 16 hours alone.
The journalist teed up the explainer of what could happen in the first 100 days of a second Trump administration: “If you’re one of those people, even on the left, who isn’t that concerned by the prospect of a Trump second term ― that it won’t be that bad, that we survived Trump the first time round ― then this next segment is for you.”
Hasan then urged viewers to “picture the scene” on Jan 20, 2025, the day of Trump’s second inauguration, when he would launch the “dictatorship” he’s talked about ― immediately closing the U.S.-Mexico border and invoking the Insurrection Act to quell mass protests.
Hasan’s dystopian day-by-day predictions included his own potential detainment on day 33.
“Don’t say you weren’t warned,” he told viewers.
Jer 30:5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
Jer 30:7a Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble…
Bread of the Body and Wine of the Blood of the Lamb
Mark 14:22-26 – And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Washing of Feet John 13:1-10 – Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
Passover Evening Schedule
Prayer in remembrance of the sacrifice our King & His Father has made for us. His sacrifice to wash our sins and for God’s judgement to pass over our sins so that we may be part of His great family. Bless the Passover supper we are about to partake.
Partake in Passover meal
Breaking Bread a. Read – Luke 22:14-19 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suƯer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” b. Pray over the bread, break and eat.
Wine a. Read – Mark 14:23-25 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” b. Pray over the wine, pour, and drink.
Finish the Passover Meal
Wash Feet a. Read – John 13:1-10 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. b. Wash each other’s Feet
Hymn a. Read – Matthew 26:30 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. b. Sing Hymn – 130 To God be the Glory
Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China held a conference ahead of a week-long seminar to seek progress with its home-grown C929 widebody passenger jet
C929 is due to rival the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 models for long-haul routes, but analysts expect a ‘minimal impact’ outside China
China’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer this week rallied 280 “experts and scholars” from various industries to seek breakthroughs in building its C929 widebody long-haul passenger jet amid intensifying competition with Airbus and Boeing.
The Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) said through its official WeChat social media account on Wednesday that it had kicked off a conference with talent from 21 universities and seven civil aviation companies, among other organisations, on Monday amid efforts to build its largest civilian aircraft.
Experts in aerodynamics, airframe structures, electrical mechanical systems and propulsion systems would also meet for a week-long seminar, Comac said in the post that had been removed by the end of Wednesday, although the contents were still being circulated on state media.
Chinese fuselage manufacturer Huarui Aerospace Manufacturing, which was selected in 2021 to build the body of the C929, said in February that the first middle section would be delivered by September 2027.
The C929 would have around 280-400 seats, and a range of 12,000km (7,456 miles), according to Comac.
But the C929, due to rival the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 models, would require a stronger domestic outbound travel market and approvals from overseas aviation regulators to progress, said Eric Lin, head of greater China research with UBS in Hong Kong.
“The [narrowbody] C919 is now going into mass production, but the C929 is another story as a bigger aircraft for longer hauls,” Lin said, with planes of a similar size to the C929 intended for longer international routes.
C929 using the CJ-2000 which is a scaled-up version of the CJ-1000
“You really need to have a pickup from the Chinese outbound travel market to get that demand.”
Comac – whose narrowbody C919 began flying commercially last year on domestic routes – has indicated that the C929 would be largely home-grown, but Lin added that it is also not clear how the manufacturer would source the parts for the aircraft.
Analysts said the C919 is set to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families of aircraft because it is intended for mid-range flights.
The C919 still depends on foreign components, including for its engine produced by a joint venture between GE Aerospace of the US and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines.
That falls in line with China’s wider goal of technological self-sufficiency in the wake of trade and technological tensions with the West.
Developer Comac, which was established in 2008, also makes the smaller ARJ21 regional aircraft.
China’s aircraft C929 aims to replace Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 in domestic market
“As our country’s first independently developed intercontinental passenger aircraft, the C929 is of great significance for improving the quality of domestic commercial aircraft and promoting the development of the commercial aircraft industry,” Comac chairman He Dongfeng said in the WeChat post.
“Comac welcomes even more cooperation partners to enjoy joint wins from the opportunities and the future of large aircraft.”
Airbus and Boeing, though, are unlikely to be affected by the C929 because they have a “whole suite of long-haul aircraft options for their customers,” said John Grant, a senior analyst with British aviation intelligence firm OAG.
1And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. — and Moses called all Israel; the heads of the various tribes, and elders of the people, as he had on occasion been used to do;
— and said unto them, hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day; the laws, ceremonial and judicial, which he was about to repeat, and afresh declare unto them, being what they had all a concern in, and under obligation to regard.
2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. — the Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb; which is Mount Sinai;
3 The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. — the meaning may be “not with our fathers” who died in the wilderness, in consequence of their rebellion, and to whom God did not give the rewards promised only to the faithful;
— but “with us,” who alone, strictly speaking, shall enjoy the benefits of this covenant by entering on the possession of the promised land.
4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire — the Lord talked with you face to face; personally and immediately, and not by the mouth or ministry of Moses; plainly and certainly, as when two men speak face to face; freely and familiarly, so as not to overwhelm and confound you;
— out of the midst of the fire; in which he descended, and with which the mountain was burning all the time he was speaking; which made it very awful, terrible and frightening.
5 (I stood between the Lord and you at that time to show you the word of the Lord, for ye were afraid by reason of the fire and went not up into the mount), saying:
— for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount; lest they should be consumed by it: and indeed bounds were set about the mount, and they were charged not to break through;
6 “‘I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. — this is an introduction of God himself to the children of Israel;
— the word “Lord” is expressive of authority or dominion; and God, who by natural claim as well as by covenant relation was entitled to exercise supremacy over his people Israel, had a sovereign right to establish laws for their government;
— and he wrote them upon two tables of stone; to denote the durableness of them; the Targum of Jonathan says on tables of sapphire;
The Ten Commandments in two tables of stone; stone of sapphire
7 “‘Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. — idols are, at the very best, only masks which man puts upon the face of God, insulting to his dignity, and tending to conceal him from our view.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth. — graven image; hast thou not formed any gross image of God in thy mind? Hast thou always thought of him as a pure spirit, whom no man hath seen, nor can see?
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, — the Targum says
thou shalt not worship them or do service before them; for I am the Lord your God, a jealous and avenging God, taking vengeance in jealousy; remembering the sins of wicked fathers upon rebellious children to the third generation and to the fourth of them that hate Me, when the children complete to sin after their fathers; Deuteronomy 5:8 Targum Jonathan
10 and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments. — but keeping mercy and bounty for a thousand generations of the righteous who love Me and keep My mandates and My laws, Targum Jonathan
11 “‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. — the Lord will not hold him guiltless; punishment will assuredly overtake the perjured man, if not in this life, then in another.
12 “‘Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. — it is taken for granted, that the sabbath was instituted before. God’s blessing and sanctifying a seventh day is derivedn right from the beginning, (Genesis 2:3) so that this was not the enacting of a new law, but the reviving of an old law.
13 Six days thou shalt labor and do all thy work, — that all should be done on the six days that could possibly be done, and nothing left to be done on the seventh;
14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
— resting from every work is the basis of the observance of the Sabbath; it shall be a day of holy rest from things worldly, and of devotion to things heavenly;
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. — in the land of Egypt; for Egypt was an house of bondage, and there the Israelites were made to serve in hard bondage;
— of which they are reminded, that their hearts might be touched with it, and inclined to show pity to persons in somewhat similar circumstances; calling to mind how sweet a little rest would have been unto them when in Egypt;
16 “‘Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. — that thy days may be long, that their, that is, thy parents, may prolong thy days, or the days of thy parents’ life;
17 “‘Thou shalt not kill. — from the peculiar duties owed by children to their parents, the Divine legislator went on to lay down those general duties which men owe to their fellow-men.
18 “‘Neither shalt thou commit adultery. — thou shalt not commit adultery; this commandment forbids all acts of uncleanness, with all those desires which produce those acts and war against all kinds of filthiness, as bestiality, sodomy, whoredom, fornication.
19 “‘Neither shalt thou steal. — either by deceit or violence, or without his knowledge and consent, take away another man’s goods;
20 “‘Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor. — this forbids; speaking falsely in any matter, laying false charges, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour.
21 “‘Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbor’s.’ — thou shalt not covet; the foregoing commands implicitly forbid all desire of doing that which will be an injury to our neighbour;
22 “These words the Lord spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone, and delivered them unto me.
23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness (for the mountain did burn with fire), that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes and your elders. — after giving the Ten Commandments, the Exodus version ended with
And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off. Exodus 20:18
24 And ye said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God hath shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
— the appearance of fire in which the Lord was, “and his greatness,” of the thunders and lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet; and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire;
25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.
— for this great fire will consume us: if it continues, and we are exposed to it; perhaps some of them might remember the fire that burnt in the uttermost parts of the camp at Taberah, and the destruction of Korah and the two hundred and fifty men with him by fire, Numbers 11:1
26 For who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
— that hath heard the voice of the living God; who lives in and of himself, and is the author and giver of life to all his creatures, whereby he is distinguished from and is opposed unto the lifeless deities of the Gentiles;
27 Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it.’
— and we will hear it and do it; hearken to it, and receive it, as the word of God, and not man, and yield a ready and cheerful obedience, even to everything that should be required;
28 “And the Lord heard the voice of your words when ye spoke unto me; and the Lord said unto me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee. They have well said all that they have spoken.
— they have well said all that they have spoken; expressing such an awe and reverence of the divine Majesty, desiring to have a mediator between God and them, and purposing and promising to hearken to and obey whatsoever he should command by him.
29 O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children for ever! — and keep all my commandments always; not only one, but all, and not only at some certain times, but continually;
30 Go, say to them, “Get you into your tents again.” — the people were commanded to return to their tents, and Moses was appointed to act as mediator between God and them;
31 But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.’
— stand thou here by me; on the slope of Mount Sinai by him whither he was called up; Moses was not permitted to go to his tent when the children of Israel were, but was ordered to wait upon the Lord to receive instructions from him, which he was to communicate to the people, being a kind of a mediator between God and them;
32 “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. — you shall not turn to the right hand or to the left; but walk in the way of the commandments of God, and not depart from them at all;
33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
— ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you; none are to be avoided or departed from on any consideration whatever;
— and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess; the Promise land between the two rivers.
Deuteronomy 6
1“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it, — these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord commanded; not just the ten commandments repeated in the preceding chapter, but all others;
— in the land which ye shall possess; the Promise land between the two rivers; the Targum of Jonathan thus paraphrases this clause, “this is a declaration of the commandments, statutes, and judgments;”
2 that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life, and that thy days may be prolonged. — fear of the Lord their God which would ensure their divine observance of his worship and their steadfast obedience to his will;
— to keep all his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee; in the name, and by the authority of God, whose minister and messenger he was; and all, having the stamp of divine authority on them, were to be observed and kept, and not one to be neglected or departed from;
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. — in the land that floweth with milk and honey; a very common periphrasis of the land of Canaan, to be the Promise land between the two rivers.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. — this saying among the childrten of Israel, “Blessed are we who, every morning and evening, say, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord!”
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. — with all thy heart; it is not only the external action, but the internal affection of the mind that God requires; an affection which influences all our actions, in secret as well as in public, we must love him;
6 And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart; — we must, therefore, even lay the words up in our hearts; our thoughts must be daily conversant with them, and employed about them, that thereby our whole soul may be brought under the influence and impression of them;
7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. — teach them diligently, so as they may pierce deep into their hearts, that they are to love him, fear him, serve, and worship him;
8 And thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. — the Jews understand this literally, of binding a scroll of parchment, with this section and others written in it, upon their left hand, as the Targum of Jonathan here interprets the hand;
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates. — the Targum of Jonathan here, fix them in three places, over against the bed chamber, upon the posts of the house, and on the gate at the right hand of it;
10 “And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities which thou built not, — great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not;
— large and capacious, delightfully situated, well built, and strongly fortified, without any pains or expense of theirs; all ready for them to take possession of, and dwell in; and so should no longer reside in tents or booths, as they had for forty years past, but in spacious and noble cities;
11 and houses full of all good things which thou filled not, and wells dug which thou dug not, vineyards and olive trees which thou planted not, when thou shalt have eaten and be full,
— vineyards and olive trees which thou plantedst not; which Canaan abounded with much more than Egypt, where there were but few vines and olive trees, though of both these there were more where the Israelites lived than elsewhere;
12 then beware lest thou forget the Lord who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. — which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; into a land abounding with all the above good things, and therefore under the highest obligations to remember the Lord and his kindnesses, and to serve and glorify him: Exodus 20:2.
13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name. — and shalt swear by his name; Exodus 23:13 “Make no mention of the name of other gods” or made no covenant with any one else;
14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people who are round about you — ye shall not go after other gods; to serve and worship them, and swear by them;
— and which indeed are no gods, only nominal and fictitious ones; idols which are nothing in the world, and ought to have no veneration and adoration given them; to go after them is to worship them, and this is to depart from the true God, and go a whoring after false deities;
15 (for the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. — lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee; there being nothing more apt to stir up his wrath than idolatry; or profane his statutes and commandments;
— and destroy thee from off the face of the earth; suffer them to be carried captive out of their own land, and to be scattered among the nations of the world, and be utterly destroyed.
16 “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah. — as tempted him in Massah; a place so called from the Israelites tempting the Lord there, Exodus 17:7, the Targum of Jonathan adds, with ten temptations; see Numbers 14:21.
17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He hath commanded thee. — you shall keep the commandments, the statutes, and the judgements, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them; whither ye go to possess it;
18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord swore unto thy fathers, — and that thou mayest go in and possess; this should be taken with what follows, “possess,” so as “to cast out all thine enemies from before thee” (Deuteronomy 6:19).
19 to cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken. — to cast out all thine enemies from before thee; this the Lord promised, and as it seems with an oath, that he would do for them; drive out their enemies, and make way for the settlement of them in their country: as the Lord hath spoken; see Genesis 15:18.
20 “And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, ‘What mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which the Lord our God hath commanded you?’
— and when thy son asketh thee in time to come; or “tomorrow” that is, in later times; or any time after this, and particularly after they were in the land of Canaan, when the several laws, statutes, and ordinances appointed, would take place and be obeyed;
— what mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgements, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? what is the reason of the various rites, customs, and usages, the observance of which is directed to, such as the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, sacrifices, and other duties;
21 then thou shalt say unto thy son: ‘We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. — we were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; were brought into bondage and slavery to Pharaoh king of Egypt, into whose country their ancestors came, and where they resided many years, and at length were reduced to the utmost servitude and misery;
— and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; by the exertion of his mighty power, which the Egyptians and their king could not withstand.
22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes; — and the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore; meaning the ten plagues, which were signs of the power of God, marvellous works, great, above the power of nature, and very sore or “evil” very distressing to the Egyptians; for they came and lay heavy;
— upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes; upon the king, his courtiers, and the whole land, and which were done publicly in the sight of the people of Israel, as well as the Egyptians; and there were some then living;
23 and He brought us out from thence, that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers. — that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers; and put them in the possession of it; and so fulfil his promise and his oath made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;
24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. — to fear the Lord our God, for our good always: as it is always for the good of men, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, to fear the Lord; for there is no want to them that fear him, nor will the Lord withhold good things from them;
25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us.’ — as he hath commanded us; a man must keep all the commandments of God, none excepted; and that perfectly, without the least breach of them in thought, word, or deed.
There are many standards to measure a country’s development level.
Japan made dazzling achievements in the 1980s. To be precise, it happened between 1985 and 1995. We call this period the Golden Age of Japan.
During this period, Japan’s GDP reached 60% of that of the United States, and at its peak reached 70% of that of the United States.
From a global perspective, Japan’s GDP in 1995 reached 17.51% of the world’s
This chart shows the changes in GDP of the United States, Japan, and China over the past 40 years.
Red:US Green:Japan Blue:China
Japan’s Golden Age was indeed a time of remarkable achievement.
In fact, it will not be until 2021 that China’s global GDP ratio reaches Japan’s level in 1995. So overall, China has reached the peak level of Japan’s golden age. However, considering the gap in land area and population, it is fair to say that China has not yet reached the level of Japan at that time.
In fact, China’s current per capita GDP is only US$13,000, making it a middle-income country; calculated as PPP, it is US$22,000, making it an upper-middle-income country. In any case, there is a big gap compared with Japan in 1990.
However, there is more than just GDP as an indicator to measure a country’s development level. In fact, it is flawed to only use GDP to evaluate a country’s development level.
1. Composition of GDP
In Japan during the golden age, the GDP bubble was very serious, especially the stock and real estate bubbles that had reached incredible proportions. The Japanese investment community once shouted the slogan “The housing value in Tokyo is enough to buy the entire United States.”
Take a look at this graphic showing changes in real estate values in Japan and China. We will find that even during the period when China’s real estate bubble was developing rapidly, it was nothing compared to Japan’s golden age.
Most of China’s GDP is still the real economy, which is much more reliable than Japan at the time.
2. Technology development
In Japan during the Golden Age, technology developed rapidly. It has obvious advantages in the fields of household appliances, automobiles, semiconductors and other fields. In the most dazzling year of 1987, the number of patent applications in Japan was twice that of the United States.
But China is different. The chart below shows the changes in the number of patent applications in various countries over the past 40 years. It can be seen that after 2005, the number of patent applications in China increased rapidly. In fact, in 2023, the number of new patents in China has reached three times that of the United States.
3. Industrial capability
In 1995, the Japanese automobile industry reached its peak. That year, the Japanese manufactured 13 million cars. At this time, the American automobile industry was also at its peak, and the two were basically equal.
In 2023, China’s automobile industry will produce 30 million vehicles, more than twice that of the United States.
4. Power generation
This chart shows changes in electricity generation in major countries. Economists generally believe that power generation is an important indicator of a country’s true economic capacity. We will find that in Japan’s golden age, power generation never reached 30% of that of the United States. Today, China’s power generation capacity is 200% of that of the United States.
5. Military strength
Japan is a defeated country and its military power has always been restricted. But in the 1990s, Japan’s military strength was still stronger than China’s. But Japan’s defense budget has never reached 10% of that of the United States, but China’s defense budget has reached 70% of that of the United States (PPP)
6. Political influence
During the Golden Age, Japan had greater political influence. The entire Southeast Asia, including China, has been greatly influenced by Japan. Japanese elements are widespread in these countries. But in other parts of the world, Japan’s influence is weaker.
China’s political influence far exceeds that of Japan. It is currently the most influential superpower in the world after the United States. It has strong political influence in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The “Belt and Road” trade organization led by China has already been joined by 151 countries, almost recreating the WTO. The China-led BRICS organization has expanded to 11 countries and controls 70% of the world’s oil and natural gas.
7. Independence
Despite Japan’s great achievements during the Golden Age, the country’s independence was incomplete. Japan cannot resist US containment and attack. They completely failed in the Japan-US trade war and signed the hugely influential “Plaza Accord.” This means that behind Japan’s great achievements, it is actually an economic appendage of the United States.
China has always been an independent country and is one of the few countries in the world with complete national sovereignty. The United States cannot contain China as it did Japan, making China’s wealth and achievements more secure.
In general, if we look at Japan in the golden age and China now on a per capita basis. It is obvious that Japan’s per capita wealth is much greater than that of China, and China is far from reaching Japan’s level.
But if we look at the strength and development level of a country as a whole, China is much stronger than Japan at that time.
China’s rise and America’s decline is less surprising when viewed in wide historical context; but it could also be viewed in a biblical perspective, it’s the Times of the Gentiles:
In Luke 21:24, Jesus speaks of future events, including the destruction of Jerusalem and His return. He says
“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
In the second half of the 20th century, scholars and macrohistorians like Alvin Toffler, Francis Fukuyama and Paul Kennedy developed so-called grand narratives to predict future trends. They covered different aspects of society including ideology, technology, religion and culture.
The macrohistorians used these models to predict major historical changes in economics, power relations and geopolitics. Curiously, none of them predicted that China would emerge as a challenger to US global preeminence.
In the late 20th century, grand narratives fell out of favor. Postmodernists argued that grand or meta-theories overlooked differences between civilizations. By not acknowledging different cultural perspectives, microhistories tended to articulate a Eurocentric view of the world.
The emergence of China as a global power is less surprising when seen in a historical context. For much of recorded history, including the colonial period, China was the world’s largest economy, rivaled only by India. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the US took the top spot.
In 2030, China is expected to reclaim the top spot as the world’s largest economy
But few experts could have predicted the speed with which China modernized. The West took two centuries to industrialize, China did it in less than 50 years. In the process, China became the factory of the world and a spider in the web of the global supply chain. Shut down China and much of the world would come to a standstill.
In recent years, China has transitioned from a low-cost maker of cheap household goods to an advanced producer of electronic products and green tech. Industrious labor has been replaced by robots and AI. A new factory for Xiaomi, originally a smartphone maker, produces a new electric car every 76 seconds, or 40 per hour [or 350,400 per year], without being touched by human hands.
British author Martin Jacques chronicled China’s modernization in his international best-seller “When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order.” Jacques predicted that China’s future economic power would drastically alter the global political and cultural landscape, the first such change in 500 years.
Jacques argued that China’s reemergence as a major economic, political, and cultural power is a historical inevitability, requiring a readjustment in the Western view of the world. He writes:
“There has been an assumption by the Western mainstream that there is only one way of being modern, namely by adopting Western-style institutions, values, customs and beliefs, such as the rule of law, the free market and democratic norms.
“This, one might add, is an attitude typically held by peoples and cultures who regard themselves as more developed and more ‘civilized’ than others: that progress for those who are lower down on the developmental scale involves them becoming more like those who are higher up.”
Jaques mentioned Fukuyama, who predicted that the post-Cold War world would be based on a new universalism embodying the Western principles of the free market and democracy.
Fukuyama, in his 1992 paper “The End of History,” argued that Western liberal democracy had won and that all countries in the world, including China, would ultimately embrace Western liberal democracy.
Writing in 1992, Fukuyama did not foresee the budding crisis in Western democracies, the partial deindustrialization of the West, the growing concentration of wealth or the election of the anti-liberal Donald Trump and his “America First” agenda.
Trump launched a trade war with China that has been intensified by his successor Joe Biden. Inexpensive China products had been a boon to American consumers but came at a cost: the loss of millions of jobs and the deindustrialization of major cities in the American heartland.
The trading conflict between the West and China is a repeat on a larger scale of the trading conflict with Japan. In the 1980s, Japan decimated the Western automobile and consumer electronics industry. When it was too late, the West realized Japan had eaten its lunch. The Chinese are now poised to eat their dinner.
Claim of the Republic of China, a close resemblance of the Qing Dynasty
Workers and Merchants
In 2001, US president Bill Clinton gave the green light for China’s membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the American-led body that regulates global trade.
In exchange for membership, China agreed to reduce tariffs on nonagricultural products and several measures to open up China’s financial market, among them the life insurance and securities industry.
The US government reasoned that China would become politically more liberal if its economy was liberalized. Fukuyama’s “End of History” appeared to give credence to this theory. As it turned out, China liberalized economically but not politically. The Chinese government wanted to keep a firewall between business and government.
Overcapacity? A new factory for Xiaomi, produces a new electric car every 76 seconds, or 350,400 per year, without being touched by any human hand
A new story
China’s traditional, primarily collectivist culture partly explains its rapid modernization. Chinese civil engineers pioneered industrial methods like prefabrication, standardization, and modularization. The city of Daxing, a metropolis of 84 square kilometers built in the 6th century, was completed in one year.
China became the world’s leading industrial nation by learning from the West. Like Japan before, it took from the West what it found valuable and avoided what did not fit its worldview and values.
In barely one generation, China became an industrial superpower. Today, it dominates globally in 75% of the technologies seen as essential for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The US has not been sure-footed in its response to the Chinese challenge. To outcompete China economically would require a major overhaul of government priorities, a difficult task given the influence of neoliberalism and the polarization in US politics.
Cultural communications scholar Bill Kelly, author of “A New World Arising,” points at the dilemma facing the West. “Neoliberalism,” according to Kelly, “led to community breakdown, the alienation of the individual, and the loss of an overriding aspiration that a majority can embrace. This puts the West at a considerable disadvantage in terms of socially mobilizing its people behind government leadership.”
Neoliberalism is the ugly expression of the Merchants’ mindset and a remnant of colonial days. Knowing it can’t compete with China’s industrial giants, it tries to prolong Western military and financial hegemony at all costs. It fights foreign wars on the pretext of protecting freedom and democracy at home, a ruse intended to keep the Workers distracted.
Instead of taking their cue from Francis Fukuyama, the neoliberals should have heeded the warning of historian Paul Kennedy. In his book “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers,” Kennedy explained that the relative decline of great powers often stems from overstretch. Declining powers extend their military commitments beyond what their economic resources can sustain.
The US is not only overstretched, it is highly in debt, it has a narrow industrial base and its biggest economic rival also happens to be its largest creditor and one of its largest trading partners. Something will have to give, and when it does, the US and its Western allies will need a new story that is in sync with the 21st century.
British politicians love to vaunt the benefits of the UK’s supposed ‘special relationship’ with the US. But are we really America’s economic partner – or its colony?
Vassal State lays bare the extent to which US corporations own and control Britain’s economy: how American business chiefs decide what we’re paid, what we buy, and how we buy it. US companies have carved up Britain between them, siphoning off enormous profits, buying up our most lucrative firms and assets, and extracting huge rents from UK PLC – all while paying little or no tax. Meanwhile, policymakers, from Whitehall mandarins to NHS chiefs, shape their decisions to suit the whims of our American corporate overlords.
Based on his 40 years of business experience, devastating new research, and interviews with the major players, Angus Hanton exposes why Britain has become the poor transatlantic relation – and what we can do to change it.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Tuesday that it has opened a criminal case against high-ranking officials from the US and other NATO countires for financing terrorism following the deadly Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow.
“It has been established that the funds received through commercial organizations, in particular the Burisma Holdings oil and gas company that is operating in Ukraine, have been used over the past few years to carry out terrorist acts in Russia, as well as abroad, in order to eliminate prominent political and public figures and cause economic damage,” the committee declared.
Moreover, the committee is investigating the sources and transfer of several million dollars as part of the opened criminal case, the statement read.
“The Main Investigative Directorate of Russian Investigative Committee has conducted an inspection after the appeal of a group of lawmakers … and other people about the financing of terrorist activities by top officials of the United States and NATO countries.
As a result, a criminal case was opened on the grounds of a crime under part 4 of the article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (financing of terrorism),” the committee wrote on its Telegram channel.
The statement comes as Russian investigators are discovering foreign states’ links to the March terror attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow that claimed at least 143 lives.
The perpetrators of the shooting tried to flee the country in a car but were detained and charged with terrorism. Russian authorities believe their plan was to flee to Ukraine, where the masterminds of the attack had reportedly arranged a safe haven for them.
The Ukrainian-based oil company mentioned by the Russian Investigative Committee is also known for its participation in the scandal around US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
Hunter held a leadership position in the company when his father – then vice president under Barack Obama – handled policy towards the new Kiev authorities.
While Joe Biden denied any involvement in his son’s business deals, files from the notorious ‘laptop from hell’ suggested that Hunter organized a meeting between his father a representative of the company in 2015. Ukraine’s former Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was forced to resign after trying to investigate Burisma.
In February 2020, a Ukrainian court ruled to launch a probe on Joe Biden’s pressure on Kiev, which forced then-Ukrainian president Poroshenko to fire Shokhin, but it was closed in November 2020 after Biden was elected as President of the United States.
“I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled” Hosea 6:10
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” saith the Lord. Amos 9:8
At the US State Department, the Ukraine girl is out, and the China guy is in. From Washington’s perspective, it was a right assignment. Whether that’s good for Asia and world peace is a different matter.
It means the militarisation of US diplomacy against China gets another big push with the new Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who is considered a China expert.
As he told the Washington-based Centre for a New American Security this week, there is a need to link the Aukus nuclear-powered submarine project between Australia, Britain and the US to the defence of Taiwan. While that agenda was widely assumed, it was rarely so blatantly stated.
“[Aukus has] enormous implications in a variety of scenarios, including in cross-strait circumstances,” he said.
“I would argue that working closely with other nations, not just diplomatically but in defence avenues, has the consequence of strengthening peace and stability more generally.”
Sure, flooding military hardware into an already tense region to make it even more volatile would “strengthen peace and stability”. As Orwell wrote about doublespeak, “War is peace”.
Meanwhile, Washington’s proxy war in Ukraine is going down the drain, and its biggest advocate, Victoria Nuland, took the fall. She did not get the No 2 post, which went to Campbell, and resigned last month.
An emerging consensus in the US is that the Russian problem is short-term and manageable, but the “China threat” is the real generational challenge.
Donald Trump’s open disavowal notwithstanding, the war in Ukraine is seen increasingly as a lost cause. So much for it being an existential threat to the free world.
As CIA chief William Burns recently said, “We have a short-term problem in the form of Russia, but a bigger long-term problem in the form of China.”
As a top diplomat, Nuland was neck-deep in Ukraine ever since it tried to pull away from Russia’s political orbit. Under the guise of a revolution, a coup was staged against Moscow’s man, the democratically elected Viktor Yanukovych, in 2014. It was done with active US support.
A leaked phone conversation between Nuland and the then US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, had the two openly plotting and selecting US-friendly Ukrainians to run the future government, with Pyatt declaring at the outset, “I think we’re in play”. It also included a classic line from Nuland: “F*** the EU”.
A neoconservative and Nato expansionist, she had made no bones about using Ukraine as a base and buffer zone against Russia.
Days after Yanukovych was deposed, Ukrainian intelligence invited MI6 and the CIA to form a new partnership. According to The New York Times, “[Ukraine’s] new spy chief, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, arrived at the headquarters of the domestic intelligence agency and … called the CIA station chief and the local head of MI6.
It was near midnight but he summoned them to the building, asked for help in rebuilding the agency from the ground up, and proposed a three-way partnership. ‘That’s how it all started,’ Mr Nalyvaichenko said.”
No fewer than 12 clandestine CIA “forward operating bases” along Ukraine’s border with Russia were set up and operated for years prior to the Russian invasion in 2022. The CIA provided training to Ukraine’s intelligence and special forces, with capabilities to infiltrate Russian territories, according to The Times, along with the provision of funds and advanced electronic equipment.
Suppose Russian or Chinese intelligence were doing all that along the Mexican-US or Canadian-US borders, how would you think Washington would see it? A direct provocation that requires a military response?
Whether or not the Russian invasion was justified, never claim Moscow was not provoked.
Now, it looks like Washington is leaving behind a mess in Ukraine, just like it did in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other places besides, and is moving onto China.
It will fail again, but not before creating a big mess, if not starting world war three.
“I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled” Hosea 6:10
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” saith the Lord. Amos 9:8
“I am thy shield … Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates” Genesis 15
~~~~
Deuteronomy 3
1 “Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. — Og was very powerful, but he did not take warning by the ruin of Sihon, the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and desire conditions of war instead of peace;
— Og the king of Bashan trusted his own strength, and so was hardened to his destruction; those not awakened by the judgements of God on others, ripen for the like judgements on themselves;
— the the king of Bashan, Og, and it people were not one of ten tribes destined to be wiped out; in Genesis 15; but they could be if they have not taken the warning from the destruction of Sihon, the Amorite, king of Heshbon;
— such stubbornness (of king of Bashan, Og, and it people) will be repeated by “Gog and Magog” of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39
2 And the Lord said unto me, ‘Fear him not; for I will deliver him and all his people and his land into thy hand, and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’ — and the Lord said unto me, Moses; when Og was marching with all his forces against Israel;
— after the defeat of king Sihon king of the Amorites and the conquest of his land, the Israelites were able to advance to the Jordan; and now, the land of Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan.
3 So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people; and we smote him until none was left to him remaining. — they smote him at Edrei, the modern Dra, without leaving him even a remnant; and took all his towns;
4 And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we took not from them: threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. — “sixty towns, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.”
5 All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides unwalled towns a great many. — all these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; literally, double gates and a bar; that is, all the cities in the kingdom of Bashan;
6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city. — utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city;
7 But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities we took for a prey to ourselves. — after the defeat of king Sihon and the conquest of his land, the Israelites were able to advance to the Jordan, and beyond.
8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side of the Jordan, from the River of Arnon unto Mount Hermon — prophecised earlier in Genesis 15 the Amorites were one of ten tribes to be wiped out;
“I am thy shield … Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates:
the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites,
and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,
and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:1,18-21
9 (which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir),
10 all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. (Is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon?) Nine cubits was the length thereof and four cubits the breadth of it, according to the cubit of a man. — only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; namely, in those parts; for there were other giants among the Philistines, and elsewhere.
12 “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half Mount Gilead and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites. — and half Mount Gilead, and the cities thereof: which were taken from Og king of Bashan, Deuteronomy 3:10
— and God gave it unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites; at their request, on certain conditions to be performed by them, afterwards repeated.
13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the halftribe of Manasseh: all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. — after the cubit of a man; that is, after the usual and ordinary cubit, taking 18 inches to the cubit, the bedstead or sarcophagus would thus be from thirteen to fourteen feet long.
14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the borders of Geshuri and Maachathi, and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day.
15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir. — and I gave Gilead unto Machir, the son of Manasseh; not to him personally, who cannot be thought to have been living at this time, but to his posterity;
16 And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the River Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the River Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
17 the plain also, and the Jordan and the border thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea, under Pisgah eastward. — the Sea of Galilee received the name of Sea of Chinnereth: Numbers 34:11; the Salt Sea is today the Dead Sea;
18 “And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The Lord your God hath given you this land to possess it. Ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all who are meet for the war. — all that are meet for the war; that is, the Reubenites and Gadites should pass over Jordan with the rest of the tribes, being armed to assist them in the conquest of Canaan;
19 But your wives and your little ones and your cattle (for I know that ye have much cattle) shall abide in your cities which I have given you, — the wives and their little ones and the cattle of Reubenites and Gadites to remain behind;
20 until the Lord shall have given rest unto your brethren as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord your God hath given them beyond the Jordan; and then shall ye return every man unto his possession which I have given you.’ — until the Lord have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you; rest from their enemies, and habitations to dwell quietly in; so the land of Canaan is called a rest;
21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Thine eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings; so shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. — saying, thine eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings; Sihon and Og; how their kingdoms were taken from them, and given to Israel, and they slain with the sword;
22 Ye shall not fear them, for the Lord your God He shall fight for you.’ — for the Lord your God he shall fight for you; as he did, particularly at Jericho, the walls of which city fell at the sound of rams’ horns;
— and at Gibeon, when he cast down hailstones on their enemies, and more were slain by them than with the sword; and in all their battles it was he that gave them success and victory;
23 “And I besought the Lord at that time, saying,
24 ‘O Lord God, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness and Thy mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth who can do according to Thy works and according to Thy might?
25 I pray Thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.’ — Let me go over; for he supposed God’s threat might be conditional and reversible, as many others were;
26 But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me. And the Lord said unto me: ‘Let it suffice thee: speak no more unto Me of this matter. — and would not hear me; now, and grant the above request, having before declared that he and Aaron should not bring the people of Israel into the land he had given them;
— speak no more unto me of this matter; decided it would be in vain, and to no purpose, to solicit such a favour, since it would never be granted;
27 Get thee up onto the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. — for thou shall not go over this Jordan; into the land of Canaan;
— this affair, of not being suffered to enter there, Moses frequently takes notice of, no less than four or five times, it being what lay near his heart.
28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.’ — he shall go over; it was not Moses, but Joshua, a type of Christ, that was to cross the Jordan and to give the people rest;
29 So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor. — so we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor; Moses’ burial-place, as appears by Deuteronomy 34:6 “And the Lord buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.”
Deuteronomy 4
1“Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments which I teach you to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.
— hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you; by statutes were meant all ordinances respecting religion and the rites of divine worship; and by judgments, and enactments to all matters.
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. — Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you; make new laws of their own, and join them to the law of God, and set them upon a level with it, or prefer them before it; as the Scribes and Pharisees did in Christ’s time;
— nor abrogate nor detract from the law of God, nor make void any part of it; neither do that which is forbidden, nor neglect that which is commanded; neither be guilty of sins of omission nor commission;
— that the Law was tampered with in Josiah’s day is implied in Jeremiah 8:8, the false pen of the scribes has wrought falsehood.
3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baalpeor; for all the men who followed Baalpeor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. — your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baalpeor;
— because of the idolatry the people of Israel fell into by worshipping that idol, being drawn into it by the daughters of Moab and Midian, through the counsel of Balaam, with whom they committed fornication; which led them to the other sin, and both highly provoking to God.
4 But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day. — but ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God; to the worship of the Lord your God, as the Targum of Jonathan says;
— attended the service of the sanctuary, were observant of the laws of God, and walked in his statutes and judgements; did not apostatize from him by idolatry or otherwise, but kept close unto him;
5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
— Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, Moses; and he had faithfully delivered them, without adding them, or diminishing from them, and had diligently instructed the Israelites in them, had taken pains to lead them into a thorough knowledge and understanding them;
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations who shall hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ — which hear all these statutes; which they had a report, got knowledge of by some of the philosophers who travelled into those parts, and by the translation of the Bible into other languages;
— and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people; that had such a body of laws, in which they were instructed, and according to which they were governed, and in which they walked; that were sensible to reason, truth, justice, and equity; insomuch that so far as they became known they were admired and copied after, by all peoples; and hence it was that the oracle declared;
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? — for this mighty and attractive force of the wisdom of Israel consisted in the fact, that in Yehovah they have a God who was at hand with his help when they called upon him;
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? — what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous? these words are directing our attention to the laws and statutes “of Moses,” but actually laws and statutes of God already given at Mount Sinai.
9 “Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them to thy sons and thy sons’ sons, — and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; out of thy mind and memory, and have no place in thy affections, through a neglect and disuse of them;
— but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; their children and grandchildren, that they may be trained up in them in their youth, and so not depart from them when grown up, and in years; Deuteronomy 6:7.
10 especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, ‘Gather Me the people together, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ — in Horeb; these words confirms these laws and statutes “of Moses,” were actually laws and statutes of God given at Mount Sinai, verse 8 above.
11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. — and the mountain burnt with fire unto the midst of heaven; the flame and smoke went up into the middle of the air;
— with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness; which thick darkness was occasioned partly by the smoke, which went up like the smoke of a furnace, and partly by the thick clouds, which were on the mount, and covered the face of the heavens;
12 And the Lord spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire. Ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. — and the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire; for the Lord descended on Mount Sinai in a cloud, in fire, and was in the thick darkness, from whence he delivered out the his laws and statutes;
13 And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments; and He wrote them upon two tablets of stone. — which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; which is in Exodus 20:1, and in this book repeated, Deuteronomy 5:6; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone;
— and he wrote them upon two tables of stone; to denote the durableness of them; the Targum of Jonathan says on tables of sapphire;
The Ten Commandments in two tables of stone; of sapphire
14 And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. — that ye may do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it; the land of Canaan, which was on the other side of Jordan, and over which they must go in order to possess it;
15 “Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves (for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire), — take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves, as to keep all the laws given them, so particularly to avoid idolatry;
16 lest ye corrupt yourselves and make you a graven image: the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, — the likeness of male or female; of a man or a woman; so some of the heathen deities were in the likeness of men, as Jupiter, Mars, Hercules, Apollo, and others in the likeness of women, as Juno, Diana, Venus;
17 the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, — the heathen nations did represent and worship God, some by an ox, some by a goat, or a hen, or a serpent, or a fish;
18 the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth; — the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth; as the crocodile and hippopotamus, or river horse, by the Egyptians; and Dagon among the Phoenicians;
19 and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath imparted unto all nations under the whole heaven. — nor the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them;
20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day. — the furnace wherein iron and other metals are melted, to which Egypt is fitly compared, which they there endured, but also because they were thoroughly tried and purged thereby, as metals are by the fire.
21 Furthermore the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. — which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance; to them and to their children after them.
22 But I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but ye shall go over and possess that good land. — I must not go over Jordan; this he repeats, as lying near his heart; he had earnestly solicited to go over, but was denied it.
23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make yourselves a graven image or the likeness of any thing which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. — lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God; lest you either disregard the knowledge of God’s law, or wilfully disobey it;
24 For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. — a consuming fire; when God spoke to Israel at Sinai, his glory appeared “like devouring (consuming) fire on the top of the mount” (Exodus 24:17); and in allusion to this Moses here calls God “a consuming fire.”
— for the Lord thy God is a consuming fire; to his enemies; his wrath is like fire to burn up and destroy all that oppose him and break his commands, and especially idolaters; whose sin of all others is the most provoking to him, since it strikes at his being, his honour and glory;
— even a jealous God; who is jealous of his honour in matters of worship, and will not suffer his glory to be given to another, nor his praise to graven images, without resenting it or punishing for it.
25 “When thou shalt beget children and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God to provoke Him to anger, — and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger; that sin of breaking his laws, statutes and judgements, that God provoking sin, is chiefly intended.
26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. — that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go over Jordan to possess it; though they were now about to go over Jordan and inherit the land of Canaan;
— yet they would not enjoy it long, but be taken and carried captive out of it; as the ten tribes were by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and the two tribes by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and both for breaking his laws, statutes and judgements, their idolatry and other crimes.
27 And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you. — and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, whither the Lord shall lead you;
— or so few that they might be easily numbered; that it should be better when in Egypt; there they were multiplied and increased the more they were afflicted, but in these new captivities they should be greatly diminished.
28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. — their people, kings and priests, serving other gods:
— a) and the house of Israel is indulging in idolatry; worshipping Easter, which is another form of worshipping Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven, the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, fertility and sex. She is featured in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the “Ishtar Gate” was part of Babylon;
— b) and Mithra or Mitra (the Sun-God whose birthday drunkards honor and celebrate on December 25th which they christianised as Christmas), Zeus and others; called “gods of the earth” in distinction from the god of heaven; and men shall worship these earthly gods, acknowledging their supremacy, Protestants or Catholics alike;
— and those who persist in their blindness will be more than horsewhipped! They would suffer Judgement by the sword, by famine, by pestilence and spending years in captivity to reflect and repent there (for more see Ezekiel 4 – 190/40 Years and A Sword from the South!)
29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. — if they seek him with all their heart and with all their soul; keeping his laws, statutes and judgements, sincerely and affectionately; —
30 When thou art in tribulation and all these things have come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto His voice — this is a prophecy then in general; and in succeeding ages and generations, and “in the latter days”
31 (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God), He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them.
— he will not forsake thee; though in a strange country, but bring them from thence into their own land again, and favour them with his gracious presence in his house and ordinances; for more, see Another “Out of Egypt” Exodus;
32 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? — and ask from the one side of heaven to the other; traverse the whole globe, and examine the records of every nation in it in both hemispheres:
— whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? whether they can give any account of anything seen, heard, or done like what follows; suggesting that they cannot furnish out an instance to be mentioned with it.
33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? — did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire; none ever heard the voice of God as they did, much less speaking such words as they heard, and still less out of the midst of fire;
— as thou hast heard, and live? which was stranger still, when they might have expected they should, and doubtless feared they would be, as it was wonderful they were not, consumed by it.
34 Or hath God deigned to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
— and by great terrors; which the same writer interprets of the drowning of Pharaoh and his host in the sea, and dividing it for Israel; but may be understood not only of the terrors which possessed him and his people then, but at other times, especially at the time of the thunder and lightning, and when they sat in thick darkness, and particularly when all their firstborn were slain; see Deuteronomy 26:8,
— according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes; among the men of Egypt, as the above writer, Pharaoh and his courtiers: the above things were done as before them for their terror, so before Israel for their encouragement.
35 Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the Lord He is God: there is none else besides Him. — that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, there is none else besides him; that he is the one only living and true God, and there is no other;
36 Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He showed thee His great fire, and thou heardest His words out of the midst of the fire. — those who call upon God, shall certainly find him within call, ready to give an answer to every prayer; all these statutes and judgements are just and righteous, above the statutes and judgments of any of the nations.
37 And because He loved thy fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in His sight with His mighty power out of Egypt — and because he loved thy fathers; not their immediate fathers, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness, and entered not into the good land because of their unbelief, but their more remote fathers or ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;
38 to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.
— to drive out nations from before thee, greater and mightier than thou art; the seven nations of the land of Canaan, which were more in number and mightier in power and strength than they, and particularly the Amorites, who were already driven out and dispossessed of their country, even the kingdoms and nations of Sihon and Og;
39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. — in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; that he has made both, and is the possessor and Lord of them, and does what he pleases with them;
40 Thou shalt keep therefore His statutes and His commandments which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.”
— thou shall keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments; all his laws, ceremonial and judicial, partly being under obligation to him for all the great and good things done by him for them before enumerated, and partly and chiefly because he is the Lord God in heaven and in earth, and has a right to command and ought to be obeyed;
41 Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising,— Moses set apart three cities east of Jordan as asylums who unwittingly and without previous hatred had slain their fellows
42 that the slayer might flee thither who should kill his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in times past, and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live, — which should kill his neighbour unawares; by accident to him, without any design and intention to kill him; ignorantly,
43 namely: Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country of the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan of the Manassites.
44 And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
45 These are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgements which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel after they came forth out of Egypt, — the law, testimonies, statutes and judgements; all to be observed; this is a preface to the rehearsal of the law,
46 on this side of the Jordan in the valley opposite Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote after they had come forth out of Egypt. — on this side Jordan, in the valley, over against Bethpeor, where the Israelites abode some time; Deuteronomy 3:29,
47 And they possessed his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising, — the land of Og king of Bashan; seized upon and took them as their own, and divided them for an inheritance among two and half tribes;
— two kings of the Amorites; which is more than once mentioned, that it might be taken notice of that these were of the nations of the Canaanites Israel were to root out, and possess their land;
48 from Aroer, which is by the bank of the River Arnon, even unto Mount Sion, which is Hermon,
49 and all the plain on this side of the Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah. — and all the plain on this side Jordan eastward; the plains of Moab, on that side of Jordan to the east: even unto the sea of the plain; the sea of Sodom, the salt sea: under the springs of Pisgah.
The Western press is filled with stories of foreboding about the Chinese economy. We are told regularly that China’s fast growth is over, that China’s data are manipulated, that a Chinese financial crisis looms, and that China will suffer the same stagnation as Japan during the past quarter century.
This is US propaganda, not reality. Yes, the Chinese economy faces headwinds – mainly created by the United States. Yet China can – and I believe will – overcome the U.S.-created headwinds and continue on its path of rapid economic development.
The basic fact is that China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at 5.2 percent in 2023, compared with 2.5 percent in the United States. On a per capita basis, the growth gap is even larger: 5.4 percent in China compared with 2 percent in the United States.
In 2024, China will again significantly outpace the United States. There is no great growth crisis despite the fervid rhetoric in the US press. Yes, China is slowing as it gets richer, but it is still growing considerably faster than in the United States and Europe.
There are problems to be sure, but the main ones come from the United States, not from inside China’s economy.
First, there is the perception problem. The United States is pushing a negative narrative about China. We actually learned recently that former US President Donald Trump tasked the CIA with spreading malicious propaganda about the Chinese economy on social media starting back in 2019. One specific CIA tactic was to bad-mouth China’s important Belt and Road Initiative.
Second, there is the rise of US protectionism. During the 20 years from 2000 to 2020, China was busy building up its new green and digital industries: mastering electric vehicles, 5G, battery supply chains, solar modules, wind turbines, fourth-generation nuclear power, long-distance power transmission, and other cutting-edge technologies.
The White House and Congress, in the meantime, were in the hands of the oil, gas, and coal lobbies, and therefore without a strategy for the new energy technologies. Finally, US President Joe Biden and Congress agreed to protect US industries to give America time to recover some lost ground.
Third, there is the US “Grand Strategy” to maintain US “primacy” over China. For the US security establishment, it’s not good enough to compete with China on an honest basis. The US government also puts obstacles in the way of China’s economy. It seems incredible that the United States would go out of its way to undermine China’s economy, and yet it actually does so.
Such an approach was spelled out by a senior US diplomat, former Ambassador Robert Blackwill, in March 2015, in an article for the Council on Foreign Relations published with co-author Ashley Tellis. The article, in my view, was the public launch of a new Washington policy towards China, one that has been followed by Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden.
It is worth quoting Blackwill and Tellis at length to understand the US game plan:
Since its founding, the United States has consistently pursued a grand strategy focused on acquiring and maintaining preeminent power over various rivals, first on the North American continent, then in the Western hemisphere, and finally globally…
Because the American effort to “integrate” China into the liberal international order has now generated new threats to US primacy in Asia – and could eventually result in a consequential challenge to American power globally – Washington needs a new grand strategy toward China that centres on balancing the rise of Chinese power rather than continuing to assist its ascendancy.
These changes, which constitute the heart of an alternative balancing strategy, must derive from the clear recognition that preserving US primacy in the global system ought to remain the central objective of the United States’ grand strategy in the twenty-first century.
Sustaining this status in the face of rising Chinese power requires, among other things, revitalising the US economy to nurture those disruptive innovations that bestow on the United States asymmetric economic advantages over others;
—creating new preferential trading arrangements among US friends and allies to increase their mutual gains through instruments that consciously exclude China; recreating a technology-control regime involving US allies that prevents China from acquiring military and strategic capabilities enabling it to inflict “high-leverage strategic harm” on the United States and its partners;
—concertedly building up the power-political capacities of US friends and allies on China’s periphery; and improving the capability of US military forces to effectively project power along the Asian rimlands despite any Chinese opposition – all the while continuing to work with China in diverse ways that befit its importance to US national interests.
These statements by Blackwill and Tellis are remarkable for two reasons. First, they explicitly spell out America’s “Grand Strategy” in no uncertain terms: to preserve America’s “primacy” in the global system, including over China. Second, they listed – already in March 2015 – the actual policies pursued by the United States during the past decade.
Consider the five policies recommended by Blackwill and Tellis.
First, revitalise the US economy. Okay, that’s fair enough. The United States needs to get its economic house in order.
Second, create new US trade arrangements with Asia that “consciously exclude China.” That’s an absurd idea, since China is the largest economy in Asia, yet Obama tried (and failed) to create the Trans-Pacific Partnership to exclude China, while both Trump and Biden pursued blatant protectionism against China, especially in the form of unilateral tariff increases in violation of World Trade Organisation (WTO) commitments.
Third, recreate a “technology-control regime” to limit China’s access to high-tech. That is currently underway, most notably with the new limits on the export of advanced semiconductor technology to China.
Fourth, build up political-military alliances on China’s borders. This is the US strategy with AUKUS (Australia-UK-United States), the Quad (Australia-India-Japan-United States), and the United States-Japan-Philippines Triad.
Fifth, build up the US military along the Asian rimlands “despite Chinese opposition.” This too is happening with Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and elsewhere.
America’s aim of “primacy” is dangerously misguided. Since China has four times the US population, the only way for the US economy to stay larger than China’s would be for China to remain stuck at less than one-fourth of the US GDP per person. There is no reason for that to happen. If it did, it would mean a lot of suffering in China and a great loss of global dynamism.
Primacy should not be the US goal, or China’s goal, or indeed the goal of any country. The only sensible goal for the major powers is mutual prosperity, common security, and global cooperation regarding common challenges such as environmental sustainability and peace.
The American playbook – using trade, technology, financial, and military policies to stop another country – is not new for the United States. It was, of course, the US game plan to “contain” the Soviet Union during the 1950s-1980s.
It was rolled out again in the late 1980s to stop the rapid growth of Japan, an American ally, because Japan was outcompeting the US industry. The United States forced Japan to agree to “voluntary” export restraints and an overvalued Yen. Thus, Japan’s economic growth plummeted and Japan entered a prolonged financial crisis.
China, however, is not Japan. It is far larger, more powerful, and not subservient to the United States. Unlike Japan in the 1990s, China need not and will not sit idly by as the United States pursues trade and technology policies to slow China’s economic growth.
To understand China’s policy choices, recall the national income account identity that GDP equals C+I+G+X-M. That is, China’s GDP can be consumed, C; invested, I; consumed by the government, G; exported, X; or used to replace imports, M; China’s exports can go to the United States and Europe or to the rest of the world.
In recent years, the US and European markets have become increasingly closed to China’s exports. In 2023, the United States imported 427 billion US dollars of goods from China, down from 536 billion dollars in 2022. As a share of US GDP, imports from China were 2.6 percent in 2018, but have declined to only 1.6 percent in 2023, as the result of US protectionism under Trump and Biden.
Now, here are the policy choices facing China. With the production of goods and services continuing to rise in China, and with exports to the United States falling, China faces an overall excess supply of goods. That excess supply will lower GDP and could even create a recession in China if policy measures are not taken to offset it.
The United States tells China to increase consumption to offset the fall in its exports. For example, China could cut taxes to stimulate consumption. The problem with the US recommendation is that China would likely shift to lower growth and higher budget deficits, as in the United States.
A second option would be for China to increase domestic investments, for example to accelerate China’s shift to a zero-carbon economy. There is some merit to boosting domestic investment to offset part of the reduction of exports to the United States.
A third option would be to boost government consumption. That policy too would likely entail slower growth and higher budget deficits.
A fourth option is to increase exports to the developing countries. That approach has a great deal of merit. If the US market is closed, and the European market is closing (as Europe becomes more protectionist), then China can shift exports to the emerging markets.
Some of that will happen automatically. As the United States buys less from China and more, say, from Vietnam, then Vietnam will buy more intermediate goods from China to process and export to the United States.
Some of the reorientation of exports, however, will require new Chinese policies. The purchasing power of the emerging economies is generally lower than in the United States and Europe. Yes, the emerging economies would like to buy what China has on offer – solar modules, wind turbines, 5G, and the rest – but will need more loans to do so.
For China to sell substantially more to the emerging economies, it will have to boost loans and foreign direct investments to those economies, for example by expanding the Belt and Road Initiative and lending by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank.
There may be some resistance among China’s policy-makers to increasing loans to the emerging economies, since some of those economies are already debt-distressed. Yet, the emerging economies generally have a very high growth potential. Their debt is not too high – as long as the debt has a long enough pay-back period (maturity). The emerging economies mainly need time to grow and thereby to be able to repay China for the loans.
Here, then, is my own summary of the economic situation in China. The supply side of China’s economy continues to grow rapidly. China’s potential GDP continues to rise at 5 percent per year or faster. Moreover, the quality of that output is high and rising. China is the world’s low-cost producer of goods that the rest of the world needs: zero-carbon energy systems, 5G digital networks, and high-quality infrastructure (such as fast inter-city rail).
China’s problem is not on the supply side, but on the demand side. China faces demand constraints mainly because the United States has put up barriers against China’s exports to the US market, and Europe seems likely to follow the United States in this.
While China could potentially offset that slowdown in exports by increasing domestic consumption, it would be well advised to increase its exports to the emerging economies, in part by expanding important programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative. To do so prudently, China would have to increase its long-term lending to the emerging economies.
I don’t deny that there are other challenges facing China’s economy, such as some temporary over-investment in real estate, or some over-borrowing by some local governments. Yet, I believe that such problems are short-term and cyclical, not long-term and structural. There are also areas that need further reform, to be sure, such as the hukou (urban residence) system. Yet here too, such reform challenges are ongoing and very likely to be solved successfully.
I would like to see China continue its rapid growth, and yes, overtake the United States in GDP at current market prices and exchange rates, befitting a country that is four times larger than the United States in population. I note that in purchasing-power terms, China already overtook the United States in 2017 (according to IMF data) and nothing awful befell the United States.
China’s economic growth benefits not only China but the whole world. China has brought forward new and effective technologies ranging from a modern cure for malaria (artemisinin) to low-cost zero-carbon energy systems and low-cost 5G systems. We should be rooting for China’s continued rapid development. We should put aside childish ideas of “primacy” and adopt adult ideas of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and global cooperation to protect the planet.
The world does not want or need a single dominant country. Indeed, that’s not even feasible in our world today. The absolute best solution for the world economy would be for China, the United States, and Europe to maintain open trade and mutually agreed industrial policies.
Yet if the United States and Europe turn strongly protectionist against China, then the best response for China is to hasten its successful and growing trade and financial relations with the emerging economies.
Jeffrey D Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University, is Director of Columbia’s Center for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has served as Special Adviser to three UN Secretaries-General. His books include The End of Poverty, Common Wealth, The Age of Sustainable Development, Building the New American Economy, and most recently, A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism.
In Exodus 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said unto them, “Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover. — and kill the Passover; to eat the Passover; you couldn’t kill a day, nor to eat one; hence Passover is an event, not a day;
— hence you kill the Passover on the fourteenth of Nisan; but you eat the Passover on the fifteenth;
Numbers 27:16 “‘And on the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord. — the fourteenth day of the first month; the annual Passover, a great composite festival where at even, ben ha arbayim that is, “between the two evenings,” or “after noon and until nightfall,” no leavened bread to be taken;
— Passover is an event to kill, to eat; a event, not a day; and that event is the sacrifice: an event to kill, to eat, and that event, at even, ben ha arbayim, that is, “between the two evenings,” was pointing to the sacrifice of the killing of Christ, at 3 pm, where he was the Lamb appointed from the beginning of the World for the redemption of mankind.
Died, at 3 pm on the fourteenth, between the evenings
The United States has installed “secret military bases” in the disputed region of Essequibo, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed on Thursday.
The Latin American leader was speaking at a ceremony commemorating a recent law defending Guyana Essequibo. The 62,000-square-mile oil- and mineral-rich area around the Essequibo River is at the center of a territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, a former British colony.
“We have information proving that, in the territory of Guyana Essequibo, temporarily administered by Guyana, secret military bases of the [US] Southern Command… a body of the CIA, have been installed,” Maduro said.
The bases constitute “aggression” against the people of southern and eastern Venezuela, and were built “to prepare for an escalation against Venezuela,” he added.
The US Southern Command, part of the Department of Defense, maintains a Security Cooperation Office in Guyana, and serves as a military consultant to the Guyana Defense Force, providing military support and training.
Following a national referendum at the beginning of December, Caracas laid claim to Guayana Esequiba – a mostly forested region that Venezuela claims to have owned for over a century. Guyana has protested, noting that the area amounts to two-thirds of its internationally recognized territory, and has asked the international community for help.
The dispute over the Essequibo area intensified in 2015 after US-based energy giant ExxonMobil discovered oil deposits there. After December’s referendum, US forces held joint US-Guyana military exercises. The British Royal Navy deployed patrol ship HMS Trent to Guyana in January to show its backing for the country.
According to Maduro, the disputed region is being controlled by the Southern Command, the CIA, and ExxonMobil, which are seeking to seize Venezuelan resources.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
Squatting laws have become a frequent target of exploitation by savvy criminals who fraudulently move into vacant homes across the nation. Experts warn that the problem could be compounded by the ongoing immigration crisis, with migrants catching wind of the laws and taking advantage of them.
“I have thought about invading a house in the United States,” migrant Leonel Moreno said in Spanish in a TikTok video that went viral last month. “I found out that there is a law that says that if a house is not inhabited, we can seize it.”
Moreno, dubbed the “migrant influencer,” is a Venezuelan national who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week after bolting from a border patrol program. He is being detained in Ohio.
Venezuelan TikToker Leonel Moreno urged illegal immigrants to take over abandoned homes and invoke squatters’ rights
But prior to his capture, he managed to draw a million followers on TikTok and claimed he was pulling in $1,000 a day as an influencer on the app on top of receiving $350 a month in government handouts.
His TikTok account is now inactive, but his messages urging fellow migrants to take over homes continue circulating online.
Squatter laws vary from state to state and even city to city. New York City has some of the most lenient laws toward squatters, allowing people to claim squatters’ rights after living on a property just 30 days. Under New York state law, people can claim squatters’ rights after living on a property for at least 10 years.
The Big Apple’s law has had monumental consequences for a handful of New Yorkers in the last few weeks alone, with one Queens homeowner put in handcuffs last month after trying to force alleged squatters from her home, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Another woman was allegedly killed by squatters last month in her mother’s New York City apartment. Another pair of squatters were found fraudulently living in an abandoned home on Long Island earlier this year after forging the dead owner’s name on a lease.
‘The damage is already done’
Fox News Digital spoke with Republican New York state Sen Mario Mattera, who introduced a bill package last month that would allow police to immediately remove suspected squatters based on a homeowner’s sworn complaint. He warned that the migrant crisis would fan the flames of squatting trends, pointing to Moreno’s viral TikTok as proof the “damage is already done.”
“Look at what just happened with the illegal migrant going on TikTok … and saying to everybody, ‘This is what you need to do. You could go do this. Go find vacant homes. Go do what you could do.’ … Yes, he got arrested, but the damage is done already,” Mattera said.
Mattera pinned blame on Gov Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for not rescinding sanctuary city and state policies in their respective jurisdictions, saying the Democratic leaders have “enabled” migrants.
“The [migrants] don’t want to go to work. They’re like, ‘You brought me here. Now you take care of me.’ The governor and the mayor could have signed an executive order … rescinding the sanctuary state and the sanctuary city [policies]. Please, all New Yorkers understand that, and call the governor, call the mayor of New York, and ask them: What are you doing to fix this disaster that they both created?” he said.
Last week, the NYPD busted eight migrant squatters who allegedly took over a Bronx property, and they found guns and drugs. The New York Post reported six of the eight migrant squatters had been released without bail.
Tom Weitzel, retired police chief, “They’re being told, they’re being coached.”
A tipping point
At least 7.2 million illegal migrants have entered the US since President Biden took office in 2021, which is more than the population of 36 individual states.
Earlier this month in New York, a woman returned to a property she inherited to find squatters living there. She changed the locks to get them out, and the state of New York arrested her instead of the squatters.
“Every day we are hearing of stories of homeowners in states across the country who have been victim to this nationwide crisis. We are grateful for our legislative partners in the General Assembly who have kept this issue front of mind and have passed legislation designed to tackle this issue head on,” Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas told Fox Digital.
Retired Riverside, Illinois, Police Chief Tom Weitzel spoke to Fox News Digital last week, warning that squatters in the US are already very savvy and that migrants are and will likely be coached on how to pull off the same scam.
“Squatters know when a house is vacant or vacant for sale. They watch your house. A day before they ‘squat,’ they order an Amazon, UPS or other delivery package with their name and the property address of the home they are going to take over,” Weitzel said of the squatting trend.
“You then find out someone is in your house. You call the police. They show the package with their name and the property address and tell the police they rented the house, and the police now say it’s a civil matter. You now must file eviction paperwork.
“Six to 18 months is typical for the eviction process or you settle a ‘cash for keys’, usually $2,000 to $5,000 to get possession of your property back. Extortion. This must be addressed by Congress now.”
When discussing the viral TikTok video, Weitzel said it’s likely Moreno was coached on how to spread the information to fellow migrants on how to take over a home.
“I think he was coached on information online because it is complicated. In fact, it’s so complicated, that it’s different from state to state. It’s not a universal statute throughout the United States.
“So, I think he was coached. I think he had a platform, already had a large following on TikTok. So, he had a platform to be put out there,” Weitzel said, adding migrants looking to squat will “without a doubt” target cities and states with lax laws on squatting.
Weitzel has previously spoken to Fox News Digital about other crime trends in the US and how the immigration crisis is adding to the stats, including how migrants are “coached” on how to conduct shoplifting crimes in quiet, suburban malls miles away from cities such as Chicago.
“They don’t come over from Venezuela, for example, knowing the ins and outs of the federal statutes here in the United States. They’re being told, they’re being coached. They’re being told where to go look for, where to go research on Google or what phrases to use.
“And then they’re going out, and they’re executing it. And now they’re being encouraged to put it out on their social media platforms,” the retired police chief said.
Weitzel noted that police have their hands tied during squatting disputes and must follow state or city laws, even in situations such as the one in Queens where a legal homeowner was arrested after changing the locks on her property in a bid to keep squatters out.
Under New York law, it’s illegal to turn off any utilities or change the locks of a home where someone says they are a tenant.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
Earlier reports had indicated that the administration of US President Joe Biden was pushing hard to gain momentum on the AUKUS Pillar 2 stage before the US elections in November. It was also noted that Japan and Canada were in line to join the second – non-nuclear – pillar of the trilateral security partnership.
The US is pushing for Japan to be included in Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement, despite disagreements that have plagued the trilateral pact, the Financial Times reported.
The defense ministers of the United States, Britain and Australia are expected to issue a statement on Monday announcing the start of talks on new members joining the security pact. The talks would be on the non-nuclear Pillar II of the trilateral security agreement, insiders were quoted as saying. Expansion of Pillar I is not on the table, they added.
The statement comes ahead of a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on April 10. The two sides are expected to announce closer military cooperation as Japan’s prime minister pushes a massive defense buildup rationalized by US-driven claims of alleged threats from neighboring countries. A trilateral meeting between the US, Japan and the Philippines will follow on Thursday.
Pillar II involves the sharing of a range of technologies, including underwater robotics, quantum electronics, cybersecurity and electronic warfare capabilities, hypersonic weapons, and defenses against them.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s (ASPI) June 2023 assessment update suggests that China is ahead of the US and its allies in 19 of the 23 technologies relevant to AUKUS Pillar Two.
Announced on September 15, 2021, the AUKUS trilateral partnership between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia promised to bolster Australia’s fleet with nuclear-powered submarines and increase defense cooperation among countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The deal led to a diplomatic rift between Australia and France after Canberra reneged on a $66 billion contract with Paris to develop 12 advanced conventionally powered attack submarines.
Under the three-phase deal, Australia is expected to buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, with an option to acquire two more in the early 2030s. Before that, Canberra would host the “rotational force” of US and British submarines from 2027. In December 2023, the US Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized the transfer of the Virginia-class submarines to Australia.
The security alliance is reportedly looking to bring Japan and Canada on board, according to Politico. Some other potential candidates for AUKUS membership are South Korea and New Zealand.
From the beginning, there has been talk of other countries joining the Pillar II of AUKUS, with Japan being dubbed “Jaukus” for its potential membership. US Ambassador to Tokyo Rahm Emanuel wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Friday that Japan was “about to become the first additional Pillar II partner” in AUKUS.
A Politico report in March quoted diplomats as saying that the Biden administration was “pushing really hard to get some things on AUKUS pillar 2 done now, before the US election” in November. The rush was apparently prompted by fears that if ex-President Donald Trump retook the White House, he might decide to either roll back or scrap the AUKUS agreement.
But the upcoming announcement on the possible expansion is a “compromise between the allies,” the outlet noted. Both Australia and the UK have reportedly balked at the idea of inviting Japan to join AUKUS. As it stands, the trilateral security cooperation pact faces complications that need to be ironed out, the report read.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles indicated in February that AUKUS was “very much focused on working on new innovative technologies amongst the three countries” before any new members joined.
Biden Admin ‘Pushing Hard’ to Get AUKUS Pillar 2 Deals With Japan, Canada, NZ
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell admitted that the US side was finding it “challenging to trilateralize” some of the development and co-production with the UK and Australia.
Canberra and London have also previously raised concerns about Tokyo’s lack of security systems to protect highly sensitive information. “Japan has taken some of those steps, but not all of them,” Campbell stated.
As for Australia, it sees the nuclear submarine program as a priority before expanding Pillar II, an insider was quoted as saying.
As the Washington architects of this de facto anti-China alliance show an eagerness to expand it, with reports suggesting South Korea or New Zealand as likely candidates, opposition to the pact has grown.
From the outset, China has denounced AUKUS as a demonstration of a “Cold War mentality.” AUKUS could turn the Pacific into “an ocean of storms,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin warned last year.
Russia expressed concern about the pact, saying the partnership would have a destabilizing effect on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and undermine international security in general.
Incidentally, with respect to Pillar II, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s (ASPI) June 2023 assessment update suggests that China is ahead of the US and its allies in 19 of the 23 technologies relevant to that stage of AUKUS.
“China has become a serious competitor in the foundational technologies of the 21st century: artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, quantum information science (QIS), semiconductors, biotechnology, and green energy,” as per the statement.
“But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” saith the LORD the God of hosts; “and they shall afflict you from the entrance of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness” Amos 6:14
“And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day” Amos 8:9-10
“I am thy shield … Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates” Genesis 15
Cities allocated to the Priests (13) and Levites (35) and Cities of Refuge (6)
Deuteronomy 1
1These are the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
— these be the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel, which is in great contrast to the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, where it was usual to read “And the Lord spoke unto Moses” and “And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord,”
— on this side of the Jordan; before the passage of the Israelites over it to the land of Canaan; for Moses never went in thither; when in the land of Canaan was known as “beyond Jordan”
2 (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.) — Mount Seir, or Mount Edom, that is, the mountainous country of Seir, which was first possessed by the Horims, and afterwards by the Edomites, Deuternonmy 2:12.
3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them, — And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month; the “And” seems like the real beginning of Deuteronomy, and it connects the previous books.
4 after he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei. — after he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon; either Moses, speaking of himself in the third person, or rather the Lord, to whom Moses ascribes the victory; of this king, and his palace, and the slaughter of him, Numbers 21:24,
5 On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying, — on this side of the Jordan; before the Israelites over it to the land of Canaan; began Moses to declare this law: to explain it, make it clear the whole system and body of laws, which had been before given him;
6 “The Lord our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying: ’Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount. — the Lord our God spoke unto us in Horeb; the same with Sinai; while the Israelites lay encamped near this mountain, the Lord spoke unto them.
7 Turn you and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills and in the vale, and in the South and by the seaside, to the land of the Canaanites and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the River Euphrates. — and go to the mount of the Amorites; where they and the Amalekites dwelt, in the south part of the land of Canaan, and which was the way the spies were sent, Numbers 13:17,
— and unto all the places nigh thereunto; nigh to the mountain; the Targum of Jonathan interprets them of Moab, Ammon, Gebal, or Mount Seir: “in the plains, in the mountain and valley” such was the country near this mountain, consisting of champaign land, hills, and valleys;
— and by the sea side: the Mediterranean sea, the western border of the land, explains of Ashkelon, Gaza, and Caesarea, into the land of the Canaanites; which was then possessed by them, the boundaries of which to the south and west are before given, and next follow those to the north and east;
— the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon; the Canaanites held the plain of Esdraelon and the fortresses in the north. From Lebanon, the conquest would extend ultimately to the north-east, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, Genesis 15:18
8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.’ — go in and possess the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and their seed after them: they had nothing more to do than to go and take possession of it.
9 “And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear you myself alone. — saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone; to rule and govern them, judge and determine matters between them;
— Jethro had suggested this to Moses, and he took the hint, and was conscious to himself that it was too much for him, and so declared it to the people, though it is not before recorded; Exodus 18:18.
10 The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. — ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude; the Israelites already far exceeded that multitude, being at the last census above six hundred thousand men fit for war, besides women and children, and those under age, which must make the number of them very large;
11 (The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you as He hath promised you!) — and bless you, as he hath promised you: with all kind of blessings, as he had often promised their fathers.
12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance and your burden and your strife? — Your cumbrance; the original word is found only here and in Isaiah 1:14 “They are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them.”
13 Take you wise men of understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.’ — take ye wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes; not only whose persons were well known, but their characters and qualifications, for their probity and integrity, for their wisdom and prudence in the management of affairs;
— and I, Moses, will make them rulers over you; the people were allowed to choose their own officers, whom they were to bring them before me, to be invested with their office.
14 And ye answered me and said, ‘The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.’ — the thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do; this they saw was for their own good and profit, as well as for the ease of Moses, and therefore readily agreed to it.
15 So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. — so Moses took the chief of their tribes, wise men and known, and made them heads over them;
16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger who is with him. — and Moses gave charge and made them judges and rulers over them, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds;
17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment, but ye shall hear the small as well as the great. Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. And the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me and I will hear it.’
— for the judgment is God’s; the Sanhedrin, judges stand in the place of God, are put into their office by him, and act under him, and for him, and are accountable to him; and therefore should be careful what judgment they make, or sentence they pass, lest they bring discredit to him, and destruction on themselves;
— there are two passages where the word Elohim is substituted for judges, indicating “judges” are acting on behalf or in the capacity of “God” as in (1)
Exodus 21:6 “then his master shall bring him unto the judges (Elohim). He shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.”
— and (2)
Exodus 22:8-9 “If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges (Elohim) to see whether he has put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods. “For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges (Elohim); and whom the judges (Elohim) shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbor.”
18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do. — “At that time,” that is, after your departure from Horeb; at Mount Sinai;
19 “And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.
20 And I said unto you, ‘Ye have come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us. — which the Lord our God doth give unto us; not the mountain only, but the whole country of that people, and even all the land of Canaan.
21 Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee. Go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.’ — “I am thy shield!” (Genesis 15) “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates;”
22 “And ye came near unto me, every one of you, and said, ‘We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land and bring us word again by what way we must go up and into what cities we shall come.’ — and ye came near unto me everyone of you; not every individual of them, but the heads of their tribes, that represented them;
— behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee; the land of Canaan, go up; the mountain, by that way of it which was the way the spies went, and they not complying with the call of God;
23 And the saying pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one from a tribe. — and I took twelve men of you out of a tribe; whose names are given in Numbers 13:4.
24 And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the Valley of Eshcol and searched it out. — and they turned and went up into the mountain; as were ordered and directed by Moses, Numbers 13:17.
25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give us.’ — It is a good land; in Numbers 13:27 they all say, “Surely it floweth with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it.” In Numbers 14:7 Joshua and Caleb describe it as an “exceeding good land.”
26 “Notwithstanding, ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God; — Israel defied the command to go up (Deuteronomy 1:26),
— murmuring that God had brought them from Egypt, to be destroyed by the Amorite (Deuteronomy 1:27). quoting the spies that the people of the land were taller with fenced cities, and the ‘Anakim were there (Deuteronomy 1:28).
27 and ye murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. — because the Lord hated us; a most astounding commentary on the events of the Exodus up to that date. It is a stronger expression than any recorded, even in Numbers 14:3.
28 Whither shall we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven, and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ — and, moreover, we have seen the sons of the Anakims there; the giants so called from Anak, the son of Arba, the father of them; their names are given, Numbers 13:22.
29 Then I said unto you, ‘Dread not, neither be afraid of them. — the attempt made by Moses to inspire the despondent people with courage;
30 The Lord your God who goeth before you, He shall fight for you according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, — again, reminded of “I am thy shield! Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates” Genesis 15;
31 and in the wilderness where thou hast seen how the Lord thy God bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went until ye came into this place.’
32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, — yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God; that they might go up and possess the land at once, and that God would fight for them,
33 who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night to show you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day. — in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go; which otherwise they could not have found in dark nights, in which they sometimes travelled, and in, a wilderness where there were no tracks, no beaten path, no common way;
— and in a cloud by day; to shelter them from the scorching sun, where there were no trees nor hedges to shade them, only rocky crags and hills.
34 “And the Lord heard the voice of your words and was wroth, and swore, saying,
35 ‘Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land which I swore to give unto your fathers,
36 save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord.’ — save Caleb; Caleb is here placed as the one exception; Joshua, as Moses’ substitute, the exception among the recognised leaders, is named separately.
37 Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Thou also shalt not go in thither. — also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes; indicating that Moses was condemned to share the fate of the people;
38 But Joshua the son of Nun, who standeth before thee, he shall go in thither. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. — encourage him; with the promise of the divine Presence with him, and of success in subduing the Canaanites, and settling the people of Israel in their land; and so we read that Moses did encourage him, Deuteronomy 31:7.
39 Moreover your little ones, who ye said should be a prey, and your children, who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither; and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. — and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil; not being at years of understanding;
40 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.’ — but as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way (in the direction) of the Red Sea; in Numbers 14:32 the parallel sentence is, “As for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.”
41 “Then ye answered and said unto me, ‘We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us.’ And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up onto the hill. — and when ye had girded on every man his weapon; his sword upon his thigh; a large number of them, for all of them were not so disposed, though many were;
42 And the Lord said unto me, ‘Say unto them: Go not up, neither fight, for I am not among you, lest ye be smitten before your enemies.’ — say unto them, go not up, neither fight; neither go up the hill, and if they did, contrary to this order, lest ye be smitten before your enemies; for I am not among you;
43 So I spoke unto you, and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up onto the hill. — So I spoke unto you; these words, the orders Moses received from the Lord to deliver to them;
44 And the Amorites, who dwelt in that mountain, came out against you and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. — as bees do; this should be observed as illustrating what is said of the hornet in Exodus 23:28-30, Deuteronomy 7:20; and in Joshua 24:12
— the Amorites; “came out against you and chased you as bees do” was also one of the ten tribes prophecised to be wiped out in Genesis 15;
45 And ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you. — the Amorites; perhaps in addition to the “the Amalekites and the Canaanites” in Numbers 14:45, who are said to have overwhelmed them.
46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there. — so they abode in Kadesh many, even close to forty years.
Deuteronomy 2
~~~~
1 “Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke unto me; and we compassed Mount Seir many days.
— and we compassed Mount Seir many days; many think by Mount Seir is meant the whole mountainous country of Edom, about which they travelled to and fro in the wilderness that lay near it for the space of thirty eight years, which they suppose are meant by many days;that is, until near the close of the thirty-ninth year of the Exodus.
2 And the Lord spoke unto me, saying,
3 ‘Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward. — it was from this encampment at Mount Seir that Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission to pass through his territory.
4 And command thou the people, saying, “Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you. Take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore.
— saying, ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children or Esau: not through the midst of their country, for that the king of Edom would not admit of, but by or along its eastern frontier;
5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth, because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. — meddle not with them; that is, those “which dwell in Seir” verse 4 above;
— for there was another branch of Esau’s posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and be destroyed (Genesis 36:12; Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:17); but the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in persons or their property;
— but the posterity of Esau or the Edomites later moved to Spain, and many then spread over to Mexico and South America where they are today; for more, see:
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
6 Ye shall buy meat from them with money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water from them with money, that ye may drink. — that is, if they would; for they had manna daily;
— yet if they would they might buy other food when they had an opportunity, as they would now have of Edom; but then they were not to take it by force or stealth, but pay for it, which they were able to do.
7 For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand. He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.”’
— these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee: not only to protect and defend them, but to provide all things necessary for them; thou hast lacked nothing: and since they had wherewith to pay for their food and drink, they are directed to do it, and not take anything from the Edomites in an unjust way;
8 And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the Wilderness of Moab.
— from Elath and Eziongeber; the two ports on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom; it was from the latter they came to Kadesh; Numbers 33:35. Elath was ten miles from Petra, the metropolis of Edom, to the east of it;
9 “And the Lord said unto me, ‘Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.’ — because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession; so the Moabites were, they sprung from Moab, a son of Lot by his firstborn daughter, Genesis 19:37.
10 (The Emim dwelt therein in times past, a people great and many and tall as the Anakim, — a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; who were very numerous, of a very bulky size of body, and of high stature, like the giants the spies had seen at Hebron, the sons of Anak, a noted giant there, Numbers 13:22;
11 who also were accounted giants, as the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. — their territory comprised principally the fine country on the south; who were troglodytes, or dwellers in caves; and among rocks;
12 The Horim also dwelt in Seir aforetime, but the children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did unto the land of his possession which the Lord gave unto them.)
— but the children of Esau succeeded them; Esau and his sons marrying among them, made way for getting the country into their possession, as appears from Genesis 36:2 and in which they afterwards settled themselves by the dint of the sword;
— when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; even in Seir where they had dwelt, afterwards called Edom, from one of the names of Esau, Genesis 36:8
— as Israel did in the land of his possession, which the Lord gave unto them; because this is said before the Canaanites were drove out of their land, and it was possessed by the Israelites;
— and the above instances by the children of Esau as well as this may be observed, to encourage the people of Israel that they should succeed in dispossessing the Canaanites, and settling in their land, in like manner as the Edomites did, taking dispossessions of this kind had already been shown before.
13 ‘Now rise up,’ said I, ‘and get you over the Brook Zered.’ And we went over the Brook Zered. — over the brook Zered; it is called the valley of Zered, Numbers 21:12, the word used signifying both a valley and a brook; and it is very probable there were both a valley and a brook of the same name;
14 And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea until we had come over the Brook Zered was thirty and eight years, until all the generation of the men of war were wasted from among the host, as the Lord swore unto them. — until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host; all that were twenty years old and upwards, had died; excepting two, Caleb and Joshua;
15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them to destroy them from among the host until they were consumed.
16 “So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
17 that the Lord spoke unto me, saying,
18 ‘Thou art to pass over through Ar, the border of Moab, this day. — thou art to pass over through Ar; that is, over the river Arnon, by the city Ar of Moab, which was situated by it; Deuteronomy 2:9 and so Moses and the people of Israel were to pass along the territory of Moab;
19 And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not nor meddle with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession, because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.’ — most experts identify the children of Ammon of Lot by his second daughter, as Jordan;
20 (That also was accounted a land of giants. Giants dwelt therein in olden times; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, — before the Ammonites, the land was occupied by a gigantic race, called by them, Zamzummim;
21 a people great and many and tall, as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead,
— the Lord destroyed them before them; it is noticeable that the conquest of Canaan is here brought with the conquests of gigantic races accomplished by Edom, Moab, and Ammon, children related to Abraham; and if they been able to dispossess these gigantic races, how much more would Israel be able to dispossess the Canaanites under the personal guidance of God?
22 as He did to the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Horim from before them; and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead even unto this day. — the Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites; they drove the giants out; these are recorded to encourage the children of Israel to take possession of the land of Canaan;
23 And the Avim who dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.) — and the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim; this is another instance of God’s disposal of countries unto what people he pleases;
— by producing these instances of God’s displacing one people, and settling another in their stead, Moses designed to strengthen the faith of the Israelites in the divine promise of giving them the victory over all their enemies, and settling them in the land of Canaan;
— and dwelt in their stead; though it seems as if they were not utterly destroyed, but some escaped into Assyria, and settled there, where was a place called Ava from them; and from whence they were sent by the king of Assyria to repopulate the cities of Samaria, after the captivity of the ten tribes;
24 ‘Rise ye up, take your journey and pass over the River Arnon. Behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. — behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon, the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; that is, he had determined to give it to the Israelites;
25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee.’ — the fear of thee; compare to Exodus 15:15-16 : “All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away, fear and dread shall fall upon them.”
26 “And I sent messengers out of the Wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,
27 ‘Let me pass through thy land. I will go along by the high way; I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.
28 Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. I will pass through only on my feet, — given that Moses sent messengers to king Sihon with words of peace (Deuteronomy 2:26; cf Numbers 21:21), this was done to show the king of the Amorites that it was through his own fault that his kingdom and lands and life were lost.
29 as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did unto me, until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land which the Lord our God giveth us.’ — as the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me; which respects, not the affair of passing through their land requested, for neither of them granted that
— but buying food and drink; for though the Edomites at first seem not to have granted that, yet afterwards they did. The mountain of Seir, and the city Ar, are put for the whole countries of Edom and Moab;
— until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the Lord our God giveth us; this is observed to remove any suspicion or jealousy of their seizing his country, and taking possession of it, and dwelling in it; since they only proposed to pass through it on their journey to the land of Canaan;
30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day. — but Sihon king of Heshbon, the chief city of the Amorite king, would not let us pass by him;
— for the Lord had hardened his spirit, Sihon king of Heshbon, of the Amorites, and made his heart obstinate; as he did Pharaoh’s, for whom he will he hardens; whose land and cities were eventually given to the children of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh Numbers 32:33;
— the Amorites were one of ten tribes to be wiped out; prophecised earlier in Genesis 15
“I am thy shield … Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates:
the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites,
and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,
and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15
31 And the Lord said unto me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.’ — behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee; by hardening his heart, which was a sure token of his ruin, and a leading step to the delivery of him into the hands of Israel: the children of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh;
32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. — the wicked Sihon initiated hostilities by coming out with all his host to fight against Moses and the Israelites;
33 And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons and all his people. — and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones; and we smote him and his sons, and all his people; with the edge of the sword; slew them all: we left none to remain;
— the war was one of extermination, in which all the people of Sihon, the Amorites, were destroyed, from one cad of his dominion to the other; all his cities were devoted irredeemably; only the cattle and the material property were preserved as booty by the conquerors.
34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men and the women and the little ones of every city; we left none to remain. — the Amorites be utterly destroyed; by God’s command, these being a part of those people who were devoted by the Lord of life and death even the “women and the little ones” to utter destruction for their abominable wickedness.
35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took. — the east of the Jordan, the whole of the fine country lying between the Arnon and the Jabbok including the mountainous tract of Gilead, had earlier been seized by the Amorites, who, being one of the nations doomed to destruction, were utterly exterminated;
36 From Aroer, which is by the brink of the River of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the Lord our God delivered all unto us. — there was not one city too strong for us; that could hold out against them, when attacked and besieged by them, but presently surrendered;
— the Lord our God delivered all unto us; Moses ascribes all the victories and success they had unto the Lord, not to their own might and power, but to the power of God with them, and his blessing on them.
37 Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the River Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the Lord our God forbade us.
— only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not; which God allowed to be in their possession; nor unto whatsoever the Lord our God forbad us: whether in Edom, Moab, or Ammon, particularly the latter, of which he is more especially and peculiarly speaking.
In March, the UK, in conjunction with the US and other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, accused China of engaging in a state-sponsored hacking campaign against them. In response to the alleged ‘attack’ they launched coordinated sanctions against a small group of hackers and their associated businesses.
The sanctions were particularly big news in Britain, where the government suddenly decided that Beijing had been behind a hack on the electoral commission three years ago. Notably, the country’s Conservative party-aligned newspapers all pushed this narrative in an aggressive fashion.
These accusations by the Five Eyes nations are not so much genuine concerns as they are a deliberate and opportunistic act of political theatre which, largely driven by the US, seeks to slander China for diplomatic and political gain.
The sanctions, although narrow in scope and thus meaningless, are designed to try and send a message to and about China. It is essentially a fearmongering campaign, which seeks to both undermine Beijing’s engagement with other countries and serve domestic political purposes in the US.
The rhythm of US escalation and de-escalation with China
The US has an adept foreign policy whereby it intentionally chooses to escalate and de-escalate tensions with China at opportune moments, which is precisely why calls for “engagement” with Beijing coming from Washington DC cannot be trusted.
The US does not change its goals or its policies, only its tactics in consideration of what suits it at that particular moment. Hence it has always alternated between overtures and deliberate provocations. It usually does so by having a certain report or development leaked to the media at an opportunistic time, in order to craft a particular narrative which mandates a certain set of reactions and policy responses.
To give some examples of such, the Trump administration played down tensions with China directly in 2019, even amidst the Hong Kong crisis, in order to secure a “trade deal” with Beijing. Once it got what it wanted by 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic struck, it deliberately unleashed a full-on crusade against Beijing on every front.
Similarly, the Biden administration came into office and then immediately upped tensions with China on the Xinjiang issue in order to damage China’s ties with Europe in a build-up to coordinated sanctions as a display of transatlantic unity.
After this was done, it then decided it wanted to “cool” things down for a bit and establish “guardrails” so the rhetoric guns went silent for a few months as Washington reached out to Beijing.
Then, as the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics came, it took the “Xinjiang card” off the shelf again with a number of timed leaks and publications geared towards supporting a Winter Olympics boycott, as well as a sweeping ban on all Xinjiang goods under the premise of “forced labour” at that time.
What we see is that the US does not truly de-escalate with China, it “blows hot and cold” and essentially manipulates the media cycle to pursue its policy preferences as it sees fit. This means that major issues pertaining to China only tend to appear when there is an agenda serving it.
Now, the Biden administration has made a political design to escalate tensions with China by accusing it, in coordination with the Five Eyes, of state-backed hacking and cybercrime. The fact that the British government would sit on such an accusation for three years suggests both clear political purpose and timing.
The question is, why?
First, we are approaching a Presidential election in the US. It was always an inevitability that the administration would want to appear “tough” on China to prevent the issue from being used as an attack point by Biden’s rival, Donald Trump. As seen in 2020, an election year tends to become a year of very aggressive rhetoric and extreme theatrics.
As stated above, the US, with the support of the Five Eyes countries, actively seeks to damage Chinese diplomacy with Europe by weaponizing negative publicity in order to narrow political space for engagement.
What we see from this is that the US engages China on its own terms, but seeks to prevent those it deems as “allies” from doing the same, and thus resorts to psychological warfare through the manipulation of mass media.
In conclusion, when one sees these strategies being utilised, one recognises that the Western media has far less independence and impartiality than it claims to have, but is indirectly subject to the preferences of US policy.
When the White House says “jump” reporters ask, “how high?” and thus we see that a new propaganda campaign has been cultivated against Beijing, but of course, we should not be blind to the reality that there is no greater weaponisation of cyberspace and espionage in the world than the system created by the Five Eyes.
And are we really going to pretend the CIA doesn’t hack anyone?
“But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” saith the LORD the God of hosts; “and they shall afflict you from the entrance of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness” Amos 6:14
“And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day” Amos 8:9-10
Ukraine aid must be a multi-year financial commitment for NATO – Stoltenberg, to ensure that If Trump recaptures the White House, the War in Ukraine will continue.
The chief of the US-led bloc has reportedly suggested a five-year, $107 billion plan to provide Kiev with weapons
Ukraine should be able to enjoy a stable stream of Western arms supplies in the long term rather than relying on voluntary donations, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.
Speaking ahead of the NATO foreign ministers summit in Brussels on Wednesday, the bloc’s chief stressed that Kiev – which has repeatedly complained of a lack of ammunition and weapons – “has urgent needs,” while warning that any delays in assistance would have consequences on the battlefield.
In this light, Stoltenberg urged NATO allies to “shift the dynamics of our support.” “We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul. So that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments,” he said, adding that those pledges would have to last for at least several years. “We will also discuss a multi-year financial commitment to sustain our support,” NATO boss added.
According to Reuters, to secure long-term support for Kiev, Stoltenberg had proposed a five-year €100 billion ($107 billion) package of military aid to Ukraine. Under the plan, the US-led military bloc would also reportedly take on more responsibility for coordinating the assistance to Kiev from the US amid concerns that the reelection of GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump could undermine the Western campaign to support Ukraine.
The plan is also meant to prevent any future US president from withdrawing support from Ukraine. Financial Times described it as “Trump-proofing” the proxy war as the former president has expressed opposition to the conflict, although he recently floated the idea of providing Ukraine with loans.
When asked about the specifics of the plan, Stoltenberg declined to go into the details, adding that he did not expect it to be fully fleshed out in the near future. “We will hopefully move forward towards consensus, and then we will have an agreement in place by the summit” in Washington this summer, he noted.
Russia has repeatedly condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, saying that they will only prolong the conflict and that Kiev will not be able to exist without foreign support.
On Tuesday, the secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, argued that NATO is seeking to retain control over Ukraine in a bid to use it as an “anti-Russia” bridgehead, noting that the bloc has been pumping Kiev with weapons since the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014.
“But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” saith the LORD the God of hosts; “and they shall afflict you from the entrance of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness” Amos 6:14
“And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day” Amos 8:9-10
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has reiterated his belief that Ukraine’s position is weakening with each passing day of hostilities, warning that the “real question” is how much territory Kiev will lose and how many lives it will waste before sitting for talks with Moscow.
The entrepreneur claimed in a post on his platform X on Saturday that “any fool could have predicted” that Ukraine’s much-touted counteroffensive last year would fail, adding that even if Kiev had followed his recommendation to “entrench and apply all resources to defense,” it would be “tough to hold land that doesn’t have strong natural barriers.”
“It was a tragic waste of life for Ukraine to attack a larger army that had defense in depth, minefields and stronger artillery when Ukraine lacked armor or air superiority!,” Musk wrote.
The Ukrainian army has seen over 444,000 military casualties during the course of the ongoing conflict, including more than 166,000 during last year’s counteroffensive, according to last month’s estimates from the Russian Defense Ministry. However, President Vladimir Zelensky claimed in February that only 31,000 of his country’s troops had been killed since February 24, 2022.
The billionaire went on to argue that “the longer the war goes on, the more territory Russia will gain until they hit the Dnepr, which is tough to overcome.”
However, if the war lasts long enough, Odessa will fall too… Whether Ukraine loses all access to the Black Sea or not is, in my view, the real remaining question. I recommend a negotiated settlement before that happens.
Elon Musk has shifted his position on Ukraine several times since the conflict began in early 2022. He initially supplied Kiev with free Starlink internet terminals and access to the satellite-based network, but declined to activate the service near Crimea for fear that Ukraine would use it to guide drone attacks on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
If this had happened, he explained last year, SpaceX would have been “complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.”
Musk has also used his X account to speak extensively about the trajectory of the conflict. More than a year ago, he proposed that Kiev abandon its claim to Crimea, declare neutrality, and allow the four new Russian regions (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye), to hold new referenda on joining the Russian Federation.
This proposal is similar to the terms offered by Russia to Kiev and the Western powers before the conflict began, except Moscow initially called only for autonomy in Donetsk and Lugansk.
Moscow has stressed that it remains open to meaningful talks with Kiev and has blamed the lack of a diplomatic breakthrough on the Ukrainian authorities, who refuse to accept the “reality on the ground.”
Ukraine must take into account the fact that its borders have changed drastically since 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, commenting on Zelensky’s suggestion that a return to 1991 borders was no longer a precondition for negotiations.
“And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him” Jeremiah 50:32.
“In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished” Ezekiel 6:6.
Trump calls migrants ‘animals,’ intensifying focus on illegal immigration
What you need to know:
“The Democrats say, ‘Please don’t call them animals. They’re humans.’ I said, ‘No, they’re not humans, they’re not humans, they’re animals,'” said Trump, president from 2017 to 2021.
“Donald Trump is engaging in extreme rhetoric that promotes division, hate and violence in our country”
Donald Trump called immigrants illegally in the United States “animals” and “not human” in a speech in Michigan on Tuesday, resorting to the degrading rhetoric he has employed time and again on the campaign trail.
The Republican presidential candidate, appearing with several law enforcement officers, described in detail several criminal cases involving suspects in the country illegally and warned that violence and chaos would consume America if he did not win the November 5 election.
In a later speech in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he struck a similarly foreboding tone, describing the 2024 election as the nation’s “final battle.”
While speaking of Laken Riley – a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia allegedly murdered by a Venezuelan immigrant in the country illegally – Trump said some immigrants were sub-human.
“The Democrats say, ‘Please don’t call them animals. They’re humans.’ I said, ‘No, they’re not humans, they’re not humans, they’re animals,'” said Trump, president from 2017 to 2021.
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump described meeting the family of Ruby Garcia, a local 25-year-old murdered last month by a suspect in the country illegally, according to police. Garcia’s sister denied the former president spoke with the family, according to local media reports.
In stump speeches, Trump frequently claims that immigrants crossing the border with Mexico illegally have escaped from prisons and asylums in their home countries and are fueling violent crime in the United States.
While available data on criminals’ immigration status is sparse, researchers say people living in the US illegally do not commit violent crimes at a higher rate than native-born citizens.
Democratic President Joe Biden, Trump’s rival in the November presidential election, accuses Trump of encouraging Republicans in Congress not to pass legislation this year that would have beefed up security at the southern border and introduced measures aimed at reducing illegal immigration.
“Donald Trump is engaging in extreme rhetoric that promotes division, hate and violence in our country,” Michael Tyler, Biden campaign communications director, told reporters on Tuesday ahead of Trump’s speeches.
Trump titled his Michigan speech “Biden’s border bloodbath,” and said he met family members of Garcia, who was allegedly murdered last month in her car by Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, whom she was dating.
“They said she had just this most contagious laughter, and when she walked into a room, she lit up that room, and I’ve heard that from so many people. I spoke to some of her family,” Trump said.
Mavi Garcia, Ruby Garcia’s sister, disputed that account, according to local television stations.
“He did not speak with any of us, so it was kind of shocking seeing that he had said that he had spoke with us,” Mavi Garcia was quoted as saying by a local NBC affiliate.
Reuters was not able to immediately contact Garcia’s family. A Trump campaign representative declined to comment on the record.
The murders of Garcia and Riley have allowed Trump’s campaign to play simultaneously to some voters’ fears about violent crime and immigration.
Some 38% of Republicans cited immigration as the country’s top issue in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released in late February, as did about one in five independents.Trump frequently claims without evidence that migrants have caused a spike in violent crime in US cities.
On Tuesday, he repeated an unfounded claim that Latin American nations are intentionally sending their criminals to the United States.
TUESDAY’S WISCONSIN PRIMARY
During his evening speech in Wisconsin, Trump pledged he would stop the “plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of our American suburbs, cities and towns.”
He also warned that the coming election could be America’s last.
“This country is finished if we don’t win this election,” he said. “And I heard somebody say … two or three days ago, said, if we don’t win, this may be the last election our country ever has. And there could be truth to it.”
Michigan and Wisconsin are two swing states that could determine whether Biden or Trump occupies the White House next year.
In the 2020 election, Biden beat Trump in Wisconsin by less than one percentage point and in Michigan by less than three. Both states are expected to be extremely close again this year.
Although both Trump and Biden have mathematically clinched their presidential nominations, they will be on their party’s presidential primary ballots in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
The Biden team will be watching for protest votes by Democrats angry over the president’s strong support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
In February’s presidential primary in Michigan, a state with a large Muslim population, Biden easily won the primary but more than 100,000 Democrats voted “uncommitted,” instead of for Biden, as a protest over his Gaza policy.
A similar option is available in Wisconsin on Tuesday. The protest campaign’s goal is to get 20,682 voters to mark their ballots “uninstructed,” Wisconsin’s version of “uncommitted.” The number is significant because it represents Biden’s winning margin over Trump in the state in 2020.
Will the United States be taken by Latinos by 2060?
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words, “in the latter days,” prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 35
~~~~
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,
2 “Command the children of Israel that they give unto the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. — the cities of the priests and Levites were not only to accommodate them, but to place them, as religious teachers, in several parts of the land;
— for though the typical service of the tabernacle was only in one place, the teaching of the word of God, and prayer and praise, were not thus confined. These cities were to be given out of each tribe; each thus made a grateful acknowledgement to God; each tribe had the benefit of the Levites dwelling amongst them, to teach them the knowledge of the Lord; thus no parts of the country were left to sit in darkness.
3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in, and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle and for their goods and for all their beasts. — and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs; or rather, “pasture-grounds,” the word migrash, “suburb,” indicates pasture ground into which flocks are driven.
4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. — shall reach from the walls of the city, and outward, a thousand cubits round about; which was half a sabbath day’s journey, and pretty near half a mile;
5 And ye shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. — and the city shall be in the midst; in the midst of the circuit of three thousand cubits all around, so that it must stand very pleasant and convenient;
6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither; and to them ye shall add forty and two cities. — of these cities which were given up to the Levites, six were to serve as cities of refuge; three of these cities of refuge were in the land of Canaan, and three on the other side Jordan, Numbers 35:14;
— the Israelites were to give of their possessions forty-two others, that is to say, forty-eight in all; and they were to do this, giving much from every tribe that had much, and little from the one which had little (Numbers 26:54);
— according to Joshua 21, the Levites received nine cities in the territory of Judah and Simeon, four in the territory of each of the other tribes, with the exception of Naphtali, only three, that is to say, ten in the land to the east of the Jordan, and thirty-eight in Canaan proper, of which the thirteen given up by Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin were assigned to the families of the priests, and the other thirty-five to the three Levitical families;
— this distribution of the Levites among all the tribes – by which the curse of division and dispersion in Israel, which had been pronounced upon Levi in Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 49:7), was changed into a blessing both for the Levites themselves and also for all Israel – was in perfect accordance with the election and destination of this tribe;
— called out of the whole nation to be the peculiar possession to watch over God’s covenant, and teach Israel His rights and His law (Deuteronomy 33:9-10; Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 31:9-13), the Levites were to form and set forth among all the tribes and by their walk as well as by their divine calling; to foster and preserve the law and testimony of the Lord in Israel, and to awaken and spread the fear of God and piety among all the other tribes.
7 So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities; these shall ye give with their suburbs. — thirteen cities in Simeon, Judah and Benjamin were assigned to the priests, the other thirty-five to other Levitical families;
— the Levites numbered nearly 50,000 souls (Numbers 26:62), so that each Levitical city would have an average population of about 1000 to start with.
8 And the cities which ye shall give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel. From those who have many ye shall give many, but from those who have few ye shall give few. Every one shall give from his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.”
— nine cities were eventually given to the Levites from the large joint inheritance of Judah and Simeon; three from Naphtali, and the other tribes gave each four apiece; thus no parts of the country were left to sit in darkness;
— each tribe had the benefit of the Levites dwelling amongst them, to teach them the knowledge of the Lord; so that though hereby Jacob’s curse on this tribe had its fulfilment, that it should be divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel, yet that became a blessing to the rest of the tribes; Genesis 49:7.
9 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
10 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: ‘When ye have come over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, — when ye come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; as they quickly would, being now very near it, since the Lord had promised to bring them over that river, and put them in possession of that land;
11 then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer may flee thither who killeth any person unawares. — unawares; or ignorantly, as it is, Deuteronomy 19:4, and Joshua 20:3; that is, besides his intention, having no such design, and no hatred to him, Numbers 35:22;
12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not until he stand before the congregation in judgment. — until he stand before judgment; before the court of judicature, to be examined, tried, and judged, whether the murder was committed knowingly and willingly, or whether through mistake and being unintentional;
13 And of these cities which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge. — not all the forty eight cities were for refuge, only six of them.
14 Ye shall give three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. — from the land of Canaan: Hebron in Judea; Shechem in Mount Ephraim; Kadesh in Mount Naphtali was opposite Golan Heights; and three cites on this side Jordan; which were Bezer in the wilderness, out of Reuben; and Ramoth in Gilead, out of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, out of Manasseh, Joshua 20:8
15 These six cities shall be a refuge both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that every one who killeth any person unawares may flee thither. — for the stranger, and for the sojourner; the word ger, “stranger,” indicates a foreigner who took up a temporary abode amongst the Israelites; whereas toshab, “sojourner,” indicates one who was settled in Israel.
16 “‘And if he smite him with an instrument of iron so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. — the murderer shall surely be put to death; and be executed by the order of the civil magistrate;
17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. — and he die; by the blow he receives from it, either immediately or in a short time after: he is a murderer, and the murderer shall surely be put to death; as in the above case.
18 Or if he smite him with a hand weapon of wood wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. — with a hand-weapon; it made no difference with what kind of weapon he was killed, whether it was of iron, wood, or stone.
19 The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
20 But if he thrust him out of hatred, or hurl at him by lying in wait so that he die,
21 or in enmity smite him with his hand so that he die, he that smote him shall surely be put to death, for he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meeteth him.
22 “‘But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him anything without lying in wait,
23 or with any stone wherewith a man may die, seeing him not and casting it upon him so that he die, and was not his enemy neither sought his harm,
24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.
25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge whither he had fled; and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
— unto the death of the high priest; partly because the public grief for the loss of so public a person was likely to assuage the private griefs and passions of men, the rather, because by this example they were minded of their own mortality, and thereby withheld from taking vengeance;
26 But if the slayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge whither he had fled,
27 and the avenger of blood find him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,
28 because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. — but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession; to that part of the land to that tribe to which he belonged, to his house and family, and to his possessions and inheritances;
29 “‘So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. — the enactment of God to Moses, throughout your generations in all your dwellings; for the Israelite, stranger and sojourner; throughout all ages, secured the advantage of promoting both the Law for humanity and Justice to each individual.
30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. — by the mouth of witnesses; the number of witnesses is not specified here but in Deuteronomy 17:6 it is ordained that the crime of idolatry should be punished with death “at the mouth of two witnesses, or of three witnesses;”
31 Moreover ye shall take no payment for the life of a murderer who is deserving of death, but he shall be surely put to death. — the murderer’s life may not be ransomed; and the man who has committed accidental homicide may not pay a ransom in lieu of detention in the city of refuge;
32 And ye shall take no payment for him that has fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land until the death of the priest. — that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest; the high priest; thus we are reminded that the death of the our High Priest is the only means whereby sins are pardoned, and sinners set at liberty.
33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood defileth the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. — murders in all its forms, and under all disguises, pollutes a land.
34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit wherein I dwell; for I, the Lord, dwell among the children of Israel.’” — for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel, therefore the murderer’s hand is raised against me; the blood of the slain is ever before my eyes, its cry for vengeance ever in my ears (Genesis 4:10; Matthew 23:35; Revelation 6:10).
Numbers 36
1And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel. — and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel: the seventy elders; as the Targum of Jonathan indicates, “the house of judgment” that is, the Sanhedrin or court of judicature;
— the chief fathers of the families; we read before of a provision made for the family of the heiresses of Zelophehad, a branch of the tribe of Manasseh, Numbers 27, and though Moses had secured them a distinct inheritance;
— yet some of the chief heads of that family, foreseeing that a great inconvenience might possibly happen in the marriage of these women, made a new petition to Moses, in the presence of the princes, or chief fathers of Israel, for a proper law to prevent it;
— they represented to him, that in case these heiresses should marry into other tribes, the estates they were invested in would, of course, be alienated from their own tribe, and be incorporated into that in which they married, by the right of their husbands.
2 And they said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.
3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.
4 And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be added unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”
5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.
6 This is the thing which the Lord doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best; only, within the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.’
— only into the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry; they were to marry not only such as were of the tribe of Manasseh, but of their father’s family in that tribe; they could only marry into the family of the Hepherites; Numbers 26:32
— this affair concerning the daughters of Zelophehad; this affair relative to them; but including all heiresses, so all such after as well as before the division of the land, since the reason of it holds good after as before;
7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
— though they were not strictly obliged to marry in their own tribe; everyone of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers; or cleave to a wife in that tribe for marriage; this word is used in the original institution of it, Genesis 2:24
8 And every daughter who possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. — that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers; of his father’s brethren, or of those that are near akin to him.
9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe, but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.” — but that he must belong to the family of their father’s tribe, that is to say, must be a Manassite;
— for (Numbers 36:7) the inheritance was not to turn away the Israelites from one tribe to another (not to be transferred from one to another), but to keep to the inheritance of his father’s tribe, and no one was to enter upon the possession of another tribe by marrying an heiress belonging to that tribe.
10 Even as the Lord commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad;
11 for Mahlal, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their fathers’ brothers’ sons. — accordance with these instructions, the five daughters of Zelophehad, whose names are repeated from Numbers 26:33 and Numbers 27:1 (also Joshua 17:3), married husbands from the families of the Manassites, namely, sons of their cousins (or uncles), and thus their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe;
12 And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. — these were married unto their father’s brothers’ sons; so that they were first cousins; and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father; by means of these marriages, even both in their father’s tribe and family.
13 These are the commandments and the judgments which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho. — these are the commandments and the judgments; the judicial laws concerning the division of the land of Canaan, the case of inheritances in it, and the cities of refuge;
— which the Lord commanded by, the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel, in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho; where the Israelites had been ever since they were first observed by Balak king of Moab, and where the various things had been done recorded in the preceding chapters from that time.
The collective show of maritime force against China will be a centerpiece of next month’s trilateral summit in Washington.
The US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will launch joint naval patrols in the South China Sea later this year, according to a US official and a foreign diplomat familiar with the planning. It’s a major move to counter China in the region — and one likely to elicit a strong response from Beijing.
The South China Sea has become increasingly tense in recent years
The three-country naval maneuvers are part of a package of initiatives that President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will unveil at their first-ever trilateral summit next month, the official and the diplomat said.
The White House is also expected to announce that it will “seriously consider” having Japan as a technological partner in elements of the “AUKUS” security partnership between the US, UK and Australia, according to a Defense Department official and another person familiar with the planning, both granted anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement.
The April 11 trilateral summit is seen as key to cementing efforts by the three countries to counter China’s regional influence. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement last week that the three leaders will discuss ways to “further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific,” but did not provide further details.
The South China Sea has become increasingly tense in recent years as China has used its military might to lay claim to waters internationally recognized as belonging to the Philippines — establishing bases and harassing Philippine Coast Guard units. There are rising concerns in Washington that Beijing and Manila could tip into open conflict. Beijing could also use those military outposts to support a blockade or invasion of Taiwan in coming years.
The joint naval patrols will mark the most robust assertion of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy hinged to rallying allies and partners to offset China’s growing economic, diplomatic and military footprint in the region.
While the US and the Philippines have conducted joint patrols previously, this will be the first time Japan’s navy has joined with them in doing so — a show of force designed to show Beijing its belligerence won’t be tolerated. Japan’s involvement also reflects the Kishida government’s moves to make Tokyo a bigger player in regional security alongside the US that began with his announcement in 2022 of a doubling of the country’s defense budget within five years.
The National Security Council, DOD and the Japanese embassy in Washington declined to comment. The Philippine embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The joint operations also raise the risk of possible confrontations with Chinese forces operating in the region. Beijing has already ignored repeated warnings from the Biden administration that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty obligates the US to intervene if Philippine forces come under armed attack.
In recent months, Chinese vessels have on multiple occasions deployed water cannons against Philippine Coast Guard vessels, injuring Filipino sailors.
Chinese forces “will continue to take resolute steps to safeguard its territorial interests,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Monday. Marcos warned on Thursday that his government would respond with a “countermeasure package” aimed to deter “aggressive and dangerous attacks” by China in the South China Sea.
It is not clear how soon the Japan-US-Philippines patrols will start. The three militaries have been laying the groundwork for joint patrols already — they began holding joint maritime training exercises in the region in June.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
The US government has sent troops to Taiwan, just a few kilometers from mainland China, while also selling billions of dollars of weapons and military equipment. Is Washington preparing for war? Ben Norton analyzes the geopolitical situation.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
TRILLIONS of cicadas are set to invade the eastern US for the first time in 221 years, scientists say.
In April, two large broods of periodical cicadas are going to emerge from the ground around the US for a large mating frenzy.
“Billions, even trillions, of cicadas are going to emerge at the same time across 17 states,” Chris Simon, a professor in UConn’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, told Live Science.
Brood XIII and XIX have been living underground for 17 and 13 years respectively, and will emerge for the first time together in 221 years.
Periodical broods are found in eastern North America and tend to emerge in large numbers.
Once they hatch, the nymphs feed off root sap underground until it’s time to mate.
Mating season has been described as a noisy and chaotic display that could happen for weeks.
An event like this hasn’t occurred since 1803 when Thomas Jefferson was president, and the next occurrence will not be until 2244.
“The co-emergence of any two broods of different cycles is rare because the cycles are both prime numbers,” John Cooley, founder of the Periodical Cicada Project and a professor in UConn’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, told the publication.
“Any given 13- and 17-year broods will only co-emerge once every 13 x 17 = 221 years.”
However, despite the large volume of cicadas that will appear next, it won’t look too different from other emergences.
In the first week, people will be able to spot the cicadas sitting on vegetation after they shed their exoskeleton around the morning hours.
Afterward, they will climb trees, and the males will emit a loud noise to attract females.
The females will then follow suit making clicking noises that increase as mating gets underway.
From there, the females can lay their eggs, and a new batch of cicadas will appear the next morning.
For the most part, the broods do not appear in the same location except for a small woodland area in Springfield, Illinois.
“The broods won’t overlap significantly due to the latitudinal spread involved,” Cooley explained.
“But there will be a lot of cicadas … just as there are a lot of ants, flies. Insects come in large numbers.”
While the co-emergence of these two groups has not happened in hundreds of years, other 13-year and 17-year broods have happened around the same time.
Mating season has been a noisy and chaotic display that could happen for weeks
“2015 was the last time a 13-year brood emerged with a 17-year brood when Brood XXIII emerged with Brood IV. However, the two broods weren’t geographically close,” Simon told Live Science.
“Similarly, adjacent Brood IV and Brood XIX both appeared in 1998 but, again, weren’t close.”
Because of the limited time between them, the two broods will most likely not interbreed with each other
“Even if the broods were to interbreed, any offspring would be indistinguishable from cicadas that were not hybrids,” Simon said.
According to the researcher, even the life cycles have stayed the same between interbred cicadas.
“Scientists in the past have speculated that mating between 13-year and 17-year periodical cicadas would not create an intermediate life cycle (eg, 15-year); instead, the offspring would be either 13-year or 17-year, but not both,” Simon said.
“We still only see either 13 or 17-year cicadas in nature. Whether one life cycle is dominant to another is unknown. And, importantly, there are very few places where 13-year and 17-year cicadas currently overlap.”
Within two to six weeks, most of the cicadas will die after reproducing or in the process of emergence.
Three weeks into the process, many of the cicadas will be high in the trees, where they laid their eggs.
The eggs will eventually fall to lower ground, where they will hatch and burrow underground.
“Emerging isn’t without risk, as many of the cicadas will be eaten by predators, while others may be killed by later cicadas walking on them while their outer casing is still soft,” Simon said.
“Some will survive to move into the higher vegetation and mate and lay eggs.”
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words, “in the latter days,” prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 33
~~~~
1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. — this is a brief summary review of the travels of the children of Israel through the wilderness; it is flashback for a memorable history.
2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord, and these are their journeys according to their goings out: — and these are their journeys according to their goings out; from place to place; “goings out,” signifying only that their marches were made under the orders of God himself.
3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, — on the fifteenth of the first month, on the morrow after the passover; which was killed on the fourteenth,
4 for the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, whom the Lord had smitten among them. Upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments.
— for the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them; which contributed much to the more easy and safe deliverance of the children of Israel; for their hearts were heavy with sorrow, and their hands were full;
and upon their idols did the Word of the Lord do judgments; their molten idols were dissolved, their idols of stone were mutilated, their idols of earthenware broken in pieces, their wooden idols turned to ashes, and their cattle gods were slain with death.
5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses and pitched camp in Succoth. — and pitched in Succoth, where according to some, was eight miles from Rameses;
6 And they departed from Succoth and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 And they removed from Etham and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon; and they pitched before Migdol.
8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
9 And they removed from Marah and came unto Elim; and in Elim were twelve fountains of water and threescore and ten palm trees, and they pitched there.
10 And they removed from Elim and encamped by the Red Sea.
11 And they removed from the Red Sea and encamped in the Wilderness of Sin.
12 And they took their journey out of the Wilderness of Sin and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they departed from Dophkah and encamped in Alush.
14 And they removed from Alush and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 And they departed from Rephidim and pitched camp in the Wilderness of Sinai.
16 And they removed from the Desert of Sinai and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah [that is, The graves of lust].
17 And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth.
18 And they departed from Hazeroth and pitched in Rithmah.
19 And they departed from Rithmah and pitched at Rimmonperez.
20 And they departed from Rimmonperez and pitched in Libnah.
21 And they removed from Libnah and pitched at Rissah.
22 And they journeyed from Rissah and pitched in Kehelathah.
23 And they went from Kehelathah and pitched in Mount Shepher.
24 And they removed from Mount Shepher and encamped in Haradah.
25 And they removed from Haradah and pitched in Makheloth.
26 And they removed from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath.
27 And they departed from Tahath and pitched at Terah.
28 And they removed from Terah and pitched in Mithkah.
29 And they went from Mithkah and pitched in Hashmonah.
30 And they departed from Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth.
31 And they departed from Moseroth and pitched in Benejaakan.
32 And they removed from Benejaakan and encamped at Horhagidgad.
33 And they went from Horhagidgad and pitched in Jotbathah.
34 And they removed from Jotbathah and encamped at Abronah.
35 And they departed from Abronah and encamped at Eziongeber.
36 And they removed from Eziongeber and pitched in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
37 And they removed from Kadesh and pitched in Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.
38 And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.
39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died on Mount Hor. — 123 years old;
40 And King Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
41 And they departed from Mount Hor and pitched camp in Zalmonah.
42 And they departed from Zalmonah and pitched in Punon.
43 And they departed from Punon and pitched in Oboth.
44 And they departed from Oboth and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.
45 And they departed from Iim and pitched in Dibongad.
46 And they removed from Dibongad and encamped in Almondiblathaim.
47 And they removed from Almondiblathaim and pitched in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo.
48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and pitched in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
49 And they pitched by the Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.
50 And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying, — near Jericho but east of the Jordan because Moses didn’t, or not allowed to cross over the Jordan;
51 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: ‘When ye have passed over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
— when ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; near to which they now were, and Moses was about to leave them; and therefore it was the more necessary to give them some instructions and directions what they should do, when they were come into it;
52 then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their idols, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places.
— and destroy all their molten images; of gold, silver, idolatrous ones; the images of their gods, or the statues and figured stones of them: the Targum of Jonathan interprets it, “all the temples of their worship;”
53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell therein, for I have given you the land to possess it. — ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you—not, however, by expulsion, but extermination (Deuteronomy 7:1-2): “thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them;”
— this parallels with an earlier Scripture: “I am thy shield! Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates” (Genesis 15).
54 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families; and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance. Every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth, according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
— the lots would not be cast for individuals, but for whole tribes, or at most for clans.
55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass that those who ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
— shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides; like today’s Hamas and other Palestinians, which figurative expressions show that they should be very troublesome and distressing to them, even in their most tender and nearest concerns, and dearest relations, and which are explained and more properly expressed as follows;
— and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell; among other things by their wickedness, and by drawing them into sin through their ill examples, and so bring the displeasure of God upon them, and punishment for their evil doings.
56 Moreover it shall come to pass that I shall do unto you as I thought to do unto them.’” — moreover, it shall come to pass; this being the case, they suffering the Canaanites to dwell among them, and they mingling with them, learning their works, and serving their gods:
— that I shall do unto you as I thought I should do unto them; deliver the Israelites up into the hands of their enemies, who should carry them captive into other lands.
Numbers 34
~~~~
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: ‘When ye come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the borders thereof), — this is the land of Canaan; the details given mark the general boundary of the inheritance of Israel west of the Jordan;
— the Israelites never actually possessed all the territory comprised within these boundaries, even when it was most extended by the conquests of David and Solomon.
3 then your south quarter shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along by the border of Edom; and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the Salt Sea eastward. — the southern boundary commenced at the Dead Sea; further South would be the borders of Edom, Egypt and Moab, bordering all along upon the Edomites.
4 And your border shall turn from the south to the Ascent of Akrabbim and pass on to Zin; and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar and pass on to Azmon. — it is quite uncertain where all these places were;
5 And the border shall pass around from Azmon unto the River of Egypt, and the limits of it shall be at the Sea. — and the goings out of it; not of the river, but of the border: shall be at the sea; the above sea, called in the next verse the great sea; the Targum Jonathan renders the sea to the west; that is, the Mediterranean sea;
6 “‘And as for the western border, ye shall even have the Great Sea for a border. This shall be your west border. — you shall even have the great sea for a border; and no other, meaning the Mediterranean sea, which lies west of the land of Judea; in contrast to the salt sea (Dead Sea), and the sea of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee);
7 “‘And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea ye shall designate for you Mount Hor; — Mount Hor; not that Hor where Aaron died, which was southward, and bordering upon Edom, but another mountain, probably Hermon, or some part of mount Lebanon, which is elsewhere mentioned as the northern border of the land;
8 from Mount Hor ye shall designate your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the limits of the border shall be to Zedad;
9 and the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the limits of it shall be at Hazarenan. This shall be your north border. — this shall be your northern border: from the Mediterranean sea to Hazarenan in Naphtali.
10 “‘And ye shall designate your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham;
11 and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend and shall reach unto the side of the Sea of Chinnereth eastward;
12 and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the limits of it shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with the borders thereof round about.’” — the Salt Sea, the sea of Sodom; and though all its water is generally salty, or today better known as the Dead Sea;
13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the Lord commanded to give unto the nine tribes and to the halftribe. — the settlement of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the other half tribe of Manasseh, on the other side Jordan; Numbers 32:31.
14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.
15 The two tribes and the halftribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.” — the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan;
16 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. — Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun; the one the principal person in ecclesiastical affairs, and the other in civil ones; to divide the land being partly a sacred work;
18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe to divide the land by inheritance. — and ye shall take one prince of every tribe; in addition to Eleazar the high priest, and Joshua the commander of the army, one chief man, or prince, was to be selected out of each of the ten tribes which were interested in the division;
19 And the names of the men are these: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; — of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh: who was one of the two spies that brought a good report of the land, and Joshua is the other; of overseeing the division of the land;
— they seem be taken in pairs, Judah and Simeon, Benjamin and Dan, Manasseh and Ephraim, Zebulun and Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, the order of the pairs agrees with the order in which the allotments in the Promised land, taken also in couples, followed each other in the map from south to north;
— Dan ~ Ireland, Denmark; Asher ~ Belgium; Naphtali ~ Sweden — Manasseh ~ UK; Ephraim ~ US; Reuben ~ France; — Judah and Levi ~ Israel; Benjamin ~ Norway — Issachar ~ Finland; Zebulun ~ Holland; Gad ~ Switzerland
20 and of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud;
21 of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;
22 and the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli;
23 the princes of the children of Joseph: for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod,
24 and the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;
25 and the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;
26 and the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan;
27 and the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;
28 and the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”
29 These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan. — these are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
In 2009 Martin Jacques authored a book “When China Rules the World” that predicted that China will become the dominant global power in the 21st century, not by replicating the Western model.
Instead, Jacques argues that China’s rise will reshape the world order in its own image, leading to a new, multi-polar world with a different set of values and norms.
BYD celebrates the 1,000,000 plug-in vehicle milestone, Telsa in its rearview mirror
In the above video, Martin Jacques marveled at the pace that china has developed in a mere four decades. He explained that China has always been a Civilization State and the next China will still be China with its own civilization characteristics.
Jacques explains that China’s long history as a civilization-state and its distinct understanding of race and modernity will continue to influence the way China interacts with the world.
As China’s economic power grows, it will increasingly project its values and interests onto the global stage, leading to a more multi-polar world.
Jacques argues that Westerners often misinterpret China because they apply their own frameworks to China’s behavior. He emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of Chinese history, culture, and political system to navigate the coming changes.
According to Martin Jacques, China’s civilization-state differs from the Western nation-state in several key ways:
Nation-state: Identity primarily stems from shared ethnicity, language, and history. Civilization-state: Identity emphasizes cultural unity, shared values, and a long historical continuity within a specific civilization. For China, this means belonging to the Chinese civilization, not just being Han Chinese.
Nation-state: The state is seen as a tool serving the nation. Individuals hold rights and freedoms separate from the state. Civilization-state: The state embodies and upholds the civilization itself and Individuals’ identities and well-being are intertwined with the state’s role in preserving and advancing the civilization.
Nation-state: Emphasizes national sovereignty and self-determination, views itself as equal to other nations on the international stage. Civilization-state: May see itself as distinct from other nations, belonging to a different cultural and historical sphere and may view its role as contributing to global order based on its own values.
Nation-state: Relatively recent concept, emerging in Europe around the 18th century. Civilization-state: China’s civilization, for example, sees itself as having existed for thousands of years.
Some scholars think that Martin Jacques thesis may be an oversimplification of Nation-states, Civilization-states and our world.
The grind of heavy machinery breaks the silence of the Darién jungle, where the Pan American Highway ends at Yaviza in Panama.
“We are Americans, too”
Construction workers have cleared towering trees to make way for a steel and concrete bridge mighty enough to withstand flooding from the Chucunaque River.
An onsite worker for the construction company Cusa told The Epoch Times the construction project will cut 4 miles into the Darién jungle at a cost of $42 million and includes a second bridge crossing the Tuira River.
That would leave some 55 miles to finish the Pan American Highway, also known as Highway 1, through the mountainous rainforest to connect it to Turbo, Colombia.
If it’s ever completed, the Pan American Highway will stretch about 18,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina, opening up a land corridor the length of the Americas.
It has gone unfinished for decades due to American and Panamanian concerns over the environment, crime, and disease—and more recently mass migration. The dangerous, rugged terrain acts as a natural barrier to travel from South to Central America.
The bridge and road expansion will end near the town of Bocas de Cupe, in the Darién Gap. However, bridging the rivers has been considered one of the major obstacles blocking completion of the highway.
The new project has worried some who fear completing the road into the Darién Gap will be a win for China and a loss for America.
Michael Yon, a former war correspondent, has been covering mass migration through Panama for several years and has used social media to bring attention to the bridge’s construction and its implications.
China would benefit through an alternate trade route around the Panama Canal, which is essential to global trade. But for the United States, it could open the floodgates to migrants from South America, he told the Epoch Times.
Meanwhile, US leaders have grown increasingly wary of the military implications tied to Chinese infrastructure projects being built in America’s backyard as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly around the Panama Canal.
In 2018, Panama signed on to China’s ambitious BRI project, dubbed a modern Silk Road, after publicly recognizing Taiwan as part of China, much to the surprise and concern of the United States.
The CCP aims to utilize the BRI “to amass power and influence at the expense of the world’s democracies,” US Southern Command Commander Army Gen Laura Richardson warned in March.
She and other commanders in recent years have been sounding the alarm about China’s incursion into the Western Hemisphere.
China “seeks to supplant the United States as the world’s leading economic and military power,” Gen. Richardson noted in a written statement to the House Armed Services Committee.
“If it’s ever completed, the Pan American Highway will stretch about 18,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina”
Closing the Gap
Last year alone, a record 500,000 migrants traveled through the Darién Gap on their way to the US southern border, documents show.
Mike Howell, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, believes China’s economic development in the region threatens America’s influence and security.
“If China displaces the US in the Western hemisphere as the dominant economic power, then we lose our leverage,” Mr Howell, formerly an attorney with the Department of Homeland Security, told TheEpoch Times.
China is encircling the United States with infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr Howell said.
“It’s like a boa constrictor that’s tightening and tightening around the United States,” he said.
In the 2019 book, “China’s Belt and Road and Panama: A Strategic and Prospective Scenario between the Americas and China,” author Eddie Tapiero touts the rise of China’s BRI in utopian terms.
Mr Tapiero, a Panamanian professor and international economist who wrote his book after a BRI meeting in China, called the initiative a catalyst for “global public good,” envisioning a world where “borders no longer exist, nor do countries.”
“We are Americans, too”
The book includes a BRI scenario with a map titled “Globalized Belt and Road,” showing Panama and its canal connected to Colombia by rail through the Darién Gap.
On the Colombian side of the Darién Gap, Chinese companies are working to build highways and ports.
Roadwork near the Pan American Highway in Turbo is part of the “Autopistas al Mar 2” highway project.
The project will connect Colombia’s second-largest city of Medellín to ports in Urabá, including Turbo, where the Pan American Highway ends.
China’s state-owned China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), along with four local companies won the 2015 bid to build the Autopistas al Mar 2, according to the nonprofit Colombia Reports website.
The project was delayed until late 2019, when the Chinese-led consortium obtained the necessary loans from the China Development Bank.
Mr Tapiero sees Panama, bookended by Colombia and Costa Rica, as a central hub in Latin America for the BRI. He suggests the United States could “reduce geopolitical uncertainty” if it, too, joins the BRI.
His globalized BRI map also showed rail routes slicing through the United States, to significant markets on America’s east and west coasts.
Infrastructure “connectivity” through air, land, and sea is a central theme of the book, which is playing out in Panama.
The bridges into the Darién are part of a contract for the rehabilitation, improvement, and maintenance of the East Pan-American Highway.
It was awarded to Intervial Chile, SA under a public-private partnership with the government of Panama, according to government documents.
The investment for the project stands at more than $262 million as part of Panama’s Performance Standards Maintenance Program, which aims to promote agricultural, commercial, and tourist development.
Funding for the project is through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of World Bank Group. China has ties with both banking establishments. In 2009, China pledged $1.5 billion to IFC to boost global trade and more recently has intensified collaboration with IFC on climate friendly bonds.
Global Choke Points
A highway through the Darién Gap stands to diminish the importance of the Panama Canal, which the United States still protects under a neutrality treaty.
The canal was returned to Panama in 1999 under a treaty brokered in the 1970s with President Jimmy Carter.
The Darién Gap by land is similar to the Panama Canal by sea as a choke point, which holds military and economic value.
China’s attempt to minimize or control the canal’s strategic importance to the United States could be significant should a conflict break out over Taiwan in terms of China’s ability to shut down sea lanes, said Andrés Martínez-Fernández, the Heritage Foundation’s senior policy analyst for Latin America.
“That’s a very concerning issue in particular,” he told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Martinez-Fernandez noted that Chinese companies have been busy building infrastructure on either end of the US–built Panama Canal.
The canal has become a point of tension between China and the United States, which has retained the right to enforce operational neutrality on the Panama Canal.
The Panama Canal Authority controls the administration and maintenance of the waterway’s resources and security, independent of the Panamanian government.
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words, prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, “in the latter days,” are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 31
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.” — avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; the time had now come for the fulfilment of the command which had already been given (Numbers 25:16-18), after which Moses was to be gathered unto his people, as it had been revealed to him (Numbers 27:13);
— after Balaam had been dismissed by Balak, Balaam appears to have gone, not to the Moabites, but to the Midianites; and it was in consequence of the counsel which he gave to the Midianites (Numbers 25:1-5) that the Israelites were reduced into the idolatrous and lascivious worship of Baal Peor.
3 And Moses spoke unto the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites and avenge the Lord on Midian. — there were many among the Midianites who were personally guilty as regards to Israel; as their rulers deliberately adopted the counsel of Balaam against Israel, and their behests had been but too readily obeyed by their subjects; their sin therefore was national, and the retribution could be no less so.
4 From every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.” — of every tribe a thousand; so that the whole number of those that were armed were 12,000 as after given;
5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. — a thousand of every tribe, to prevent emulations or divisions. God would send no more, though it is apparent that the Midianites were numerous and strong, because he would try and exercise their trust in him;
6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe — them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the war, with the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow in his hand. — them and Phinehas; who had the charge, not of the army, as general, (an office never committed to a priest in all the Old Testament,) but of the holy instruments, and was sent to encourage and quicken them in their enterprise.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. — if it were historically true, Midian would have disappeared from history; but they are found not long afterwards as one of Israel’s most troublesome neighbours, so perhaps all the males that came to their presence; or all the males that came to war; thus they slew all the males to all those who came engaged in the war;
8 And they slew the kings of Midian besides the rest of those who were slain, namely: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. —
And the [Israelites] slew the kings of the Midianites with the slain of their armies, Evi, Rekem, Zur, who is Balak, and Hur and Reba, five kings of Midian; and [Balaam] bar Beor they killed with the sword. And it was when [Balaam] the guilty saw Phinehas the priest pursuing him, he made use of his magical arts (lit., made words of enchantment), and flew in the air of the heavens;
But Phinehas forthwith pronounced the Great and Holy Name, and flew after him, and seized [Balaam] by his head, and bringing him down drew the sword, and sought to kill him; but [Balaam] opened his mouth with words of deprecation [deception], and said to Phinehas: If thou wilt spare my life, I swear to thee that all the days I live I will not curse thy people.
[Phinehas] answered [Balaam], and said: Art thou not Laban the Amarite [or Aramean] who didst seek to destroy Jakob our father, who wentest down into Mizraim, to destroy his children, and, after they had come out of Mizraim, didst send the wicked Amalek against them; and hast thou not now been sent to curse them?
But after thou hadst seen that thy works did not prosper, and that the Word of the Lord would not hear thee, thou didst give the evil counsel to Balak to set his daughters in the way to make them go wrong, when there fell of them twentyfour thousand. Therefore, it cannot be that thy life may be spared; and at once he drew the sword and slew him.
9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captive, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods. — and the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives; the word “all” is not in the original text;
10 And they burned all their cities wherein they dwelt and all their goodly strongholds with fire. — and all their goodly castles with fire; which were either the palaces of their princes and nobles, or such like great personages; or they were fortified places, for the security of their cities and country: the Targum of Jonathan interpret them of their houses of worship, their temples, and their altars;
11 And they took all the spoil and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. — and they took all the spoil; in their cities and castles; and all the prey, both of men and of beasts; all sorts of cattle, oxen, sheep, and asses.
12 And they brought the captives and the prey and the spoil unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan near Jericho. — the Midianites’ wicked wiles were Balaam’s projects: it was just that Balaam should perish with them;
13 And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the congregation went forth to meet them outside the camp. — went forth to meet them outside the camp; partly to do honour to them, and to congratulate them on their victory, and partly to hinder them going into the camp directly, until they were purified;
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle. — these captains explain who the officers were, and these were one hundred and thirty two; that is, 12 plus 120;
15 And Moses said unto them, “Have ye saved all the women alive? — Have ye saved all the women alive? it was the women who had been the cause, at the instigation of Balaam, of the apostacy of the Israelites; and consequently the command to “avenge the Lord of Midiani” implied the punishment of those who had been the instruments employed in the seduction of the Israelites.
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. — and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord; for that sin; and in that plague died 24,000 persons, Numbers 25:9.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who hath known a man by lying with him. — and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him; who had lain with Israelitish men; and as the adulterers had been put to death, so now the adulteresses;
18 But all the women children, who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. — but all the women children; females among them that have not known a man by lying with him; keep for yourselves; either to be handmaids to them, or to be married among them when grown up, and become proselytes, and initiated into their religion.
19 And abide ye outside the camp seven days. Whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. — abide without the camp seven days. according to the law, Leviticus 15:13. Purify yourselves, with the water of sprinkling, Numbers 19:9.
20 And purify all your raiment and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.” — includes vessels made of the horns, hoofs, and bones of these creatures: and all things made of wood; as beds, cups, dishes: that is, all which might be purified by washing; Leviticus 15:12.
21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses: — and Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war, to all the soldiers, officers, and common men;
22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, — only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead; these are excepted, and, though unclean, are not to be purified by washing, but in another way, by fire,
23 every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation. And all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. — nevertheless, it shall be purified with the water of separation; with the water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer burnt, and sprinkled on it;
24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.” — abide outside the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person; purify both yourselves and your captives;
25 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
26 “Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation; — take the sum of the prey that was taken; that is, of the captives and cattle, sheep, oxen, and asses, which, having been first lumped together;
27 and divide the prey into two parts, between those who took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation. — and divide the prey into two parts; into two equal parts, both the number of the people and of the animals, when taken:
28 And levy a tribute unto the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep. — and levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war, which went out to battle; that is, out of the part of the prey which was divided to them:
29 Take it from their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest for a heave offering of the Lord. — and take it of their half’of the half part of the prey divided to the soldiers; and give it unto Eleazar the priest for an heave offering of the Lord; by way of thanksgiving for the success and victory, God had given them, by means of which so much booty had fallen into their hands.
30 And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.”
— one portion of fifty; the Levites were much more numerous than the priests, and consequently it was ordered that they should have two per cent. of the spoil which fell to the congregation, whereas the priests had only one-fifth percent, of a like amount.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33 and threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34 and threescore and one thousand asses,
35 and thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man by lying with him. — and 32,000 females who had never known man;
36 And the half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep; — the half out of these, which fell to the share of the soldiers, were 337,500 sheep;
37 and the Lord’S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand, of which the Lord’S tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the Lord’S tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’S tribute was thirty and two persons.
41 And Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’S heave offering unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men who warred
43 (now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep, — the half divided unto the children of Israel consisted of 337,500 sheep;
44 and thirty and six thousand beeves, — 36,000 beeves or oxen;
45 and thirty thousand asses and five hundred, — 30,500 asses;
46 and sixteen thousand persons), — and 16,000 women, out of which one in fifty, both of women and cattle, were given to the Levites;
47 even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, who kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. — out of which one in fifty, both of women and cattle, were given to the Levites; what that amounted to is not expressed, but may be easily reckoned;
48 And the officers who were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near Moses; — and the officers which were over thousands of the host’over the twelve thousand, of which the host or army consisted: namely, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;
49 and they said unto Moses, “Thy servants have taken the count of the men of war who are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us. — and there lacketh not one man of us; which is a most amazing and unheard of thing;
— that in waging war with a whole nation, slaying all their males, sacking and burning so many cities, plundering the inhabitants of their substance, taking and carrying off such a vast number of captives, yet not one should fall by the sword of the enemy, or by any disease or accident whatever, but all to a man should return to the camp of Israel again; this is not to be paralleled in any history.
50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.” — to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord; not only this offering was brought as a token of gratitude and thankfulness;
— for sparing of everyone of their lives, and giving them such success and victory, and so large a spoil of the enemy; but also to expiate any sins they had been guilty of in going out, and coming in, and particularly for sparing the women they should have put to death, for which Moses was wroth with them, Numbers 31:14-17.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, even all wrought jewels. — and Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them; for it seems the several things before mentioned were all of gold: even all wrought jewels; or “vessels of work” or wrought vessels, or instruments, “chains, bracelets” which were all of gold, and curiously wrought.
52 And all the gold from the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. — amounted in all to 16,750 shekels; and the men of war had received their own booty in addition to this.
53 (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) — for the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself. And which he kept for himself, and did not deliver in with the prey or booty, which was brought to Moses and Eleazar;
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord. — and Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds; which they so freely and generously offered: and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation; and laid it up in some chamber there.
Numbers 32
1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattle,
— now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad; these tribes had occupied a contiguous position in their encampments for the space of thirty-eight years (Numbers 2:10; Numbers 2:14), and it was natural that they should desire to be permanently located near each other.
2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke unto Moses and to Eleazar the priest and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, — the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses; the children of Gad are mentioned first, though Reuben was the firstborn, and had a standard under which Gad pitched:
3 “Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle.” — it is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle; to stock it, with and great numbers of them;
5 Therefore, said they, “If we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over the Jordan.” — bring us not over Jordan; these words may be understood either simply as a request that the inheritance of the speakers might be assigned to them on the eastern side of the Jordan;
— or, as they appear to have been understood by Moses, and as they were in all probability designed to be understood, as a request that the conquest of the western side of the Jordan might be left to the other tribes, and that the Reubenites and Gadites might be permitted to establish themselves in the land which had already been subjugated.
6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? — shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? it is not reasonable that your brethren should be left by you and engage in a war with your common enemies, to dispossess them of their land before they can settle in it and you remain here easy and quiet in the possession of a fruitful country.
7 And why discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them? — wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel; which he suggests it would, should they settle on that side Jordan, since they would lose the assistance of two of their tribes;
8 Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. — when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land; called only Kadesh, Numbers 13:26;
9 For when they went up unto the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them. — when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol and saw the land; searching it earlier for the space of forty days:
— they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel; by telling them that there were giants in the land, and that the people in common were strong, and their cities walled, and that they were not able to go up against them and overcome them; and by this means they disheartened the people;
10 And the Lord’S anger was kindled the same time, and He swore, saying, — your fathers; the generation of the Exodus was now substantially extinct.
11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, — because they have not wholly followed me; the laws which he prescribed them, the directions he gave them, and particularly the orders they had to go up and possess the land at once, Deuteronomy 1:21.
12 save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun; for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ — the Kenezite; Kenaz Genesis 36:11 was the name of one of the “dukes of Edom” but Israel and Edom were of kindred origin, and the use of similar names by the two peoples could be confusing.
13 And the Lord’S anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. — and the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel; for murmuring against the report of the spies;
14 And behold, ye have risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel. — an increase of sinful men; this new generation was greatly increased, for when the number was taken; but then they were not only an increase of men, but of sinful men, like fathers like sons;
15 For if ye turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness, and ye shall destroy all this people.” — and ye shall destroy all this people, if the Lord should in such a manner resent this step of theirs, as to order them back into the wilderness again, though they were now as they were before, on the border of the land of Canaan; it would be the cause of another destruction.
16 And they came near unto him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and cities for our little ones, — and they came near unto him; the heads of the tribes of Gad and Reuben came a little nearer to Moses, We will build sheepfolds; these sheepfolds were commonly constructed of loose stones piled up on one another;
17 but we ourselves will go ready and armed before the children of Israel until we have brought them unto their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. — yet they promised ourselves will go ready armed before the othe tribes of Israel, until all have brought them unto their place.
18 We will not return unto our houses until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. — We, Gad and Reuben, will not return unto our houses until all the children of Israel have inherited their inheritance;
19 For we will not inherit with them on yonder side of the Jordan or forward, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.” — because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward; they seem to speak as if they were assured by Providence, and wanted nothing but the consent of Moses, and the princes of the congregation.
20 And Moses said unto them, “If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, — if ye will go armed before the Lord to war; they had said they would go ready armed before the children of Israel, but Moses expresses it “before the Lord;”
— which is more agreeable to their encampment and order in marching, for not the standard of Reuben but that of Judah went foremost, yet the standard of Reuben marched directly before the sanctuary bore by the Kohathites, Numbers 10:18, and so might be properly said to go before the Lord, who dwelt there.
21 and will go all of you armed over the Jordan before the Lord, until He hath driven out His enemies from before Him — go before the Lord to war; the phrase was used in allusion to the order of march in which the tribes of Reuben and Gad preceded immediately the ark;
22 and the land be subdued before the Lord, then afterward ye shall return and be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. — and this land shall be your possession before the Lord; be established and settled in it as their inheritance, the Lord seeing and approving of it, and protecting them in their enjoyment.
23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. — and be sure your sin will find you out; fly in their faces, and bring deserved punishment upon them: sin may be put, as it often is, for the punishment of sin, which sooner or later will find out and come upon the impenitent and unpardoned sinner.
24 Build you cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.” — build ye cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; for their safety and security, as they proposed to do: and do that which proceedeth out of your mouth; all that they had promised.
25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke unto Moses, saying, “Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. — Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, with sincerity and zeal, and they replied, thy servants will do as my lord commandeth;
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead; — in the cities of Gilead; such as are before mentioned, Numbers 32:3 and which they proposed to repair and fortify, to preserve their families and possessions from the Amorites about them;
27 but thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.” — but thy servants will pass over; the river Jordan, and go into the land of Canaan;
28 So concerning them, Moses commanded Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. — with the division of the land of Canaan, to give the Gadites and Reubenites the land of Gilead for a possession, after the conquest of Canaan, if they should go along with them across the Jordan equipped for battle.
29 And Moses said unto them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed for battle before the Lord and the land shall be subdued before you, then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession.
30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” — they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan; take their lot there, but have no inheritance or possessions on this side Jordan.
31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours.” — that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours; that is, that the possession and inheritance they desired, on the eastern side of the Jordan, might be ratified and confirmed unto them on their fulfilment of them.
33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with the cities thereof in the borders, even the cities of the country round about.
34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 and Atroth, Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,
36 and Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fortified cities, and folds for sheep.
37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38 and Nebo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed), and Shibmah, and gave other names unto the cities which they built.
39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. — and the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it; that part of it which Moses gave unto the half tribe of Manasseh, which till now was in the hand of the Amorites;
40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein.— for half Mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, were given to the Reubenites and Gadites, which is the land of Gilead they desired, and which was already conquered;
41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair. — and Jair the son of Manasseh; by his mother’s side, otherwise he was of the family of Judah; for Hezron, of the family of Judah, married a daughter of Machir, the son of Manasseh;
42 And Nobah went and took Kenath and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name. —Nobah, whose family is never referred to, but who probably belonged, like Jair, to one of the families of Machirites, took the town of Kenath and its daughters, that is, the smaller towns dependent upon it (Numbers 21:25), and gave it his own name Nobah.
A Jihadist’ Lebanese migrant is caught crossing into Texas and tells Border Patrol ‘he was going to try and make a BOMB’ – as Biden’s border crisis spirals towards catastrophemember of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Basel Bassel Ebbadi, a Lebanese national, told a Texas border agent that he was “here to make a bomb” and that he spent several years training with the Hizballah terrorist group, an alternate name for Hezbollah, and he “was taught to kill people who were not Muslim.”
The group’s main operations are in Lebanon, Mr Ebbadi’s native country.
Mr Ebbadi, who is listed as being 22 years old, was transferred to the El Paso Sectors Human Intelligence Unit for further questioning, according to the criminal complaint filed by Border Patrol agent Jose L Benitez-Medina in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Mr Benitez-Medina wrote in his complaint that Mr Ebbadi entered the United States on March 9 by crossing the Rio Grande in an area of Texas that is not a designated port of entry for migrants.
Instead, he crossed into the United States about four miles from the Bridge of The Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. According the court document, the border agent indicated that Mr Ebbadi volunteered his ties to Hezbollah and was initially processed for entry.
Mr Ebbadi is currently being held at the El Paso Hardened Facility.
The White House is blaming Texas Gov Greg Abbott after a video showed more than 100 illegal immigrants storming the border at El Paso on Thursday
Past Terror Against US
As part of his court complaint, the border patrol agent noted that on Oct 8, 1997, the United States designated Hezbollah a foreign terrorist organization and that in 2017, officials added “Lebanese Hizballah” as an alias for Hezbollah.
He also listed several other aliases for Hezbollah, including Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, Islamic Jihad, Organization of Right Against Wrong, Followers of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Revolutionary Justice Organization.
The terrorist group has been found responsible for a number of large-scale terrorist attacks against the United States, including the deadly 1983 suicide truck bombings of the American Embassy and U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. It has also planted bombs on buses and hijacked passenger airplanes around the world.
In 1994, 85 people were killed when the group detonated bombs at a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In 2017, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) levied terrorism charges against a Hezbollah member found to be plotting attacks against US embassies.
In 2004, the national commission appointed to study 9/11 and other terrorist attacks released a 585-page report that concluded that Hezbollah was involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The 9/11 Commission also linked the group to Hamas, the radical militia group that carried out the recently grisly attacks on Israeli civilians on Oct 7, 2023. Hezbollah leaders praised the attack.
In 2008, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) started Project Cassandra as a way to stymie Hezbollah drug and weapons trafficking operations and money laundering activity in the United States.
A group of over 100 migrants rushed toward a border wall on Thursday in El Paso, Texas. In the process, the migrants knock down Texas National Guards members before they are halted by the still strong border fence
However, the DEA initiative was ended by President Barack Obama soon after he took office in 2009.
In 2015, Defense Department financial crimes analyst David Asher, who helped start Project Cassandra, told Politico that the Obama administration expressed concerns the project would lead to alienating Iranian officials.
“They serially ripped apart this entire effort that was very well supported and resourced, and it was done from the top down,” Mr Asher said.
In May 2023, the DOJ seized 13 website domains it said Hezbollah was using to plot future terrorist attacks, including against the United States.
“Today’s web domain seizures deny terrorist organizations and affiliates significant sources of support and make clear we will not allow these groups to use US infrastructure to threaten the American people,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olsen said in a statement about the Hezbollah domains.
Immigrants pass daily through coils of razor wire at the US-Mexico border
Suspected Terrorists Living in the US
Earlier this week, the New York Post reported it had obtained internal documents from the agency showing a Hezbollah member had been nabbed at the border in El Paso.
ICE’s El Paso Enforcement and Removal Office declined repeated requests by The Epoch Times to confirm Mr Ebbadi’s detention.
After several requests made over the course of two days about Mr. Ebbadi, US Customs and Border Patrol finally responded on March 18 with an email indicating only that “the individual referenced is in US custody.”
Media outlets all over the world, including The Jerusalem Post and Hindustan Times, reported on the news that a Hezbollah terrorist was found to have crossed illegally into the United States.
Members of other known terrorist organizations have been living illegally in the United States.
In February, Patrick Lechleitner, President Joe Biden’s acting ICE director, said that in 2023, a Somali terrorist from the Islamic military group al-Shabaab was released into the United States after illegally crossing the US border, The Daily Caller reported. He had been freely roaming until his arrest on Jan 20 in Minneapolis, according to ICE records.
Al-Shabaab is known to have ties with the al-Qaeda terrorist group, which was linked to the 9/11 attacks.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
THE CIA launched a brazen plot to undermine Chinese despot Xi Jinping by using social media to spread chaos in Beijing, it has been claimed.
Donald Trump endorsed the “ghost-chasing” initiative to sow paranoia among civilians and top officials, hoping to turn public opinion against China.
The special CIA task force is said to have leaked stories about Chinese leaders making money from contracts with foreign governments.
They also spread claims that top Beijing officials were stashing their profits abroad, Reuters reports.
Beginning in 2019, the US spy agency launched the Trump-approved plan in hopes of breeding paranoia within the upper echelons of China’s ranks.
Former US officials revealed CIA plot against China and them ‘chasing ghosts’
Former US officials with first-hand knowledge spoke to Reuters about the top-secret operation, one said: “We wanted them chasing ghosts.”
And another revealed: “The feeling was China was coming at us with steel baseball bats and we were fighting back with wooden ones.”
Three ex-officials said the CIA crafted a small team of operatives for the initiative, using fake internet identities to spread the negative propaganda about Xi’s government.
They also leaked intelligence to foreign press that painted China in a poor light.
The initiative was reportedly aimed at dulling China’s global influence, including when it came to US elections.
Trump’s presidency ended in 2020 when democratic rival Joe Biden defeated him 306-232 in the Electoral College.
But US intelligence agencies believe cyberhackers from global powers including China and Russia meddled in the initial 2016 election that brought him to power.
Despite his 2016 win, and a sometimes close alliance with Xi, Trump clamped down on China harder during his term than many presidents who came before him.
In 2018 he even gave the CIA more power to conduct their own cyber operations abroad.
The idea being that they could act in retaliation to Chinese and Russian hack attacks.
And in 2019 Trump put his stamp of approval on the program that allowed American spies to conduct operations in China and other countries where the US and Beijing compete for influence.
The CIA used social media to sow chaos among Chinese civilians and officials
The thinking was aimed at countries mostly in southeast Asia, Africa and the South Pacific – targeting China’s Belt and Road initiative.
China’s Belt and Road project is a global infrastructure plan – increasing Xi’s international influence and boosting his economy.
And over the last ten years especially, China has hugely expanded its military pacts, trade deals and business deals.
Some of the claims spread by the CIA on social media suggested this scheme in particular had been exploited by corrupt Chinese officials in order to make money.
Reports of the CIA plan did not reveal how effective it was, or specifics about the officials targeted.
The former US officials did say the information they spread online was based in fact.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters the bombshell reports show the US uses public opinion platforms as weapons to spread false information and manipulate international public opinion.
It is unclear whether Biden has continued with the initiative.
Tensions between China and the US are ever-increasing as the world finds itself in a moment of intense conflict.
William J Burns, Director of the CIA testifies during a senate hearing on worldwide threats, March 2024
Just days ago the US’ House of Representatives passed a landmark bill giving Beijing-based firm ByteDance – TikTok’s platform – six months to sell the social media site or see it blocked entirely.
It would require the parent company of the app to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the States.
Concerns surrounding the Chinese social media app escalated last year among Western governments over its pervasive data collection.
One expert even says the UK could follow America’s lead and seek to ban the app for its 25million users here.
“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head” Obadiah 1:15
The Philippines has been a treaty ally of the United States since 1951, almost as long as it’s been an independent country. Before that, it was a colony of the US, which had won it as spoils of war from Spain. Because of this, it is hard to characterise the Philippines as anything but an unabashedly pro-American nation.
In the past few years however, it took a different line. Under the presidency of the very blunt and frank Rodrigo Duterte, the archipelago became more geopolitically ambiguous in its foreign affairs, pursuing closer relationships with Russia and China, while still being cordial to the US.
This unusual “hedging” was part of Duterte’s strategy to adopt a more centralised approach to governing the country, which suffers from high levels of poverty, crime and disorder. Duterte was a hardliner, and also saw economic opportunity in getting closer to Beijing, despite highly contentious disputes over the South China Sea.
His relationship with Washington suffered during this period, as it effectively contributed nothing to the development of the country despite the US post-colonial “overlordship.” Instead, Duterte opted for the Belt and Road initiative and sought to turbocharge the islands with Chinese investment.
Yet, just a year or so after Duterte’s departure, the return to power of the Marcos family has seen Manilla do an effective 180° turn in its foreign policy, and go from being pro-Beijing to an effective antagonist of the country in favour of the US again.
Ferdinand Macros Jr, also known as “Bongbong,” is the son of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines as a right-wing, anti-Communist dictator from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
The family was notorious for its corruption and theft of national assets for its own personal gain, but got away with it precisely because it was unequivocally pro-US. For during the Cold War, Washington would support figures of any brutality on the condition that they were anti-Communist.
Bongbong, like is father, is not innocent, and was elected president of the Philippines as a compromised man who is at the mercy of the US. Ironically, he faces prosecution in the US as a court order requires him to pay $353 million to victims of his father’s regime, thus he cannot enter the country. What does this translate to in political terms? Leverage, on Washington’s behalf.
Noticeably, the American authorities do little to enforce the ruling or seize assets pertaining to Marcos or his family, for diplomatic reasons. What is the quid pro quo here? It is clear that as long as Bongbong steers the Philippines’ foreign policy where the US wants it, Washington will look the other way when it comes to the court order against him.
And it is absolutely no surprise that on attaining office, Marcos Jr initiated a U-turn on the country’s stance regarding China, and has dramatically escalated tensions with Beijing.
While the Duterte administration sought to keep matters cool over the South China Sea territorial dispute, Marcos Jr has deliberately antagonised Beijing, pushing boundaries, and drawing international attention to the situation, provoking the US to say it will defend the Philippines in the event of conflict.
But not only that, he has agreed to increase the number of bases the US can access in the Philippines, has congratulated Taiwan’s president-elect, actively scaled back Manila’s participation in the Belt and Road initiative by cancelling a number of projects, and has instead sought to court a relationship with Japan as an alternative to China, with the US, Japan and the Philippines set to have a trilateral leaders’ summit for the first time.
In a nutshell, the Philippines has gone from being a China-friendly state in Southeast Asia to easily the most antagonistic, a difficult position to take, due to the relative economic weakness of the country and its trade dependence on China.
For China, this situation is a headache and there are no easy answers. This is because Beijing has a resolute and uncompromising position on the South China Sea, most of which it claims as its own. The rigidity of this position not only clashes with Southeast Asian states but creates an easy political wedge for the US to exploit.
China makes itself look weak if it backs down, and US policy of course is to incentivise such countries to actively resist Beijing and give them the military backing to do so. So how can China mend its relations with the Philippines?
It may simply have to avoid creating a crisis and wait until a more Beijing-friendly president is voted into office, because quite clearly, Marcos Jr is a compromised politician, with Washington being able to exploit his weakness and disastrous family legacy to its own advantage.
Few figures are as notorious–or as filthy rich–as drug lords. They make their money by smuggling illegal substances and terrorizing just about anyone less powerful than themselves. Drug traffickers are often wanted for their crimes in multiple countries since a lot of their money is earned by sneaking illegal narcotics across borders.
So, just how much money can these violent criminals make by peddling forbidden substances? Today we’ll be learning about 10 of the largest drug lords in the world according to their drug-based wealth and learning some unique facts about each one.
1 Pablo Escobar Drug Money Earned: $30 billion Location: Colombia Birth Year: 1949 Aliases: Don Pablo, El Padrino, El Patrón, El Señor, El Mágico, El Pablito, and El Zar de la Cocaína
Pablo Escobar was the largest drug lord in the world in terms of drug revenue. This Colombian Drug Kingpin, easily the best-known co-founder of the Medellin Cartel, had ambitions of becoming the President of Colombia. He gained plenty of popularity by sponsoring charities and sports but eventually undermined his own reputation with excessive and often indiscriminate violence.
2 Christopher Coke Drug Money Earned: $30 billion Location: Jamaica Birth Year: 1969 Aliases: Dudus, Paul Christopher Scott, Presi, President, General, Shortman, and Omar Clark
Following in the footsteps of his father Christopher Coke, founder of the notoriously violent Shower Posse, this Jamaican drug lord trafficked huge amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and firearms. However, alongside his criminal activities, he established programs to assist impoverished members of the community. He earned so much community support that capturing him in Kingston, Jamaica was a harrowing five-week ordeal with many casualties.
3 Amado Carrillo Fuentes Drug Money Earned: $25 billion Location: Mexico Birth Year: 1997 Aliases: “El Señor de Los Cielos”
Amado Carrillo Fuentes was known for his brutality after murdering his boss, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo, and seizing control of the Juárez Cartel. In addition to his drug-related crimes, he also laundered money through Colombia to finance his fleets. He later died in a Mexican hospital in 1997 after getting intensive plastic surgery in order to alter his appearance and avoid being recognized.
Alfredo Beltran Leyva smuggled multi-ton loads of methamphetamine and cocaine from South America and Mexico into the United States. Along with his brother Arturo, he gained infamy as one of the most-wanted drug traffickers in Mexico. Arturo was killed in a 2009 shootout, but Alfredo continued his reign of terror until 2017 when he was sentenced to life in prison.
5 Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar Drug Money Earned: $6.7 billion Location: India Birth Year: 1955 Aliases: Aziz Abdul and Dawood Memon
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is currently the most wanted criminal in India, with a reward of $25 million being offered in return for his capture. He goes by a whopping 21 different aliases and is suspected to have been involved in the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 1993 and 2008.
6 Ochoa Vasquez brothers Drug Money Earned: $6 billion Location: Colombia Birth Year: 1949, 1957, and 1950 Aliases: The Medellin Cartel
Fabio Ochoa Restrepo may have had a wholesome background in the family restaurant and cattle farming business, but that didn’t stop his sons Juan David, Jorge Luis, and Fabio from getting into drug trafficking. Juan David, the eldest, enlisted his two brothers’ help in contributing to the establishment of the infamous Medellin Cartel. He turned himself in during 1991 and served only five years.
7 Khun Sa Drug Money Earned: $5 billion Location: Burma Birth Year: 1934 Aliases: Zhang Qifu, Chan Changtrakul
Originally born Zhang Qifu, this infamous drug lord got military training from the Kuomintang and the Burmese Army before becoming independent and establishing himself as the “Opium King” of Myanmar. He dominated the Golden Triangle, controlling up to 70% of its heroin trade and becoming one of the most wanted men in the world by 1990.
8 Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha Drug Money Earned: $5 billion Location: Colombia Birth Year: 1947 Aliases: “El Mexicano”
Earning himself the title of “No. 2 leader” of the same Medellin Cartel that Carlos Lehder helped establish, Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha was one of the most wanted men in Colombia while he was at large. Rodriguez Gacha was also on the United States’ list of the dozen most-wanted Colombian drug traffickers.
9 Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela Drug Money Earned: $3 billion Location: Colombia Birth Year: 1939 Aliases: “El Ajedrecista” and “El Gino”
Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela’s moniker “El Ajedrecista” translates to “The Chess Player” in English and was bestowed upon him because of how carefully he considered his every move. He was a joint leader of the Cali Cartel alongside his brother, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, before beginning his 30-year prison sentence in the United States.
10 Carlos Lehder Drug Money Earned: $2.7 billion Location: Colombia Birth Year: 1949 Aliases: Medellin Cartel
This German-Colombian drug lord helped to co-found the infamous Medellin Cartel, along with several other figures who make this list. He first entered into the criminal world by selling stolen vehicles at his father’s used car business. In fact, it was while serving a prison sentence for selling stolen cars that Lehder decided that drug trafficking was his calling.
A Venezuelan illegal alien called on his 300,000 TikTok followers to expropriate unoccupied houses in states that allow squatters to move in.
“I found out that there is a law that says that if a house is not inhabited, we can seize it,” the migrant said in Spanish in a video on TikTok, which others follow to post spreading on X.
In this TikTok post, Leonal Moreno said he learned of a legal loophole in some states like New York that allows squatters to live inside empty homes.
“My people have thought about invading a house in the United States because I learned that there is a law that says that if a house is not inhabited we can expropriate it,” Moreno said in Spanish.
“The law says that if the abandoned houses are deteriorated and that are in bad condition, we can get, repair and live in it and even sell it.”
Moreno went on to explain that he knows some “African” migrants who’ve already “expropriated” 7 other unoccupied houses in the US and wants to turn the outrageous squatting scheme into a business.
“And I think it will be my next business — invade abandoned homes, since I searched for some codes with my African friends and they told me they already have 7 expropriated houses,” he said.
The Venezuelan national goes on to say that the best course of action for illegal aliens like him “is to invade houses since we are in a street situation and it is the only way we have to avoid living on the street and not be a public burden.”
“You came to the United States to work, and I came to vacation, look at the difference. You and I didn’t come with the same purpose. You came to the United States to pay the taxes that you didn’t pay in Venezuela,” Moreno said.
“I am being arrested for being in my own home,” Adele Andaloro told the news cameras as she was handcuffed. “My deed is current and legal.”
Unbelievably, squatters in New York have rights to a residence after occupying it for more than a month.
And now illegal aliens are aware of this absurd legal loophole and seem eager to exploit it.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words “in the latter days,” especially in regards to the house of Jacob, are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 29
1“‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. — the ordinance of the Feast of Trumpets was to be observed on the opening day of that month within which the Day of the Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles fell, Leviticus 23:23;
— the sixth national sacrifice, which is also annual, is to be performed on the festival of trumpets, upon the first day of the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year, the month of Tishri, being the first month of the civil year, answering to our September or October;
— it is to be kept in the manner of a sabbath, with great rejoicings, solemn worship, and abstinence from all common labour, in order to usher in the new year.
2 And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord: one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish. — seven lambs; the additional sacrifices for the feast day consisted of one bullock, one ram, and seven lambs: seven lambs could symbolise seven eras of God’s Church of Revelation 2 and 3;
3 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenths part for a bullock, and two tenths part for a ram,
4 and one tenth part for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
5 and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you,
6 besides the burnt offering of the month and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
7 “‘And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy convocation. And ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein. — on the tenth day of the seventh month, the month Tisri, as before; an holy convocation; the day of atonement, and ye shall afflict your souls; or persons; their bodies by fasting, and their souls by repentance and humiliation;
8 But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savor: one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish. — again, seven lambs; the additional sacrifices consisted of oneyoung bullock, one ram, and seven lambs: seven lambs could symbolise seven eras of God’s Church of Revelation 2 and 3;
9 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenths part to a bullock, and two tenths part to one ram,
10 a separate tenth part for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
11 one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.
12 “‘And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days. — the feast of Tabernacles; which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; and was to last seven days,
13 And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish.
— thirteen young bullocks for feast of Tabernacle; thus they continued to be offered seven days successively, with the decrease only of one bullock every day, till on the seventh day only seven bullocks were offered, which in all made seventy bullocks;
— and fourteen lambs; which is double that of the Feast of Pentecost (Numbers 28:27), Trumpet (Numbers 29:2); and Atonement (Numbers 29:8): all seven lambs; but Tabernacle (Numbers 29:13) fourteen lambs; further back: First Day of Unleavened Bread, seven lambs (Numbers 28:19), Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Numbers 28:24 seven lamb each day, implied, not stated explicitely)
14 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: threetenths part unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenths part to each ram of the two rams,
15 and a separate tenth part to each lamb of the fourteen lambs; — thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year, they shall be without blemish;
— a very large sacrifice indeed, for these were offered besides one kid of the goats, for a sin offering, and the two lambs of the daily sacrifice, which were not omitted on account of this extraordinary offering; so that there were no less than thirty two animals sacrificed on this day;
16 and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
17 “‘And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot. — on the second day, twelve bullocks;
18 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
19 and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.
20 “‘And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish, — on the third day, eleven bullocks;
21 and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
22 and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
23 “‘And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish. — on the fourth day, ten bullocks;
24 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
25 and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
26 “‘And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot; — on the fifth day, nine bullocks;
27 and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
28 and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
29 “‘And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish; — on the sixth day, eight bullocks;
30 and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
31 and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
32 “‘And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish; — on the seventh day, seven bullocks; so for seven days, totalling 70 bullocks, symboling seventy nations worldwide;
— and whilst the number of rams and lambs was double the number offered at the Passover and feast of Pentecost, the number of oxen was fivefold; for, instead of fourteen, there were seventy offered during the seven days.
— this multiplication of the oxen was distributed in such a way, that instead of there being ten offered every day, there were thirteen on the first day, twelve on the second, and so on, deducting one every day, so that on the seventh day there were exactly seven offered;
— the arrangement being probably made for the purpose of securing the holy number seven for this last day, and indicating at the same time, through the gradual diminution in the number of sacrificial oxen, the gradual decrease in the festal character of the seven festal days; but why?
— but on the Last Day, which is also called the Great Day, same fourteen lambs for each of the previous day of Tabernacles (Numbers 29:13);
33 and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
34 and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
35 “‘On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly. Ye shall do no servile work therein; — on the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly; the feast of tabernacles was brought to a close on the seventh day, but now is the eighth day, or Last Day, which is called the Great Day (John 7:37).
36 but ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish; — only one bullock and seven lambs (but fourteen lambs during the Feast of Tabernacles);
37 their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;
38 and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
39 “‘These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts, besides your vows and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.’”
40 And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the Lord commanded Moses. — according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; being a faithful servant to the Lord in all his house, and in all things appertaining to it.
Numbers 30
1 And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded: — saying, this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded; relating to vows.
2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
— if a man vow a vow, concerning something lawful, and in his power to perform. Unto the Lord; to the honour and service of God. Or swear an oath; confirm his vow by an oath. To bind his soul with a bond; to restrain himself from something otherwise lawful;
3 “If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth, — if a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord; who has not passed thirteen years, as the Targum of Jonathan says;
4 and her father hear her vow and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace with her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. — and her father shall hold his peace; his silence being an interpretative consent, and much more if he declares his approval of her vow.
5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, not any of her vows or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand; and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. — shall forgive her; or, will forgive either her rashness of making such vows,
— or rather her not performing the vow; but this is to be understood only of such vows which could not be performed without invading the father’s or superior’s right;
6 And if she had a husband, when she vowed or uttered aught out of her lips wherewith she bound her soul, — or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; uttered anything, either with or without premeditation, either with thought and deliberation, or rashly and imprudently, as the word signifies, yet in such a manner that it was binding upon her;
7 and her husband heard it and held his peace with her in the day that he heard it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. — and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it; the vow she made, and by his silence consented to it;
8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it, then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips wherewith she bound her soul, of no effect; and the Lord shall forgive her. — and the Lord shall forgive her; excuse her performance of the vow, and not impute sin to her on that account, nor punish for the breach of it, she being under the cover of her husband, and obliged to submit to his will.
9 But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. — the vows wherewith they have bound her soul shall stand against her; of a widow from marriage, against either of them, they having none over them to disapprove of, contradict, and make void their vows.
10 And if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, — in her husband’s house; which is here granted, in case her husband then disallowed it, but denied, in case by silence or otherwise he consented to it;
11 and her husband heard it and held his peace with her and disallowed her not, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. — and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not; heard her make her vow, and bind it with an oath, and was silent at it, which was consenting to it, and did not contradict her, nor show any displeasure or resentment at her on account of it;
12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband hath made them void, and the Lord shall forgive her. — but if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; declaring they were contrary to his mind and will, he disapproved of them, and forbid the carrying them into execution;
13 Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. — her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void, just as he pleased; and this power an husband had, to prevent confusion and trouble in family affairs;
14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace with her from day to day, then he establisheth all her vows or all her bonds which are upon her; he confirmeth them, because he held his peace with her in the day that he heard them. — he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her, in the day that he heard them; for not to contradict them was to confirm them.
15 But if he shall any way make them void after he hath heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.” — then he shall bear his iniquity: be accountable for the breach of her vow, her sin shall be reckoned to him, and he shall bear her punishment, because he ought to have declared is disapproval sooner;
16 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father’s house. — these are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses between a man and his wife; relating to vows made by the wife, and confirmed or disannulled by the husband.
American troops are to be permanently stationed in Taiwan, according to Taipei, a huge move that will likely send tensions with China soaring as it president Xi Jinping covets the island.
Taiwan has officially confirmed the presence of US troops stationed on its islands in the Taiwan Strait permanently, a development that could further escalate mounting tensions with China.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in 2023 facilitated the deployment of these troops to conduct training programs for Taiwanese frontline forces.
It comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week issued an ‘ironclad’ warning to China as tensions between the two nations rise.
Closer to home a new poll found Biden and Trump are neck and neck in the race to win the White House and yesterday Trump warned EU countries that NATO ‘won’t be protected’ if he’s reelected unless they pay up in further signs of global tensions, which range from Ukraine and Russia to the escalating problems in the Middle East and the growing issues in Cuba and Haiti, where displaced citizens could flood into Florida sparking a wild move from Gov DeSantis.
In response to queries about the presence of the US Army Green Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, Taiwanese Defense Chief Chiu Kuo-cheng said: “No matter the situation, there may be blind spots or shortcomings. So we need to communicate with our allies – whether it is a team, a group or a country.
“We can learn from each other to see what strengths we have. This is a fixed thing.”
Former President Tsai Ing-wen had mentioned in 2021 occasional training sessions with US instructors in 2021, but Chiu’s recent statement is the first official confirmation of the long-term nature of these activities.
Shiyu or Lion Islet, which is part of Kinmen County, one of Taiwan’s offshore islands, is seen with China’s Xiamen in the background
The move comes as China continues to assert its disputed claim over Taiwan, viewing it as a renegade province despite never having ruled it. The heightened military activities by China in and around the Taiwan Strait have prompted Taiwan to bolster its defense capabilities.
According to reports from Taiwan’s United Daily News (UDN), US Army Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Group are now permanently stationed at bases of the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, a Taiwanese army special operations force, located in outlying island counties of Penghu and Kinmen. Notably, Kinmen lies just over a mile from Chinese shores.
Additionally, reports suggest an American military presence in the northeast city of Taoyuan on Taiwan’s main island, with service members providing specialized training on drone equipment for Taiwan’s elite Airborne Special Service Company.
The presence of US troops in Taiwan marks a significant development in the region’s geopolitical landscape. The US officially withdrew its military presence from Taiwan in 1979 following the normalization of US-China relations.
American troops are set to stay in Taiwan permanently, risking WWIII
However, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the US remains committed to providing Taiwan with defensive weaponry and ensuring its security against coercion or aggression.
While Taiwan has refrained from commenting on specific reports, it has reiterated that all foreign military exchanges adhere to an annual plan.
“Ephraim surrounds me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit” Hosea 11:12
“Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be” Hosea 5:9
Niger’s ruling junta ended an agreement that let US military staff operate from a $110 million drone base, paving the way for Russian troops to move in.
The military leaders revoked the deal between Niger and the US with “immediate effect,” and is seen as ending the US presence in the sub-Saharan country. The decision is a setback to Washington, which had been forced to suspend operations at Air Base 201 in Agadez following a July coup and was pushing to keep its most strategic military asset in the region afloat.
Niger’s ruling junta ended, paving the way for Russian troops to move in
“The American presence on Niger’s territory is illegal and violates all constitutional rules,” Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the National Council for the Protection of the Homeland — or CNSP according to its French acronym, said in a statement on state TV and Facebook on Saturday.
The US has about 1,000 troops in Niger as part of an effort to battle Islamist insurgency in West Africa’s Sahel region and Libya.
The move came after senior US officials accused the junta of secretly exploring a deal to allow Iran access to its uranium mines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing officials from Niger and the US it didn’t identify.
The concerns were raised by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, who was leading a three-day visit by a US delegation to Niamey over the past week, the newspaper said.
“Niger’s ending of the military cooperation with the US ends all hopes for the West to save the relationship with the new military rulers,” said Ulf Laessing, the Bamako-based head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. “It’s an entry card for the Africa Corps which has already put out feelers. Russia signed a military agreement in December with the junta.”
A US military official said Saturday that they were “aware of the CNSP’s Facebook post, which follows frank discussions at senior levels in Niamey this week about our concerns with the CNSP’s trajectory. We are in touch with the CNSP and will provide further updates as warranted.”
The Wagner Group; Putin’s Private Army in West Africa
The US was the last major Western contingent left in Niger after the junta severed military ties with France and its European partners last year. US operations were also suspended after the State Department labeled as a coup the July military takeover and ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum.
“This shows that the US strategy to stay and try to maintain relations with the military leadership, while trying to convince them to hand over power, has failed,” said Seidik Abba, who heads the CIRES think tank focusing on the Sahel region. “The US’s main concern was to prevent Russia from gaining a foothold in Niger — we know that Russia is already present in Mali and we’re hearing they recently deployed in Burkina Faso.”
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
The main cost of an electric vehicle (EV) is its battery. The high cost of energy-dense batteries has meant EVs have long been more expensive than their fossil fuel equivalents.
But this could change faster than we thought. The world’s largest maker of batteries for electric cars, China’s CATL, claims it will slash the cost of its batteries by up to 50% this year, as a price war kicks off with the second largest maker in China, BYD subsidiary FinDreams.
What’s behind this? After the electric vehicle industry experienced a huge surge in 2022, it has hit headwinds. It ramped up faster than demand, triggering efforts to cut costs.
But the promised price cuts are also a sign of progress. Researchers have made great strides in finding new battery chemistries. CATL and BYD now make EV batteries without any cobalt, an expensive, scarce metal linked to child labor and dangerous mining practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Economies of scale and new supplies of lithium make it possible to sell batteries more cheaply. And the world’s largest carmaker, Toyota, is pinning its hopes on solid-state batteries in the hope these energy-dense, all-but-fireproof batteries will make possible EVs with a range of more than 1,200 kilometers per charge.
The largest market for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles is China. But demand for EVs here has eased off, dropping from a 96% surge in demand in 2022 to a 36% rise in 2023.
As a result, battery giant CATL has seen its profits fall for the first time in almost two years. One of the best ways to create more demand is to make your products cheaper. That’s what’s behind the cost-cutting promises from CATL and BYD.
You might wonder how that’s possible. One of the key challenges in shifting to battery-electric cars is where to get the raw materials. The electric future rests on viable supply chains for critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements.
Until recently, the main EV battery chemistry has been built on four of these, lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. These are also known as NMC batteries.
If you can avoid or minimize the use of expensive or controversial minerals, you can cut costs. That’s why Chinese companies such as CATL have all but monopolized the market on another chemistry, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
These batteries are cheaper, as they have no cobalt. They have other benefits too: a longer usable life and less risk of fire than traditional lithium battery chemistries. The downside is they have lower capacity and voltage.
The recent price cuts come from a deliberate decision to use abundant earth materials such as iron and phosphorus wherever possible.
What about lithium? Prices of lithium carbonate, the salt form of the ultra-light silvery-white metal, shot up sixfold between 2020 and 2022 in China before falling last year.
Despite this, battery prices have kept falling – just not by as much as they otherwise would have.
The world’s huge demand for lithium has led to strong growth in supply, as miners scramble to find new sources. CATL, for instance, is spending US$1.4 billion on lithium extraction plants in Bolivia.
Growth in lithium supply is projected to outpace demand by 34% both this year and next, which should help stabilize battery prices.
China’s battery makers have cornered the market in lithium iron phosphate batteries. But they aren’t the only game in town.
Tesla electric cars have long been powered by batteries from Japan’s Panasonic and South Korea’s LG. These batteries are built on the older but well-established NMC and lithium nickel cobalt aluminate oxide (NCA) chemistries. Even so, the American carmaker is now using CATL’s LFP batteries in its more affordable cars.
The world’s largest carmaker, Toyota, has long been skeptical of lithium-ion batteries and has focused on hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles instead.
But this is changing. Toyota is now focused heavily on making solid-state batteries a reality. These do away with liquid electrolytes to transport electricity in favor of a solid battery.
In September last year, the company announced a breakthrough which it claims will enable faster recharging times and a range of 1,200 kilometers before recharge. If these claims are true, these batteries would effectively double the range of today’s topline EVs.
In response, China’s battery manufacturers and government are working to catch up with Toyota on solid-state batteries.
Which battery chemistry will win out? It’s too early to say for electric vehicles. But as the green transition continues, it’s likely we’ll need not just one but many options.
After all, the energy needs of a prime mover truck will be different to city runabout EVs. And as electric aircraft go from dream to reality, these will need different batteries again. To get battery-electric aircraft off the ground, you need batteries with a huge power density.
The good news? These are engineering challenges that can be overcome. Just last year, CATL announced a pioneering “condensed matter” battery for electric aircraft, with up to three times the energy density of an average electric car battery.
All the while, researchers are pushing the envelope even further. A good electric car might have a battery with an energy density of 150–250 watt-hours per kilogram. But the record in the lab is now over 700 watt-hours/kilogram.
This is to say nothing of the research going into still other battery chemistries, from sodium-ion to iron-air to liquid metal batteries. We are, in short, still at the beginning of the battery revolution.
“And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My [note that it’s not China’s nor Russia’s] snare” Ezekiel 17:20
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words, prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, “in the latter days,” are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 27
1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. — women in Israel had not, up to the present time, enjoyed any distinct right of inheritance;
— he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; by which it appears he was of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the fourth generation from him;
— yet a father, whether sons had been born to him or not, had the power, either before or at his death, to cause part of his estate to pass to a daughter; in which case her husband married into her family rather than she into his, and the children were regarded as of the family from which the estate had come.
2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, — and they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and all the congregation;
— who were now sitting in court, to hear and try causes brought before them; here were Moses the chief magistrate, Eleazar the high priest, the princes of the several tribes, and the representatives of the whole congregation, or it may be the seventy elders; a very grand and august assembly, before whom these ladies appeared, and from whom they might expect to have justice done them;
3 “Our father died in the wilderness; and he was not in the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died in his own sin and had no sons. — our father died in the wilderness, but Zelophehad was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah;
4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.” — why should the name of our father Zelophehad be done away from among his family, because he hath no son?
5 And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. — and Moses brought their cause before the Lord, for it seems it was too difficult for him or the court to decide;
6 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. Thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren, and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. — cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them; they were to enjoy what would have fallen to their father’s share, had Zelophehad been alive; because they stood in his place, and represented him;
8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man die and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. — saying, if a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter; as in the above case of the daughters of Zelophehad; what was determined as to their particular case was made into a general law for all.
9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren. — and if he have no brethren; nor any descendants from them: then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren; that is, to his uncles, and to their children.
11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.’” — then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family: that is nearest of kin to him, though ever so remote; that is, of his father’s family, then his mother’s;
12 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Get thee up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. — Abarim; the whole tract of mountains was called Abarim, whereof one of the highest was called Nebo, and the top of that Pisgah.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. — Moses being told of his death, asks for a successor.
14 For ye rebelled against My commandment in the Desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the water before their eyes.” (That is, the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.) — for ye rebelled against my commandment the desert of Zin; both Moses and Aaron, which was the reason why they were not suffered to go into the land of Canaan, but died a little before the children of Israel came into it;
15 And Moses spoke unto the Lord, saying,
16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, — Moses entreats the Lord to appoint a leader of his people, that the congregation might not be like a flock without a shepherd.
17 who may go out before them and who may go in before them and who may lead them out and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” — that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd; and so wander about, having none to guide them into proper pastures, or to protect them from beasts of prey;
18 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; — Moses asks God for a successor, and God replies immedialtely, so there were no casting of lots;
— take thou Joshua the son of Nun, who had been a servant of his near forty years, and of whose humility, diligence, faithfulness and integrity he had sufficient proof, as well as of his skill and courage in military affairs, particularly at the battle with Amalek, Exodus 17:9
19 and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight. — Give him a charge: thou shalt command him in my name to undertake the government of my people, which otherwise he will be afraid and unwilling to do, and thou shalt give him counsels and instructions for the right management of that great trust.
20 And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. — that all the congregation of Israel may be obedient; to him as their ruler and governor, hearken to his words, and obey his commands.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”
— at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come in; go out to war, and return from it, or do any service enjoined them; that is, either at the word of the Lord,
— or rather at the word of Eleazar the priest, declaring the will of God, which comes to much the same sense; or at the word of Joshua, directed by the high priest, according to the oracle of God;
22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. — and Moses did as the Lord commanded him; being faithful and obedient to him in all things, though ever so contrary to his own private interest and to that of his family;
23 And he laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. — Joshua was honored and qualified in an eminent degree, through the special service of the high priest, who asked counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord.
Numbers 28
1And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Command the children of Israel and say unto them: ‘My offering and My bread for My sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in their due season.’ — Command the children of Israel; God here repeats some of the former laws about sacrifices, not without great reason;
— first, because they had been generally discontinued for thirty-eight years together; second, because the generation to which the former laws had been given about these things was wholly dead, and it was fit the new generation should be instructed about them, as their parents were;
— third, to renew the testimonies of God’s ordinances and laws, notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures thereof by their rebellion; and, fourth, and principally, because they were now ready to enter into that land, in which they were obliged to put these things in practice. It is observable that God commands Moses to repeat them in the following order of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices.
3 And thou shalt say unto them: ‘This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord: two lambs of the first year without spot, day by day, for a continual burnt offering. — two lambs day by day; this first national sacrifice was to be offered everyday, morning and evening; that is, daily, throughout the whole year, Exodus 12:5; Exodus 29:38.
4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening, — one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning; every morning, to make atonement for the sins of the night, as the Targum of Jonathan says: and the other lamb shall thou offer at even; or “between the two evenings,” ben ha arbayim
5 and a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering mingled with a fourth part of a hin of beaten oil.
6 It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. — this daily sacrifice: as it had already been instituted at Sinai, Exodus 29:38-42.
7 And the drink offering thereof shall be a fourth part of a hin for the one lamb; in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering.
And its libation shall be the fourth of a hin for one lamb; from the vessels of the house of the sanctuary shall it be outpoured, a libation of old wine. But if old wine may not be found, bring wine of forty days to pour out before the Lord.
8 And the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening; as the meat offering of the morning and as the drink offering thereof thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. — at evening; ben ha arbayim; normally a six-hour period, is also the first erev. Both terms mean, “after noon and until nightfall”
— on the seventh day, the Sabbath, the second erev starts at around 6 pm Friday for a 6-hour period until midnight. Then from midnight until noon is another 12-hour period which we call morning (boqer). The seventh day continues with another phase of erev, from noon to sunset, which is another 6-hour of daylight evening. Altogether they totaled a 24-hour day.
9 “‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof. — and on the sabbath day two lambs; the Sabbath offering which was to be added to the daily sacrifice is enjoined for the first time here;
— it does not say when the two lambs were to be slain, but in practice it was immediately after the morning sacrifice of the day.
10 This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering. — the Sabbath offering consisted of two lambs, properly accompanied, in addition to the regular daily offering.
11 “‘And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord: two young bullocks and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; — on the first day of every month, when the new moon appeared; that this was religiously observed appears from the blowing of the trumpets over the sacrifices on this day,
12 and three tenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram; — this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the year;
13 and a separate tenth part of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb, for a burnt offering of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
14 And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine unto a bullock, and a third part of a hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of a hin unto a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. — the wine in the drink offerings for each of them is the same here as there; which, according to the Targum of Jonathan, was to be wine of grapes, and not any other;
15 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering. — at the beginnings of the month, a larger burnt-offering was to be added to the daily or continual burnt-offering, consisting of two bullocks (young oxen), one ram, and seven yearling lambs, with the corresponding meat and drink-offerings,
16 “‘And on the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord. — the fourteenth day of the first month; the fourth stated and national sacrifice was annual Passover, a great composite festival where at even, ben ha arbayim that is, “between the two evenings,” or “after noon and until nightfall,” no leavened bread to be taken;
— Passover is a event, not a day; and that event is the sacrifice: an event to kill, to eat, and that event, at even, ben ha arbayim, that is, “between the two evenings,” was pointing to the sacrifice of the killing of Christ, at 3 pm, where he was the Lamb appointed from the beginning of the World for the redemption of mankind;
17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. — the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread (Mazzoth), from the 15th to the 21st of the month;
— the killing of the Pesach Lamb is the main event, from Exodus 12 (you can’t kill a day)
And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
And they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire; and with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Exodus 12:6, 8
18 On the first day shall be a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of servile work therein, — in the first day shall be an holy convocation; the first of the seven days, which was kept in a very religious manner: ye shall do no manner of servile work therein; except by preparing food to eat;
19 but ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord: two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year. They shall be unto you without blemish.
20 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenths part shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenths part for a ram,
21 a separate tenth part shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
22 and one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these besides the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. — ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning; the daily morning sacrifice, and also besides the daily evening sacrifices, though it is not expressed;
24 In this manner ye shall offer daily throughout the seven days the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. It shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering.
— the festal sacrifices of the seven days were to be prepared “in addition to the morning burnt-offering, which served as the continual burnt-offering.”
25 And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work. — and on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; as on the first: ye shall do no servile work; unless in dressing food.
26 “‘Also on the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work,
— also in the day of the firstfruits; when the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were brought unto the Lord, which was the day of Pentecost, festival of Weeks [Shavuot], fifty days from the sheaf of the wave offering being brought;
27 but ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord: two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year, — seven lambs; the additional sacrifices for the feast day consisted of two bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs: seven lambs could symbolise seven eras of God’s Church of Revelation 2 and 3;
28 and their meat offering of flour mingled with oil: three tenths part unto one bullock, two tenths part unto one ram,
29 a separate tenth part unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs; — again, for emphasis, the seven lambs mentioned here; they could represent the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3;
30 and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.
31 Ye shall offer them besides the continual burnt offering and his meat offering (they shall be unto you without blemish), and their drink offerings. — the same number of sacrifices is appointed for the day of the first-fruits, that is, for the feast of Weeks or Harvest feast.
President Vladimir Putin in his recent interview voiced the opinion that Emmanuel Macron’s increased anti-Russian rhetoric could be explained by the French president’s “resentment” over the loss of French influence in Africa, which is increasingly looking to Russia for help and cooperation.
Emmanuel Macron has been “blaming Russia instead of taking responsibility for his own political failures in France’s former colonies in Central and West Africa,” Prof. Alexis Habiyaremye, senior researcher with DSI/NRF, South African research chair in Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg, told Sputnik.
“The aggressive war rhetoric against Russia comes from his frustration and the shame at the realization that his threats do not scare anyone in Africa anymore,” the pundit underscored.
The French president has been on a roll the past few weeks, upping his belligerent rhetoric by “not ruling out” sending NATO troops to Ukraine. Paris gradually walked back those remarks after a major backlash both in France and among other members of the NATO alliance.
West Africa on the chessboard of the continuing Franco-Russian Rivalry
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu implied in an interview that Macron had been misunderstood. With Paris still maintaining some 5,500 troops stationed in Africa, there were recently calls heard in France to move these troops to NATO’s “eastern flank,” on the border with Ukraine.
Macron’s verbal bravado should be viewed in the context of France’s decreasing influence in its former African colonies. In his interview on March 13, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin weighed in on the idea that the French president’s anti-Russian rhetoric could be explained by the desire “to avenge the loss of French influence in Africa.”
Watch the full video of President Putin’s interview with Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev here.
“Yes, I do believe there is some level of resentment present… We […] did not elbow France out of the region. The reality is that leaders of certain African nations chose to reach deals with Russian managing companies, opting to work with them instead of the French. This decision was made by our African friends, not us. Therefore, it is unclear why there should be any offense taken in this regard,” Putin said in his interview on Wednesday.
“President Putin is absolutely correct in his interpretation of Macron’s ulterior motives,” said Prof. Alexis Habiyaremye, as he recalled France’s “debacle in Mali, and the humiliating expulsion of French troops from Burkina Faso and Niger.”
“Ironically, it was France’s own miscalculations in its policy of refusing to sell weapons to those countries while they were threatened by terrorist insurgencies (fomented with the help of Paris, as we now know) that prompted Mali and then Burkina Faso to seek an additional security alliance with Russia. France even tried to throw up obstacles to the security cooperation, but its attempts failed.
Since the expulsion of French troops, both Mali and Burkina Faso have regained control of strongholds that were in the hands of rebels, while [France’s] Operation Barkhane had mostly seemed incapable of liberating those strongholds,” the analyst said.
While France officially dismantled its colonial rule in Africa in 1975, with 20 out of 50 African countries being former French colonies, Paris retained economic and sometimes political influence in many of them.
Paris had been maintaining a military presence in five Sahel region countries – Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Mauritania, and Niger – within the framework of Operation Barkhane since 2014. In Mali and Burkina Faso, they were present under the pretext of combating a terrorist insurgency raging in the region.
In August 2022, however, local authorities demanded that French troops leave Mali, and just a few months later, Paris put an end to the Barkhane op. Several other key states of what the French referred to as “our France-Afrique” rid themselves of the pro-Paris regimes on their territories: Guinea and Chad (2021), Burkina Faso (2022), Niger (July 2023), and Gabon (August 2023).
As neo-colonial regimes were toppled in all of these countries, and France’s influence in Africa began to rapidly dwindle, increasingly more African leaders have started looking to Russia for help.
Russia, on the other hand, has been seeking to enhance cooperation with Africa taking into account its historic ties with the continent.
The Russian resort city of Sochi held the first Russia-Africa Summit in October 2019, boosting Moscow’s cooperation with African states, including ties in such spheres as trade, investment, energy, and security.
The second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg in 2023 reaffirmed that trend. Moreover, Russia is considered to be one of Africa’s biggest arms suppliers.
Russia hosting the Russia-Africa Summits in Sochi in 2019 and St Petersburg in 2023
President Putin has reiterated on numerous occasions that Russia attaches great importance to developing relations with African states, and “the development and strengthening of mutually beneficial ties with African countries and their integration associations is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities.”
“Thanks to the security alliance with Russia, now at least four former French colonies have regained their sovereignty and put an end to the presence of French military bases, which had no other purpose than keeping former colonies under neo-colonial subjugation,” Alexis Habiyaremye pointed out.
According to the analyst, Macron and French media “seem to be stuck in the Francafrique logic, by which those former colonies are not allowed to talk to anybody without prior approval from Paris.”
“The days when France could threaten its former colonies and be obeyed at the snap of the finger are gone, and France has nobody else to blame for that. When Niger decided to expel French troops, Macron defiantly promised to keep them against the will of the Nigerien government, but was later forced to swallow his pride and withdraw his ambassador and his troops,” he added.
“The most likely motive behind Macron’s accrued warmongering must be sought in his anger of losing French influence in Africa, which is perceived to have grave consequences on the French economy, especially if by domino effect other former French colonies were to decide to part ways with the colonial currency CFA franc that literally keeps them under French monetary tutelage,” Alexis Habiyaremye concluded.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on March 18 invited Chinese automakers to build plants in the United States, offering China the same deal that Ronald Reagan extended to Japan in the 1980s.
The former president vowed to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese car imports either directly from the mainland or from intermediaries like Mexico. But he added, “If they want to build a plant in Michigan, in Ohio, in South Carolina, they can, using American workers, they can. They can’t send Chinese workers over here, which they sometimes do. But if they want to do that, we’re welcome, right?”
Addressing Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump said, “You and I are friends.”
Trump’s offer to China went unreported in virtually all media. Mainstream US media attacked the former president for using the term “bloodbath” to describe the impact of prospective Chinese imports on the American auto industry, implying that he had threatened actual violence if he was not elected. But the transcript of his remarks at a Dayton, Ohio, rally makes clear that he was referring to industry conditions.
Trump told the Dayton audience:
Let me tell you something to China, if you’re listening, President Xi, and you and I are friends, but he understands the way I deal, those big monster car manufacturing plants that you’re building in Mexico right now, and you think you’re going to get that, you’re going to not hire Americans and you’re going to sell the cars to us.
Now, we’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you’re not going to be able to sell those cars, if I get elected…. And I’ll tell them if they want to build a plant in Michigan, in Ohio, in South Carolina, they can, using American workers, they can.
They can’t send Chinese workers over here, which they sometimes do. But if they want to do that, we’re welcome, right? But they’re not going to build them in Mexico and they’re not going to do that.
Industrial automation is accelerating in China and lagging in the United States. According to Zhang Weiwei, a professor at Fudan University, China already has 10,000 applications of 5G to the industrial Internet. Compare that with fewer than ten in the United States, by my informal count.
China now installs more industrial robots and graduates more engineers than the rest of the world combined. In 2023 it became the world’s largest auto exporter. Electric vehicles priced as low as $9,700 for the well-reviewed BYD Seagull subcompact – comparable to the 1908 Ford Model T in its affordabililty and wide appeal – are creating new markets for autos in the Global South.
China meanwhile has extended its lead in 5G broadband. Zhang reported that China now has 3.37 million 5G base stations out of a global total of 4 million – 85% of installed capacity.
The United States may never be able to match China’s combination of skilled personnel, infrastructure and giant economies of scale. It’s easier to let Chinese companies bring industrial automation to the United States than to try to catch up after the fact. That’s the path of least resistance, and one that Trump has opened up.
Donald Trump’s approach to China has never been ideological. In an interview on October 6, 2023, Trump hinted at the possibility of striking a deal with the world’s second-largest economy, leaving the door ajar for future negotiations. When asked by interviewer John Solomon about a strategy for decoupling from China, Trump’s response reflected a pragmatic stance:
At least partial decoupling – we’ll see. They may very well turn out to be fine. It’s very popular politically – “We’re going to decouple!” – but I think I had a very good relationship with China.
However, the notion of decoupling remains elusive. Given that the US now imports more capital goods than it manufactures domestically, any attempt at decoupling would necessitate importing even more capital goods to facilitate increased domestic production. Trump himself acknowledged the political allure of decoupling while highlighting its practical implausibility.
Trump’s approach to China exhibited nuances. When ZTE, China’s second-largest telecom equipment producer, violated US sanctions against Iran in 2018, Trump intervened to save the company from collapse by allowing it to pay a hefty fine and retain access to US chips.
Yet, Trump’s stance toward Huawei, particularly regarding restrictions on chip purchases, fluctuated, eventually leading to severe consequences for Huawei’s smartphone business but minimal impact on China’s broader technological trajectory.
Despite Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, motivated partly by his desire to reduce the US trade deficit, the deficit continued to widen. The Biden administration maintained these tariffs and bolstered technology controls, including a ban on exporting high-end semiconductors to Chinese buyers and persuading allies to cease supplying China with semiconductor production equipment.
If Chinese auto companies build EV plants in the United States, it will be harder for Washington to blockade China’s chip industry. EV’s require up to 4,000 chips of increasing degrees of sophistication. In effect, an EV is a computer on wheels. An auto deal might portend a broader thaw in US-China economic relations.
“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high, and thou shalt come down very low. “He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him. He shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. “Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed, because thou hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee.” Deuteronomy 28:43-45
The United States has been so focused on global security concerns that it has overlooked investing in its own backyard’s economic and military needs for decades.
But China hasn’t. With its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as “One Belt, One Road”), China has become South America’s largest source of infrastructure investment and second-largest trading partner, increasing trade from $18 billion in 2002 to $450 billion in 2022.
Twenty-five of 31 Central and South American countries have negotiated infrastructure investments from China, and 22 of those nations, most recently Honduras, have formally signed onto the BRI program.
Chinese companies, either owned or subsidized by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), operate mines in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela, electrical grids in Peru and Chile, 5G wireless systems in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Brazil, and Mexico—80 percent of Mexico’s telecommunications equipment is provided by Chinese companies—space launch and satellite tracking facilities in Argentina, and the world’s largest embassy in the Bahamas.
The US State Department estimates China’s trade with Latin American nations and investments in sea, space, telecommunication, critical minerals, and energy will match the United States by 2035 in the region. China’s military ties with Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, and Chile—which now include port visits by Chinese warships and technical advisers—will mature into base agreements within a decade.
China has, or plans to build or improve, 40 ports across 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries without restrictions on military use, including on both ends of the Panama Canal, where CCP-sponsored companies are bidding with Panama to work on the US-built canal.
Next fall, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be in Peru to commemorate the completion of “a $3.6 billion ‘mega port’ that was financed by China, built by Chinese workers, and it will be owned and operated by a CCP-backed company,” House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep Mike Rogers (R-Ala) said.
“It will be used to ship South American copper, lithium, and other critical materials to China to further their military modernization,” he said during a House Armed Services Committee March 12 hearing on Western Hemisphere national security challenges.
Mr Rogers called it “the latest effort of China’s efforts to displace American influence and build a strategic footprint in our backyard.”
‘Debt Traps’ and CCP Espionage
However, US Southern Command Commander Army Gen Laura Richardson said China’s increasing presence is a double-edged sword for countries that accept financing and other assistance from the CCP.
“The world is at an inflection point,” she said at the committee hearing.
“Our partners in the Western Hemisphere, with whom we are bonded by trade, shared values, democratic traditions, and family ties, are increasingly impacted by interference and coercion from [China.]
“The People’s Republic of China [PRC] has exploited the trust of democracies in this hemisphere, using that trust to steal national secrets, intellectual property, and research related to academia, agriculture, and health care,” she continued.
“The scope and scale of this espionage is unprecedented. Through the Belt and Road initiative, the PRC aims to amass power and influence at the expense of the world’s democracies,” she added.
Ms Richardson said that while it’s true that Central and South America have not received the economic and national security attention other areas have, that is changing.
“I’ve learned that our presence absolutely matters,” she said, noting after nearly 20 years of “receiving less than 50 percent” of its Western Hemisphere security cooperation needs, the US Southern Command was fully funded and received additional supplemental funding in the fiscal year 2024 defense budget.
Ms Richardson said while the boost “was very, very helpful, we can’t just get one year of additional funding to meet the requirement, and I would say that our presence absolutely matters” and needs to be fully funded again in the fiscal year 2025 defense budget.
With the additional funding, she said, the United States has stepped up joint military and emergency response exercises with Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay with “more engagement other than just a visit once a year.”
“This has really made a huge difference in terms of the partnering, but we have to be there. We have to have good security cooperation programs; we have to have flexible authorities that [respond to] opportunities [as they] open because they’re only open for a short period of time,” she added.
‘Put Our Money Where Our Mouth Is’
That money will be there, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Rebecca Zimmerman said at the committee hearing.
“We’re putting homeland defense and other interests across the hemisphere front and center,” she said.
“The department’s top priority is defense of the homeland [and countering] the growing multi-domain threat posed by the People’s Republic of China.”
Ms Zimmerman said the United States is “deepening partnerships with Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Chile while reinforcing democratic institutions civilian control of the military and respect for human rights and the rule of law” across the hemisphere.
In February, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin participated in the North American Defense Ministerial with his counterparts from Mexico, Canada, and Latin American countries.
US President Joe Biden attended the plenary session of Americas Partnership For Economic Prosperity
In November 2023, President Joe Biden welcomed leaders from the Western Hemisphere to the White House for the inaugural Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders’ Summit to discuss migration, supply chains, and infrastructure investment.
Prime ministers, presidents, and foreign ministers from Canada, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, and Panama attended.
The United States is developing a program with the Inter-American Development Bank to expand financing for infrastructure with the launch of an investment platform through the US International Development Finance Corp to invest billions in improving critical supply chains, modern ports, clean energy grids, and digital infrastructure.
The “Americas Partnership Accelerator” will assist entrepreneurs in developing and funding their business ideas and mobilize venture capital from around the world for startups in the region, the Biden administration maintains.
Rep Jan Kiggins (R-Va) said while “the defense budget is always inadequate” in addressing all needs, it is good “that we are again prioritizing that funding because it is so important that we can put our money where our mouth is.”
“The good news,” Ms Richardson said, “is working with our very willing partners leads to the best defense.”
“We must use all available levers to strengthen our partnerships with the 28 like-minded democracies in this hemisphere who understand the power of working together to counter these shared threats,” she continued.
“The United States remains the preferred and most trusted security partner in the region.
“We build trust through investment and security cooperation programs that train and equip our partner militaries and security forces, a robust joint exercise program to build interoperability, and the development and employment of emerging technologies,” she added.
Now, consider this PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
And to understand the encrypted message above, see the followings:
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
It is the world’s biggest battery maker, it powers electric vehicles for Tesla, Volkswagen and BMW, and its EV technology is miles ahead of US offerings, say experts
The world’s two superpowers are so intricately linked that it’s hard to think of a pillar of the economy that hasn’t been strained by tensions between the US and China.
And the next frontline in the economic conflict may be the most fundamental yet: a fight for power itself.
A Chinese company that most people have never heard of is at the heart of the global race to store the clean energy needed to power the green transition in the US and the rest of the world.
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited, or CATL, is an energy storage specialist that is the world’s largest battery maker for electric vehicles (EVs).
But despite the fact that the company controls nearly two-fifths of the world’s EV battery market – and has powered cars made by brands including Tesla, Volkswagen and BMW – it has long flown under the radar of US politics.
Until now.
In February, Duke Energy, a US energy company that serves more than 8 million customers, said it was phasing out the use of CATL batteries. Duke said it would replace the CATL products with technology from a “domestic or allied nation supplier.”
The decision came after lawmakers had raised concerns about the use of CATL batteries at a Marine Corps base, Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina. Duke, which provides electrical infrastructure to the military base, disconnected the CATL batteries in December and now plans to decommission them entirely, as well as phase them out from civilian projects.
Ford has also come under fire for doing business with CATL. A deal between the two companies to build a factory in Michigan to produce low-cost lithium iron phosphate batteries for EVs using CATL technology has repeatedly been questioned by US lawmakers.
Marco Rubio, the vice-chairperson of the Senate intelligence committee, said the plan would bring “America’s greatest geopolitical adversary into the heartland.” In November, Ford scaled down its plans for the plant, reducing its capacity by about 40%.
“This is new,” says Tu Le, the founder of Sino Auto Insights, a consultancy, of the recent scrutiny on CATL. “This is not something that had been talked about or discussed by the US government. There were never any concerns before.”
Tesla, which already uses CATL batteries, is reportedly planning to open a new battery factory using CATL machinery in Nevada this year
US is 5 to 10 ‘years behind’
Le says there is an increasing pressure on US companies not to use any Chinese batteries, “but if the US is going to be competitive on the global stage with EVs, through 2030 they’re going to have to use Chinese batteries.”
Critics are worried that using CATL batteries may create a dependence on Chinese technology that could become a vulnerability in the event of souring relations between Washington and Beijing. There are also concerns that US tax subsidies for green technology could flow towards Chinese entities.
Regardless, experts agree there is no clear roadmap for the US to decarbonise its streets without cheap Chinese EV batteries – most likely from CATL or its main rival, BYD.
Michael Dunne, the founder of Dunne Insights, an EV consultancy, says the US is “years behind when it comes to batteries, battery supply chains, critical minerals. This is where our cupboard is bare.”
Dunne says there is now a “sense of urgency” in the US to build up domestic battery capacity but that it would take between five and 10 years to catch up with China. That may not be fast – or cheap – enough to achieve Biden’s goal of two-thirds of new car sales being EVs by 2032.
Last week, energy secretary Jennifer Granholm told a discussion panel: “We are very concerned about China bigfooting our industry in the United States even as we’re building up now this incredible backbone of manufacturing.”
But Granholm also acknowledged that “we need to understand that it is important for people to buy electric vehicles in an affordable fashion,” something that experts say is impossible in the current market without Chinese batteries.
Experts agree there is no clear roadmap for the US to decarbonise its streets without Chinese EV batteries: but 5 to 10 years behind
A highly charged political climate
The pushback in the US is already having an impact. Research recently published by Rhodium Group concluded that “Chinese EV and battery companies are increasingly stuck between a rock and a hard place” as they try to navigate their rising unpopularity in the US while Beijing pushes them to internationalise.
Between 2022 and 2023, Chinese overseas investment in the EV supply chain in North America decreased from $4.8bn to $2.7bn, according to Rhodium, “driven by regulatory uncertainty and fears over political backlash.”
Le says: “The national security aspect of it needs to be examined. That’s part of due diligence. But we also know that we don’t want to cut our nose off to spite our face either.”
CATL declined to be interviewed, but referred the Guardian to a statement published in December:
“Accusations about CATL batteries posing security threats are false and misleading. As a global technology company, CATL welcomes responsible discourse on important safety and security issues, and we take questions about our business seriously.
“CATL’s business and products in the US do not collect, sell, or share data, and cannot directly interact with electrical grid or any other critical infrastructure.”
Le says many Chinese companies are “anxious” to see who the US will elect as their next president in November. But although Washington is unlikely to look favourably on firms such as CATL any time soon, US companies may struggle to find alternatives.
Tesla is reportedly planning to open a new battery factory using CATL machinery in Nevada this year.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
Violence and crime are already completely out of control all over the United States. In fact, you definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in the streets when hordes of our lawless young people are running wild.
If things are this bad already, what is going to happen if the election in November does not go the way that leaders on the left want and they give the green light to millions of radicals to cause widespread chaos all over America?
I think that we got a small preview of what this could look like during the riots of 2020. Unfortunately, since that time the open border policies of the Biden administration have allowed millions of extremely desperate people to come pouring into this country.
New York Gov Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced new plans to address rising crime in New York City subways
The stage is being set for civil unrest on a scale that we have never seen before, and it certainly isn’t going to take much to push our society over the edge.
Just look at what is happening in New York City. Crime in the subway system is so bad that Governor Kathy Hochul has decided to call in the National Guard…
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is sending in the state National Guard to New York City to help police curb a surge in crime in the city’s subways.
Announcing a five-point plan on Wednesday, the Democratic governor said she was deploying 750 members of the National Guard to the subways to assist the New York Police Department with bag searches at entrances to busy train stations.
“For people who are thinking about bringing a gun or knife on the subway, at least this creates a deterrent effect. They might be thinking, ‘You know what, it just may just not be worth it because I listened to the mayor and I listened to the governor and they have a lot more people who are going to be checking my bags,’” Hochul said at a news conference in New York City.
Have things gotten so bad that we need to bring in soldiers with guns to keep order on the subways?
Apparently so.
Mass transit crime is also a major problem in Philadelphia, and it is being suggested that the National Guard should be deployed there too…
Transit Workers Union Local 234 President Brian Pollitt is demanding accountability from Gov. Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle Parker, and SEPTA officials after a string of violent crimes on and around Philadelphia mass transit over the last few weeks.
In fact, he says he has been calling for National Guard deployment on SEPTA – similar to how New York City has deployed the National Guard on MTA – for four years, according to WKYW.
“I think that governor needs a round of applause because they’re going through the very same thing that we’re going through,” Pollitt said of New York City.
I thought that dealing with crime was what the police were supposed to do.
Unfortunately, police departments in major cities all over the country are now severely underfunded and understaffed.
In Pittsburgh, the situation is so dire that police will no longer respond to calls involving “theft, harassment, criminal mischief, and burglary”…
WPXI Channel 11 out of Pittsburgh reports that police will no longer be responding to calls that are not deemed to be “in-progress emergencies,” meaning theft, harassment, criminal mischief, and burglary alarms will essentially be ignored.
Such calls will Instead be redirected to an answer machine, according to the report which also notes that from 3 am to 7 am, the city’s six police stations will operate without desk officers present.
Only around 20 officers will be available for overnight shifts to cover the entire city, the report further notes, stating that the decision has been taken due to “understaffing.”
Seriously?
So if you own a home in Pittsburgh and someone is robbing you, what are you supposed to do?
We really have reached a point in our societal decline where the wheels are coming off right in front of our eyes.
In Oakland, crime is so bad that four out of the five Taco Bell restaurants in the city have completely closed their dining rooms…
Taco Bell restaurants in Oakland, California have been forced to suspend indoor dining indefinitely after being subjected to a series of robberies amid an unrelenting crime surge in the city, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Four of the five Taco Bell locations across the Bay Area city now have large signs hanging from their windows advising: ‘DINING ROOM CLOSED.’
Business has been restricted to drive-thru service only – a sad new reality for many customers and families hoping to sit down for a peaceful meal.
It may not be easy for a lot of people to admit, but we are rapidly becoming a third world country.
Theft is absolutely rampant in America today. Organized retail crime has become a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, and according to CNBC some of these groups actually have very sophisticated facilities that are “indistinguishable from other e-commerce distribution centers”…
But federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security’s law enforcement branch, said some crime groups are even more elaborate — and theft is just one facet of their enterprises.
“We’re talking about operations that have fleets of trucks, 18-wheelers that have palletized loads of stolen goods, that have cleaning crews that actually clean the goods to make them look brand new,” said Adam Parks, an assistant special agent in charge at HSI, which is the main federal agency investigating retail crime.
“Just like any business, they’ve invested their capital into business assets like shrink wrap machines, forklifts,” Parks, who works out of HSI’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana, office, told CNBC in an interview. “That is what organized theft looks like, and it actually is indistinguishable from other e-commerce distribution centers.”
We have never seen anything like this before.
If you follow my work on a regular basis, you know that I have been saying that a lot lately.
Our country has been totally transformed. At this point our youths are so lawless that even very young girls are committing acts of extreme violence…
The Missouri Attorney General is calling on the 15-year-old girl who beat another teen’s head into concrete to be tried as an adult.
The teenage victim is fighting for life in critical condition after her head was repeatedly smashed into the ground during a brawl near a Missouri high school.
AG Andrew Bailey announced on X: ‘This evil and complete disregard for human life has no place in Missouri, or anywhere. I am praying for the victim.
‘The criminal should be charged and tried as an adult. If the victim dies, that offense should rise to a homicide.’
Our streets are stained with blood from coast to coast, and more violent predators are being allowed in on a continual basis.
Earlier today, I came across an article about the 50 most violent cities in the world.
To qualify for the list, a city (or metropolitan area) must have at least 300,000 inhabitants.
The calculations are based on the rate of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
Of the 50 most violent cities on the 2023 list, 46 were in the Western Hemisphere.
The only exceptions were four cities in South Africa.
I suppose that most of you will not be surprised to learn that Mexico had the most cities on the list…
The country with the most violent cities on the list was our neighbor to the south, Mexico, with 16. In second place was Brazil, with 10 cities, followed by Colombia with eight.
The United States of America was #4 on the list with six cities.
With such extreme violence raging just across our southern border, you would think that our leaders would be doing all that they can to keep us safe.
But instead the Biden administration has been allowing millions upon millions of people to come pouring in.
Our migration crisis is fueling a growth explosion for criminal gangs all over the nation.
We are already experiencing a crime wave of epic proportions, but I am extremely concerned about what will happen if things go a certain way in November.
If they don’t win the election, leaders on the left may decide to make it very clear that it is time for “civil disobedience” on a massive scale.
I have been warning about civil unrest that would completely and utterly tear this country apart for many years, and I believe that we are now right on the brink of seeing that happen.
Many of our major cities have reached a point where they are literally on the verge of being ungovernable, and America is becoming a little bit more lawless with each passing day.
“Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
“Wickedness is in the midst thereof; deceit and guile depart not from her streets” Psalm 55:1-11
And here the story of Balaam should tie in with an earlier PROPHECY!
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
Numbers 25
1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. — Balak, as well as the princes of Moab, had taken the advice of Balaam:
“And now, behold, I return to go to my people. Come, I will give thee counsel: Go, furnish tavern houses, and employ seductive women to sell food and drinks cheaply, and to bring this people together to eat and drink, and commit whoredom with them, that they may deny their God; then in a brief time will they be delivered into thy hand, and many of them will fall. Nevertheless, after this they will still have dominion over thy people at the end of days.” Numbers 24:14 Jonathan
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. — and they called the people; the the daughters of Moab invited the Israelites to their sacrificial feasts, which were celebrated in honour of Baal-peor, who was worshipped in the city of Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 3:29). He is supposed to be identical with Chemosh, the Moabitish god of war.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. — and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; for no sin is more provoking to God than idolatry, that being so directly opposite to his nature, honour, and glory, as well as to his will and worship;
— and hereby the end of Balaam and Balak was, in a great measure, answered, and Balaam obtained that by his evil counsel which he could not by all his conjuring; this was seen by the plague sent among them; Numbers 24:14.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.” — Take all the heads of the people; the “heads” or “chiefs” of the people or were chief in this transgression; before the Lord; for vindicating the honor of the true God;
And the Lord said to Mosheh, Take all the chiefs of the people, and appoint them for judges, and let them give judgment to put to death the people who have gone astray after Peor, and hang them before the Word of the Lord upon the wood over against the morning sun, and at the departure of the sun take them down and bury them and turn away the strong anger of the Lord from Israel.
5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, “Slay ye every one his men who were joined unto Baal of Peor.” — the offenders were to be first; slain by the hands of “the judges of Israel” Numbers 25:5, and afterward hung up “against the sun” (that is, publicly, openly; compare 2 Samuel 12:12) as an aggravation of their punishment.
6 And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. — weeping because the plague Numbers 25:9 had already broken out among the people;
— whilst the whole congregation was assembled before the tabernacle, weeping on account of the divine wrath, there came an Israelite, a prince of the tribe of Simeon, who brought a Midianitish woman, the daughter of a Midianitish chief (Numbers 25:14); to commit adultery with her in his tent;
— earlier, it has been conjectured that the lost portion of the story related that Balaam, who lived among the Midianites, persuaded their daughters to seduce the Israelites into intermarriage with them in order to provoke God’s anger.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; — and when Phinehas, the priest, saw it; saw the man pass by in this impudent manner, and his whore with him; his spirit was stirred up, and with an holy indignation acted against the sin and sinner,
8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
— so the plague was restrained came to an end from the children of Israel; which had broke out among them and carried off many; even a disease, the pestilence, according to Josephus, it ceasing upon this fact of Phinehas, shows that that was approved of by the Lord.
9 And those who died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. — but those already died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
10 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for My sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in My jealousy. — the description of Phinehas, as in Numbers 25:7, is repeated in full, as if to emphasize that he was not a private individual, but one invested with divine authority.
12 Therefore say: ‘Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace. — Phinehas became high priest after the death of his father Eleazar, and the office;
13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.’” — for this act of divine zeal the eternal possession of the priesthood was promised to Phinehas and his posterity as God’s covenant of peace, by displaying his zeal in the midst of them;
14 Now the name of the Israelite who was slain, even who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. — Zimri, a prince among the Simeonites; the slaughter of a man of such high rank is mentioned as a proof of the undaunted zeal of Phinehas.
15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head over a people and of a chief house in Midian. — and the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, one of the five kings of Midian, she was the daughter of a king that came to a prince of the tribe of Simeon, and enticed him to eat of her food, and worship her idols;
— the Targum of Jonathan says she was called Selonae, the daughter of Balak, chief of the nation of Moab, whose habitation was in Midian;
16 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, — the Lord now commanded Moses to show hostility to the Midianites, and smite them;
17 “Vex the Midianites and smite them. — Vex the Midianites, and smite them; the Midianites appear to have been joint actors with the Moabites throughout the whole of the opposition which was offered to Israel, and the chief actors in the wiles by which the Israelites were seduced;
— Vex the Midianites, and smite them. Go to war with them, and smite them with the sword; not just the Moabites, but also the Midianites, especially when they were both confederates against Israel.
18 For they vex you with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.” — for they vex you with their wiles; not with wars, but with wiles, with cunning stratagems, and artful methods to draw them into sin, that thereby they might be exposed to the wrath of God;
— wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor; the idol Peor, that is, Baalpeor; now the Midianites beguiled the Israelites, by sending their daughters among them, with whom they committed fornication, and by whom they were misguided to worship the idol Peor.
Numbers 26
1 And it came to pass after the plague that the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, — and it came to pass after the plague; the plague probably destroyed the remnant of the generation which had come out of Egypt, and which had been numbered in the wilderness of Sinai;
— and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest; the Lord had been used to speak to Moses and Aaron; but now Aaron being dead, and Eleazar his son succeeding him in the priesthood, is joined with Moses, and the order here given is directed to them both.
2 “Take the count of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and upward throughout their father’s house, all who are able to go to war in Israel.”
— take the sum of all the congregation; they were numbered twice before, Exodus 30:11-12; Numbers 1:1-2. Now they are numbered a third time, to demonstrate the faithfulness of God, both in cutting all those off whom he had threatened to cut off, Numbers 14:29
3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying, — in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho: or of Jericho, as the same Targum, on the other side of Jordan to that on which Jericho stood; for as yet the children of Israel had not passed that river, nor entered into the land of Canaan, in which Jericho was, but they were now opposite it;
4 “Take the count of the people from twenty years old and upward,” as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel who went forth out of the land of Egypt. — take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; at the same age at which the sum was taken before, Numbers 1:3 so that there could not be one that was more than sixty years of age, of all those that went into the land of Canaan, except Joshua and Caleb;
5 Reuben, the eldest son of Israel. The children of Reuben: Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; — the twelve secular tribes are numbered, the sacred tribe of Levi being omitted. The names are based upon Genesis 46:8-27, but with the addition of Ephraim and Manasseh, who, having been born in Egypt, could not be reckoned in Genesis among those who went down into Egypt;
— the order of the tribes is the same, except that Manasseh (Numbers 26:29-34) precedes Ephraim (Numbers 26:35-37).
6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty. — Reuben 46,730
8 And the son of Pallu: Eliab.
9 And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they strove against the Lord.
10 And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, the time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign.
11 Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not. — notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not; neither of the pestilence, nor by fire, nor by the swallowing up of the earth; they not being in the counsel of their father,
— but followed the doctrine of Moses the prophet, as the Targum of Jonathan; they either disliked their father’s scheme, or, if they engaged with him in it, they repented and departed from him, and were not present when the judgments of God came upon him and his company;
12 The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13 of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred. — the families of Simeon were but five, and the number of them were 22,200;
15 The children of Gad according to their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18 These are the families of the children of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred. — seven families sprang from Gad, whose number now was 40,500;
19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20 And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. — Perez or Pharez, and Zerah; which answers to Jacob’s blessing, that he should be a praise among his brethren, Genesis 49:8;
In summary, in parallel with Ezekiel 17, this mysterious prophecy as a form of a riddle to both Judah and Israel, which shows how the planting and rebuilding of David’s throne had survived beyond the captivity.
21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred. — the number of these families of Judah amounted to 76,500;
23 Of the sons of Issachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Pua, the family of the Punites; — the sons of Issachar, after their families; this tribe was numbered next to Judah, because it was under his standard;
24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred. — this tribe consisted of four families, and the number of warlike men in it was 64,300;
26 Of the sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred. — it consisted of three families, whose numbers were 60,500;
28 The sons of Joseph according to their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites. — the sons of Joseph, after their families, were Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh is here mentioned first, though Ephraim was preferred to him by Jacob, and the standard belonged to him;
— not because Manasseh was the firstborn, but because he had now the greater increase, though he had but one son, Machir, of whom was the family of the Machirites, and a grandson, whose name was Gilead, from whom was the family of the Gileadites;
30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31 and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32 And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those who were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred. — the number of men in this tribe, Manasseh, of twenty years old and upwards, fit for war, was 52,700;
35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families. — the number of the whole, the families of the sons of Ephraim, was 32,500;
38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39 of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman; of Ard, the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families, and those who were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred. — the number of men in these families was 45,600;
42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.
43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred. — the sons of Dan, after their families, consisted of 64,400 men;
44 Of the children of Asher according to their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. — the number of persons in this tribe was 53,400;
48 Of the sons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families, and those who were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred. — and its number was 45,400;
51 These were the numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty. — total: 601,730; a decrease of 1,820 from the number at Sinai; a decrease due to the various plagues.
52 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
53 “Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. — Unto these the land shall be divided; the general apportionment of the land, as regarded the relative position of each tribe, was to be decided by lot, which was commonly looked upon as the determination of God Himself, and in this instance was undoubtedly so.
54 To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those who were numbered of him. — to everyone shall his inheritance be given, according to those that were numbered of him; that is, to every tribe, and so to every family in it, according to the number of men in it;
55 Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. — notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot; that the division might appear to be according to the determination and will of God, and not left to the judgment and discretion of the chief magistrate;
56 According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.” — between many and few; the share that shall by lot fall to each tribe, shall be distributed to the several families and persons in such proportions as their numbers shall require.
57 And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. — Levi was God’s tribe; therefore it was not numbered with the rest, but alone.
58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram.
59 And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bore to Levi in Egypt; and she bore unto Amram, Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. — and which Jochebed was the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam;
60 And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. — Aaron had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, the two first of which died for offering strange fire to the Lord, and the two last were now living: from Merari, another son of Levi, sprang two families, the Mahlite, and the Mushite;
61 And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the Lord.
62 And those who were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. — the whole number of the Levites at this time taken was 23,000 males of a month old and upward;
63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai.
65 For the Lord had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. — for the Lord had said of them, they shall surely die in the wilderness; this was warned before them, Numbers 14:32 and now it was fulfilled.
The American aerospace giant Boeing has been synonymous with safe air travel for decades. Since the 1990s, Boeing and its European competitor Airbus have dominated the market for large passenger jets.
But this year, Boeing has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. In January, an emergency door plug blew off a Boeing 737 MAX in mid-flight, triggering an investigation from United States federal regulators.
More recently, we have seen a Boeing plane lose a tire while taking off, another flight turned back as the plane was leaking fluid, an apparent engine fire, a landing gear collapse, a stuck rudder pedal, and a plane “dropping” in flight and injuring dozens of passengers.
LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 Plunging in mid-air from Sydney to Auckland
A Boeing engineer who had raised concerns regarding quality control during the manufacturing process on the company’s 787 and 737 MAX planes also died earlier this week, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
As members of the traveling public, should we be concerned? Well, yes and no.
The recent parade of events has certainly been dramatic – but not all of them can be blamed on Boeing. Five incidents occurred on aircraft owned and operated by United Airlines and were related to factors outside the manufacturer’s control, like maintenance issues, potential foreign object debris, and possible human error.
A United Airlines 777 flying from San Francisco to Japan lost a tire on takeoff, a maintenance issue not related to Boeing. The aircraft landed safely in Los Angeles.
A United Airlines flight from Sydney to Los Angeles had to return to Sydney due to a “maintenance issue” after a fluid was seen leaking from the aircraft on departure.
A United Airlines 737-900 flying from Texas to Florida ended up with some plastic bubble wrap in the engine, causing a suspected compressor stall. This is a disruption of air flow to an operating engine, making it “backfire” and emit flames.
A United Airlines 737 Max flying from Tennessee to Texas suffered a gear collapse after a normal landing. The pilot continued to the end of the runway before exiting onto a taxiway – possibly at too high a speed – and the aircraft ended up in the grass and the left main landing gear collapsed.
The fifth event occurred on a United Airlines 737-8 flight from the Bahamas to New Jersey. The pilots reported that the rudder pedals, which control the left and right movement of the aircraft in flight, were stuck in the neutral position during landing.
“Designed by clowns” and “supervised by monkeys,” the Max flew along
The door plug bolts were not properly secured and the plug door fell off in flight. The same aircraft had a series of pressurization alarms on two previous flights and was scheduled for a maintenance inspection at the completion of the flight.
Spirit got its start after Boeing shut down its own manufacturing operations in Kansas and Oklahoma, and Boeing is now in the process of buying the company to improve quality oversight. Spirit currently works with Airbus, as well, though that may change.
What changed at Boeing?
Critics say the culture at Boeing has changed since Airbus became a major competitor in the early 2000s. The company has been accused of shifting its focus to profit at the expense of quality engineering.
Former staff have raised concerns over tight production schedules, which increased the pressure on employees to finish the aircraft. This caused many engineers to question the process, and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fine Boeing for lapses in quality oversight after tools and debris were found on aircraft being inspected.
Several employees have testified before US Congress on the production issues regarding quality control. Based on the congressional findings, the FAA began to inspect Boeing’s processes more closely.
Boeing 737 With 139 Passengers Loses External Panel Mid-Air
Several Boeing employees noted there was a high staff turnover rate during the Covid pandemic. This is not unique to Boeing, as all manufacturing processes and airline maintenance facilities around the globe were also hit with high turnover.
As a result, there is an acute shortage of qualified maintenance engineers, as well as pilots. These shortages have created several issues with the airline industry successfully returning to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
Airlines and maintenance training centers around the globe are working hard to train replacements, but this takes time as one cannot become a qualified engineer or airline pilot overnight.
So, is it still safe to fly on Boeing planes? Yes it is. Despite dramatic incidents in the news and social media posts poking fun at the company, air travel is still extremely safe, and that includes Boeing.
We can expect these issues with Boeing planes now will be corrected. The financial impact has been significant – so even a profit-driven company will demand change.
“Thou shalt not raise a false report. Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness,” Exodus 23:1
Ukraine war: UK to provide 10k drones to Ukraine as dismissed commander to become new ambassador; but soon the Houtis would find some of these Suicide Drones to operate around the Rea Sea and the Gulf od Aden, too.
The announcement was made by Defence Secretary Grant Shapps during a visit to Kyiv with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The pledge corresponds to a new investment of £125 million (€146.3 million) on top of £200 million (€234.2 million) which had been previously committed to drones.
The weaponry delivered will include 1,000 one-way attack drones and models that target ships.
“Ukraine’s Armed Forces are using UK donated weapons to unprecedented effect, to help lay waste to nearly 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet,” Shapps said.
Zelenskyy also announced on Thursday that dismissed Ukrainian commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi will become Kyiv’s new ambassador to London.
“Our alliance with Britain should only strengthen,” Zelenskyy said.
The president removed Zaluzhnyi from his top role as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military as part of a shake-up aimed at reigniting momentum in the conflict, which many have seen as stalling since last summer.
UK’s 10,000 Suicide Drones for Ukraine to rile up Russia to grab more of Ukraine
Zelenskyy visits Turkey
The Ukrainian president is set to visit Turkey on Friday, meeting with his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The two leaders are expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, the Black Sea Grain Initiative – a deal which Turkey helped broker – and bilateral relations.
New decree for Ukrainian conscripts
Zelenskyy has issued a decree calling for conscripts who have been serving in the now over two-year war against Russia to be discharged into the reserves within the next two months.
The conscripts won’t be called up again for 12 months.
Biden cites Ukraine in State of the Union
In his marquee State of the Union address last night, Joe Biden made an argument that democracy at home in the US is threatened like no time since the Civil War – signalling a clear line of attack he will use against Donald Trump in this year’s election while also insisting that aid must be passed to assist Ukraine.
He criticised Trump, whom he referred to only as “my predecessor,” for his assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin can “do whatever the hell he wants” with respect to NATO allies, and he implored Congress to pass additional aid for Ukraine.
Speaking with a vigour that his supporters have said has been lacking, Biden set up a contrast between his internationalist view of the world and Trump’s increasingly isolationist leaning.
Other major NATO countries have increasingly focused on ways to shore up the alliance’s support for Ukraine in case Trump is re-elected and tanks the US’s support for the counteroffensive.
49 The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand,
50 a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young.
51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee. Deuteronomy 28:49-51
A reason for Indonesians overwhelmingly supporting cashiered general Prabowo Subianto and a likely military dictatorship is because the electorate rarely reads; voters haven’t been taught to think critically so know little of their new president’s past.
In 1998, Prabowo was stripped of his rank and discharged from the Army for disobeying orders. His squad arrested student dissidents and 13 have never reappeared. He fled to Jordan and returned earlier this century to become a hugely successful businessman.
Australian author and academic Max Lane, who translated the works of political prisoner Pramoedya Ananta Toer into English last century, says Indonesia is the only country in the world that doesn’t require students to read their own nation’s literature:
“This was deliberately created so that the Indonesian people would not understand their own nation so they would not have any imagination for the future.” As Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952) said: ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’
The condemnation of intellectuals and creatives, heavy censorship and book banning during second president Soeharto’s rule (1966 – 1998) caused a great slump in reading history. A US university study of The World’s Most Literate Nations ranked Indonesia at 60 of the 61 states surveyed. (Top is Finland; Australia is 12th).
A Melbourne University commentary concluded: “Culturally, Indonesians have a very strong oral tradition, and the country is not going to transform into a nation of bookworms overnight (but) … creativity and innovation are urgently needed to address the reading crisis.”
Although World Bank data shows Indonesian literacy above 96 per cent, knowing how to read and using that skill widely are separate issues.
Indonesian public schools are in a mess. One Australian academic review blamed “inadequate funding, human resource deficits, perverse incentive structures, and poor management” adding: “Problems with education quality and learning have also been, at their root, a matter of politics and power.”
In the past liberal Muslim parents ignored crucifixes nailed above doorways to get a better education in Catholic schools; this trend is waning as independent schools develop. However, the curriculum is still controlled by the government which is again rewriting history.
The first version of the 1965 coup, widely and uncritically taught, had naked Communist women dancing on the castrated corpses of murdered generals. The brief uprising was savagely suppressed by General Soeharto who went on to become the nation’s second president.
The lewd story was untrue – a pre-internet hoax to foment hatred towards the Communist Party and its supporters seeking land reform. It worked – and an estimated half-million were slaughtered in a military-engineered genocide.
Prabowo’s father-in-law, Soeharto, his 32-year dictatorship is considered one of the most brutal and corrupt of the 20th century (stripped US $35 billion)
Soeharto (who died in 2008) is known overseas as the greatest kleptocrat in the Republic’s history, though never charged. He allegedly stripped US $35 billion from the public purse. This is also not taught in schools.
Now Golkar Party Deputy Chair Melchias Markus Mekeng reckons Soeharto should be made a national hero. That’s reportedly because he “did a lot of good work and was dedicated when he served as president.” No details.
The motive for trying to canonise a villain comes after the current and seventh president Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo last month suddenly smoothed the facts by rehabilitating his rival.
He awarded his cashiered successor Prabowo with the honorary rank of four-star general. When kicked out of the military 26 years ago he had three stars.
The promotion dismayed civil society groups that claimed Prabowo’s promotion was a ”betrayal of the 1998 Reformation.”
A career military man educated in the UK and US, Prabowo’s meteoric rise in the army was boosted by serving with alleged brutality in East Timor and marrying Soeharto’s second eldest daughter Siti Hediati Hariyadi. The couple have since divorced.
He then tried to be elected president, crashing both times against the current holder of the title. To widespread astonishment Jokowi made his bitter opponent Prabowo Defence Minister, giving the failed candidate a platform.
On his third try on 14 February Prabowo convincingly won the presidency, sweeping the stage of his two main candidates with close to 60 per cent of the vote. (Jokowi had already served two five-year terms and was prevented by the Constitution from standing a third time.)
There are 24 political parties registered in Indonesia, including Golkar, the vehicle for Soeharto who served for 32 years before he quit in 1998 during an economic crisis and massive student protests.
Golkar (Party of Functional Groups) was formed by the military in 1964. It’s now the second-largest party and claims to be democratic and nationalist. It backed Prabowo’s candidacy in this year’s election so will get some of the ministries.
Merit and skills in a specific portfolio are not required.
So far the priority is not education but military bases in every province. There are 14 at present. During the election campaign, Prabowo pledged to increase these to all 38.
Any chance the schooling situation will change for the better with Prabowo as president? It’s unlikely though it depends on who’s appointed Education Minister and how much clout they carry. In the Indonesian system, a minister can be recruited from outside politics.
The current education minister is billionaire businessman Nadiem Anwar Makarim who started the Gojek motorbike taxi service in 2009. He’s not known as a member of a political party.
Dr Anies Baswedan, once a university rector and failed presidential candidate, was a former Education Minister. He tried to reform the system but soon encountered opposition and was sacked by Jokowi in 2016.
Monash University’s Dr Sharyn Davies reportedly said Prabowo’s nationalism “could affect higher education policy – including appetite for overseas university campuses.
“No Indonesian university apart from Monash Indonesia has foreign academics employed in anything other than guest adjunct positions.
“It’s a very insular, ultra-nationalist kind of education system and…my sense (is that) Prabowo will move that even more towards the nationalist insular side.”
Since the Hamas terror massacre of Israeli Jews Oct 7, the US has been hit with record levels of antisemitic incidents. While authorities are getting to grips with how to effectively deal with it, Western democracies are also dealing with an explosion of antisemitism not witnessed since the Holocaust.
Pro-Palestinian Muslim protesters hold a banner, “From the river to the sea”
Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom has been rocked by unprecedented antisemitism.
“In the 68 days inclusive between the Hamas terror attack on Israel (Oct 7) and Wednesday, Dec 13, CST recorded at least 2,093 antisemitic incidents across the UK,” according to the Community Security Trust (CST), the organization responsible for the security of British Jews.
“This is the highest ever total reported to CST across a sixty-eight-day period. CST has been recording antisemitic incidents since 1984.”
“I think people are feeling tense and nervous, particularly with marches taking place every Saturday,” Jake Wallis Simons, editor-in-chief of the London-based Jewish Chronicle, told Fox News Digital from England.
Mass pro-Palestinian marches have blanketed the heart of London.
“The marches had a lot of antisemitism and criminality in them, and there are placards supporting Hamas,” Wallis Simons said.
Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman decried the mass protests as “hate marches” and wanted to ban the mass antisemitic spectacles.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, fired the outspoken Braverman after her calls for the need to rein in public Jew hatred. Braverman accused the police of double standards at pro-Palestinian marches in an unauthorized newspaper article, according to Reuters.
“Jewish children are being told to hide their school blazers, Jewish students are terrified on campus, synagogues are guarded, kosher shops are being attacked, business owners are being threatened”
The demonstrations in the UK have been largely populated by leftists and British Muslims.
“The police are not cracking down on antisemitism,” said Wallis Simons. He noted that the police are claiming that “if they enforce the law, it will lead to disorder.” He stressed the absurdity of the police reasoning because “that allows space for antisemitic hate to go on. There have been some arrests.”
He termed a late February march outside parliament, where the antisemitic slogan “from the river to the sea,” was projected on Big Ben, a “real expression of mob power and intimidated politicians.”
The full slogan, “From the river to sea, Palestine will be free,” is widely interpreted to mean the abolition of the Jewish state and its replacement with a Palestinian nation.
Protesters walk across Vauxhall Bridge during a pro-Palestinian protest
Just last week The Board of Deputies of British Jews wrote on X about the election of pro-Hamas and firebrand socialist politician George Galloway to Parliament.
“George Galloway is a demagogue and conspiracy theorist, who has brought the politics of division and hate to every place he has ever stood for Parliament. His election is a dark day for the Jewish community in this country, and for British politics in general.”
“This is for Gaza,” Galloway said of his special election victory.
“Jewish children are being told to hide their school blazers, Jewish students are terrified on campus, synagogues are guarded, kosher shops are being attacked, business owners are being threatened,” a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism in the United Kingdom told Fox News Digital.
“The effect is that, as our polling shows, a majority of Jewish people in this country are afraid to show their Jewishness in public, and we are aware of some Jews who have left the country altogether. This is not the tolerant Britain that we cherish It is a Britain succumbing to a racist mob.”
The spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism added, “At the epicenter of this societal disaster are the weekly anti-Israel marches, which feature antisemitic signage, genocidal rhetoric and intimidation. They have made London a no-go zone for Jews. Brave officers are outnumbered and cannot properly police these marches, which therefore continue to infect our public discourse. Our country is at a tipping point. The situation for Jews in Britain is desperate.”
The Hamas terrorist movement’s lethal antisemitic ideology has entered into many walks of life in advanced democratic countries across the world.
“Hamas is losing on the battlefield, but its narrative was successfully exported from those tunnels [in the Gaza Strip] to Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, the US and Canada, to name just a few. The scope and nature of Jew hatred has reached epic levels,” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the LA-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, told Fox News Digital.
“The largest mass murder of Jews after the war [World War II and the Holocaust] leads to the largest worldwide antisemitic campaign,” author and journalist Henryk M Broder, a leading German expert on antisemitism, said in a recent interview. “That can’t be explained with logic.”
Germany is another European ground zero of the post-Oct 7 antisemitic movement. Last month, the country’s premier film festival, Berlinale, turned into an anti-Israel hate festival, according to Israel’s government and a number of German newspapers.
The filmmakers termed the Mideast’s only democracy, Israel, an “apartheid” state and accused Jerusalem of carrying out a genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas’ mass murder, systematic rape of Israelis and taking of over 130 hostages still held by terror groups in Gaza were nonissues for the packed film audience that cheered the delegitimization of the Jewish state in the capital city, Berlin, that planned the Holocaust.
Reports noted that Germany’s federal culture minister, Green Party politician Claudia Roth, and Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, from the Christian Democratic Union Party, were caught on camera applauding the anti-Israel agitation.
“You see the unleashing into the mainstream of not just antisemitism, but the Hamas narrative, which turns reality on its head,” Cooper said.
The Hamas Covenant calls for the genocide of the Jews. According to Article 7 of the Covenant, “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.”
Israel and experts on Jew hatred argue the genocide charge should be attributed to Hamas. Israel has launched surgical-style urban warfare to root out Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, who previously served as his country’s envoy to the UN, wrote on X about the Berlinale, “Under the guise of freedom of expression and art, anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric is celebrated. You don’t need seven professors to state the obvious: this is blatant anti-Semitic discourse.”
Critics say the problem of state-sponsored antisemitism has repeatedly played out in Germany, where the Berlinale receives generous state funding.
In January, the German taxpayer-funded University of Tübingen hosted a speaker, Michael Blume, who two German courts ruled can be called antisemitic. Blume is the civil servant in charge of fighting antisemitsm in the state of Baden-Württemberg. He blamed Israel’s government for the Hamas massacre and said Israel is ostensibly preventing the fight against antisemitism because the Jewish state opposes “renewable energies.”
In Norway, Oslo Chief Rabbi Joav Melchior echoed the comments of experts and leaders of Jewish communities across the globe that the levels of antisemitism have not been seen since the Holocaust.
“It manifests in statements made against Israel, Zionists and Jews — comments that were not made in the past and would not have been accepted in public discourse without a very strong reaction,” he told the Israeli news outlet Ynet.
France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community of 440,000, saw a soaring increase of Jew hatred, with 1,676 antisemitic acts in 2023, compared to 436 in 2022.
Jerusalem has long viewed Norwegian governments as strongholds of anti-Israeli policies. Ynet noted that at the Cairo Summit for Peace two weeks after Hamas kidnapped over 240 hostages, including Americans, the Scandinavian country’s foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, was “the only Western foreign minister who condemned Israel without calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza.”
Protesters pack European cities as they protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war
The French media reported in late January that a report from the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) said, “We are witnessing a rejuvenation of the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts. Schools are no longer a sanctuary of the Republic.”
France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community of 440,000, saw a soaring increase of Jew hatred, with 1,676 antisemitic acts in 2023, compared to 436 in 2022. The Council of Jewish Institutions in France said 25% of the antisemitic acts were “calls to murder” Jews and a third glorified Hamas’ ideology of jihad.
“The explosion of antisemitism globally points to a failure of leadership in higher education, the media of record and in government policy, especially in democratic countries,” said Charles Asher Small, director of the Institute for the US-based Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy (ISGAP).
“For the past several decades, the threat posed by anti-American and anti-democratic social movements has not been addressed, and we keep kicking the can down the road.”
Meanwhile, Rabbi Cooper warned, “If not met with a strong, definitive response from those in power, you will see it [antisemitism] spreading to elementary schools.”
Traditionally, Ireland has been classified as one of the most hostile European countries toward the Jewish state, according to Israeli diplomats. Irish discrimination against Jews appeared on the basketball court in February when the Irish women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with Israeli opponents because of the war in Gaza. The Israeli team defeated Ireland 87-57.
Spain, with a tiny Jewish population of 45,000 out of a total population of over 48 million, has also been embroiled in rising antisemitism. In October, The Jewish Chronicle reported a synagogue in Barcelona canceled events.
“We’re scared, particularly for our sons and daughters,” a Jewish resident of Barcelona told El Periodico. “Antisemitism is in the air.”
Maxo Benalal, secretary general of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain, said soaring Spanish antisemitism was “truly terrifying.”
Aliyah flights bring back Jews to repopulate Judea and Samaria, among others
NATO countries are implementing a rotational air defense model stationed in Lithuania in response to calls from the Baltic states to boost Europe’s defense capabilities in the region.
A US-made MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) system
According to Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, who spoke about the defense model at a press conference Thursday, the defense systems will be operational in his nation later this year. NATO countries agreed to creating a rotational system—in which allied countries would deploy air defense systems to the Baltic states for a period of time—during the Vilnius NATO Summit in the summer.
Anušauskas did not state which Western countries are involved in the first round of air defenses being installed in Lithuania, but did say that the equipment includes Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. The defense official told reporters that the Patriots were being provided by a European ally, not the United States.
“The expectation is that this principle would not be a one-off thing for several months but would cover all of our calendar months and significantly increase our air defense capabilities,” Anušauskas said, as quoted by Lithuanian National Radio and Television.
Newsweek reached out to NATO’s press office via email for more information on Friday.
A MIM-104 Patriot anti-aircraft missile system in Rzeszow Airport, Poland
Several European countries have raised concerns that Russia’s war against Ukraine could eventually lead to a greater conflict between Moscow and NATO. The military alliance has taken several steps to bolster its defense systems along its eastern border in recent months, including by conducting trainings in the spring for over 90,000 troops from all 32 of the member states in countries that share a border with Russia, such as the Baltic nations and Poland.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been some of the loudest members of NATO that have urged the Western bloc to prepare for Russia’s next offensive in the region. Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, for example, has said that Russia is preparing for war against NATO countries within the next 10 years.
Tensions have remained high between Moscow and the West throughout the war in Ukraine, which has been unequivocally supported by NATO members.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the alliance’s influence on Ukraine’s government as one of the reasons his country was “forced” into war. Putin has also said that the two-year-plus conflict cannot come to an end until Ukraine agrees to remain neutral.
The Kremlin has accused the West of prolonging the war in Ukraine by fortifying Kyiv’s military capabilities, warning late last month that NATO would be crossing a line if allied members send their own troops to fight in Ukraine.
While no NATO nation has indicated plans to do so, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters last month that “nothing should be excluded” in trying to “prevent Russia from winning this war.” He said on Thursday that he recognizes no limits or Russian “red lines” when it comes to backing Kiev.
Macron’s remarks about “red lines” have also drawn notice from Moscow. Former Russian president and current deputy head of the National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, posted on X that this means “Russia has no more red lines left for France.”
He followed that up with a Latin saying that translates as “everything is allowed against enemies.”
49 The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand,
50 a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young.
51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee. Deuteronomy 28:49-51
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14; — these Words “in the latter days,” especially in regards to the house of Jacob, are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 23
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, “Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.” — a plurality of altars was a sign of idolatry; to the number of their gods, perhaps.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, “Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee.” And he went to a high place. — and I will go; depart from thence, at some little distance, unto some private place;
— presuming the Lord will come to meet him; upon the offering of these sacrifices to him, though he could not be certain; God having shown some displeasure and resentment unto him; and this was also in the daytime, when it was in the night he usually came unto him;
4 And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.” — God met Balaam, not to comply with Balaam’s charms, nor to gratify, but to oppose his wickedness and to fierce him against his own inclination and interest to utter the following words;
5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.”
6 And he returned unto him, and lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab. — he and all the princes of Moab; not only those that were sent to Balaam, but perhaps all the princes of the kingdom who were got together on this occasion;
7 And he took up his parable and said: “Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, curse for me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.’ — saying, come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel; he owns that this was Balak’s view in sending for him;
— nor does he deny that be himself came with such an intention, could he be able to execute it; even curse the people of Israel, with the utmost abhorrence and detestation of them, and in the most furious and wrathful manner;
8 How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied? — Balaam, as a magician, couldn’t distribute blessings and curses according to his own will, but put such constraint upon his God hoping to make Him subservient to his own will;
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. — the fact that the host of Israel dwelt by themselves in a separate encampment, Balaam discerned a type of the essential separation of Israel from the surrounding nations;
— and shall not be reckoned among the nations; as belonging to them, shall not be despised and reproached for their religion chiefly; nor mix with them; so the Targum of Jerusalem,” they shall not be mixed;” or as Jonathan says, “they shall not be led in the laws of the nations;” and though they are now scattered among the people and nations of the world, yet they should not mixed with them, nor reckoned to be a part of them;
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!” — Who can count the dust of Jacob? these words point back to the promise made to Abraham: “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth,” and Balaam knew about this!
— and the number of the fourth part of Israel; one of the four camps of Israel, as the Targum Jonathan says; for this people was divided into four camps, under so many standards, which were those of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan: Numbers 2:1;
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, “What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.” — I took thee to curse mine enemies: so he calls the Israelites, though they had never done him any wrong; nor committed any acts of hostility against him, nor showed any intention to commit any; nay, were forbidden by the Lord their God to contend in battle with him and his people;
12 And he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?” — must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? pretending a great regard to the word of God, and to great carefulness to speak it, exactly and punctually as he received it, whereas he was forced to it, and could not do otherwise;
13 And Balak said unto him, “Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place from whence thou mayest see them. Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse them for me from thence.” — the meaning of this verse would seem to be that if Balaam could obtain a full view of the entire army he would not only perceive the ground which existed for Balak’s alarm;
— and curse for me them from thence: that part, hoping that when he had cursed them he would gradually go on till he had cursed them all;
14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. — upon the top of Pisgah, north of the former station, and nearer to the Israelite camp; the greater part of which was, however, probably concealed from it by an intervening spur of the hill;
15 And he said unto Balak, “Stand here by thy burnt offering while I meet the Lord yonder.” — while I meet the Lord yonder; pointing to some place at a little distance, where he expected to meet the Lord, and have some instructions from him, which he seemed confident of, having met with him once already.
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go again unto Balak, and say thus.” — and said, go again unto Balak, and say thus; the words which are expressed in Numbers 23:18.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, “What hath the Lord spoken?” — and Balak said unto him, what hath the Lord spoken? being in haste to know what it was, whether agreeable or not.
18 And he took up his parable and said: “Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor. —and Balaam said to Balak:
19 God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?
— that he should repent; men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, he doesn’t change his words; thus Balak had no hope of ruining Israel.
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless; and He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. — and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it; God has blessed them, has blessed them in the victories he has given them, and will complete the blessing of them, by bringing them into the land he has given them.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. — He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; many sins were observed, but no such universal and hopelessness had as yet appeared, to induce God to abandon or destroy them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn. — the strength of an unicorn, but not of a buffalo (Deuteronomy 33:17); the sense is, Israel is not now what he was in Egypt, a poor, weak, dispirited, unarmed people, but high, and strong and invincible, yet not of full strength;
— the strength of a unicorn, that it, a kind of mountain goat, or wild goat, of a very tall size; not quite the strength of a wild bull, or a bison;
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘What hath God wrought!’
— What hath God wrought! that is, how wonderful and glorious are those works which God is now about to do for Israel, by drying up Jordan, by subduing the Canaanites; these things will be matter of discourse and admiration to all ages;
24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey and drink the blood of the slain.”— as a great lion; as a lion rouseth up himself to fight, or to go out to the prey, so shall Israel stir up themselves to warlike attempts against their enemies; but this is a prophecy “shall rise up” for the latter days;
25 And Balak said unto Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.” — the sense is not, that he would not have him curse them, that he could never say, since he had pressed it both before and after this;
— wherefore the words should be rendered, “if in cursing thou dost not curse,” or will not curse, “neither in blessing bless,” or, however, do not bless: if he could not or would not curse Israel, he would be better that he doesn’t bless them on any account;
26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, “Told not I thee, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do’?” — but Balaam answered and said unto Balak, told not I thee; he appeals to him for his honesty, he would be thought to be, both to God and man; he plainly told him what he must expect from him;
— saying, all that the Lord speaketh, that I must do; which was very true, he was obliged to do as he had bid him, and speak what he had said unto him, though it was sore against his will;
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, “Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou mayest curse them for me from thence.” — Balak was not deterred, however, from making another attempt: I will bring thee unto another place;
— at first (verse 25) Balak had in his vexation desired to stop the mouth of Balaam, but afterwards he thought it wiser to make yet another attempt to change the mind of God;
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. — unto the top of Peo; which was one peak of the northern part of the mountains of Abarim. It was nearer than the other heights for a better view overseeing the camp of the Israelites.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, “Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.” — build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams; which had been done in two places before, Numbers 23:1
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. — and Balak did as Balaam had said; though the sacrifices were expensive, he did not grudge them; he spared no cost to gain his point, though he now could have but little hope of it.
Numbers 24
1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek out enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. — and when Balsam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel; that it was good in his sight, and was well-pleasing to him, and that it was his determined mind that Israel should be blessed, and not cursed;
— but he set his face towards the wilderness: where the people of Israel lay encamped, not with an intention to bless them, though he saw it pleased the Lord, but to take an opportunity, if he could, without his leave, to curse them;
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. — and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; in that exact order in which they were directed to encamp under four standards, and so many tribes under each standard, Numbers 2:1
— and the Spirit of God came upon him; not as a spirit of sanctification, but as a spirit of prophecy, as the Targums of Jonathan paraphrases it; and so sometimes the Spirit of God in this sense has come upon wicked men, as on Nebuchadnezzar and others;
3 And he took up his parable and said: “Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said, — and he took up his parable; his parable of prophecy, as the Targum says, his prophetic speech, which, with a loud voice, he expressed in the hears of Balak and his nobles;
4 he hath said, who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: — he hath said, which heard the words of God; God speaking to him, which he did several times, and with which he was greatly elated, Numbers 22:9,
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! — how beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob! thy dwellings, O Israel! Like valleys are they spread out, like gardens by the stream, like aloes which God has planted, like cedars by the waters.
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lignaloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. — as the valleys are they spread forth; long and broad, lying between several mountains, and reaching from hill to hill; so the armies of Israel lay encamped in the plains and villages of Moab, making a very considerable length and breadth;
— and as cedar trees beside the waters; which are tall and high, large and spreading, durable lasting, to which the children of Jacob are compared;
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. — the children of Jacob, and they shall inherit the richest blessings; and their kings shall be higher than Agag, the dynastic monarchy of the Amalekite kings;
— the ‘Agag’ in Numbers 24:7 was translated as “Gog” in the Septuagint; thus “Agag” is a dynastic name of the kings of Amalek, a grandson of Esau; just as Pharaoh was used as a dynastic name for the ancient Egyptians, Caesar of Rome; or of more modern times, the Czar of Russia;
There shall come a man out of his seed, and he shall rule over many nations; and the kingdom of Gog shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be increased. Numbers 24:7 (Septuagint) “Agag” in the Masoretic; throughout history there is no concept of any “kingdom of Gog” but a “kingdom of Agag” could be conceptualized as the kingdom of the Amalekites.
— an important point to be noted: it arose from the Targum, the prophecy of Eldad and Medad (Number 11:27 Jonathan), which says, “a king will arise from the land of Magog, at the end of the days,” refering to endtime “Gog and Magog.” Thus this solidifies that Gog is a dynastic title of a king, a king of the Amalekite vigour in their hatred for Israel.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn. He shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows. — the strength of a unicorn, that it, a kind of mountain goat, or wild goat; he shall eat up the nations the surrounding enemies: the seven nations of Canaan; but still not quite the strength of a wild bull, or a bison;
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion. And as a great lion, who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.” — like a lion; “he will devour nations,” he will devour his enemies, crush their bones, and dash them in pieces: blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth the; words taken from Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:9.
10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, “I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. — and he smote his hands together; as expressive of his indignation, vexation, and disappointment;
— and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times; done nothing else but bless them with blessing upon blessing, time after time; even everyone of the three times he opened his mouth, as Balak expected, to have cursed them.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place. I thought to promote thee unto great honor, but lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.” — therefore now flee thou to thy place; his own country, from whence Balak had sent for him, and he came; make haste away; he speaks as one so provoked that he could not bear him in his presence, and as threatening him if he did not at once get out of his sight;
— but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour; the Lord thou hast so much talked of, and at whose beck and command thou hast been, and by whom thou hast been checked and controlled, he has hindered thee from riches and honour; see what thou hast got, or rather lost, by hearkening to him.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, “Spoke I not also to thy messengers whom thou sentest unto me, saying, — spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me: those that came to him a second time; for to the first he said nothing of what is after related, but to the last he did much the same as he had afterwards said to Balak himself;
13 ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak’? — I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad; for though here it is the “commandment” and there the “word” of the Lord, yet it is the same word in both places in the original text;
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.” — this prophecy “in the latter days” not much in the Masoretic, but far more in the Targum, especially in regards to a possible fall of the house of Jacob, are prophecies for our times!
— what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days; not what the Moabites should do to the Israelites now, but what the Israelites should do to the Moabites in future times; not only in the times of David, by whom they were subdued, II Samuel 8:2 but in much later times;
— now this might be said to Balak to make him feel easy, that it would not be until the latter days, many hundreds of years hence, ere the people of Israel would fight with Moab, and subdue it; and therefore he need be under no concern about them, since he would meet with no trouble from them in his time, nor his people for years to come.
And now, behold, I return to go to my people. Come, I will give thee counsel: Go, furnish tavern houses, and employ seductive women to sell food and drinks cheaply, and to bring this people together to eat and drink, and commit whoredom with them, that they may deny their God; then in a brief time will they be delivered into thy hand, and many of them will fall. Nevertheless, after this they will still have dominion over thy people at the end of days.
15 And he took up his parable and said: “Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said, — he took up his parable; a weighty and solemn speech, delivered in figurative and majestic language, is often termed a parable in Scripture;
— Balaam’s fourth and last prophecy under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel over all its foes, and the destruction of all the powers of the world;
— the first of these refers to the two nations that were related to Israel, namely, Edom and Moab (Numbers 24:17-19); the second to Amalek, the arch-enemy of Israel (Numbers 24:20); the third to the Kenites, who were allied to Israel (Numbers 24:21-22); and the fourth proclaims the overthrow of the great powers of the world (Numbers 24:23-24).
16 he hath said, who heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: — he knew the knowledge of the Most High; with the addition of these words, it points to the greater importance and the more distinctly predictive character of what follows;
17 I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Sheth. — the Targum of Jerusalem is as follows: “A King shall arise out of Jacob, and the Redeemer and Ruler from the house of Israel;”
— all the children of Sheth; the posterity of Cain and Adam’s other sons having all perished in the deluge; that he shall subdue all the sons of Sheth, and the Jerusalem Targum translates it, the sons of the east, or the Targum Jonathan “the armies of Gog” namely, the army from the East of Judea.
18 And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly. — the double conquest of Moab and Edom; as from Amos 9:12 Obadiah 1:18; whom Jacob or Israel, shall subdue and possess all his enemies;
— Israel shall do valiantly; in fighting with and conquering the Edomites or the Idumaeans, or shall get much wealth and riches by the spoil of them; Edom is the name of the people, Seir of the country; as the later had been subjugated by the descendants of Esau;
— in Moses’ days the Israelites were not allowed to fight with the Edomites, even when they refused to allow them to pass peaceably through their territory (Numbers 20:21), but were commanded to leave them in their possessions as a brother nation (Deuteronomy 2:4-5);
— but in prophecy, in the latter days, however, their relation to one another was to be different; because the hostility of Edom, already in existence, grew more and more into obstinate and daring enmity, which broke up all the ties of affection that Israel was to regard as holy, and thus brought about the destruction of the Edomites;
— the fulfilment of this prophecy commenced with the subjugation of the Edomites by David (2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 1 Chronicles 18:12-13), but it will not be completed till “the end of the latter days,” when all the enemies of the children of Israel, and when the Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter out of Israel, shall rule the world;
19 Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.” — the “Star” and “Sceptre” of the prophecy, like the “Sceptre” and “Lawgiver” point naturally to an individual rather than to a line of princes;
— and shall destroy him, that remaineth of the city; chief city of Edom, or of any of the cities of it, signifying that there should be none left, Obadiah 1:18, this is also applied to the days of the Messiah;
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said: “Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.” — and when Balaam looked on Amalek; from the mountain of Peor, on which Balaam stood, he had a view of the country of the Amalekites, which lay to the south of the land of Canaan;
— Amalek was the first of the nations; the ancestor of the Amalekites was Eliphaz, the son of Esau (Genesis 36:12). It has been supposed that the Amalekites separated themselves at a very early period from the rest of the Edomites; also, the Targum says the Amalekites were the first nation to attack Israel when they had come out of Egypt (Exodus 17:8);
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable and said: “Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock. — the Kenites; first mentioned Genesis 15:19 as one of the tribes whose territory was promised to Abraham;
— and said, strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock, they dwelling in craggy rocky places, where they thought themselves secure and out of danger;
22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.” — until Ashur shall carry thee away captive; Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, when he carried captive the people of Syria, took these with them; the Targum of Jonathan, by Sennacherib, king of Assyria;
23 And he took up his parable and said: “Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! — and Balaam took up his parable, and said; or delivered another prophecy, having made some little pause;
24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.” — from the coast of Chittim; a place or people, so called from Chittim, the son of Javan, (Genesis 10:4);
— shall afflict Asshur; Asshur signifies the descendants of Asshur, the Assyrians; but their name was of as large extent as their empire, and the Syrians and Assyrians are often confounded together, and mentioned as one people.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way. — Balaam rose up, and went to his place; to which, however, he went only to Midian, where he was slain among the kings of the Midianites, Numbers 31:8.
— and Balak also went his way; to his royal city, court, and family, attended, very probably, by the princes of Moab, who had been with him all this while.
In the further course of the history, we learn that Balaam went to the Midianites, and advised them to seduce the Israelites to unfaithfulness to God, by tempting them to join in the worship of Peor (Numbers 31:16). He was still with them at the time when the Israelites engaged in the war of vengeance against that people, and was slain by the Israelites along with the five princes of Midian (Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:22).
The prophecies against Edom were indeed taken up again and again by the prophets (eg, Ezekiel, Obadiah), but they were never adequately fulfilled. Later, Jews themselves and some Christian groups came to regard “Edom” as a Scriptural synonym for all who hated and oppressed Israel.
Amalek was very thoroughly overthrown by Saul, acting under the directions of Samuel (1 Samuel 15:7, 8), and never appears to have regained any national existence. Certain bands of Amalekites were smitten by David, and others at a later period in the reign of Hezekiah by the men of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:39-43).
China’s exports rose year-on-year by 10.3% in RMB, driven by 20% to 40% jumps in exports to India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa and other countries of the Global South. This more than compensated for sharp declines in shipments to developed markets including the US (-7%), the European Union (-6.8%), and Japan (-2.5%).
The biggest gains were registered in BRICS members India (+16%), Brazil (+37.1%), and South Africa (14.8%), as well as Vietnam (+28.4%) and Indonesia (+22.2%).
China’s exports to the Global South surpassed exports to all developed markets during late 2022 and 2023, as we have emphasized in past reports.
The preliminary January-February data show that this trend is accelerating.
Chinese investment in the Global South through the Belt and Road Initiative as well as private channels explains part of this success. Outbound Chinese investment to the Asia-Pacific reason jumped by 37% to $20 billion during 2023 – “reshaping the global economy,” as William Pesek wrote in Asia Times on March 11, 2024.
China dominates supply chains in key industries including telecommunications equipment, solar panels an, above all, electronics. “Re-shoring” and “friend-shoring” have routed increasing amounts of Chinese trade through third parties, notably Mexico, India and Vietnam.
In February 1983, Willy Brandt divided the world into the “Global South” (poor countries) and the “Global North” (rich countries)
The Chinese shipped semi-finished goods and components to third countries for final assembly and re-export to the United States. As the BIS wrote:
Firms from other jurisdictions have interposed themselves in the supply chains from China to the United States. The identity of the firms that have interposed themselves in this way can be gleaned from the fact that firms from the Asia-Pacific region account for a greater portion of suppliers to US customers than in December 2021, as well as accounting for a greater portion of the customers of Chinese suppliers.
The World Bank economists put it this way:
US imports from China are being replaced with imports from large developing countries with revealed comparative advantage in a product. Countries replacing China tend to be deeply integrated into China’s supply chains and are experiencing faster import growth from China, especially in strategic industries. Put differently, to displace China on the export side, countries must embrace China’s supply chains.
The tragic killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley in Georgia two weeks ago by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan migrant in the country illegally and with a criminal record, is the latest example of a much larger problem: Criminal gangs are brazenly taking advantage of America’s broken immigration policies to invade our country.
Quite simply, the stream of criminals pouring over the nation’s Southern border is now a tsunami with potentially disastrous implications, not only for America’s national security but also for President Biden’s reelection chances. Unless the president takes bold action to seriously strengthen the border, voters are likely to punish him in November.
That being said, any attempt to address the border issue is doomed if the president does not confront the problem at its source.
Venezuela, the largest source of illegal immigrants, is rapidly becoming a failed state, and its strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro – who has deepened economic and military ties between his oil-rich nation and other hostile regimes such as Russia, China, and Iran – is reportedly emptying the country’s jails, pushing criminals and gang members north, right over our porous border.
According to a former Venezuelan official, Maduro “is releasing convicted criminals on the condition that they would emigrate from the country to the United States.” Unsurprisingly, these criminals are establishing local cells of the same criminal gangs, particularly Tren de Aragua, which is notorious for drug trafficking, human smuggling, and kidnappings for ransom.
Law enforcement is sounding the alarm, with a senior FBI agent recently warning that Tren de Aragua is “rapidly expanding its criminal empire,” particularly in New York and Miami, where the FBI says gang members are behind a series of robberies and at least one murder.
Given the 340,000 Venezuelans encountered at the Southern border last year alone, the FBI is seriously concerned that these gangs will have little problem finding new recruits to further their expansion.
A South American dictator opening his jails and dumping criminals in American cities sounds more like a movie than real life, but the data is clear. Coinciding with a surge in Venezuelan migration to the US is a drop in violent crime in Venezuela to levels not seen in nearly a quarter-century.
Notably, violent deaths in Venezuela declined from 35.3 for every 100,000 people in 2022 to 26.8 per 100,000 in 2023 – the lowest since 2001, according to a Bloomberg report. Meanwhile, the same report quotes the director of the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, who points out that “gangs have emigrated due to the lack of opportunities to commit crimes.”
For his part, last year President Biden struck a deal with Maduro, offering sanctions relief in exchange for increased political liberalization – specifically, holding free and fair elections – and consenting to deportation flights of migrants from the US to Venezuela. The deal was supposed to be a victory for Biden, who could claim to be taking a tougher approach.
Early last month, however, those flights abruptly stopped after deporting just 1,300 migrants. Some speculated that the move owed to Biden’s reimposition of sanctions after Maduro reneged on his promise to hold free and fair elections.
While the attempt to stop the uncontrolled flow of migrants may have been admirable, the president should have known better. Never close to anything resembling an ally, Venezuela under Maduro has solidly aligned itself with the new “axis of evil” alongside Russia, China, and Iran.
The relationship between these countries should deeply worry the White House, particularly in light of intelligence reports indicating that Iran is looking to build a naval base in Venezuela, China’s increasing investment in the country, a massive influx of Russian weapons into Caracas, and Maduro’s strong support for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – critical for helping both countries skirt US-led sanctions.
Additionally, Venezuela’s role in hosting Russian troops and advanced air defense systems, not to mention the deep connections between Maduro and Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, which has a heavy presence in the South American country, cannot be overstated, particularly in light of Hezbollah’s daily attacks on Israel since its war with Hamas began on Oct 7.
Viewed in this light, it is clear that Venezuela represents more than just an immigration problem, but an extreme foreign policy and national security challenge. The Venezuelan threat extends far beyond the typical debate over immigration – and solving it lies squarely within the president’s remit.
It also constitutes a rapidly expanding political vulnerability for Biden, one that he has so far failed to address.
Indeed, last month, Americans ranked immigration as the most important issue facing the country, the first time since 2019 that it has topped the list. Nearly 3 in 10 (28%) Americans chose immigration, 8 points ahead of the second-place issue, the “government,” and more than double the portion identifying the economy (12%) and inflation (11%), per Gallup polling.
Worse still for Biden is that while the president’s general approval rating is a substandard 40%, his approval on immigration is a dismal 31%, according to the RealClearPolitics Average.
Voters do not trust Biden to address the issue. A majority (52%) of swing state voters say that they trust Donald Trump – rather than Biden – to handle immigration, while just 30% trust the president, per Morning Consult polling.
To be sure, while Biden does not bear full responsibility for the recent collapse of a border security deal in Congress, he is not powerless to deal with the issue, even if through executive order.
Even passing a border security bill would do little to stem the problem, anyway. Many solidly blue states and cities define themselves as “sanctuary cities,” barring them from cooperating with immigration officials – even when illegal migrants commit felonies, as Mr Ibarra did in New York prior to killing Ms Riley.
To be clear, unless President Biden takes concrete steps to strengthen the border and deal with Venezuela, his reelection would – justifiably – be in serious jeopardy.
Ultimately, Biden must close our Southern border and make it unmistakably clear to Maduro that dumping criminals on American shores will not go unpunished. Nor will Maduro’s deepening ties with hostile nations, which include hosting an Iranian naval base in the Americas.
Next, Biden should put America’s full economic, political, and diplomatic weight behind free and fair elections in Venezuela. The carrot and stick: the promise of much-needed sanction relief, or the threat of increasingly tough sanctions.
If Biden doesn’t do so, he will have to explain to the nation why he could not bring a South American dictator to heel and therefore endangered the safety of all Americans. That’s hardly a winning campaign strategy.
Now, consider this PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
And to understand the encrypted message above, see the followings:
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
As the threat of deflation stalks China’s economy, the China-watching herd has resurfaced an old question from the rotation: Is China turning Japanese? The well-known script, in the words of a media-anointed analyst:
China’s economic growth has followed what’s sometimes called “the Japanese model.” In Japan and other Asian countries, this model has proved extraordinarily successful in the short term in generating eye-popping rates of growth – but it always eventually runs into the same fatal constraints: massive overinvestment and misallocated capital. And then a period of painful economic adjustment. In short: Beijing, beware.
According to the narrative, China is now facing a Japan-style reckoning with its property sector stuck in the doldrums for over three years. Of course, the above quote was written in 2010 when China’s economy was less than half its current size and annual investment in residential property would still triple. Some people just like to be early.
Japan is sui generis. No nation’s economy has underperformed so lamentably for so long after outperforming so spectacularly for even longer. It’s just not true that every country that has followed “the Japanese model” has had to suffer long periods of painful economic adjustment – at least nothing approaching Japan’s malaise.
None of the four Asian Tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore) have experienced multiple decades of stagnation. And all of their per capita GDPs, coming from far behind, now exceed Japan’s on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis.
South Korea shook off the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, reformed its chaebols and moved up the value ladder. Taiwan integrated its economy with the mainland and became the world’s leading producer of semiconductors.
While Hong Kong’s recent decade has been lousy, it was the result of underinvestment in housing and, at the end of the day, the trade and financial hub still outperformed Japan. And Singapore is just a rocket ship with a per capita purchasing power parity GDP now 2.6 times that of Japan’s.
While the Asian Tigers’ birthrates started declining about ten years after Japan, they fell more precipitously and at lower per capita GDP levels. Taiwan’s birthrate has just about fallen to Japan’s level while South Korea’s has sunk far below. Singapore and Hong Kong population charts look no better despite immigration being a viable option.
What did not happen in any of the Asian Tigers is the hoary “getting old before getting rich” canard. Collapsing birthrates did not, in fact, prevent any of the Asian Tigers from catching up to and exceeding Japan’s per capita GDP.
While the night is still young and the consequences of disastrous-looking population charts may still catch up with the Asian Tigers, falling birthrates since the 1980s may have perversely allowed two generations of Asians to devote themselves to career and commerce, fueling decades of growth.
China’s birthrate had been comfortably higher than those of Japan and the Asian Tigers until surging university enrollment and Covid lockdowns caused a nosedive in recent years.
Still, China’s population under 20, at 23.3%, is considerably higher than its Asian counterparts (16-18%) and in line with the US (25.3%) and Europe (21.9%). The country’s 65 and older population, at 14.6%, is also lower than that of the developed world (20.5%).
While China will not lack young workers for another two decades, it remains to be seen whether births bounce post-Covid and as university enrollment plateaus.
Compared to the Asian Tigers, China is the least likely to suffer Japan-style economic stagnation as a result of demographics, which, in any case, none of them has (yet).
The underappreciated cause of Japan’s lost decades is the degradation of its human capital. In 2022, Japanese universities produced as many science and engineering grads as they did in 1990, despite a doubling of enrollment rates at four-year universities.
Starting in the mid-90s, as the youth population dwindled, four-year universities in Japan started to dip into the junior college bench, which enrolled 14% of Japanese post-secondary students in 1995.
By 2013, junior college enrollment fell to 5% while four-year college enrollment increased from 31% to 55% in the same period.
At the same time, those choosing to study science and engineering fell from 24.5% in 1971 to 18.1% in 2016 as Japanese STEM students gravitated towards medicine, in which enrollment saw a threefold increase in percentage terms.
The combined effect of dipping deep into the bench and losing STEM students to fields like medicine can only have lowered the quality of scientists and engineers that Japan did manage to produce.
With college graduates having plateaued in the 1970s, Japan is long past the era where its universities are adding educated employees to the workforce.
Japan, like the rest of the developed world, is now in replacement mode and, given the dwindling youth population, is forced to graduate students of ever-decreasing ability.
China, in contrast, has not yet plateaued in enrolling students in higher education. From single-digit university enrollment rates at the turn of the century, in 2022 China enrolled 34% of its 18-year-old age cohort into four-year degree programs and 29% into junior colleges.
If college enrollment plateaued today, China’s college-educated workforce will increase fourfold over the next 30 years.
The proportion of Chinese students majoring in science and engineering at four-year universities was 41% in 2015 (the last year of reported data), more than twice Japan’s level. At the junior college tier, 43% of students were studying technical fields (and 13% in healthcare.)
While China’s surge in higher education over the past two decades drove its industrial and technological growth, Japan has been retrenching along with its human capital.
With births declining for decades and college enrollment long plateaued, Japan’s educated workforce peaked in the late 1990s. We are now witnessing a long sunset.
Japanese patent applications have fallen 44% from their 2000 peak. Its annual domestic patents filed fell from over 25% of the world’s total to 3% in 2022. Japan published over 9% of the world’s scientific papers in the late 1990’s and only 3.4% in 2020.
From second to the US, Japan’s scientists have fallen to 10th place in the publication of the top 1% of papers by citation. Similarly, Japan’s share of global manufacturing output has fallen from over 20% in 1995 to 6% in 2021.
China’s surge during Japan’s decades of slow decline is well known. All China charts for the past four decades look the same – upwards and to the right at a 45-degree angle.
What is more intriguing is South Korea’s charts. Even as birthrates plummeted, South Korea was able to increase patents filed as well as scientific papers published, more or less matching Japan with less than half the population.
Similarly, South Korea has maintained its percentage of manufacturing value-added even as the China juggernaut swallowed up market share from everyone else.
The terrifying secret behind South Korea’s success is the nation’s savage dedication to education. For the past two decades, South Korea’s gross enrollment of its 18-year-old age cohort in higher education has been around 100% with some years exceeding 100%.
What this means is that South Korea has run out of 18-year-olds and is enrolling older students in universities to produce the workers it needs.
Analysts tend to attribute Japan’s economic malaise to financial mismanagement with demographics looming in the background like a chronic disease. It’s more complicated than that.
Japan never recovered financially, economically or socially after the US kicked its legs out from under it in the 1980s and 90s with the Plaza Accord, the evisceration of Toshiba and humiliating “voluntary” export quotas on cars.
Mismanaging an asset bubble, shielding the service industry from competition and keeping zombie companies on life support certainly didn’t help. But given the Plaza Accord’s constraints on the yen and the neutering of leading industrial giants, it’s not surprising that Japan retreated into a pot much smaller than the one it had occupied and once imagined for itself.
Japan suffered from nothing less than a loss of vitality as a bonsai’ed people dealt with lowered ambition by withdrawing from society (hikikomori), becoming “herbivores” (celibate) and marrying their kawaii anime pillowcases.
Despite dipping into the junior college bench and educating a larger proportion of the population, Japan just could not offset its declining and demoralized youth by making them higher-quality workers. And as such, the country fell precipitously down the science, technology and industrial league tables.
South Korea, on the other hand, with a smaller population and similar demographic profile, has heroically outcompeted Japan in semiconductors, consumer electronics, chemicals and shipbuilding. The country’s contribution to global scientific papers and patents has continued to increase and its per capita GDP surpassed that of Japan in 2018.
In the past two decades, South Korean youths have become the world’s most educated with over 70% of the population between 25 and 34 having completed tertiary education (versus 50-60% in other highly educated OECD countries).
While seemingly succeeding, the cure may be exacerbating the disease. Korean youth have an educational experience that reformers liken to child abuse.
Koreans appear to have taken education to whole new levels of Asian madness. For-profit cram schools (hagwons) were established decades ago for remedial test preparation. Today, they have taken over the education system, enrolling the majority of Korea’s five-year-olds.
The upshot of outrunning demographic decline through intense education, which South Korea has apparently succeeded in doing, is that an overworked and educationally ground-down population are now having even fewer children.
South Korea’s 2023 fertility rate per woman was a catastrophic 0.72 (with 2.1 necessary to maintain current levels of population). What this all means is that while South Korea has outrun “Japanification” for the time being, the eventual reckoning threatens to be catastrophic.
Today, like in 2010, commentary on China’s Japanification is far off the mark. China bears only superficial similarities with Japan, namely a property bubble, which in China’s case is so far a controlled demolition rather than chaotic collapse.
China’s human capital upgrade is just beginning to hit its stride while, in the 1990s, Japan’s was peaking. China’s college-educated workforce will not peak for another 30 years. To prevent education from eating its young, China recently outlawed the entire for-profit tutoring industry.
In the next two to three decades, China will be flooding its workforce with newly minted scientists and engineers to staff companies you never heard of just a short while ago – CATL, BYD, DJI, miHoYo, BOE.
There will surely be more. Attributing Japan’s lost decades to financial mismanagement is to mistake the symptom for the disease. Japan failed to upgrade the quality of its workforce after the Plaza Accord; it was simply outcompeted by China and South Korea, both of which did.
Analysts who obsess over Chinese property developers’ balance sheets, investment/consumption balances and local government debt are missing the forest from the trees.
How it’s all financed is of tertiary importance. China, like Japan, South Korea or any other economy, has always been a human capital story. It’s people all the way down.
In 2024, New York City is expected to receive over 100,000 new asylum seekers. Many of these newcomers have already integrated into the underground economy in New York, becoming part of the existing group of undocumented workers vulnerable to deportation and exploitation. Undocumented immigrants in New York State reportedly contributed $3 billion in taxes.
2. Los Angeles
Illegal Immigrants: 925,000
Reportedly, individuals entering Los Angeles without legal documentation originate from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Venezuela. The Migration Policy Institute estimated in 2019 that approximately 951,000 undocumented immigrants were living in Los Angeles County, accounting for nearly 10% of the county’s total population and representing the highest concentration of migrants in any US County.
3. Miami
Illegal Immigrants: 626,596
In Miami, one of the initial arrests made under Florida’s stringent SB 1718, regarded as one of the nation’s strictest state laws concerning migrants, involved a Mexican citizen detained for driving without US documentation and transporting undocumented individuals at the end of 2023.
4. Dallas
Illegal Immigrants: 475,000
The daily lives of undocumented immigrants in Dallas pose significant challenges. These individuals often undertake perilous border crossings and evade border patrols in their home countries in a bid to escape poverty and dire living conditions. Their migration to the US is driven by the hope for a better future and a chance to break free from impoverished circumstances.
5. Washington
Illegal Immigrants: 425,000
Following the recent decline in arrivals, projections indicate that illegal border crossings were expected to exceed 10,000 per day in 2023, following the Biden administration’s decision to lift the pandemic-related Title 42 border policy. Additionally, migrants seeking assistance are making their way to the District independently by car, plane, or commuter bus after facing challenges in finding stability in other US cities.
6. Houston
Illegal Immigrants: 413,316
Approximately 413,316 immigrants in Houston are believed to be undocumented. Out of this total, 196,000 immigrants qualify for either the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program, enabling them to obtain legal work authorization and residency in the United States.
7. Chicago
Illegal Immigrants: 400,000
Suburban communities are expressing their opposition amidst a surge in illegal arrivals in 2024, which the acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection describes as “unprecedented,” with over 10,000 illegal entries on multiple days last month. Democratic mayors of major cities, such as Eric Adams of New York and Brandon Johnson of Chicago, have been urging the Biden administration for assistance in managing the increasing influx.
The forthcoming resignation of US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has given rise to various theories as to the reason for her unexpected departure from the State Department. Moscow believes it’s due to the failure of the “anti-Russian course” and of the overall American “Ukrainian project.”
As well as that, eyes in Washington are turning to the nomination of Kurt Campbell, currently responsible for Indo-Pacific policy, to the role of second-ranking official in the State Department. The media and analysts interpret this as evidence that Asia is becoming Washington’s top priority against the backdrop of declining US interest in Ukraine.
Nuland’s announcement came as a surprise to many. The veteran US diplomat, who played an active part in the 2014 Maidan events in Ukraine, is remembered not only for handing out cookies in Kiev, but also for her involvement in major international crises and conflicts in recent decades.
Her record of more than 35 years at the US State Department under various administrations looks more impressive than the CV of the current secretary of state, Mr Blinken.
On Tuesday, Blinken himself rushed to pay tribute to Nuland’s achievements and solemnly escorted her out of the State Department and straight into the history and diplomacy books.
Recalling that she had served under six presidents and ten secretaries of state, Blinken argued that in her last post in the Joe Biden administration she had embodied the desire to restore “America’s global leadership.”
The head of the State Department paid special attention to the role played by Nuland in the formation of the anti-Russia coalition after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling her efforts indispensable, and saying they will be studied by future diplomats and students.
The main task that Nuland has been working on in recent years, he said, was the “strategic defeat” of Russia and helping Ukraine “to stand on its own feet democratically, economically and militarily.” But despite all her experience and influence, it seems Blinken didn’t try to dissuade her from resigning.
The news triggered an avalanche of reactions from leading Russian politicians, diplomats, experts and the media.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Nuland was forced to resign because of the failure of Biden’s course on Russia.
“This is a failure of the policy associated with Nuland, because she was the central figure who pursued a Russophobic policy towards our country, the whole story was tied to Nuland,” Zakharova said.
According to her, the outgoing US deputy secretary of state was “not just a high-ranking representative of the State Department, but a key figure in US interagency cooperation.”
“She was a coordinator of anti-Russian sentiment and anti-Russian policy by the United States, especially in the context of Ukraine. I can’t say that she was an ideologue. There are people out there who hate us more, but she really was a coordinator, she is associated with that policy. And that is how they said goodbye to her,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, a theory has emerged in Washington that Nuland’s resignation was the result of a power struggle in which she lost the race for the post of first deputy foreign policy chief.
Some pundits see a battle of narratives, with behind-the-scenes jockeying of personalities. All part of a dispute over the long-term shape of US foreign policy and its priorities.
It should be recalled that after Wendy Sherman resigned last summer as US deputy secretary of state, her duties were carried out for six months by Nuland.
Kurt Campbell, creator of the anti-Chinese military bloc AUKUS
At the end of last year, however, the White House made the unexpected decision to nominate Campbell, another veteran of American diplomacy, for the second post in the diplomatic service. Campbell, who does not have as big a name in the diplomatic world as Nuland, has made his career not in the Euro-Atlantic but in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Ms. Nuland was considered the natural candidate to replace Ms. Sherman on a permanent basis. But Mr Blinken nominated Kurt Campbell, the former National Security Council representative for Asia,” the New York Times commented on the reshuffle.
James Carden, a former US State Department official, told RIA Novosti: “I was actually surprised that she lasted as long as she did. I realised her time was up when Kurt Campbell got the second-ranked job at the department.”
In a Senate vote on 6 February, his nomination received broad bipartisan support: 92 senators voted in favour, with five voting against.
“President Biden’s choice of Kurt Campbell signals a desire to continue the efforts begun by his predecessors decades ago to shift the focus of US foreign policy to China as the major challenge facing America in the future,” AP commented on the reshuffle.
“Kurt Campbell played a key role in developing President Barack Obama’s ‘pivot to Asia’ into President Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy,” Yuri Tavrovsky, chairman of the expert council of the Russian-Chinese Friendship, Peace and Development Committee, told Kommersant.
“In practical terms, he was particularly active in the creation of the anti-Chinese military bloc AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) and in strengthening the military component of the QUAD (Australia, India, the US and Japan),” Tavrovsky said.
“The appointment of Campbell to the second-highest post in the State Department demonstrates the White House’s long-term course of containing China, despite words and gestures that look like a desire for reconciliation.”
Thus, according to Mr Tavrovsky, “the second place in the State Department went not to the greatest hater of Russia, but to the greatest hater of China.”
Now, consider this PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words, prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, “in the latter days,” are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 21
1 And when King Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies, then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. — these Canaanites were the Amalekites; for the Targum of Jonathan says “And Amalek, who had dwelt in the south, and changed, and came and reigned in Arad,” who dwelt in the Negeb, that is, the south;
2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, “If Thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” — Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord; made to feel their own weakness, they implored the aid of Heaven, and, in anticipation of it, devoted the cities of this king to future destruction;
3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Hormah [that is, Utter Destruction]. — these Canaanites could be Amalekites, as verse one of the Targum of Jonathan says;
— and he called the name of the place Hormah; which before was called Zephath, and it seems to have its name from various disasters which happened at this place; as the defeat of the Israelites by the Amalekites, Numbers 14:45, and here of the Canaanites by the Israelites, and afterwards of the inhabitants of this place by Judah and Simeon, Judges 1:17
4 And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. — by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom; which lay by it, and from whence it had the name of the Red sea, Edom signifying red; and by the way of that the Israelites must needs go, to go round that country;
— and the soul of the people was much discouraged because it was going back instead of going forward to Canaan’s land; it was a round about way they were going; when, could they have been admitted to have passed through the country of Edom, the way would have been short;
5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.” — again, the children of Israel were wearied by a long march round the land of Edom; speaking discontentedly of what God had done for them, and distrustfully of what he would do.
6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died. — and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people; of which there were great numbers in the deserts of Arabia, and about the Red sea;
— and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died; the same Arabian flying serpents, that their poison is so quick, that death follows before the pain can be felt, unless prevented by the grace of God.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee. Pray unto the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people. — the severity of their punishment brough them to their senses: thus the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned;
— the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned; the severity of the scourge and the appalling extent of mortality brought them to a sense of sin, and through the intercessions of Moses, which they implored, they were miraculously healed;
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole. And it shall come to pass that every one who is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” — a fiery serpent; that is, the figure of a serpent in brass, to be elevated on a pole or standard, which is of a fiery colour; that it might be seen at the extremities of the camp and that every bitten Israelite who looked to it might be healed;
— and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, shall live; which is very wonderful, that by looking to the figure of a serpent, men should be cured of the deadly bites; the virtue of healing could not come from the figure, but from God;
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived. — and Moses made a serpent of brass; which was the most proper metal to make it of, that it might resemble the fiery serpents;
— and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived; God was teaching the people something about faith: it is totally illogical to think that looking at a bronze image could heal anyone from snakebite, but that is exactly what God told them to do.
10 And the children of Israel went forward, and pitched camp in Oboth.
11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab toward the sunrising.
12 From thence they removed, and pitched camp in the Valley of Zered.
13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the border of the Amorites; for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord what He did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, — the Book of the Wars of the Lord; a history of wars in former times, from the times of Abraham onward perhaps, were lost;
15 and at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16 And from thence they went to Beer. That is the well whereof the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” — gather the people together, and I will give them water; for as they were now gone from the river Arnon, and they might be in want of water, though they did not murmur as they had been used to do;
17 Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing ye unto it! — then Israel sang; this beautiful little song was in accordance with the wants and feelings of travelling caravans, where water is an occasion both of prayer and thanksgiving.
18 The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people dug it by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves.” And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,
19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth in the valley that is in the country of Moab to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, — and Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who were one of the nations of the Canaanites, and who were devoted to destruction, and their land designed for the people of Israel;
22 “Let me pass through thy land. We will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well, but we will go along by the king’s highway until we be past thy borders.” — let me pass through thy land; through some part of it, which would have been a shorter way to the river Jordan, over which Israel was to pass into the land of Canaan;
— the terms proposed, or things to be observed in their passage, which they would bind themselves strictly to, are the same that were made earlier to the king of Edom, Numbers 20:17.
23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border. But Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness; and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. — Sihon, the rejection of their respectful and pacific message was resented; hence Sihon was defeated in battle, and Israel obtained by right of conquest the whole of the Amorite dominions.
24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25 And Israel took all these cities; and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof. — and Israel smote him with the anathema (hatred or curse) of the Lord as Jonathan says, at the edge of the sword: slew him and his army, entirely routed them;
— and the land and cities given to the Reubenites and Gadites, who inhabited them, as their possession and inheritance, Numbers 32:2;
26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. — and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon; and had been in the hands of the Amorites some years;
27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say: “Come into Heshbon; let the city of Sihon be built and prepared. — Come into Heshbon; these verses appear to commemorate first the victory of the Amorites over the Moabites, and then that of the Israelites over the Amorites.
28 For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon. — and the lords of the high places of Arnon; their priests and worshippers in the temples.
29 Woe to thee, Moab! Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh! He hath given his sons that escaped and his daughters into captivity, unto Sihon king of the Amorites. — O people of Chemosh; which was the name of their idol, who is called the abomination of the Moabites, 1 Kings 11:7;
30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon. And we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.” — We have shot at them; either the Amorites at the Moabites, or else the Israelites at the Amorites;
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. — the Israelites that dwelt here were the tribes of Reuben and Gad.
32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites who were there. — and Moses sent to spy out Jaazer; or Jazer, as it is called in Isaiah 16:9, another city that belonged to the Amorites, and which they had taken from the Moabites;
33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. — Og; a giant, an Amoritish prince, who, having opposed the progress of the Israelites, was defeated.
34 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Fear him not, for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people and his land. And thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” — for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; that is, he had determined to do it, and now promised it, and it might be depended on and looked upon as if actually done.
35 So they smote him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him alive; and they possessed his land. — and they possessed his land; in which were sixty cities fenced with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns; these were possessed by the half tribe of Manasseh, Deuteronomy 3:4.
Numbers 22
1 And the children of Israel went forward, and pitched camp in the plains of Moab on this side of the Jordan by Jericho. — Israel pitched in the plains of Moab; so called from having formerly belonged to that people, though wrested from them by Sihon. It was a dry, sunken, desert region on the east of the Jordan valley, opposite Jericho;
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. — Balak the son of Zippor; the name Balak is presently explained, another branch of the kings of Moab at this time, but not the king from whom Sihon had wrested so much of his territory;
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. — and Moab was sore afraid of the people; lest they should enter into their country and do to them as they had done to Sihon and Og;
4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, “Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
— lick up, that is, consume and utterly destroy, in which sense the fire is said to lick up the water and sacrifices, 1 Kings 18:38; the meaning is, we can expect no mercy from them, they will utterly root us out as they did the Amorites, if we do not make a stout and timely opposition;
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. — Balaam the son of Beor; it is interesting that the name Bela the son of Beor occurs as a king of Edom (Genesis 36:32).
— “Bela, son of Beor,” he was the first king of Edom; more details from Genesis 36:31-32
31 And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. Genesis 36:31-32
— thus Balaam was a Edomite, or an Idumean, one from the children of Esau; Balaam was a prophet or a witchcraft from Edom;
— and just a reminder of what was prophecised by Isaac to Esau earlier:
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:40-41 Jonathan
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse for me this people; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.” — for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed; so high an opinion had the king of Moab of this soothsayer and diviner or of a witchcraft;
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came unto Balaam and spoke unto him the words of Balak. — and the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian, departed; by which they were princes and nobles; for such the elders were were sent to Balaam, which so famous a soothsayer could not be thought to be without;
8 And he said unto them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word back, as the Lord shall speak unto me.” And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. — the princes of Moab, and of Midian too, as is manifest from Numbers 22:7, which was needless to repeat here;
— but some thought they departed as soon as they heard Balaam say he would consult the Lord about this matter; because they concluded there would be no room to hope for success, since he would never consent to destroy a nation so dear unto him;
9 And God came unto Balaam and said, “What men are these with thee?” — and God came unto Balaam; in a dream probably, as he did to Abimelech and Laban, Genesis 20:3,
— What men are these with thee? this inquiry, like that addressed to Elijah, “What doest thou here?” (1Kings 19:9), or that to Hezekiah, “What said these men?
— and from whence came they unto thee?” and “What have they seen in thine house?” (Isaiah 39:3-4) was calculated to arouse the slumbering conscience of Balaam, and to open his eyes to a perception of his sin and of his danger.
10 And Balaam said unto God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, — and Balaam said unto God; in answer to the question he put to him;
11 ‘Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, who covereth the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to overcome them and drive them out.’” — if Balaam had been a true prophet of God, he would have sent the messengers away and refused their request, as he must then have known that God would not curse His chosen people;
— but Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness; his corruption obscured his mind, so that he turned to God not as a mere form, but with the intention and in the hope of obtaining the consent of God to his undertaking.
12 And God said unto Balaam, “Thou shalt not go with them. Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed.” — for they are blessed; by the Lord himself, with an irrevocable blessing, and therefore it would be vain and fruitless, as well as dangerous for him to attempt to curse them, Genesis 12:3;
— which may have a special respect to the blessing of Jacob by Isaac, and could not be reversed by the solicitations of Esau, and which descended to Jacob’s posterity, the Israelites, Genesis 27:33.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balak, “Get you into your land, for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.” — the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you; that is, the Lord had strictly forbidden him to curse this people, and assured him that they were blessed.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak and said, “Balaam refuseth to come with us.” — and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us; as Balaam told them less than what God had said to him, so they related less to Balak than what Balaam had said to them;
— saying nothing of the Lord’s refusing to let him go with them, but represent it as a piece of pride and obstinacy in Balaam, and which Balak was left to understand; and it seems as if he did understand it as a piece of policy in Balaam, to get a larger offer of money or honour, or both, from him.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. — Balak treats the prophet’s reason for not coming as a mere excuse. Balaam, being a famous diviner, required, as he thought, to be treated with greater respect;
— Balak judged that Balaam was not really unwilling to come, and that it was only needful to ply him with more flattery and larger promises, with more honorable princes.
16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me; — let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me; no business, though ever so important, that might be upon his hands;
— nor any want of respect to him he might imagine; nor if the rewards offered were not thought sufficient; nor any persuasions of men to the contrary; and if it could be thought he knew anything of the prohibition of God, that may be included; so urgent was he upon his coming to him.
17 for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me. Come therefore, I pray thee, curse for me this people.’” — come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; renewing the request made in the first embassy with great importunity, Numbers 22:6
— but using here a different word for “cursing”; there, the word signifies to curse lightly; here, to blaspheme and utterly devote to ruin; to which may be added, to curse expressly and by name, to pierce through and through, to deprive of all benefits, and to destroy utterly.
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more. — I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord; these words may have been nothing more than an ostentatious semblance of disinterestedness and superiority to worldly considerations;
— or it is possible that Balaam may have been conscious that “he spake not of himself,” and that, as regards his prophetic utterances, he was but the mouthpiece of the Lord.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what more the Lord will say unto me.” — that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more; he hoped he would change his mind, and say something to him different from,
— and contrary to what he had before declared unto him, which to suppose of God is great vileness and wickedness; to such a pitch did his greedy desire after riches and honour work him up into; he ought to have been satisfied with the answer already given him, and not to have inquired more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night and said unto him, “If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.” — they are come to call thee: but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shall thou do; whether he would or not, he should be forced to do it;
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. — and saddled his ass; which, if he did himself, this is of the haste he was in; though, as he had two servants with him, it is more likely that they did it by his order;
22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. — Balaam went with an intention, with a will to curse Israel, which must be displeasing to God, who knew his heart; so the Targum of Jonathan says, “and the anger of the Lord was strong, because he was intending to curse them;”
23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand. And the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field, and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way. — but Balaam saw not the angel because God withheld his eyes;
24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side. — the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards; the roads which lead through fields and vineyards are so narrow that in most parts a man could not pass a beast without care and caution.
25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he smote her again. — and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; running up so very closely to it; and he smote her again; having done it once before;
26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. — and the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place; more narrow than the other, at a further distance: where was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left;
27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. — and when the ass saw the angel of the Lord; the third time; for it seems that he was not always in sight, but disappeared as he removed from place to place, and at every new place where he stood the ass saw him, though her master did not;
28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, “What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?” — God made use of the voice of an ass, both because it was fitting that a brutish mind should be taught by a brute;
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, “Because thou hast mocked me. I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.” — I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee: so enraged was he, and his passion was so great, that he was not at all frightened and amazed to hear the ass speak;
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, “Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?” And he said, “Nay.” — and he said, nay; she had never been used to serve him in such a manner as she had now, and therefore he should have concluded that something more than ordinary was the matter;
31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. — and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face; from off his ass upon the ground, in reverence of the illustrious object before him, and through fear of being slain by his sword in his hand;
32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, “Why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me. — because thy way is perverse before me; the journey he took was not with his good liking, and especially seeing he went with an intention,
— if possible, to serve Balak, and curse Israel; the way of his heart was bad, which the Lord knew; it was not directed according to his will, but swerved from it; the Targum of Jonathan says, “it is manifest before me that thou seekest to go and curse the people, and the thing is not pleasing me.”
33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times. Unless she had turned from me, surely now also I would have slain thee and saved her alive.” — surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive; had certainly and only slain him, and not the ass;
34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.” — now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get back; which he spoke very coldly and faintly, not caring heartily to go back, unless forced to it;
— for seeing a drawn sword in his hand, he might be afraid of his life should he persist in his journey, and therefore feigns a readiness to go back, quitting on condition that his going forwards was displeasing; whereas he knew it was, especially his going with an evil mind to hurt Israel if possible.
35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, “Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. — but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak; which expresses not only what he ought to do, but what he should be obliged to say;
— even to bless the people against his will, when his mind was to curse them, it being for his worldly interest; so Balaam went with the princes of Balak; and they proceeded on in their journey.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost border. — he went out to meet him; overjoyed at the news that his princes had succeeded, and to show him respect, and do him honour, and all to encourage him to do his utmost for him;
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? Why camest thou not unto me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?” — Balak has now nothing to complain of, but that Balaam did not come sooner;
— wherefore camest thou not unto me? at first, without showing so much indifference and reluctance, and which obliged me to send another message to thee;
— am I not able to promote thee to honour? to give thee wealth and riches, and put thee into high places of honour and profit? hadst thou any doubt in thy mind about it, either concerning my ability or will to do it?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, “Lo, I have come unto thee. Have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.” — have I now any power at all to say anything? that would be agreeable to the king, and answer his purpose in sending for him, namely, to curse the people of Israel; he suggests that he had not, he was under the powerful restraint of God;
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth. — he then went with Balak to Kirjath-Chuzoth, where the king had oxen and sheep slaughtered in sacrifice, and sent flesh to Balaam as well as to the princes that were with him for a sacrificial meal, to do honour to the soothsayer thereby.
40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. — and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him; either part of it to them, or he sent for them to come, and partake of the feast, he and the princes of Moab and Midian, that had been to fetch him, and still attended him;
41 And it came to pass on the morrow that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people. — and it came to pass on the morrow; the day after the arrival of Balaam at Balak’s royal seat, and after the entertainment given him, and the princes, “on the morning” of that day, as the word signifies; and perhaps early in the morning,
— the king eager to be about business, and get the people of Israel cursed if possible as soon as could be that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal; where groves were planted, and altars erected to that “idol” and which the Targum of Jonathan calls the idol Peor, the same with Baalpeor, Numbers 25:3.
The US is reportedly in discussions with the UK and Australia about inviting Japan to take part in weapons development under the AUKUS security partnership, outlet Nikkei Asia claimed on Saturday, citing US officials.
An official announcement of the partnership is expected to be made during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington next month, the outlet claimed, noting that Japan would be the first country invited to work with the trilateral AUKUS military technology sharing framework established in 2021 by Australia, the UK, and the US.
The report stressed that there are currently no talks about Japan becoming a formal member of the group and its participation is set to be limited to a very specific project tied to the development of cutting-edge defense technologies under the bloc’s so-called Pillar 2.
Under the AUKUS pact, Pillar 1 is devoted to helping Australia acquire conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines, while Pillar 2 is focused on the development and sharing of advanced tech with warfighting capabilities such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, undersea drones, hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare technologies.
While the White House and the Pentagon have neither confirmed nor denied the Nikkei Asia report, the US National Security Council’s senior director for East Asia and Oceania, Mira Rapp-Hooper suggested last month that Washington was indeed willing to invite a new country to Pillar 2 “in the very near term.”
Last month, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated that he wanted to work more closely with Japan on technological developments, but ruled out Tokyo’s involvement in the nuclear submarine project and suggested that it would take some time before cooperation can be established, as the Pillar 2 projects are also in their formative stages.
According to Nikkei Asia’s sources, Australia has been skeptical about including any additional countries in the AUKUS pact, worrying that doing so would complicate tech-sharing and delay development.
With regard to Japan specifically, there are reportedly concerns about it needing to make significant progress in the area of cybersecurity before it can fully contribute to weapon development under AUKUS.
One senior State Department official explained to the outlet that cybersecurity is “paramount” because “we understand our adversaries such as [China] do see an opportunity… [and] have a great interest in trying to obtain our defense information through our defense trade.”
China, meanwhile, has repeatedly condemned the AUKUS pact since it was established, arguing that its goal of equipping Australia with nuclear-powered subs poses serious “proliferation risks” and threatens the Asia-Pacific region.
Now, consider this PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
There is no future for Ukraine outside Moscow’s strategic interests, the senior official Medvedev said. This concept crashes directly with Estonian Foreign Minister: Macron’s suggestion to send troops shifts paradigm in Ukraine support.
Ukraine lies within the sphere of Russian strategic interests and has no future in any other capacity, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, has stated.
Russian people consider Ukraine to be part of the larger Russian civilization, the senior official said in a speech at a youth conference in Sochi on Monday. Moscow considers it to be the country’s “soft underbelly,” from which no threat to Russia should be allowed to be projected.
”The territories on both banks of the Dnieper River are an inalienable part of Russian strategic historic borders,” he said, using his preferred term for what is usually known as ‘sphere of influence’ in geopolitics. “All attempts to change them by force, to cut its living body, are doomed.”
He noted the title of a book by Leonid Kuchma, the second president of Ukraine following its independence from the USSR, which declared: ‘Ukraine is not Russia’.
“This concept must vanish forever. Ukraine is without a doubt Russia,” Medvedev said.
He blasted the current government in Kiev as the “main threat” to its own people, considering its anti-Russian policies. Ukrainians have “fallen into a stupid trap” set for it by the US and its allies, who have successfully turned the nation into a weapon against Russia, he said.
”The best fate they can expect [from the West] is to become slaves to the ailing European freak show,” Medvedev said, referring to the leaders of the EU and UK, who he described as incompetent and subservient to Washington.
”[The Ukrainians] will play the role of a deaf-mute servant who is raped every day in a European kitchen by a lord from overseas,” the former president added.
Russia is not interested in territorial conquest, Medvedev said. Whatever natural riches Ukraine has, Russia also has in abundance, he claimed.
”The great treasure that we will not surrender to anyone for anything is the people,” he said. The Ukrainians have become “confused” by Western propaganda, but at their core they have the same values and way of life as the Russians, and need to be rescued, Medvedev said.
49 The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young. 51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee. Deuteronomy 28:49-51
Musk Says US Will Collapse if Country Tries to ‘Absorb’ World Through Immigration
Elon Musk says Biden flying 320,000 ‘unvetted’ migrants into the US sets stage ‘for something far worse than 9/11’
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States faces the risk of collapse if it continues to allow migrants from around the world to enter the country illegally, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Tuesday.
“America will fall if it tries to absorb the world. That is why I am banging the drum so much about this issue,” Musk said in a statement via social media platform X (former Twitter), in response to a post criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of border security.
The Biden administration is “importing voters” through its immigration policy, Musk said in a separate post on Tuesday. Such actions constitute treason, Musk added.
Musk’s statements come amid an increase in illegal immigration to the US under the Biden administration that has amounted to some eight million people officially, but substantially more according to unofficial sources.
Elon Musk says Biden flying 320,000 ‘unvetted’ migrants into the US sets stage ‘for something far worse than 9/11’
Ukraine are now showing off its upgraded sea drones which is a big nightmare for the Russia’s navy. But soon the Houthis will have similar drones and would be an even bigger nightmare for the US and UK Navies in the Red Sea.
Uktain’s Sea Drones can carry 2200 pounds of explosives and up to 621 miles reach
Ukraine has upgraded its Sea Baby drone after it inflicted a series of humiliating defeats on Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
“The Sea Baby 2024 is a new-generation drone that is enhanced and even more lethal for the enemy,” said Ukraine’s SBU military intelligence agency in a statement, according to a translation by Ukraine’s Defense Express.
According to the SBU, the Sea Baby 2024 is more maneuverable, can be fitted with weapons, and is able to carry around 2,200 pounds of explosives up to 621 miles.
The SBU said 25 of the new drones had been built and are being tested with the help of $7 million in crowdfunded donations.
It also released a video showing the vessel changing direction at high speed in the water.
The original model appears to have had a similar range and payload, though not the maneuverability or weapons capabilities of the new model.
Ukraine’s sea drones have been central to its success against the Russian navy in the Black Sea.
The vessels are remotely piloted using GPS and cameras, fitted with explosives, and driven into ships. They are relatively cheap and around $200,000. Other weapons used to target warships, such as missiles, can cost millions of dollars.
Vladimir Putin’s ally has declared Ukraine is “definitely Russia” – and presented a map just how much of the country Moscow thinks it should control.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council and former Russian president, also ruled out any peace talks with Kyiv during a speech on Monday.
“Our geostrategic space has been indivisible since the time of the ancient Russian state,” the former Russian president said, presenting a map showing the vast majority of Ukraine’s territory gobbled up by Russia. “This concept must disappear forever. Ukraine is definitely Russia.”
Medvedev’s map shows the borders of other countries, including Poland and Romania, changed as well.
The speech echoes previous comments from Medvedev, who has repeatedly said he doesn’t think Ukraine should exist, accusing it of being simply a “misconception” following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and an unnecessary part of the world.
Russia will not stop its war until Ukraine surrenders, he said in the speech, adding that peace talks with Kyiv were off the table.
“Historic parts of the country need to come home. All our adversaries need to understand once and for all a simple fact: that the territories on both banks of the Dnipro River [which bisects Ukraine] are an integral part of Russia’s strategic and historical borders.”
The aggressive speech comes weeks after Medvedev threatened to use nuclear weapons against the United States and other western allies, and just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons if NATO countries contribute troops to help defend Ukraine. The remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested allies could deploy forces to Ukraine.
“They must understand that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory,” Putin said. “All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?”
The bellicose rhetoric coincides with a Russian information operation aimed at diluting Western support to Ukraine and hasten a Russian victory, according to Germany’s defense minister. Russian state media reported on leaked audio allegedly showing German officers discussing support for Ukraine and the possible provision of Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv.
“All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?” Putin said.
49 The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand,
50 a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young.
51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee. Deuteronomy 28:49-51
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2 “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying: ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish and upon which never came a yoke. — that they bring thee a red heifer; or “young cow”, for so the word properly signifies; one of two years old, as the Targum of Jonathan says;
3 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth outside the camp, and one shall slay her before his face. — unto Eleazar, who was the second priest, and, in some cases, the vicegerent or deputy of the high priest;
— to him, not to Aaron, because this service made him unclean for a season, Numbers 19:7, and consequently unfit for holy ministrations; whereas the high priest was, as far as possibly he could, to be preserved from all sorts of defilement, and constantly fit for his high and holy work.
4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times. — the sprinkling of the blood before the Lord was the chief solemnity in all the sacrifices of atonement;
5 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight: her skin and her flesh and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn. — in all other cases the blood was poured away beside the altar, because in the blood was the life, and the life was given to God in exchange for the life of the offerer.
6 And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. — cedar-wood may be regarded as the emblem of fragrance and incorruption; hyssop as the emblem of purification; and scarlet (or crimson) wool or cloth may be regarded as emblematical symbols of sin;
7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water; and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening. — and he shall bathe his flesh in water; not his clothes only, but his body was to be dipped in water: unclean until the evening (ā·reḇ);
8 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening. — the persons who took part in this; that is, the priest, the man who attended to the burning, and the clean man who gathered the ashes together, and deposited them in a clean place for subsequent use – became unclean till the evening;
9 And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin. — a man shall gather up the ashes; the ashes of the heifer were separated as well as they could be from the ashes of the wood;
— wherewith it was burned, were pounded and sifted, and laid up for the use of the congregation as there was occasion, not only for that generation, but for posterity; for the ashes of this one heifer, the Jews tell us, were sufficient to season as many vessels of water as the people of Israel would need for many ages; as ashes may be kept a long time;
10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger who sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever. — of them, for an everlasting statute;
11 “‘He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. — the defilement caused by touching the dead beast lasted only until the evening (Leviticus 11:24); but the contact with a dead body of a man was attended by a defilement of longer duration; of seven days.
12 He shall purify himself with the water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. — on the seventh day he shall be clean, to teach us that our purification in this life is gradual, and not perfect till we come to that eternal sabbath, which the seventh day respected.
13 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man who is dead and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him. — and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; either be excommunicated, or die by the hand of the magistrate, or by the immediate hand of God;
14 “‘This is the law when a man dieth in a tent: All who come into the tent, and all who are in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. — this is the law when a man dieth in a tent; a tent is only mentioned, because the Israelites now dwelt in tents; otherwise the law holds equally good of an house as of a tent;
15 And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean. — which hath no covering bound upon it; without any linen or a woollen cloth wrapped and tied about it;
16 And whosoever toucheth one who is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. — or as the Targum of Jonathan says: “or a dead body” that dies a natural death, or suddenly, or in any way;
17 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel. — they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin; from the place where they were laid up for this use;
— and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel; the Targum Jonathan says, “spring water into the earthen vessel;” for no water but fountain, spring, or river water, was made use of; and it should seem by what is said that ashes were first put into the vessel, and then the running water was put to them;
18 And a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the vessels and upon the persons who were there, and upon him that touched a bone or one slain or one dead or a grave.
— and a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water; three stalks of hyssop bound together, as the Targum of Jonathan, and this man was to be a clean priest, but that anyone free from ceremonial pollution might do it;
19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening.
— and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even; in like manner as the man that let go the goat into the wilderness, Leviticus 16:26.
20 “‘But the man who shall be unclean and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him: he is unclean. — shall not purify himself, that is, shall contemptuously refuse to submit to this way of purification.
21 And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until evening. — and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even: but was not clean until he had washed his clothes;
22 And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean, and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until evening.’”
— this also was to be an everlasting statute, that he who sprinkled the water of purification, or even touched it (Numbers 19:7), and he who was touched by a person defiled (by a corpse), and also the person who touched him, should be unclean till the evening, – a rule which also applied to other forms of uncleanness.
Numbers 20
1Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the Desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh. And Miriam died there, and was buried there.
— and the people abode in Kadesh; it is evident that the sojourn in Kadesh was a protracted one, whether Kadesh did, or did not serve as the head-quarters of the people from the second or third year of the exodus until that in which they entered into the land of Canaan.
2 And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. — and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron; just as they had done before them, being of the like temper and disposition.
3 And the people chided Moses and spoke, saying, “Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! — and spake, saying, would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord; either at Taberah by fire, or as Korah and his company in like manner, or as the fourteen thousand and seven hundred by a pestilence, Numbers 11:1 which they thought a much easier death;
4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
— that we and our cattle should die there? with thirst; they seem to represent it, as if this was the end, design, and intention of Moses and Aaron in bringing them thither; their language is much the same with them earlier on a similar occasion;
5 And why have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? It is no place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.” — to bring us unto this evil place; dry and barren, where there were neither food nor drink, as follows:
— it is no place of seed; or fit for sowing, any sort of seed, as wheat, barley, rye, rice, or of figs, or vines, or pomegranates; it is not a soil fit to plant such trees in, nor would they grow were they planted: neither is there any water to drink; for them and their cattle, and therefore must be a miserable place for so large a body of people to subsist in.
6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. — and Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly; like fugitives, they fled from them through fear, lest they should rise and fall upon them, and stone them, as their fathers were ready to do in a like case, Exodus 17:4.
7 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
8 “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”
— Take the rod; that which was laid up before the Lord in the tabernacle; whether it was Aaron’s rod, which was laid up there, (Numbers 17:10,) or Moses’ rod, but more likely Moses’ rod, by which he wrought so many miracles.
9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as He commanded him. — this rod, as the memorial of so many divine interpositions, was naturally laid up in the tabernacle, and is accordingly Numbers 20:9 described now as taken by Moses “from before the Lord.”
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them: “Hear now, ye rebels! Must we fetch you water out of this rock?”
— hear now, ye rebels; such their fathers had been, and such they now were, a rebellious generation ever since they were known by him; not only rebellious against him their chief magistrate, but against the Lord himself, murmuring against him, being discontented and disobedient, see Deuteronomy 9:23.
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. — Moses was asked only to “speak ye unto the rock,” but he rebelliously smote the rock, not once, but twice, a sign of stupidily and carelessness;
— with his rod he smote the rock twice; at first it only brought out some drops, and therefore Moses smote again, when it brought forth water plentifully: the Targum of Jonathan says, “at the first time it dropped blood, at the second time came out much water.”
12 And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron: “Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”
— because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel; that Moses and Aaron committed an evil which was displeasing to the Lord;
— therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them; the land of Canaan, an oath or promise which was made to their fathers, and particularly to this generation;
13 This is the water of Meribah [that is, Strife], because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and He was sanctified in them. — and he was sanctified in them; that is, the glory of his divine perfections was displayed in them;
— either in the waters fetched out of the rock, which was a proof of the almighty power of God; or in the children of Israel, in whose sight, and for whose sake this miracle was wrought: the Targum of Jonathan expressly says, in Moses and Aaron, in not sparing them, but expressing judgement on them for their sin;
14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom: “Thus saith thy brother Israel: ‘Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us, — Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom; the encampment at Kadesh was on the confines of the Edomite territory, through which the Israelites would have had a passage to the Promised Land;
— the Edomites, being the descendants of Esau and tracing their line of descent from Abraham as their common stock, were recognized by the Israelites as brethren, and a very brotherly message was sent to them;
15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers. — how our fathers went down into Egypt; Jacob and his twelve sons, with their children: and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; even the space of four hundred and thirty years, Exodus 12:40;
16 And when we cried unto the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt. And behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border. — he heard our voice; their prayer to him, for help and deliverance;
17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king’s highway; we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders.’” — Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country; that being the nearest and shortest way to the land of Canaan, from the place where they now were;
18 And Edom said unto him: “Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.”— and Edom said; thou shalt not pass by me; this was the second of a series of hostile acts, prompted by vindictive jealousy, which brought down the wrath of God upon Edom (see the prophecy from Obadiah);
— the twin were always at war; sometimes cold, sometimes hot; and here from an earlier PROPHECY!
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
19 And the children of Israel said unto him, “We will go by the highway; and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it. I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.”
20 And he said, “Thou shalt not go through.” And Edom came out against him with many people and with a strong hand. — the Edomites refused the visit of the Israelites in a most unbrotherly manner, and threatened to come out against them with the sword; because Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing; and now the hatred revived, when the blessing was about to be inherited.
21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border. Therefore Israel turned away from him. — to give emphasis to his refusal, Edom went against Israel “with much people and with a strong hand,” when they approached its borders;
— wherefore Israel turned away from him: patiently bearing the refusal, and not resenting it; being ordered, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it, by the Word of heaven, not to make war with them, because the time was not yet come to take vengeance on Edom by their hands;
22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came unto Mount Hor. — the children of Israel came unto mount Hor, now Gebel Haroun, the most striking and lofty elevation in the Seir range;
23 And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,
24 “Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. — Because ye rebelled, this was one, but not the only reason. God would not have Moses and Aaron to carry the people into Canaan;
25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor. — take Aaron and Eleazar his son; his eldest son, who was to succeed him in the priesthood, and did;
26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there.” — and strip Aaron of his garments; thus the same hands which had invested Aaron with the sacred garments were employed in divesting him of them, and, in both cases, in obedience to the express command of God;
27 And Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. — and they went up into Mount Hor, in the sight of all the congregation; that is, Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar, and perhaps there might be some others that went with them as servants;
28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount; — and Aaron died there in the top of the mount; quietly and contentedly, without the least murmuring: this was on the first day of the fifth month, Av, as the Targum of Jonathan says;
29 and when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel. — thirty days seems to have been the longest period allowed among the Israelites.
After Ukraine, US readies ‘Link 16 communications system’ for Taiwan proxy war
Washington approved the dangerous sale of the Link 16 communications system to Taiwan. This is the final link of what the US military calls a “transnational coalition kill chain” against China, and signals a commitment to kinetic war.
After Ukraine, US readies ‘Link 16 system’ for Taiwan proxy war
In many traditions, when you paint or sculpt a Buddha, the eyes are the very last to be painted. It’s only after the eyes have been completed that the sculpture is fully alive and empowered.
The United States has approved a $75 million weapons package to Taiwan province, involving the sale of the Link 16 communications system.
The acquisition of Link 16 is analogous to “painting the eyes on the Buddha”: a last touch, it makes Taiwan’s military systems and weapons platforms live and far-seeing.
It confers deadly powers, or more prosaically, in the words of the US military, it completes Taiwan as the final, lethal link of what the US Naval Institute calls a “transnational coalition kill chain” for war against China.
What exactly is Link 16? Link 16 is a key system in the US military communications arsenal. Specifically, it is the jam-resistant tactical data network for coordinating NATO weapons systems for joint operations in war.
If this sale is completed, it signals serious, granular, and single-minded commitment to kinetic war. It would signal that the Biden administration is as serious and unwavering in its desire to provoke and wage large-scale war with China over Taiwan as it was with Russia over Ukraine, which also saw the implementation of this system.
More important than any single weapons platform, this system allows the Taiwan/ROC military to integrate and coordinate all its warfighting platforms with US, NATO, Japanese, Korean, Australian militaries in combined arms warfare.
Link 16 would be the deadliest piece of technology yet to be transferred, because it allows sea, air, and land forces to be coordinated with others for lethal effect.
It permits, for example, strategic nuclear/stealth bombers (US B-1B Lancers, B-2 Spirits) to coordinate with electronic warfare and surveillance platforms (EA Growlers, Prowlers, EP-3s), fighters and bombers (F-16, F-22, F-35s) as well as conduct joint arms warfare with US, French, British carrier battle groups, Japanese SDF destroyers, South Korean Hyun Moo missile destroyers, as well as THAAD and Patriot radars and missile batteries.
It also allows coordination with low-earth orbit satellites and other Space Force assets.
In other words, Link 16 supplies a brain and nervous system to the various deadly limbs and arms that the Taiwan authorities have been acquiring and preparing on the prompting of the US. It ensures interoperability and US control.
It effectively prepares Taiwan to be used as the spear tip and trigger of a multinational war offensive against China.
To give a shoe-on-the-other-foot analogy, this would be like China giving separatists in a US territory or state (e.g. Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, Texas) not just arms and training – already a belligerent act of war, which the US is currently doing – but connecting insurgent militaries directly to the PLA’s surveillance, reconnaissance, and command/control systems.
This coordinates and completes, to borrow the words of the US Naval Institute (USNI), the final link in a “transnational coalition kill chain” for war.
Offsetting peace, sowing dragon’s teeth
The current US doctrine of war against China is based on distributed, dispersed, diffused, network-centric warfare to be conducted along the myriad islands of the archipelagic states encircling China in the Pacific.
These are the “island chains” upon which the US has encircled and sown dragon’s teeth: tens of thousands of troops armed with mobile attack platforms and missiles.
This is to be coordinated with subsurface warfare, automated/autonomous warfare, and longer-range stand-off weapons and attacks.
Powerful think tanks like CSBA, CNAS, CSIS, RAND and the Pentagon have been working out the doctrine, details, logistics, and appropriations for this concept intensively for over a decade while advocating intensely for it.
The sale of link 16 to Taiwan realizes and completes a key portion of this, binding the Chinese island as the keystone of this “multinational kill chain.”
This doctrine of dispersion is based on a “rock-paper-scissors” concept that networked diffusion “offsets” (Chinese) precision.
China’s capacity to defend itself and its littoral perimeter with precision missiles can be undermined with diffuse, distributed attacks from all across the island chains.
Note that this diffusion and dispersion of attack platforms across the entire Pacific gives the lie to the claim that this is some inherently deterrent strategy to defend Taiwan island. Diffusion is clearly offensive, designed to overrun and overwhelm defenses: like Ukraine, this is not to deter war, but to enable it.
This thus signals that aggressive total war against China is being prepared, in granular, lethal fashion on tactical and operational levels.
On the strategic level, currently, at the CFR, CNAS, and other influential think tanks in Washington, the talk is all about “protracted warfare” with China, about pre-positioning systems and munitions for war, about ramping up to an industrial war footing for the inescapable necessity of war with China.
The US senses that the clock is running rapidly down on its power. If war is inevitable, then it is anxious to start war sooner rather than later.
RAND warned in 2016 that 2025 was the outside window for the US to prevail in war with China. The “Minihan window” also hints at 2025. The “Davidson window” is 2027.
The question in Washington regarding war with China is not if, but when–and how.
Link 16 makes “how” easier, and brings “when” closer.
“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head” Obadiah 1:15
“I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled” Hosea 6:10
“Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be” Hosea 5:9
But first, understand Isaac’s blessing to Esau, an important encrypted PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
Few Ecuadoreans were prepared for just how swiftly and steeply the security situation in their country could plummet. Murder and violence linked to drug trafficking has soared, as the country has become one of the most dangerous in Latin America.
Until just a few years ago, Ecuador was a corner of relative peace sandwiched between the world’s two biggest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru, which have recently seen their own violent internal conflicts between security forces and nominally leftist rebels linked to the lucrative drugs trade.
Facing its own surge in violence, Ecuador’s young president, Daniel Noboa, has declared a state of “internal armed conflict”, designating 20 drug trafficking gangs as terrorist groups and authorising Ecuador’s military to “neutralise” the crime factions “within the bounds of international humanitarian law”.
That announcement came as Ecuador was plunged into chaos and bloodshed after the country’s most notorious gang leader and druglord, Adolfo Macías, alias Fito, escaped from prison on Sunday. Noboa’s subsequent declaration of a state of emergency prompted criminals to unleash a wave of attacks inside and outside prisons which have seen police and prison guards murdered and a TV station invaded by armed gangsters during a live broadcast.
Ecuadoreans are terrified. Not so long ago Ecuador was better known for its volcanoes, its rich biodiversity and even as a retirement retreat for US senior citizens enjoying the temperate climate and lower cost of living on their pensions.
“We’ve never seen this before,” said Fernando Carrión, a security expert with the Latin American Social Sciences Institute in Quito. “We always defined ourselves as an island of peace. But we saw this coming,” he added.
The rate of violent deaths in the South American country in 2017 was five per 100,000 inhabitants, Carrión says. It is now 46, which “makes 2023 the most violent year in Ecuador’s history,” he said. According to police records, 2023 saw at least 7,592 violent deaths, compared with 4,426 in a year earlier.
The latest explosion of violence is linked to the jailbreak not just of Macías but also of another gang leader, Fabricio Colón, who escaped prison during disturbances on Monday night. The prosecutor’s office has linked Colón, a leader of the Los Lobos gang, to the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year and death threats against the attorney general, Diana Salazar.
Never before have organised crime’s tentacles reached so far into the corridors of power, said Carrión, and now several gangs are rebelling against the new president’s tough approach as he attempts to shake up their control of the prisons, pledging to militarise jails, lengthen sentences and isolate powerful kingpins like those who just escaped.
Last week, Noboa pledged to follow the lead of El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, and construct two maximum security prisons using the same company and design as those built by the popular leader.
Trapped between economic hardship, extortion rackets and the very real risk of being the victim of violent crime, many Ecuadoreans have chosen to flee. Tens of thousands have risked it all, heading north via the perilous Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama, becoming the second largest nationality after Venezuelans to make the journey, according to Panama’s migration office.
It is Ecuador’s globalized economy – with access to markets in Asia and Europe but poor security controls in its ports – that has made it a hub for cocaine trafficking around the world, explained Renato Rivera of the Ecuadorian Observatory on Organised Crime. Ecuador exports around 1m containers a year, of which 75% are bananas, according to General Pablo Ramírez, the former police anti-narcotics director and the trade provides the perfect cover for drug shipments.
Much of Ecuador’s rising violence has been driven by competition between an expanding cluster of local crime gangs, who learned their brutally violent scare tactics from their backers, the rival Mexican drug cartels Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation.
The gangs also do business with Balkan traffickers, who control the lucrative European market that has displaced the United States as the main destination for cocaine. The rival factions have learned urban guerrilla tactics from disbanded Colombian guerrilla groups, who, according to security experts, have branched out their drugs and crime businesses into neighbouring countries since the 2016 Colombia peace agreement.
Now, however, those bloodthirsty tactics are being turned against a common enemy – the Ecuadorian state.
2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and take from every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, from all their princes according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods. Write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
— and the Lord spake unto Moses; after the plague ceased, for the further confirmation of the priesthood in Aaron’s family, another method is directed to by the Lord; a rod; either an ordinary walking staff; or rather, that staff or rod which the princes carried in their hand as tokens of their dignity and authority;
3 And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi, for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. — Aaron’s name; rather than Levi’s, for that would have left the controversy undecided between Aaron and the other Levites;
4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the Testimony, where I will meet with you. — before the testimony; that is, the ark in which the testimony or the law was; here they were laid as in the presence of God;
5 And it shall come to pass that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom; and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.” — shall blossom; bud and blossom, and yield fruit, as it afterwards did, which is here declared beforehand, that the miracle might appear the greater, exactly answering to a prediction delivered out before of it;
— and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you; against Moses for setting up his brother as an high priest.
6 And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. — and the rod of Aaron was among their rods: in the middle of them, and was so placed, it might not be said, because it was put on the side of the Shekinah or divine Majesty, therefore it budded;
7 And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. — and Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. In that part of the tabernacle where the testimony or witness was, that is, the law, which was in the ark, over which was the mercy seat;
8 And it came to pass that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds.
— behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded; as the budding of Aaron’s rod was the divinely appointed proof of the establishment of the priesthood in his person and in his posterity, so our Lord proved Himself to be the true High Priest over the House of God by coming forth as “a rod [or shoot] out of the stem of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1;
9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and took every man his rod. — and they looked, and took every man his rod; which they knew by their names upon them; by their own handwriting; for though Moses is bid to write their names on them, Numbers 17:2;
10 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod again before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they die not.” — bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony; before the ark, in which the testimony or law was;
— that they die not; quite silence all the murmurings of the people with respect to the priesthood being so fully convinced by this miracle of the divine authority Aaron and his family had to exercise the priestly office; and they only, and so such destruction of the people be prevented;
11 And Moses did so; as the Lord commanded him, so did he.
12 And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying, “Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish! — Behold, we die, we perish; an exclamation of fear, both from the remembrance of former judgements and the apprehension of future relapses into murmuring;
— to punishments past and future, so the Targum of Jonathan says, “some of us have been consumed by flaming fire, and others of us have been swallowed up in the earth and are lost, and, lo, we are accounted as if all of us are to be destroyed.”
13 Whosoever cometh anywhere near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die. Shall we be consumed with dying?” — shall we be consumed with dying? such violent deaths, until there are none left of us?
— but the words could be rendered affirmatively; we are near or about to be consumed; and so the Targum of Jonathann says “Any one who approaches the tabernacle must die: are we not doomed to destruction?”
Numbers 18
1 And the Lord said unto Aaron: “Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
— the iniquity of the sanctuary; shall suffer the punishment of all the usurpations or pollutions of the sanctuary, or the holy things, by the Levites or any of the people, because you have authority and power from me to keep them all within their bounds;
2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee; but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. — before the tabernacle, which was the proper place where the Levites ministered, whereas the priests did minister to God both before and in the tabernacle.
3 And they shall keep thy charge and the charge of all the tabernacle; only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. — and they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle; that is, the Levites, whatever Aaron and his sons, the priests, should charge them to do, or commit to their care and charge;
— only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary; as the ark and mercy seat in the holy of holies, the shewbread table, and candlestick in the holy place; wherefore when these were removed from place to place in journeying, they were covered, that they might not touch them as they carried them;
— and the altar; both of incense and burnt offering, on neither of which might they offer: that neither they nor you also die: the priests for suffering them to meddle with things that did not belong to them, and the Levites for intruding themselves.
4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation for all the service of the tabernacle; and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. — and they shall be joined unto thee; as assistants in the sacred service;
— and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you; not any of the other tribes, only such as were of the tribe of Levi; they only were to be brought with them, and joined unto them, and assist them, and minister to them;
5 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar, that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. — and ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary; that is, the priests, Aaron and his sons; the high priest was to keep the charge of the most holy place particularly,
— and do what was to be done in that on the day of atonement; and the common priests to keep the charge of the holy place, and do everything relating to the altar of incense, the shewbread table, and candlestick; and the charge of the altar; of burnt offering, which stood in the court of the tabernacle;
6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. — and I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites, from among the children of Israel; same is said in Numbers 3:12; only they are called the brethren of the priests for the reason given, Numbers 18:2;
7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar and within the veil; and ye shall serve. I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift, and the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death.”
— as a service of gift; as a gift which I have freely conferred upon you, and upon you alone; and therefore let no man henceforth dare either to charge you with arrogance and usurpation in appropriating this to yourselves, or to invade your office;
— and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; any common person, as the Targum of Jonathan says; any Israelite, one that is a stranger from the priests, though a Levite, such one might not come either to the altar of burnt offering to offer any sacrifice upon it, or the altar of incense, to burn incense on that, or trim the lamps, or put the shewbread in order, or to do anything peculiar to the priest’s office.
— the greater the trust of work and power that is committed to us, the greater danger there is of betraying that trust; this is a good reason why we should neither envy others’ honours, nor desire high places;
8 And the Lord spoke unto Aaron: “Behold, I also have given thee the charge of Mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel. Unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. — unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing: because of his office as a priest, to which he was consecrated by anointing: and to thy sons by an ordinance for ever;
9 This shall be thine of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto Me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
— these gifts they were to eat, as most holy, in a most holy place, that is, in the court of the tabernacle; for thee, and for thy sons, to wit, exclusively, none else may eat them; but what about their priestly wives and daughters. —
10 In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy unto thee. — these gifts they were to eat in a most holy place, as in God’s presence, that is, in the court of the tabernacle;
11 And this is thine: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever; every one who is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
— I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever; for these were to be eaten in their own houses, and by their families, wives, children, and servants bought with their money, or born in their houses; but not hired servants, nor sojourners, nor strangers;
12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. — the firstfruits of their harvest and vintage, which being offered to the Lord, was given to the priests;
13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine. Every one who is clean in thine house shall eat of it. — every one that is clean; and none else, because these were first offered to God, and by consequent given to the priests; but for those which were directly and immediately given to the priests, the clean and unclean might eat of them.
14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. — everything devoted in Israel shall be thine—provided it was adapted for food or consumable by use; for the gold and silver vessels that were dedicated as the spoils of victory were not given to the priests, but for the use and adornment of the sacred edifice.
15 Every thing that openeth the womb in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine. Nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. — whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine; every firstborn of either, being the Lord’s, became the priest’s by his gift;
— nevertheless, the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem; that is, take the redemption price for it, which was five shekels, as in Numbers 18:16; for the original proprietor was, strictly speaking, the redeemer, and paid the money, and the priest was the receiver, to whom it was paid; Exodus 13:13;
16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary which is twenty gerahs. — for the money of five shekels; and is the price given for the redemption of the firstborn, when the Levites were taken in their stead, Numbers 3:47;
17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat thou shalt not redeem. They are holy. Thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a sweet savor unto the Lord. — and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire; for a sweet savour unto the Lord; and not to be redeemed nor alienated to any other use.
18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. — and the flesh of them shall be thine; for him and his family to eat of.
19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever. It is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.”
— have I given thee, and thy sons, and thy daughters “of the holy things” (and their wives probably) with thee, by a statute for ever: so providing for their maintenance by an irrepealable law forever;
note: “of the most holy” are to be consumed only at the tabernacle and only for Aaron and his sons; the priests;
20 And the Lord spoke unto Aaron, “Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
— neither shalt thou have any part among them; any part of the land when it is divided by lot, as it was in the times of Joshua, when taken from the Canaanites; no tract of land was peculiarly assigned to them as were to the other tribes, as fields, nor vineyards; they had cities appointed them, and they had houses and fields devoted to the Lord;
21 And behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. — the tenth; for the tithes of the produce of the land; of the wheat, barley, oil, and wine; the tenth part of their harvest and vintage; were all given to the Levites, and out of their tithes the tenth was given to the priests.
22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin and die. — neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation; to do any part of the priest’s office, as to burn incense, as Korah and his company had done;
— or to do any part of the work of the Levites, by watching in the tabernacle, by taking it down and setting it up, and bearing the vessels of it; otherwise they might come to it, to bring their sacrifices, to pay their vows, and for their purification when necessary, and such like things;
— lest they bear sin and die; lest sin be charged upon them, and punishment be inflicted, even the punishment of death; for it was death to intrude into the priest’s office.
23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. — but the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: they shall bear their iniquity;
— they were to be responsible for the right discharge of those duties that were assigned to them, and consequently to bear the penalty that was due to negligence or carelessness in the guardianship of the holy things.
24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore I have said unto them: ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’” — heave-offering, which is for the most part understood of a particular kind of offerings heaved or lifted up to the Lord, is here used for any offering in general, as before, Numbers 18:8.
25 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
26 “Thus speak unto the Levites and say unto them: ‘When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.
— thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them; Aaron was to tell them what a provision would be made for them on account of their service, but Moses was to inform them what part Aaron was to have out of it;
— the best of their tithes was to be assigned to the priests, and afterwards they enjoyed the same liberty to make use of the remainder that other Israelites had of the produce of their threshing-floors and wine-presses.
27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you as though it were the corn of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the wine press. — the Levites; to offer tenth of the tithe, out of their own they were to pay tithes to the priests equally as the people gave to them;
28 Thus ye also shall offer a heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive from the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord’S heave offering to Aaron the priest. — ye shall give thereof the Lord’s heave offering to Aaron the priest; that is, the Levites tithed the people, the priests tithed the Levites.
29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.’ — your gifts; not only out of your tithes, but out of the other gifts which you receive from the people;
30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them: ‘When ye have offered the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor and as the increase of the wine press. — of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof, out of it; which was the tenth part, and that was to be the best of it, which was always to be given to the Lord.
31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households, for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
— they might eat it (the tithe they had received, after taking off the priests’ tithe) in any place with their families, they and their wives, their sons and daughters, their servants, whether bought or hired; as it was the reward for their service at the tabernacle;
32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have offered from it the best of it; neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.’”
— neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel; the gifts they have given for holy uses, and so are holy; which would be the case if they ate of them, or enjoyed them, without giving the priests the tenth part of them: lest ye die; for it seems such a neglect was punishable with death.
NATO could be dragged into a war with Russia if Vladimir Putin’s forces are not stopped in Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned.
Speaking at a Republican-led House Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday (Thursday, February 29), Austin said he believes Putin will not stop if Ukraine falls and Russia wins the war. This would mean NATO will almost certainly be drawn into conflict if Kyiv is defeated by Moscow’s forces, he added.
Austin told committee members: “We know that if Putin is successful here, he will not stop. He will continue to take more aggressive action in the region.”
The Secretary of Defense warned that other despots would be emboldened by a Putin victory. “Other leaders around the world, other autocrats, will look at this and they’ll be encouraged by the fact that this happened and we failed to support a democracy,” he said.
Austin then offered his chilling warning that NATO will almost certainly be dragged into a war with Russia.
“If you’re a Baltic state, you’re really worried about whether or not you’re next,” he said. “They know Putin, they know what he’s capable of … And quite frankly, if Ukraine falls, I really believe that NATO will be in a fight with Russia.”
“And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him” Jeremiah 50:32.
“In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished” Ezekiel 6:6.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday called for the US and its allies to hand $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank funds to Ukraine, a step that would significantly escalate the Western economic war against Russia.
“Realistically, there are not alternatives to the dollar, euro, and yen,” Yellen said
“It is necessary and urgent for our coalition to find a way to unlock the value of these immobilized assets to support Ukraine’s continued resistance and long-term reconstruction,” Yellen said in Brazil, where Group of 20 finance ministers are meeting this week, according to The Associated Press.
The comments from Yellen mark her most supportive statement of the outright theft of Russian funds to finance the war in Ukraine. The call comes as the Biden administration is still struggling to get Congress to pass the $60 billion it’s seeking to fuel the conflict.
“I believe there is a strong international law, economic, and moral case for moving forward. This would be a decisive response to Russia’s unprecedented threat to global stability,” Yellen added.
The US needs the support of European Countries for the plan as the bulk of the Russian funds, about $200 billion, are held by European banks. The EU is still debating the idea but has approved a law to set aside profits made by the Russian central bank funds to potentially send to Ukraine.
About $67 billion of the Russian money is being held by the US Federal Reserve. US officials have previously expressed concern that spending the Russian funds could make other countries hesitant to keep funds in dollars, thus speeding up global de-dollarization.
Yellen insisted it was “extremely unlikely” that stealing the Russian funds would hurt the dollar or the currencies of US allies. “Realistically, there are not alternatives to the dollar, euro, and yen,” she said.
John Kirby, President Joe Biden’s national security spokesman, said at a White House press briefing Tuesday that “we still believe Russia needs to be responsible for the damage” brought onto Ukraine by “exploring the option of using those frozen assets.”
The White House has come out in support of the plan and says it needs “legislative authorities” from Congress to spend the funds. Legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress to create a fund for Ukraine using Russian money, and the bills have strong bipartisan support.
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” saith the Lord. Amos 9:8
“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head” Obadiah 1:15
China National Offshore Oil Corporation announced on Sunday the discovery of the world’s largest metamorphic rock oilfield in the deep layers of China’s Bohai Sea.
Over 30M cubic meters of crude oil and 11B cubic meters of natural gas found
The Bohai 26-6 oilfield has achieved record-breaking production levels, with newly proved oil and gas reserves exceeding 40 million cubic meters, leading cumulative proven reserves of the field beyond 200 million cubic meters and making it the largest metamorphic rock oilfield worldwide, it said.
With an average water depth of 22.1 meters, the Bohai 26-6 oilfield, situated in the southern part of the Bohai Sea, has been under continuous exploration since its discovery in 2023, significantly expanding reserve scale ever since.
Metamorphic reservoir petroleum refers to the oil and gas stored in metamorphic reservoirs. It is a special type of petroleum whose oil-reserving rock has been subject to weathering corrosion or tectonic deformation.
CGTN Large Bohai Sea oil and gas field project goes into operation
It is estimated that the oilfield can yield over 30 million cubic meters of crude oil while producing over 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas, it said.
The reservoir of the Bohai 26-6 oilfield is buried deep beneath the seabed, at depths of several kilometers, primarily composed of metamorphic rock. Over 80 deep wells drilled by several well-known international oil companies in similar regions previously failed to make significant discoveries, said CNOOC.
49 The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand,
50 a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young.
51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee. Deuteronomy 28:49-51
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:40-41 Jonathan
Numbers 15
1And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, — Speak unto the children of Israel; perhaps the date of this communication must be fixed towards the close of the wanderings in the wilderness;
2 “Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: ‘When ye have come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,
3 and will make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savor unto the Lord of the herd or of the flock,
— or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering; these were peace offerings, some of which were for thanksgiving, and others were either a vow or a freewill offering; in your solemn feasts; as the passover, pentecost, tabernacle, and the offerings in them, Leviticus 23:4,
4 then shall he that offereth his offering unto the Lord bring a meat offering of a tenth part of flour mingled with a fourth part of a hin of oil.
5 And a fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb. — and the fourth part of an hin of wine; the same measure with the oil, and this was wine of the grapes, as the Targum of Jonathan says;
6 Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenths part of flour mingled with a third part of a hin of oil.
7 And for a drink offering thou shalt offer a third part of a hin of wine for a sweet savor unto the Lord.
8 And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the Lord,
9 then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenths part of flour mingled with half a hin of oil.
10 And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half a hin of wine for an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord.
11 “‘Thus shall it be done for one bullock or for one ram or for a lamb or a kid.
12 According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number. — according to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to everyone, according to their number; that is, in proportion to the number of the cattle, be they of which sort they would, should be the quantity of the meat and drink offerings.
13 All who are born of the country shall do these things in this manner in offering an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord.
— all that are born of the country; the Targum of Jonathan says, “all that are born in Israel, and not among the sons of the Gentiles.” It seems clear, however, from Numbers 15:14 that the reference in this verse is to the indigenous Israelites.
14 And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord, as ye do, so he shall do. — as ye do, so shall he do; bring the same meat offering and drink offering, according to the nature and number of the cattle he brings for sacrifice.
15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation and also for the stranger who sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations. As ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord: — as to the worship of God; his sacrifices shall be offered in the same manner, and accepted by God upon the same terms, as yours; which was a presage of the future calling of the Gentiles.
16 one law and one manner shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourneth with you.’” — one law, and one manner; one law respecting these sacrifices, and one manner of offering them; one and the same precept to be observed, and one and the same judgment or punishment inflicted in case of non-observance;
— shall be for you, and the stranger that sojourneth with you; for Israelites and proselytes; which is said to invite and encourage the latter, and may have a distant view to the calling of the Gentiles in Gospel times, when there should be no difference between Jews and Gentiles called by grace in matters of religion, but would be one in Christ;
17 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
18 “Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: ‘When ye come into the land whither I bring you, — when ye come into the land whither I bring you; the land of Canaan: this is another assurance of their possession of the land of Canaan, notwithstanding what had been threatened;
19 then it shall be that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up a heave offering unto the Lord. — the Targum of Jonathan adds, “not of rice, or millet, or pulse,” but what was made of corn used for bread;
20 Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for a heave offering; as ye do the heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall ye heave it. — as ye do the heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall ye heave it; as the two wave loaves and firstfruits of their harvest, Leviticus 23:16.
21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the Lord a heave offering in your generations. — of the first of your dough shall ye give unto the Lord; as an acknowledgment of his being the sovereign Lord and possessor of heaven and earth, and of his being the owner and proprietor of the land of Canaan;
22 And if ye have erred and not observed all these commandments which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses—
23 even all that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses and henceforward among your generations—
24 then it shall be, if aught be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord with his meat offering and his drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
— without the knowledge of the congregation – literally, as marginal; the words point to an error of omission which escaped notice at the time: that is, to an oversight.
25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it is ignorance; and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance. — and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance; a kid of the goats.
26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who sojourneth among them, seeing all the people were in ignorance. — seeing all the people were in ignorance; both the congregation of Israel and the stranger;
27 “‘And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a shegoat of the first year for a sin offering. — and if any soul sin through ignorance; any private or particular person, by breaking any of the above commands, or any other, not rightly understanding them, or not adverting: to the circumstances required in the manner of performing them;
28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul who sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. — full atonement of sin and free forgiveness are not contrary to each other.
29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourneth among them. — both sinning through ignorance, the same sacrifice was offered for them, by which atonement was made, and through which their sin was forgiven; by whom are meant homeborn Israelites and proselytes of righteousness;
30 But the soul who doeth aught presumptuously, whether he be born in the land or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. — the soul that doeth aught presumptuously; Hebrew, “with an high” or “uplifted hand”— that is, knowingly, wilfully, obstinately;
— and that soul shall be cut off from among his people, either by the hand of the magistrate, upon conviction of him, or by the immediate hand of God; no sacrifice was to be offered for such, no atonement given;
31 Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off. His iniquity shall be upon him.’” — his iniquity shall be upon him; the punishment of it, no atonement being made for it by sacrifice; it shall be upon him and him only;
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day. — a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day; this incident is evidently narrated as an instance of presumptuous sin;
33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the congregation. —to Moses and Aaron, and to the seventy elders, who might be at this time met together, to hear, try, and judge causes;
34 And they put him under guard, because it was not declared what should be done to him. — because it was not declared what should be done to him: that is, what kind of death he should die;
35 And the Lord said unto Moses, “The man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
— the man shall surely be put to death; for as no fire was to be made throughout their habitations on a Sabbath day, gathering sticks for such a purpose was a work that was a violation of the sabbath, punishable with death, Exodus 35:2;
36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the Lord commanded Moses. — and stoned him with stones, and he died: stoned him to death: as the Lord commanded Moses;
And while the sons of Israel were dwelling in the wilderness, the decree of the Sabbath was known to them, but the punishment (for the profanation) of the Sabbath was not known. And there arose a man of the house of Joseph, and said with himself: I will go and pull up wood on the Sabbath day;
And witnesses saw it, and told Mosheh; and Mosheh sought instruction from the presence of the Lord, that he might teach me judgment, and make known the discipline of all the house of Israel.
And the witnesses of the man who pulled up and collected wood came, and, after they had monished him, and he had wounded the witnesses who had found him pulling up wood, brought him to Mosheh and Aharon, and all the congregation . . . .
Therefore they put him in confinement, because they had not yet heard the explanation of the judgment they should execute upon him.
And the Lord said to Mosheh: The man shall be surely put to death; the whole congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp;
And the congregation led him forth outside the camp, and stoned him with stones that he died, as the Lord had commanded Mosheh. Jonathan Numbers 15:32-36
37 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
38 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue
— the people are ordered by the Lord to make fringes on the borders of their garments; they were distinguished from their neighbours in their dress, as well as in their diet;
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring,
— after your own heart, and your own eyes,that is, neither after the devices and inventions of your own minds or hearts, as Nadab and Abihu did when they offered strange fire,
40 that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. — that ye may remember and do all my commandments; which is repeated, that the end and use of these fringes might be particularly taken notice of, and attended to;
41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”
— I am the Lord your God; who had a right to enact laws, and enjoin the observance of them, as he was the Lord Yehovah; and they were under obligation to regard them, as he was not only their Creator but their covenant God and Father, who had bestowed his favours on them.
Numbers 16
1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
— Korah, as a descendant of Levi; as a mere Levite, but as a Kohathite, entitled to carry the ark; but being left without hopes of arriving at the priesthood, may wellhave been jealous of the peculiar prerogatives of the priestly family;
— and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben; they were Reubenites, not Levites;
2 and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. — two hundred and fifty princes; or chief men of the congregation, belonged to the other tribes of Israel as well as that of Levi;
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, “Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?”
— wherefore lift ye up yourselves; thou, Moses, by prescribing what laws thou pleasest about the priesthood, and confining it to thy brother; and thou, Aaron, by usurping it as thy peculiar privilege?
4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face; — fell upon his face; in shame, as the Targum of Jonathan, blushing at their sin, in opposing the ordinance of God; and through fear of the divine displeasure, and of the wrath of God coming upon them for such wickedness;
5 and he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, “Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him. Even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him.
6 This do: Take you censers, Korah and all his company, — take you censers; the offering of incense was the peculiar prerogative and the holiest function of the priesthood;
7 and put fire therein and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow. And it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy. Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.” — even to-morrow; literally, “in the morning,” the usual time of meeting for the settlement of public affairs.
8 And Moses said unto Korah, “Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: — and he spoke unto Korah, and unto all his company; the two hundred fifty princes that were with him; what follows was said to them;
9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
— that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel: this was a special favour, and ought to have been esteemed such, that God, who was the God of the whole people of Israel in common, should separate the tribe of Levi from all the rest of the tribes of Israel;
10 And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee. And seek ye the priesthood also? — and he hath brought thee near to him; to be in his courts, to watch in his house, and wait on his priests, for which an ample provision was made by tithes. Korah is thus personally addressed.
11 For this cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?”
— for which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together. It does not follow that Korah was seeking an exclusive dignity for himself; or for his tribe. His “company” apparently included representative men from all the tribes, or at least from many;
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who said, “We will not come up. — and Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; Moses sent messengers to call them to the house of judgment, as the Targum of Jonathan, to the court of judicature,
— Dathan and Abiram had joined Korah and his company in the address to Moses which is contained in Numbers 16:3, but they went away to their own tents: from which they refused to go up at the bidding of Moses; despised his authority, and would not obey his orders.
13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, unless thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? — to kill us in the wilderness, for want of food, of which they had plenty in Egypt; they suggest it may be, to what the Lord by Moses had said to them, that their carcasses should fall in the wilderness;
14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
— wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? it may be, to denote an alleged attempt on the part of Moses to blind the eyes of the people to the violation of promises solemnly made to them, and to impose upon them a law of blind obedience to his own arbitrary injunctions;
15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord, “Respect not Thou their offering. I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” — and Moses was very wroth; or “it heated Moses exceedingly” made him very angry, caused him to burn with wrath against them;
— and said unto the Lord, respect not thou their offering; Moses desires that the Lord would have no respect to any they had offered, but have respect to him, who had never injured any of them.
16 And Moses said unto Korah, “Be thou and all thy company before the Lord, thou and they and Aaron, tomorrow. — be thou and all thy company before the Lord; at the tabernacle, at the door of it; the Targum of Jonathan says, at the house of judgment, the court of judicature, where this affair was to be tried, and that was at the tabernacle;
17 And take every man his censer and put incense in them, and bring ye before the Lord every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, thou also and Aaron, each of you his censer.” — and bring ye before the Lord every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers: according to the number of the men that were gathered with Korah;
18 And they took every man his censer and put fire in them and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
— with Moses and Aaron; in a bold and presumptuous manner, as if they were their equals, disputing their authority, and putting themselves upon their trial before the Lord about it: the Targum of Jonathan says, these men stood on one side (of the door of the tabernacle), and Moses and Aaron stood on the other side of it;
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation. — Korah gathered all the congregation; that they might be witnesses of the event, and, upon their success, which they doubted not of, might fall upon Moses and Aaron.
20 And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” — separate yourselves, from among this congregation; not only from Korah’s company, but from the congregation of the children of Israel, whom Korah had got together, besides the two hundred fifty men that were at first with him;
22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?” — and they fell upon their faces; that is, Moses and Aaron, in order to deprecate the wrath of God, and beseech him to avert the threatened judgement; and so the Targum of Jonathan has it, “they bowed themselves in prayer upon their faces;”
— shall one man sin: meaning Korah, who was the ringleader: and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? who, through ignorance and weakness, and by artifice and imposition, are drawn in to join with him;
23 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
24 “Speak unto the congregation, saying, ‘Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’” — Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram;
25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spoke unto the congregation, saying, “Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.”
27 So they got up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives and their sons and their little children.
— the tent, “the tabernacle” of Korah, as a Kohathite, stood on the south side of the tabernacle of the Lord; and those of Dathan and Abiram, as Reubenites, in the outer line of encampment on the same side.
28 And Moses said, “Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of mine own mind.
— and Moses said, hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt, to exchange the firstborn for the Levites, to make Aaron and his sons priests, to give the Levites to them, and to set Elizaphan as leading over the Kohathites, things which these men found fault with, and questioned his authority for doing them;
— for I have not done them of my own mind; or “not out of my heart” he had not devised them himself, and done them of his own head, and in any arbitrary way, without the will of God or any authority from him, as these men suggested.
29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited according to the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me.
— the death of all men; by a natural death; the visitation of all men, by plague, or sword, or some usual judgment: the Lord hath not sent me: that is, I am content that you take me for an impostor, falsely pretending to be sent of God.
30 But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.” — then ye shall understated that these men have provoked the Lord; by rising up against Moses and Aaron, and so against the Lord;
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground cleaved asunder that was under them;
— that the ground clave asunder that was under them; not from any natural cause, forcibly making their way and bursting the earth, and so getting vent, which has been thought to be the cause of earthquakes;
— but this was by the immediate hand and almighty power of God, and came to pass just as Moses suggested it would, and as soon as he had uttered his words, which made it the more observable.
32 and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men who appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. — and all the men that appertained unto Korah: not just Korah himself, for he was with the two hundred fifty men that had censers; it is highly probable, perished by fire with the two hundred fifty men.
33 They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them; and they perished from among the congregation. — into the pit, that is, into the earth, which first opened itself to receive them, and then shut itself to destroy them, an instance of almighty power and transmit them to further punishment.
34 And all Israel who were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!” — their cry was so loud, their shrieks so dreadful and piercing, that the Israelites about them fled to get out of the sound of them, as well as for their own safety;
35 And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense. — and there came out a fire from the Lord; flashes of lightning from the cloud in which he was: and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense;
36 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
37 “Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder, for they are hallowed. — unto Eleazar, rather than to Aaron, probably because the tronblesome part of the work was more proper for him,
— and partly lest Aaron should be polluted by going amongst those dead carcasses; for it is probable this fire consumed them, as lightning sometimes take away lives, leaving their bodies dead where they were.
38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them into broad plates for a covering of the altar; for they offered them before the Lord. Therefore they are hallowed, and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.”
— the censers of these sinners against their own souls; who by burning incense in them sinned, and by sinning hurt and ruined their souls;
— let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar; the altar of burnt offering, which, though it had a covering of brass, another made of these were to be over it;
— a sign; a monument or warning to all strangers to take heed of invading the priesthood, who attended at the altar continually, as it follows, Numbers 16:40; not to usurp the priest’s office; and to all the children of Israel, to learn from hence that none were to burn incense but the priests of the Lord;
39 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith those who were burned had offered, and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar
— and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar; not by Eleazar, but by workmen skilled in the art of drawing or beating any kind of metal into thin plates, by the direction and order of Eleazar.
40 to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah and as his company, as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.
— to be a memorial unto the children of Israel; the whole body of them; this explains what is meant by sign, Numbers 16:38; that it was to put or keep in mind what follows: that no stranger which is not of the seed of Aaron come near to offer incense before the Lord;
— not only any Gentile but any Israelite; and not any Israelite, but even none of the Levites; none except those of the family of Aaron might offer incense before the Lord;
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “Ye have killed the people of the Lord.”
— on the morrow; the day following the dreadful catastrophe, the earth swallowing up Dathan and Abiram, the burning of Korah and the two hundred fifty men of his company: all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses;
— ye have killed the people of the Lord; so they lay charge on Moses and Aaron again, because it was in vindication of them that it was done, and because they did not intercede by prayer for them; yet the people insist on it that they were the cause or occasion of their death.
42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation; and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
— and it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron; to kill them, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; (in Numbers 17:7 instead) who, perhaps, upon uttering their murmurs, made up to them, and by their gestures showed an intention to murder them;
— and, behold, the cloud covered it; and the glory of the Lord appeared; in the cloud, as in Numbers 16:19; to encourage Moses and Aaron, and to deliver them out of the hands of the people, and to the terror of them.
43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. — and Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. Whose tent was not far from it, about which the people of Israel were gathered;
44 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
45 “Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment.” And they fell upon their faces. — and they fell upon their faces; in prayer, as the Targums of Jonathan says; to implore his pardoning mercy for this sinful people;
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire therein from the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them. For there has wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun.”
— Go quickly unto the congregation, with the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer to prevent their utter ruin; this he might do upon this extraordinary occasion, having God’s command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered only in the tabernacle;
— the plague has begun, in cutting off the people by a sudden and miraculous stroke; a pestilence was sent among the people, from the presence of the Lord.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague had begun among the people. And he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. — and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; he saw them fall down dead instantly in great numbers;
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. — and the plague was stayed; it proceeded no further than where Aaron stood and offered his incense, and made atonement;
49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died in the matter of Korah: 14,700; but no mention was made of those who died from the earthquake;
— now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred: 14,700; beside them that died about the matter of Korah; these are not taken into the number here, even the two hundred fifty men of Korah’s company, and the families of Dathan and Abiram.
50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the plague was stayed. — and the plague was stayed: even before Aaron left the camp, and is here repeated that it continued to cease, and broke not out again.
Finally, consider this PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
American intelligence agencies reportedly collaborated closely with their Ukrainian counterparts, providing training to operatives conducting missions in Russia, Europe, Cuba, and other areas with an active Russian presence.
The Central Intelligence Agency created a dozen secret spy bases in Ukraine near the border with Russia over the past eight years, with the Eastern European country becoming one of Washington’s most important tools for intel operations against Moscow. That’s according to a New York Times expose published Sunday citing former and current officials from Ukraine, the US and Europe.
The intelligence “partnership” “took root a decade ago,” and “has transformed Ukraine, whose intelligence agencies were long seen as thoroughly compromised by Russia, into one of Washington’s most important intelligence partners against the Kremlin today,” the publication indicated.
The 12 secret locations constituted “forward operating bases” from which networks of agents gathering intel inside Russia were run. The CIA is said to have overseen a training program known as ‘Operation Goldfish’ to train Ukrainian intel agents to assume fake identities and work to steal secrets in Russia, and to operate as “trained sleeper agents” to wage guerilla war against the Russian military.
American intelligence agents reportedly worked closely with Ukrainian personnel, including the chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, before his appointment to his current post. In addition, the CIA trained Ukrainian spies to operate in Russia, Europe, Cuba and other places where Russians are present.
According to the report, even after the withdrawal of most American government personnel from Ukraine in February 2022, US intelligence officers remained active in western Ukraine, passing on intelligence information, including where Russia planned to strike and what weapons systems would be used.
“Without them, there would have been no way for us to resist the Russians, or to beat them,” the NYT cited Ivan Bakanov, former head of Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency, the SBU, as saying.
The NYT said that since 2016, Ukrainians occasionally violated the terms of cooperation which Washington set out for them, “organizing assassinations and other deadly operations” which America supposedly disapproved of. The US threatened to withdraw support, but never did, according to the newspaper.
A lengthy NYT report is full of fresh revelations and confirmation of just how deeply the CIA has always been involved in Ukraine
The CIA and other US intel agencies’ cooperation with and efforts to take control of their Ukrainian counterparts began almost immediately after the 2014 Euromaidan coup d’etat, with the post-coup government’s new spy chief, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, calling the Ukrainian CIA station chief and the local head of MI6, inviting them to tour the SBU Ukrainian spy headquarters and asking for assistance in rebuilding it “from the ground up.”
Then-US CIA director John Brennan touched down in Kiev shortly after, telling Nalyvaichenko that US assistance would be forthcoming if Ukraine “could provide intelligence of value to the Americans” and purged the SBU of any suspected Russian spies within its ranks.
And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Amos 8:9-10
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” saith the Lord. Amos 9:8
The money that Washington allocates for Kiev supports jobs in America, the high-ranking State Department official has said
Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland supports $60B for Ukraine
Washington spends most of the money allocated as aid for Ukraine on weapons production at home, Acting US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said in an interview with CNN this week.
Commenting on the pending aid package which Congress failed to approve before going on winter recess, Nuland said she has “strong confidence” that it will pass, as it addresses America’s own interests.
“We have to remember that the bulk of this money is going right back into the US economy, to make weapons, including good-paying jobs in some forty states across the US,” she stated, adding that support for Ukraine in America “is still strong.”
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives blocked a bill requested by US President Joe Biden for an aid package for Kiev worth $60 billion, most of which is earmarked for weapons, earlier this month. They are expected to restart discussions on the package after they reconvene on February 28.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also recently said that roughly 90% of the financial assistance for Ukraine is spent on domestic production of weapons and equipment. At a press conference on December 20, he said additional tranches would “benefit American business, local communities, and strengthen the US defense industrial base.”
According to Germany’s Kiel Institute, which tracks international support for Kiev, Washington allocated nearly €68 billion ($73.7 billion) in aid for Ukraine between January 24, 2022 and January 15, 2024, including roughly €43 billion ($46.6 billion) in military aid.
However, Kiev has been increasingly demanding more aid from its Western backers. Several days ago, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky warned visiting American legislators that Kiev would “lose the war” against Russia without Washington’s assistance, according to US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Russia has criticized the US and other Western states for their military support for Kiev, arguing that it is only dragging out the conflict.
According to a recent survey from the Harris Poll and the Quincy Institute, a growing number of Americans do not support US military aid to Kiev unless it is tied to peace talks.
Only 22% of respondents said Washington should continue ‘unconditionally’ providing Ukraine with financial assistance, while 48% said new funding must be conditioned on progress toward a diplomatic solution. Around 30% said the US should halt all aid.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
EU ‘Totally Dependent’ on China’s Lithium, EC President Admits
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Union is “totally dependent” on China for lithium, since the bloc imports 97% of its needs on the material from the country, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.
“We have observed that China, over the last 20 to 30 years, has strategically bought mine after mine globally. They take the raw material, they have the processing procedures in China and then they have the monopoly for this raw material.
Take lithium: 97% of the lithium we use in the European Union is from China. So we are totally dependent on this one on China,” von der Leyen said during her opening speech at the Clean Tech Industry Dialogue in Brussels.
In September 2023, media reported that the EU was at risk of becoming as reliant on China for lithium-ion batteries by 2030 as it was on Russia for fossil fuels before the latter launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
36 And upon them that are left alive of you, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when none pursueth.
37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth; and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.38 And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. Leviticus 26:36-38
The United States military has warned of an “environmental disaster” after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a cargo ship caused an oil slick in the Red Sea.
The M/V Rubymar, a UK-owned bulk carrier, is slowly taking in water
The Iran-aligned group hit the United Kingdom-owned, Belize-flagged bulk carrier Rubymar on February 18 with multiple missiles. It was sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
Extensive damage prompted the crew, all of whom are safe, to abandon the ship.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Saturday that the ship was now “anchored but slowly taking on water,” which it said has caused a 29-kilometre (18-mile) oil slick. The vessel was transporting more than 41,000 tonnes of fertiliser when attacked, the military said, “which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster.”
“The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies,” it added.
US broadcaster CNN cited an unnamed US official as saying the threat of more Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, combined with the condition of the water, makes it very difficult to safely get to the ship and attempt to tow it to a port. US officials are not sure what kind of substance is causing the slick, the report said.
The group has been disrupting trade through the Red Sea, promising that its attacks will continue until Israel ends its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 29,600 Palestinians, mostly children and women.
The US military said the Rubymar bulk carrier sustained “significant damage”
Backed by several other allied Western governments, the US and the United Kingdom have been bombing governorates across Yemen in response to the Houthi strikes. The military confrontation has now turned into a daily occurrence.
The US military also confirmed multiple new “self-defence strikes” on Houthi-controlled positions in Yemen. It said it destroyed seven mobile antiship cruise missiles that were prepared for launch towards the Red Sea.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM said.
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, earlier this week struck what they said was an Israeli cargo ship, the MSC Silver, in the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had also used drones to target a number of US warships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea as well as sites in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat.
US media cited US officials as confirming earlier this week that the Houthis had hit an MQ-9 attack drone near Yemen, the second time they have shot down a US military drone since the start of the Gaza war.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi on Thursday said they have introduced “submarine weapons” in their attacks. This confirms a previous US military report that the group is deploying underwater drones.
A Houthi spokesperson has said the group has recruited and trained more than 200,000 new fighters since the start of the Gaza war.
Finally, consider this PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;
— these Words, prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, “in the latter days,” are prophecies for our times!
Numbers 13
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.” — a ruler; a person of wisdom and authority, which might make his witness more considerable with the people;
3 And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the Wilderness of Paran. All those men were heads of the children of Israel. — those men were heads of the children of Israel, not the princes who are named, but chiefs, leading men though not of the first rank.
— the tribe of Levi is not represented as the Levites were to have no inheritance in the land, and the number of twelve is made up by the division of the tribe of Joseph into the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; — there is nothing but the names of the persons, whose sons they were, and of what tribe; and the several tribes are mentioned, not according to the order of the birth of the patriarchs,
5 of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
6 of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; — Caleb the son of Jephunneh; in three places, in Numbers 32:12; and in Joshua 14:6; Joshua 14:14; Caleb is described as the Kenezite (or rather, the Kenizzite);
— now in Genesis 15:19 the Kenizzites are mentioned as one of the Canaanite tribes, and in Genesis 36:11; Genesis 36:15, Kenaz occurs as an Edomite; hence it has been conjectured from these facts, but, as it should seem, on insufficient grounds, that Caleb was of foreign origin, and that he had been incorporated into the tribe of Judah;
7 of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
8 of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea [or Joshua] the son of Nun; — Jehoshua, contracted into Joshua who bears this name as the servant of Moses at a still earlier period, as to point to any diversity of authorship; and by which Hosea in the family name of Joshua had become best known in history, could be used proleptically in them all;
— it is very probable that Moses may have given him the new name either before or after the defeat of the Amalekites (Exodus 17:9), or when he took him into his service, though it has not been mentioned before;
9 of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;
10 of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;
11 of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;
12 of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
13 of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
14 of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
15 of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
— Jehoshua; Joshua denotes a desire of salvation, signifying, Save, we pray thee; but Jehoshua, or Joshua, includes a promise of salvation, He will save. So this was a prophecy of his succession to Moses in the government, and of the success of his arms. Joshua is the same name with Jesus, of whom Joshua was a type;
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, “Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain.
— Get you up this way southward; rather, by the Negeb, or south country (comp. Numbers 13:22); the southern part of Palestine was known by the name of the Negeb. It formed the transition from the desert to the more highly cultivated land, and was more fitted for grazing than for agricultural purposes.
18 And see the land, what it is, and the people who dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; — and see the land what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein; the situation and condition of the country, and the nature, temper, disposition, and constitution of the inhabitants;
— whether they be strong or weak, few or many; whether able-bodied men fit for war, and of strength, and courage, or feeble and pusillanimous, weak and timorous; and whether their number was small or great, by which they would be capable of judging whether they were in a state and condition to defend themselves or not, and whether a conquest of them was easy or not;
19 and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds; — and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; whether the air is good, the climate temperate, and the earth well watered, and has good convenience of springs, fountains, and rivers, and so wholesome or healthful;
— and what cities they be they dwell in, whether in tents or strong holds; or who dwelt in villages, and unwalled towns, unfortified cities; or whether in fortified cities, towns, and garrisons; by which it would appear whether it would be easy to come at them, and fall upon them, or difficult to subdue and conquer them;
20 and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
— and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean; that is, what the soil of it is, whether it be rich and fertile, or whether it be poor and barren, which would be seen by the fruits it produced, this being now the fruitful season of the year;
— and so the Targum of Jonathan, “and what is the reputation of the land, whether its fruits are fat or lean;” plump and full, rich and juicy, or otherwise, as their grapes, olives; whether it was a land flowing with milk and honey, Exodus 33:3;
So they went and searched the land from the Wilderness of Zin
21 So they went up and searched the land from the Wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. — the wilderness of Zin was the northeastern portion of the wilderness of Paran;
— Rehob; or, Beth-rehob, was a city and district situated, according to some, eastward of Sidon; or Beersheba?
22 And they ascended by the south and came unto Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt: Numbers 13:22) — before Zoan in Egypt; Zoan, or Tanis, on the eastern bank of the Tanitic arm of the Nile, appears to have been the residence of Pharaoh in the days of Moses (Psalm 78:12); but Hebron was in existence in the days of Abraham (Genesis 13:18; Genesis 23:2).
23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs. — the searchers of the land brought a bunch of grapes with them, and other fruits, as proofs of the goodness of the country;
— and they bare it between two upon a staff; it was so big; and which was not done only for the ease of carrying it, but that it might not have any of its grapes squeezed, bruised, and broken off, but that they might carry it entire and whole for the Israelites to behold: these two men were probably Caleb and Joshua;
24 The place was called the Brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. — because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence; the word “Eschol” signifying a “cluster”
25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. — they returned after forty days, when they were just ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from the divine power, proved by a constant series of miracles, that had hitherto attended them; but they distrusted God;
— the Targum of Jonathan adds, on the eighth day of the month Ab (third month); some Jewish writers (k) say it was the ninth of Ab; hence the tradition, that it was decreed on the ninth of Ab concerning their fathers, that they should not enter into the land;
26 And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the Wilderness of Paran to Kadesh, and brought back word unto them and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
— and they went, and came to Moses, and to Aaron; they proceeded on their journey from Eshcol, till they came to the camp of Israel; and as soon as they came there, went directly to Moses and to Aaron, before they went into their own tents;
27 And they told him, and said, “We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. — and surely it floweth with milk and honey; they own that the land answered to the description which the Lord had given of it when it was promised them by him, Exodus 3:8.
28 Nevertheless the people are strong who dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and very great; and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. — and moreover we saw the children of Anak there: whom they had heard of before, and so had the congregation of Israel, and many terrible and frightful stories were told of them,
— and these they now saw with their eyes, and very formidable they appeared to them; this seems to prove that others beside Caleb and Joshua were at Hebron, where the sons of Anak lived, Numbers 13:22; and so they might, and yet not be together with them.
29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of the Jordan.” — the Amalekites; these are descendants of Esau (Genesis 36:12) formed wild roving bands, the Amalekites dwell in the land of the south; better, of the south country, or the Negeb;
— like the Bedouins of the present day, the Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; on the southern side of the land of Canaan: not in it, for they were not Canaanites; between the Dead and the Red Seas, skirting the borders of Canaan.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.” — Caleb alone is here mentioned, possibly because he spoke first and most, which he might better do, because he might be presumed to be more impartial than Joshua, who, being Moses’s minister, might be thought to speak only what he knew his master would like;
— stilled the people; which implies either that they had begun to murmur and mutiny, and to speak against Moses for bringing them out of Egypt into a wilderness; and in their wrath they might be making up to him, threatening to pull him to pieces;
31 But the men who went up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” — the men that went up with him; all of them, Joshua excepted;
— they are stronger than we, both in stature of body and numbers of people; thus they wickedly question the power and goodwill of God, of all which they had such ample testimonies.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
— the singular number, “men of stature,” such persons did undoubtedly exist in the land of Canaan, but there is no evidence that the inhabitants generally were of extraordinary size.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants. And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” — and there we saw the giants; the same word, nephilim is here used which is found in Genesis 6:4;
— we were in our own sight as grasshoppers; thus their fear magnified these sons of Anak above measure, so that in comparison of them they thought themselves as weak and contemptible as insignificant insects.
Numbers 14
1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. — weeping and crying, those who do not trust God, continually vex themselves;
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!
— would God we had died in the land of Egypt; and then what they left behind they thought might have come into the hands of their children or relations; but now they concluded it would become a prey to the Canaanites;
3 And why hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?”
— wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land; unto the borders of it: their murmuring did not cease at Moses and Aaron, the instruments, but proceeded against God himself, who had done such wonderful things for them, not only in bringing them out of Egypt;
— were it not better for us to return into Egypt? and so escape the hands of the inhabitants of Canaan, of whom they had terrible apprehensions from the report made of them.
4 And they said one to another, “Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.” — Let us return into Egypt; stupendous madness! Whence should they have protection against the many hazards, and provision against all the wants of the wilderness?
— could they expect either God’s cloud to cover and guide them, or manna from Heaven to lead them? Who should conduct them over the Red Sea? or, if they went another way, who should defend them against those nations whose borders they were to pass?
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. — then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces; through shame and confusion of face for them, at hearing so shocking a proposal made, and such wretched ingratitude expressed;
6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who searched the land, rent their clothes; — Joshua and Caleb, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes; the two honest spies testified their grief and horror, in the strongest manner, at the mutiny against Moses and the blasphemy against God;
7 and they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land. — and they had not only entered into it, or just looked at a part of it, but they had gone through it, and taken a general survey of it; and they could not but in truth;
8 If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which floweth with milk and honey. — a land flowing with milk and honey; a general expression, descriptive of a rich and fertile country.
9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not.” — only rebel not ye against the Lord; nothing, it is suggested, could hinder them from the, possession of it but their rebellion against the Lord; which might provoke him to cut them off by his immediate hand, or to deliver them into the hands of their enemies;
— for they are bread for us; as easy to be cut to pieces, and to be devoured, consumed, and destroyed as thoroughly, as bread is when eaten; and their fields, vineyards, all they have without and within, even all their substance, will be a prey to us;
— their defence is departed from them; they had no heart nor spirit left in them; no courage to defend themselves, and therefore the strength of their bodies and their walled towns would be of no avail unto them;
— fear them not; the Canaanites, even the Amalekites, notwithstanding the strength of their bodies, or of their cities, the Lord is mightier than they are;
10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
— but all the congregation bade stone them with stones; namely, Joshua and Caleb, who had made such a faithful report of the good land, and had delivered such an animating and encouraging speech to the people;
— and the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation, before all the children of Israel; the Shekinah, which dwelt between the cherubim in the most holy place, came into the court of the tabernacle; for judgement;
11 And the Lord said unto Moses, “How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be ere they believe Me for all the signs which I have shown among them? — how long will this people provoke me? which suggests that they had often provoked him, and had done it long ago, and still continued to do so;
— for all the signs which I have showed among them; the wonders and miracles he had wrought in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, and in their sight;
12 I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.” — I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them; deprive them of inhabiting the land; so as many as died of the pestilence were even all the spies who brought an evil report of the good land;
13 And Moses said unto the Lord, “Then the Egyptians shall hear it (for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them), — then the Egyptians shall hear it; that the Lord had smitten the Israelites with the pestilence; it will be a pleasure to them;
14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land; for they have heard that Thou, Lord, art among this people, that Thou, Lord, art seen face to face, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest before them by daytime in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now if Thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying, — as one man; altogether, or to a man; and suddenly as it were by one blow, as if all had but one neck;
16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.’ — because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them; that though he brought them out of Egypt, he was not able to bring them through the wilderness into Canaan;
— therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness; because he could not fulfil his word, and so made short work of it, destroying them all together, which Moses suggests would greatly reflect dishonour on him; and in this he shows, that he was more concerned for the glory of God than for his own.
17 And now, I beseech Thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying,
18 ‘The Lord is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.’
— the LORD [יְהוָ֗ה] is longsuffering; towards all men, and especially towards his own people: and of great mercy, being abundant in goodness, and keeping mercy for thousands: forgiving iniquity and transgression, all sorts of sin;
19 Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”
— and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now; which shows both that these people had been continually sinning against the Lord, ever since they came out of Egypt; and therefore it was hoped and entreated that he would still continue to pardon them;
20 And the Lord said, “I have pardoned according to thy word; — the Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation;
21 but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. — but as truly as I live; which is the form of an oath, as the Targum says; the Lord swears by his life, or by himself, because he could swear by no greater;
— all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord; as it had been with the fame of what he had done in Egypt, and at the Red sea; or as it “should be” filled with it in later times, especially in the kingdom of the Messiah in the latter day;
22 Because all those men who have seen My glory and My miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times and have not hearkened to My voice— — these ten times; ten is the number which implies completeness; the sense is that the measure of their provocation was now full; and thus judgement is due;
— ten times; which were reckoned thus; twice at the sea, Exodus 14:11; twice concerning water, Exodus 15:23; twice about manna, Exodus 16:2; twice about quails, Exodus 16:12; once by the calf, Exodus 32:1; and once in the wilderness of Paran, Numbers 14:1, which last and tenth was the present confrontation;
23 surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those who provoked Me see it. — henceforth God’s judgement is that they would not see the land which he had swore unto their fathers;
24 But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went, and his seed shall possess it.” — my servant Caleb; Joshua was also excepted, but he is not named because he was no longer in the ranks of the people, being a constant attendant on Moses.
25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) “Tomorrow turn you and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.” — the Amalekites were the nomad bands that roved through the open pastures of the plain Numbers 14:45; by the way of the Red sea; that leadeth to the Red sea, and to Egypt, the place whither you desire to return.
26 And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me. — how long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? the Lord speaks as one weary of forbearing, so frequent and aggravated were their murmurings;
28 Say unto them, ‘As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you. — Say unto them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord; the form of an oath, as in Numbers 14:21;
— as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do unto you; the Israelites had exclaimed in their sinful murmuring against God, “Would God we had died in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:2); and God declares in His wrathful displeasure that the judgment which they had thus invoked should be inflicted upon them, and that their carcases should fall in the wilderness.
29 Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,
— Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; they had wished they had died in it, Numbers 14:2, and the Lord here declares they should, which is signified by the falling of their carcasses in it, or their bodies, which when dead fall to the ground, having no strength to support themselves;
— which have murmured against me; which shows, that not the spies only, who caused the people to murmur, but the people themselves who murmured, and had been numbered, from twenty years old and upward, are the evil congregation the Lord thus threatened with death.
30 doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. — Doubtless ye shall not come into the land; the land of Canaan; or “if ye shall come” that is, I swear ye shall not;
— save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun; who brought a good report of the land. Caleb is mentioned first, because he first appeased and quieted the people;
31 But your little ones, whom ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. — them will I bring in; into the land of Canaan, and so fulfil the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for the unbelief of this congregation did not make the faith, or faithfulness of God, of none effect;
32 But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. — wander, like sheep, feeding in the deserts; or shall be shepherds, that is, shall live like the shepherds of Arabia, in tents, and removing from place to place, having no certain dwelling;
— your whoredoms, that is, the punishment of your whoredoms, to wit, of your apostacy from, and perfidiousness against, your Lord, who was your husband, and had married you to himself. See Jeremiah 3:14; whence idolatry is called whoredom.
34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, for each day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know My altering of My purpose. — each day for a year; reckoning each day for a year, forty days for forty years, as in Ezekiel 4:6,
— the Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation; those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it.
35 I, the Lord, have said: I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’” — I the Lord have said; determined, resolved on doing what I have declared, and again repeat it; the decree is absolute and peremptory, and will never be revoked;
36 And the men, whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land, — and made all the congregation to murmur against him; against, Moses that sent them; they murmured themselves, and made others murmur:
37 even those men who brought up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord. — even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land; they, and they only at this time: died by the plague before the Lord; either by the pestilence immediately sent upon them by the Lord, or by a flash of lightning from him, or in some other way;
38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of the men who went to search the land, lived still. — but Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh; here Joshua is set first, which shows that they were equal in dignity, and therefore are indifferently put, sometimes the one first, and sometimes the other;
39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. — and the people mourned greatly; it appears from what follows that the sorrow which the Israelites felt was sorrow for the punishment which their sin had entailed, not godly sorrow for the sin itself.
40 And they rose up early in the morning and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, “Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised; for we have sinned.” — saying, lo, we be here; this they said either to one another, animating each othe; or to Moses and Joshua, pretending they were ready to go up and possess the land, if they have taken the direction given to them;
— for we have sinned; in not going up to possess it, when they were bid to go, and in listening to the spies that brought an ill report of it, and by murmuring against Moses and Aaron, and the Lord himself, and proposing to make them a captain and return to Egypt, Numbers 14:2, but this acknowledgment and repentance were not very sincere;
41 And Moses said, “Why now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? But it shall not prosper. — and Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? which was to turn back into the wilderness, and go the way that leads to the Red sea, Numbers 14:25; instead of which now they were for going forward into the land of Canaan.
42 Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
— Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; and therefore could not expect success, for victory is of the Lord; the Targum of Jonathan adds, “the ark, and the tabernacle, and the Shekinah proceed not,” which were a plain indication that the Lord would not go with them, and therefore could not hope to prevail over their enemies and conquer the land, but on the contrary might expect to be defeated by them;
The Amalekites who dwelled in the Negeb, the Southland: Numbers 13:29
43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword. Because ye have turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.” — and ye shall fall by the sword: by the sword of the Amalekites and Canaanites: because ye are turned away from the Lord: from the word of the Lord, from hearkening to and obeying his command;
— the Canaanites, and contenting himself with naming the leading foes with whom the Amalekites who wandered about in the Negeb, or the Southland had allied themselves with, as Bedouins thirsting for booty;
44 But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop. Nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses departed not out of the camp. — they presumed to go up; that is, they made a bold attempt to ascend the mountain. Their enemies appear to have encountered and discomfited them before they had actually gained the summit;
— nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp; the cloud not being taken up, but abiding on the tabernacle, which was the signal for resting, both for the ark, and for the camp, the Kohathites did not move with the ark;
45 Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill, and smote them and discomfited them, even unto Hormah. — then the Amalekites came down; the hill; met the Israelites as they ascended: and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill; the same with the Amorites, one of the seven nations of Canaan;
— and smote them and discomfited them even unto Hormah; the name of a place, so called from what happened there; this destruction of the Israelites at this time by these their enemies, the Amalekites and the Canaanites.
In 2023, the world experienced another wave of science and technology (S&T) innovation, from the introduction of the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the US to the stunning growth of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence.
This map, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, explores the world’s top 50 science and technology hubs leading these innovations based on data from the Global Innovation Index 2023. Hubs were ranked by their combined share of international patent applications and scientific publications.
East Asia Dominance in S&T The world’s five most significant science and technology hubs are in East Asia.
The top-ranked Tokyo-Yokohama cluster made up just over 10% of all patent applications between 2018-2022.
Cluster
Country/Economy
Patent Applications
Scientific Publications
Tokyo-Yokohama
🇯🇵 Japan
127,418
115,020
Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou
🇨🇳/🇭🇰 China/Hong Kong
113,482
153,180
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
63,447
133,604
Beijing
🇨🇳 China
38,067
279,485
Shanghai-Suzhou
🇨🇳 China
32,924
162,635
San Jose-San Francisco
🇺🇸 US
47,269
58,575
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto
🇯🇵 Japan
38,413
51,948
Boston-Cambridge
🇺🇸 US
18,184
76,378
San Diego
🇺🇸 US
23,261
20,928
New York City
🇺🇸 US
13,838
74,849
Nanjing
🇨🇳 China
7,143
113,488
Paris
🇫🇷 France
15,176
61,692
Wuhan
🇨🇳 China
6,250
89,756
Hangzhou
🇨🇳 China
10,755
62,924
Nagoya
🇯🇵 Japan
17,736
16,091
Los Angeles,
🇺🇸 US
11,556
44,058
Washington, DC–Baltimore
🇺🇸 US
5,525
76,039
Daejeon
🇰🇷 South Korea
12,275
25,552
Xi’an
🇨🇳 China
1,786
86,937
London
🇬🇧 Great Britain
5,981
59,068
Seattle
🇺🇸 US
11,472
20,322
Munich
🇩🇪 Germany
10,248
24,239
Qingdao
🇨🇳 China
7,286
39,745
Chengdu
🇨🇳 China
2,046
67,334
Cologne
🇩🇪 Germany
7,466
34,286
Amsterdam–Rotterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
4,230
52,864
Taipei–Hsinchu
🇹🇼 Taiwan
3,907
52,752
Houston
🇺🇸 US
8,475
24,636
Stuttgart
🇩🇪 Germany
9,342
14,874
Tel Aviv–Jerusalem
🇮🇱 Israel
7,268
24,219
Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
2,036
55,086
Chicago
🇺🇸 US
5,763
32,343
Singapore
🇸🇬/🇲🇾 Singapore/Malaysia
4,861
36,803
Tehran
🇮🇷 Iran
249
63,113
Philadelphia
🇺🇸 US
5,390
32,309
Tianjin
🇨🇳 China
1,267
53,680
Changsha
🇨🇳 China
1,149
52,768
Stockholm
🇸🇪 Sweden
6,069
19,984
Minneapolis
🇺🇸 US
6,625
15,375
Hefei
🇨🇳 China
2,549
38,974
Eindhoven
🇳🇱 Netherlands
7,982
5,339
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
2,126
40,056
Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
3,624
30,464
Chongqing
🇨🇳 China
1,651
41,412
Frankfurt am Main
🇩🇪 Germany
5,410
18,590
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
2,539
33,695
Raleigh
🇺🇸 US
3,057
30,206
Madrid
🇪🇸 Spain
1,580
38,849
Zürich
🇨🇭 Switzerland
3,759
24,437
Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
2,578
31,077
The first American cluster on the list, the San Francisco Bay Area, is home to major tech companies such as Adobe, eBay, Google, and PayPal.
Along with Cambridge in the United Kingdom, the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most S&T-intensive clusters relative to overall population density.
For the first time, China topped the list of countries with the highest number of clusters among the top 100, having 24 total. The United States follows, with 21 clusters, then Germany with nine.
In addition, nearly every Chinese cluster rose in the rankings compared to last year, with only Beijing falling by one place.
São Paulo (Brazil); Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai (India); Tehran (Islamic Republic of Iran); Istanbul and Ankara (Türkiye); and Moscow (Russian Federation) are the only middle-income economy clusters outside China.
According to the Global Innovation Index, the US leads in research and development (R&D) expenditure, followed by China, Japan, Germany, and the Republic of Korea.
One of a series of JUDAH FIRST (1) Movement of the Camp, Numbers 2:3
Numbers 11
1 And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it, and His anger was kindled. And the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed those who were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
— unaccustomed to the fatigues of travel and wandering into the depths of a desert; the people complained and it displeased the Lord; a fire sent from God in an extraordinary manner, possibly from the pillar of cloud and fire, or from heaven;
— in the uttermost parts of the camp; either because the sin began there among the mixt multitude, who probably had their place there; or amongst those who were feeble and weary with their last journey, and therefore hindmost in the march;
— the Targum Jonathan says “But there were wicked men of the people, who, being discontent, devised and imagined evil before the Lord. . . and a flaming fire was kindled among them from the Lord, which destroyed some of the wicked in the outskirts of the house of Dan, with whom was a graven image.”
2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. — the fire was quenched; it stopped and proceeded no further;
3 And he called the name of the place Taberah [that is, A burning], because the fire of the Lord burned among them. — because the fire of the Lord burnt among them; to perpetuate the, memory of this kind of punishment for their sins,
— that it might be a terror and warning to others; and this history is indeed recorded for our caution in these last days, that we murmur not as these Israelites did, and were destroyed of the destroyer;
4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell to lusting. And the children of Israel also wept again and said, “Who shall give us flesh to eat? — the mixt multitude among them; the word in the original resembles our “riff-raff,” and denotes a mob of people scraped together. It refers here to the multitude of strangers (Exodus 12:38) who had followed the Israelites from Egypt;
— possibly caused by “the mixed multitude” at Exodus 12:38; but not solely “the mixed multitude that was among them fell to lusting” and the children of Israel also wept again; they lusted after flesh likewise; and said, who shall give us flesh to eat?
5 We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; — they felt and expressed a longing for the better food which they had enjoyed in Egypt, and which was they had in the desert, and urged the Israelites to cry out for flesh again, especially for the flesh and the savoury vegetables in which Egypt abounded;
6 but our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes.” — is dried away; is withered, and pines away; which possibly might be true through envy and discontent, and inordinate appetite;
7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium. — bdellium is either, a) the gum of a tree, of a white and bright colour; or rather, b) a gem or precious stone;
8 And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. — and the people went about and gathered this manna; this they did every morning, and this was all the trouble they were at; they had it for gathering, without any expense to them;
— and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil; which is very grateful and pleasant, as well as very fattening and nourishing; so that the Israelites had no reason to complain of their being dried away by continual eating of it;
9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. — the manna fell upon it; as constantly, and had thereby a clean place to fall on; and then another dew fell upon that, which kept it the cleaner still, and from any vermin creeping upon it;
10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. — the weeping was general; every family wept, and in a manner public and unconcealed;
— and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; because of their ingratitude to him, their contempt of the manna he had provided for them, and their hankering after their poor fare in Egypt, and for which they had endured so much hardship and ill usage, and for the noise and clamour they now made;
11 And Moses said unto the Lord, “Why hast Thou afflicted Thy servant? And why have I not found favor in Thy sight, that Thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? — why hast thou afflicted thy servant? or “done evil” to him, that which was distressing to him, and gave him trouble; namely, setting him at the head of the people of Israel, and laying the government of them on his shoulders;
12 Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that Thou shouldest say unto me, ‘Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which Thou swearest unto their fathers’? — have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them? Conceived them as a mother, or begotten them as a father? am I a parent of either sort to them?
13 From whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? For they weep unto me, saying, ‘Give us flesh, that we may eat.’ — give us flesh, that we may eat; Moses seems to pity them, whereas he ought to have reproved them for their murmurings and ingratitude, and put them in mind of the manna which was provided for them every day, and with which they ought to have been content.
14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. — I am not able to bear all this people alone; the burden of government of them, to take care of them and provide sustenance for them;
15 And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in Thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness!” — kill me, I pray thee, out of hand; take me out of the world at once, or “kill me now, in killing”- dispatch me immediately, and make a thorough end of me directly;
— and let me not see my wretchedness; or live to be the unhappy man I shall be; pressed with such a weight of government, affected and afflicted with the wants of a people I cannot relieve;
— or seeing them bore down with judgements and punishments inflicted on them for their sins and transgressions I am not able to prevail upon them to abstain from; as the Targum of Jerusalem says, “that I may not see their evil, who are thy people;”
16 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
— to be elders; whom thou by experience discernest to be elders, not only in years and name, but also in wisdom and authority with the people. These “elders and officers of the people” being traced to the origin of the Sanhedrim; with a prince or president at the head of them, who later regulate the working of the calendar.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there. And I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
— and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee; “the spirit” means the gifts and influences of the Spirit; and by “taking the spirit of Moses, and putting it upon them,” is to be understood that the qualities of the the elders would be endowed with a portion of the same gifts, especially of knowledge and wisdom; that is, an extraordinary penetration in discovering hidden and settling difficult things of government.
18 And say thou unto the people: ‘Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh. For ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, “Who shall give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. — and ye shall eat flesh; which they lusted after, wept for, and could not be easy without: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord; complaining of him, and which he has taken notice of;
19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, — God would give them flesh, so that they should eat it not one day, or two, or five, or ten, or twenty, but a whole month long of “days,” “till it come out of your nostrils, and become loathsome unto you,” as a punishment in their contempt of the manna given by God, and for having shown their regret at leaving the land of Egypt in their longing for the provisions of that land.
20 but even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you, because ye have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why came we forth out of Egypt?”’” — until it come out at your nostrils; so many, or so much being vomited up, through a nausea of it, the stomach being overfilled and glutted with it; in which case, it will make its way through the nostrils, as well as out of the mouth;
21 And Moses said, “The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen; and Thou hast said, ‘I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.’ — Moses said, the people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand … Shall the flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them?
22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them?” — shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? suggesting that if all their cattle, their sheep, and oxen were killed, with the mixed multitude brought out of Egypt, they would not be sufficient for them to live upon a whole month;
23 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Has the Lord’S hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” — is the Lord’s hand waxed short? or his power diminished since the creation, when he formed all things out of nothing, and what is it then he is not able to do?
— or since he wrought the wonders in Egypt, divided the Red sea, rained down manna from heaven, and smote the rock at Horeb, from whence waters flowed sufficient for all this people, and their flocks and herds; and he that did all this could give them flesh that would suffice them a whole month;
24 And Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and set them round about the tabernacle. — and told the people of the words of the Lord; what he had ordered him to do for his ease in the government of them, and how he had promised to give them flesh on the morrow;
25 And the Lord came down in a cloud and spoke unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him and gave it unto the seventy elders; and it came to pass that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. — and did not cease; from prophesying; the spirit of prophecy continued with them, which, in some cases, might be necessary: or, they ceased not to prophesy all that day, though they afterwards did;
26 But there remained two of the men in the camp: the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of those who were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle; and they prophesied in the camp. — but there remained two of the men in the camp; of the seventy who were summoned, that came not out of the camp of Israel to the tabernacle when the rest did;
Eldad prophesied, and said: Behold, Mosheh shall be gathered from the world; and Jehoshua bar Nun [Joshua], the minister of the camps, will be established after him, and will lead the people of the house of Israel into the land of Kenaan, and make it their inheritance.
Medad prophesied, and said: Behold, quails come up from the sea, and cover all the camp of Israel; but they will be to the people (a cause of) an offence.
And both of them prophesied together, and said: Behold, a king will arise from the land of Magog, at the end of the days, and will assemble kings crowned with crowns, and captains wearing armour, and him will all nations obey.
And they will set battle in array in the land of Israel against the children of the captivity; but already is it provided that in the hour of distresses all of them shall perish by the burning blast of the flame that cometh forth from beneath the Throne of Glory; and their carcases shall fall upon the mountains of the land of Israel, and the wild beasts of the field and the fowls of the sky shall come and consume their dead bodies.
And afterward will all the dead of Israel live (again), and be feasted from the ox which hath been set apart for them from the beginning, and they shall receive the reward of their works. And they were of the elders who stood in the registers among them; but they had not gone forth to the tabernacle, but had hidden to escape from the dignity; yet they prophesied in the camp.
— from this Targum translation, it could be established that Gog is a King, or title of a King, like Caesar, Czar or Agag (as in Numbers 24:7 in the Septuagint), a dynastic name for the kings of the Amalekites.
— And afterward will all the dead of Israel live (again); this sstablish the the death of “Gog and Magog” is not before, but after, and then again, it may not be at once but “each in his own order” 1 Corinthians 15:23, indicating there are many orders, first at Christ’s coming, then throughout the Millennium.
27 And there ran a young man and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.” — there ran a young man and told Moses; fearing lest Moses’ authority should be diminished by their prophesying, and thereby taking power to themselves without his consent.
— that is, this young man thought Eldad and Medad were not right, being done without the knowledge and approbation of Moses, and in a private tent in the tabernacle, not among the elders, but among the common people;
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” — answered and said, my lord Moses, forbid them; prophesying, restrain them from it, suffer them not to go on in it; he would have him exert his authority as the chief magistrate;
— Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp seemed to Joshua to be acting independently, and so establishing a separate center of authority.
29 And Moses said unto him, “Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’S people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” — Moses said unto him, enviest thou for my sake? Lest his authority should be weakened, and his honour lessened, because they began not to prophesy in his presence, and at the tabernacle, and among the rest of the elders, and so seemed not to have received of the Spirit that was upon him, and to be independent of him;
30 And Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. — Moses returned with the elders into the camp, that is, from the tabernacle, which stood upon an open space in the midst of the camp, at some distance from the tents of the Levites and the rest of the tribes of Israel, which were pitched around it, so that whoever wished to go to it, had first of all to go out of his tent.
31 And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. — quails commonly fly low, and when wearied with a long flight might fly only about breast-high;
— on the other hand, the more obvious interpretation of the words is that the quails were spread over the ground, and covered it in some places to the height of two cubits.
32 And the people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day, and they gathered the quails. He that gathered least gathered ten homers, and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. — gathered least gathered ten homers; or so many ass loads, that the people did not gather for their present use only, but for a good while to come; which lasted probably a month;
33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. — a very great plague; whether it was leanness sent into them, whereby the food was deprived of its nourishing power, which it hath only from God’s blessing;
— or surfeit, a punishment most suitable to their sin, and most likely to follow their intemperate desire and use of this food; and besides, they were before pressed with famine, now they had a plenty of manna every day; or the pestilence; it is not much material: but a great and sore plague unquestionably it was.
34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah [that is, The graves of lust], because there they buried the people who lusted. — because there they buried the people that lusted; not all that lusted, for the lusting was pretty general; but all that died through their gluttony and intemperance, and the judgement of God on them;
35 And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth, and abode at Hazeroth.
Numbers 12
1 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman. — and Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses; Miriam appears to have been the leader as her name occurs before that of Aaron in this insurrection against Moses;
— because of the Ethiopian woman, whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman; perhaps a daughter of a king of Ethiopia before he fled from Pharaoh, as the Targum of Jonathan indicates; Moses was forty when he fled so he could have married a princess of Ethiopia by then;
2 And they said, “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?” And the Lord heard it. — Aaron also received the revelation of God by Urim and Thummim and Miriam was expressly called a prophetess, Exodus 4:14 Exodus 15:20; she seems to have a legitimate claim that Moses had no monopoly of Divine communications;
3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth.) — now the man Moses was very meek; so that they might say anything against him, and he not be affronted, nor resent any injury;
4 And the Lord spoke suddenly unto Moses and unto Aaron and unto Miriam: “Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation.” And the three came out. — and the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam; as one greatly provoked, and highly displeased, and which was shown at once; and in order to prevent the complaint getting among the people, and spreading, which might have been of bad consequence;
5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. — in the door of the tabernacle, where they stood outside, not being admitted into the tabernacle, as Aaron used to be; which is noted as a sign of God’s displeasure.
6 And He said, “Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. — as he speak unto him in a dream; as he had done to Jacob, Genesis 31:11, and as he did afterwards to Daniel, Daniel 7:1, and many others.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house. — My servant Moses is not so; because God speak to him mouth to mouth, even plainly, that is, he is a prophet of a higher rank as he faithfully delivered to them all the laws, statutes, and ordinances, which he appointed to be observed by them;
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold. Why then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” — Mouth to mouth; that is, in a most familiar manner, distinctly, and by an articulate voice, as one friend discourses with another,
— or as two friends in conversation hear and answer each other by turns. Moses enjoyed this singular privilege, which was to no other of the prophets, that God spoke to him constantly, and not by an interpreter, nor by visions and dreams, but by a distinct audible voice;
9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He departed. — He departed; from the door of the tabernacle, in token of his great displeasure; not waiting for their answer.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle. And behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. — leprous, white as snow; that is, was leprous as snow when the disease covered the whole body, and the whole of the flesh had turned white;
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, “Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned. — lay not the sin; let not the guilt and punishment of this sin rest upon us, upon her in this kind, upon me in any other kind, but pray to God for the pardon and removal.
12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.” — as one dead; either naturally, because part of her flesh was putrefied and dead, and not to be restored but by the mighty power of God; or morally, because she was cut off from all converse with others;
13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, “Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee.” — saying, heal her now, O God, I beseech thee; this prayer is a proof of his being of a meek, humble, and forgiving spirit.
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.” — spit in her face, that is, expressed some eminent token of indignation and contempt, which this was;
— seven days, the time appointed for cleansing the unclean, Numbers 6:9 31:19. But the Targum Jonathan says fourteen days, or a two series of seven days; (1) disgraced and secluded seven days, (2) tarry until the time that she is healed, and then re-admitted;
15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days, and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. — journeyed not; which was a testimony of respect to her both from God and from the people; God so ordering it, partly lest she should be overwhelmed by such a public rebuke from God, and partly lest, she being a prophetess, the gift of prophecy should come into contempt.
16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth and pitched camp in the Wilderness of Paran. — the people did not proceed any farther till the restoration of Miriam. After this they departed from Hazeroth, and encamped in the desert of Paran, namely at Kadesh, on the southern boundary of Canaan.
Poverty in Argentina hits 20-year high at 57.4%. Now now, but two or three years later many Argentines may end up as illegal immigrants in New York or other American cities.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) February 19, 2024 – Poverty levels in Argentina hit 57.4% in January, the highest in at least 20 years, according to a report by the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) cited by local media on Sunday.
According to the report, the devaluation of the peso currency carried out by President Javier Milei shortly after his inauguration in early December – and the price hikes caused by it – exacerbated poverty levels, which closed the year at 49.5%.
“The true inheritance of the caste model: Six out of every 10 Argentines are poor,” Milei, a libertarian, said in a social media post late on Saturday.
Influx of illegal immigrants from the South lying along New York city streets
Milei took office promising to “dollarize” the economy, tame an annual inflation rate of more than 200%, eliminate the fiscal deficit and end benefits for Argentina’s political dynasties, which Milei calls “the caste.”
In December, his government rolled out sweeping economic reforms, primarily a 54% peso devaluation against the US dollar, causing Argentines’ incomes to collapse as prices shot up.
Other measures included slashing energy and transportation subsidies and rolling out tax hikes aimed at reaching fiscal balance.
Illegal Immigrants Line Up by the Thousands for Deportation Deferrals
On Friday, Argentina’s economy ministry reported a January budget surplus of 518.41 billion pesos ($620.85 million), the first time the number has been in the green since August 2012.
And here’s a PROPHECY
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
And to understand the encrypted message above, see the followings:
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
Earlier, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that since the beginning of the special operation, the Russian Armed Forces had eliminated more than 5,800 foreign mercenaries.
NATO Soldiers Fighting in Ukraine Under Guise of Mercenaries – MoD
NATO soldiers under the guise of mercenaries are involved in combat operations in Ukraine, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate, said in an interview with Russian media.
“NATO servicemen are involved in combat operations under the guise of mercenaries. They operate air defense complexes of operational-tactical missiles and multiple rocket launchers, and are part of assault troops,” Rudskoy said.
According to him, NATO officers “directly” prepare military operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Defense Ministry earlier said that amid the disruption of mobilization plans and in order to conceal massive losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kiev, in coordination with the CIA, has intensified the recruitment of mercenaries.
Fighters from the United States, Canada, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East have joined the ranks of the Ukrainian military.
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
Numbers 9
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
— in the first month of the second year; the celebration of the Passover, as recorded in this chapter, preceded in order of time the numbering of the people recorded in Numbers 1, and the other events which were connected with it. No provision had hitherto been made for the celebration of the Passover in the wilderness.
2 “Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at his appointed season. — keep the Passover at his appointed season; being kept in the first month; that is, in spring;
3 In the fourteenth day of this month at evening ye shall keep it in his appointed season. According to all the rites of it and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it.” — at evening; which in Hebrew, is ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings”
— the Orthodox definition of ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings” is interpreted as “after noon and until nightfall,” the slaying of the lambs was the first of nine ordinances to be fulfilled on the Passover;
4 And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. — this was the first observance of the passover since the exodus; and without and the Israelites were to keep it till their settlement in the land of Canaan, and beyond;
5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening in the Wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. — again at evening; which in Hebrew, is ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings” that is, “after noon and until nightfall,”
6 And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day. — by the dead body of a man; by the touch of a dead body; who may have died suddenly; and so all were defiled, being in the place where the dead body was, or had touched it;
7 And those men said unto him, “We are defiled by the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in its appointed season among the children of Israel?” — those certain men; probably Mishael and Elizaphan, who buried their cousins, Nadab and Abihu, within a week of this Passover Leviticus 10:4-5.
8 And Moses said unto them, “Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.” — Moses told them to wait (stand), and he would hear what the Lord, of whom he would inquire, would command.
9 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
10 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: ‘If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto the Lord. — If any man of you or of your posterity; be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey.
11 The fourteenth day of the second month at evening they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. — again at evening; which in Hebrew, is ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings” that is, “after noon and until nightfall,”
12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. — they shall leave none of it unto the morning; none of the flesh of the passover lamb, what was left was to be burnt with fire, Exodus 12:10;
— to make this clearer, “between the two evenings” is from the time when the sun begins to incline towards the west, which is from the sixth hour [noon or 12 o’clock] and onwards. It is erevim [“evenings”] because there are TWO EVENINGS, for “between the two evenings” is from the time that the sun begins to decline as one evening, and the other evening is after the sun has GONE DOWN. It is the space of time in between which is meant by “between the two evenings.”
— for erevs in Orthodox terminology, there are two evenings (erevs), one from the time the sun begins to decline, and the other evening is after the sun has gone down, til midnight.
13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he brought not the offering of the Lord in its appointed season. That man shall bear his sin.
— the man that forbeareth to keep the passover, through contempt or neglect, without these or any other just impediments, as before; even the same soul shall be cut off from his people; either be excommunicated from them, or cut off by death by the immediate hand of God;
14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the Passover unto the Lord, according to the ordinance of the Passover and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do. Ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and for him that was born in the land.’”
— if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover; Gentile converts, or proselytes, as they were called, were admitted, if circumcised, to the same privileges as native Israelites, and were liable to excommunication if they neglected the passover.
15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony; and at evening there was upon the tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning. — the erev here is the second evening, that is, after the sun has gone down, til midnight.
16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. — and the appearance of fire by night; when as a cloud it could not be because of the darkness of the night; as in the daytime it could not be discerned as a body of fire or light, because of the light of the sun;
17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed; and in the place where the cloud stood still, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. — and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents; when it stopped and remained without any motion, it was a signal to the children of Israel to stop also.
18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched camp. As long as the cloud stayed upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents; — the motion or stay of the cloud is fitly called the command of God, because it was a signification of God’s will and their duty, which a command properly is;
19 and when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and journeyed not. — and when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days; or years, for days are sometimes put for years, and in some places the cloud tarried several years; or however, if it stayed but a month or a year in any place;
20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle, according to the commandment of the Lord they stayed in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed.
— the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; days which were so few that they might be easily numbered: the Targum of Jonathan interprets them of the seven days of the week, as if the sense was, when the cloud rested a week on the tabernacle;
21 And so it was, when the cloud tarried from evening unto the morning, and the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. — erev for evening; from even unto the morning; the whole night, during which time they rested in their beds;
22 Or whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel remained in their tents and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
— or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle; sometimes it tarried but half a day, sometimes a whole day, sometimes two days, at other times a whole month, and even a year;
23 At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
— they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses; observed the rest or motion of the cloud, the order and command of God signified thereby, as it was made known unto them by the ministry and means of Moses.
Numbers 10
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Make thee two trumpets of silver. Of a whole piece shalt thou make them, that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps. — two trumpets; for Aaron’s two sons; Eleazar and Ithamar, though afterward the number of the trumpets was much increased, as the number of the priests also was.
3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. — the trumpet was a straight instrument, differing in this respect from the curved horn or cornet; and is represented, among the other spoils of the temple, on the Arch of Titus;
— all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; to hear what was to be said unto them: blowing both the trumpets together was a token that the whole congregation was called to meet together at the tabernacle, the door of which was the usual place of assembling, especially on religious counts, for there also the Lord met them, Exodus 29:42.
4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, who are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. — and if they blow but with one trumpet; with only one of them, or but once, with one sounding, and that an even one as before: then the princes, which are the heads of the thousands of Israel;
5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. — when ye blow an alarm; a sound “tara-tan-tara”
— then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward; the camps of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, which lay to the east of the tabernacle, at the front of it;
— one of a series of JUDAH FIRST (1) Movement of the Camp, Numbers 2:3; (2) Judah’s First Day to present Offering, Numbers 7:12; (3) Judah first to cross the Jordan River, Jewish Malbim writing.
6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys. — when ye blow an alarm the second time; another “tara-tan-tara”
— then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey; the camps of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, which were encamped on the south side of the tabernacle;
7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. — ye shall blow, but not sound an alarm: that is, blow with an even and uninterrupted sound; by which the congregation and camps were distinguished from one another, the same certain sound being given to each constantly;
8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations. — and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; as Aaron had only two sons at this time, Eleazar and Ithamar, there was need only of two trumpets;
9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. — if ye go to war; in the land of Canaan, either when attacked by foreign invaders or when they went to take possession according to the divine promise;
— against the Kenites and Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites and the Perizzites and Rephaim, the Amorites and the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites. Genesis 15:19-21
10 Also in the day of your gladness and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
— that they may be to you for a memorial before your God; as it were, to put him in mind of the promises he has made, and the blessings he has laid up as a covenant God for his people;
— I am the Lord your God; who had a right to appoint such things to be observed by them, and by whom, as their covenant God, they were laid under obligation to regard them.
11 And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the testimony.
— that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony; that part of the tabernacle where the ark of the testimony stood, even the most holy place, over which the cloud was, the token of the divine Presence, and which it covered;
— but now was taken up from it, and went up higher above it, and was a signal for the motion of the camps of Israel to set forward in their journey towards the Promised Land.
12 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the Wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the Wilderness of Paran.
13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
14 In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies; and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
— one of a series of JUDAH FIRST (1) Movement of the Camp, Numbers 2:3; (2) Judah’s First Day to present Offering, Numbers 7:12;
15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari moved forward, bearing the tabernacle. — the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari; of the sons of Levi;
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben moved forward according to their armies; and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites moved forward, bearing the sanctuary; and the others set up the tabernacle for when they came. — and the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi; set forward; after the standard of the camps of Reuben, and between that and the standard of the camp of Ephraim;
22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim moved forward according to their armies; and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. — and the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies; next followed the standard of the camp of Ephraim, under which were Manasseh and Benjamin;
23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan moved forward, which was the rearmost of all the camps throughout their hosts; and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
— last of all, Dan, with the associated tribes, brought up the rear of the immense caravan. Each tribe was marshalled under its prince or chief and in all their movements rallied around its own standard;
26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
28 Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies when they moved forward. — according to their armies; ranged under their several standards:
29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law: “We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.”
— Hobab, the son of Raguel; or Reuel Exodus 2:18. Reuel was probably not identical with Jethro: and Hobab was the brother-in-law, not the father-in-law, of Moses; the Hebrew word translated in the King James Version “father-in-law,” signifying simply any relation by marriage;
— Hobab Judges 1:16; Judges 4:11 eventually accompanied the Israelites and obtained a settlement with them in the land of Canaan.
30 And he said unto him, “I will not go, but I will depart to mine own land and to my kindred.” — and Hobab said unto Moses, who invites his kindred to go to Canaan;
31 And he said, “Leave us not, I pray thee, inasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. — and Moses continued to persuade Hobab, said;
— and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes; that is, or guide and direct them in the road through the wilderness; or to assist with his advice in difficult matters, when they should be in pressing circumstances: the Targum of Jonathan is, “thou hast been dear unto us, as the apple of our eyes.”
32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.” — Hobab would indicate the spots where water, fuel, and pasture might be found, or warn them of the dangers from wild beasts, or point out localities infested by robbers.
33 And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey to search out a resting place for them. — before them; not so much in place, for so it went in the midst, or at least after the first camp;
— and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them; the ark being carried by the Kohathites, must proceed in the middle of the camps, after the camps of Judah and Reuben, but before the camps of Ephraim and Dan;
34 And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day when they went out of the camp. — and the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day; not only upon the tabernacle, and upon the ark particularly, but it spread itself in journeying over the whole body of the people, and therefore said to be a covering to them from the heat of the sun;
35 And it came to pass, when the ark moved forward, that Moses said, “Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.”
— their going out and coming in, gives an example to us to begin and end every day’s journey and every day’s work with prayer; and here is Moses’s prayer when the ark set forward, Rise up, and let thine enemies be scattered.
36 And when it rested he said, “Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.” — the pray of this petition is, that upon the resting of the ark God would take up his abode with them, grant them his presence, and manifest his love, mercy, and goodness unto them; to the land which he had sworn to their fathers, the land of Israel.
Former President Donald Trump says he will introduce tariffs of more than 60% on Chinese goods if he wins November’s election.
“No, I would say maybe it’s going to be more than that,” Trump said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” when host Maria Bartiromo referenced a report by The Washington Post. The Post reported that Trump was considering a flat 60% tariff on Chinese imports.
The former president brushed aside claims that he would start another trade war if elected in 2024.
“You know, obviously, I’m not looking to hurt China. I want to get along with China. I think it’s great. But they’ve really taken advantage of our country,” Trump told Bartiromo in an interview that aired Sunday.
When asked for comment, a representative for the Trump campaign pointed to Trump’s campaign and policy platform on trade.
The Trump administration was known for its strident approach toward trade relations with China. China’s Ministry of Commerce said it would be forced to take “synchronized countermeasures” to defend its own interests against the latest US tariffs, escalating trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.
Back in 2018, Trump directed his administration to start imposing tariffs on various Chinese goods. This resulted in a tit-for-tat trade war when China retaliated with its own slate of tariffs.
“I won’t tell you now because that would really jeopardize my negotiating ability with China. So I don’t talk about those things. It’s very hard to say. I would or I wouldn’t — they know what I do, and they know where I stand. And we won’t have a problem,” Trump said.
During the interview, the former president also said that he believes, without any evidence, that the Chinese Communist Party is behind the surge in Chinese migrants and illegal immigration at the Southern border and that he believes China will interfere in the US elections.
The Chinese leader personally told Biden, according to CNN, he would not interfere in the 2024 election when they met in November, although the US intelligence community has reported that China increased its efforts to meddle with American politics during the 2022 midterms.
“The US can’t put a 60% tariff on imports from China, any more than Trump can fly off the Trump Tower roof,” writes David Goldman. “The consequences of trying either stunt, though, would be similar.”
As president, Trump slapped tariffs of 25% on $50 billion of Chinese goods in June 2018. Beijing countered with its own tariffs, and the spiral continued until the two countries arrived at an agreement in 2020. The Biden administration has largely kept the Trump-era tariffs in place.
“And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet roundabout; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.
“And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire” Ezekiel 23:24-25
Sea drones are being used to smash Russia’s navy, and now they’re being used by the Houthis to threaten a US carrier strike group too.
Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, British-registered ship carrying combustible fertilizer, was damaged in a Sunday missile strike claimed by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels.
Its crew was evacuated to Djibouti after one missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and its stern to sag, said its operator, the Blue Fleet Group.
A second missile hit the vessel’s deck without causing major damage, Blue Fleet CEO Roy Khoury told AFP.
As the Dwight D Eisenhower carrier strike group fends off attacks in the Red Sea, Houthi rebels have added a new weapon to their arsenal — naval drones, the Associated Press reported.
Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower in the vicinity of the Red Sea
Houthis have launched or attempted to launch multiple explosive, uncrewed vessels into waters off Yemen where they would threaten US Navy and commercial vessels since January 4, adding a new surface-level threat to the attacks involving airborne drones and missiles.
Rear Adm Marc Miguez, the commander of the Eisenhower carrier strike group, told the outlet that the sea drones are “more of an unknown threat that we don’t have a lot of intel on, that could be extremely lethal.”
Naval drones present one of the most “scary scenarios,” he said, adding: “To have a bomb-laden, unmanned surface vessel that can go in pretty fast speeds. And if you’re not immediately on scene, it can get ugly extremely quick.”
US forces have encountered Houthi sea drones in commercial shipping lanes on at least three occasions, specialist outlet the Maritime Executive reported.
On February 5, US forces decided that two such drones presented “an imminent threat” to shipping and took them out, according to US Central Command. The US military has also regularly conducted strikes on USVs that the Houthis were preparing to launch.
The emergent technology of sea drones has been largely pioneered — with considerable success — by Ukraine against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
The British Rubymar is now sinking after two “missiles hit the engine room”
In the last two weeks alone, Ukraine claims to have sunk a Russian corvette and a landing craft using only a handful of inexpensive, home-produced MAGURA V5 naval drones.
The drones are far from infallible — experts have told Business Insider that they often fail to reach their target — but the payoff if they do hit gives Ukraine an “immense asymmetric advantage,” Basil Germond, an expert in international security at Lancaster University in the UK, said.
Miguez told the AP that, at present, the US Navy does not have good intelligence on how many drones the Houthis have.
The rebel group has also used them in the past against Saudi coalition forces involved in Yemen’s civil war, the AP reported.
The Dwight D Eisenhower carrier strike group has been responding to near-constant attacks on and malign activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for weeks, and the strike group commander told Business Insider’s Jake Epstein about how US forces have adapted their approach to target Houthi missiles and drones before they can even be launched.
Yet its $32M MQ-9 Reaper drone has been shot down and missiles had hit the engine room of the British “Rubymar,” paralysing the cargo ship [carrying combustible fertilizer] when sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart; and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness” Deuteronomy 28:28-29
“I create darkness; I create evil; I, the LORD, do all these things” Isaiah 45:7
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword” Matthew 10:34
The United States plans to deploy 5 aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific will rile up China. The potential is enormous; Chinese shipbuilding capacity is over 230 times greater than US, Navy intelligence says.
“China has 13 naval shipyards, each with more capacity than all seven US naval shipyards combined.”
The United States is likely to deploy nearly half of its aircraft carriers in the western Pacific this year, in a signal of deterrence against the increasing military activity in the region by China and North Korea, analysts said.
Three US aircraft carriers are already operating in the western Pacific Ocean, with two more on the way. Their arrival will mark the first time that five of the 11-strong carrier contingent have operated in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln – part of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet – was spotted heading out of its home port in San Diego, California and was sailing towards the western Pacific as of February 5, according to the US Naval Institute’s Fleet and Marine Tracker.
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The USS George Washington is also expected to be deployed in the region to replace the USS Ronald Reagan, which will be relocating from Yokosuka, Japan for maintenance at the Puget Sound naval shipyard in Washington.
The USS Abraham Lincoln in the western Pacific
The USS George Washington was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be deployed to Japan, where it served from 2008-15 before it was relieved by the Ronald Reagan for the midlife refuel of its two reactors, as well as repairs, upgrades and modernisation.
In addition to the USS Ronald Reagan, the USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt were stationed in Guam and Hawaii, respectively on Monday and are expected to stay in the western Pacific until April and July.
Last month, the Theodore Roosevelt and Carl Vinson strike groups took part in a Multi-Large Deck Event with Japan in the Philippine Sea that included enhanced maritime communication operations, air warfare operations, and cross-deck flight operations.
According to the US Navy 7th Fleet, the exercise was intended “to strengthen maritime integrated-at-sea operations and combat readiness.”
The USS George Washington in the western Pacific
“We are more capable when we work together to address shared maritime security challenges,” said Rear Admiral Christopher Alexander, commander of USS Theodore Roosevelt’s Carrier Strike Group Nine.
“Being able to consistently conduct complex operations such as this demonstrates the inherent flexibility of the US Navy to operate whenever and wherever we choose, giving our nation and allies flexible options for deterrence and defence,” he said.
Also in January, the USS Carl Vinson conducted naval drills with South Korea and Japan in the East China Sea, following North Korea’s firing of an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
The trilateral exercises consisted of joint sailing, advanced maritime communication operations, maritime interdiction operations training, air combat drills, staff exchanges, and integration.
“Aircraft carriers are one of the most visible assets in our military. Deploying multiple carriers to a region sends a very clear signal to adversaries,” said Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at Washington-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The USS Ronald Reagan in the western Pacific, Japan
“Given the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, and the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the US military wants to signal that it can handle those situations while remaining focused on the priority theatre, which is the Indo-Pacific.”
Benjamin Barton, associate professor at the University of Nottingham’s Malaysia campus, said the deployment was intended to signal Washington’s focus on the Indo-Pacific, despite the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.
“It would seem that there a few reasons at stake: the first is clearly to send a strong signal to allied – of reassurance – and rival – of deterrence – powers alike in the Indo-Pacific,” Barton said.
“[It is also] to state that although US foreign policy is currently consumed by two strategic conflicts taking place outside Asia – Russian aggression in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza – the Indo-Pacific is still very much at the forefront of its strategic concerns.”
Barton added that “containing China within the region remains a top priority, even if there’s been a warming of ties bilaterally.”
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, echoed Barton’s view and noted that there had been no abatement in tensions over Taiwan, as well as in the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula.
The USS Carl Vinson in the western Pacific, Guam
“The surge in carrier deployments, as well as an intense series of theatre military engagements with close allies such as Japan, appear to have been designed to both reassure regional allies and partners, as well as deter adversaries such as China and North Korea,” he said.
While there has been no significant PLA activity in the Taiwan Strait since the island’s election last month of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party’s William Lai Ching-te as president, that could change in coming months.
There have been projections that Beijing could ramp up military activities near Taiwan’s presidential inauguration day in May.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory, to be brought under mainland control if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise the island as an independent state.
However, Washington is opposed to any attempt to take Taiwan by force and is committed to supplying arms to Taipei.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Pacific, Hawaii
“The carriers are participating in drills to demonstrate US combat readiness. They are probably converging in the area in response to the Taiwan election,” said Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at US-based think tank the Rand Corporation.
“China is unlikely to risk any coercive action during the Lunar New Year, but the PLA could become more threatening against Taiwan after the Lunar New Year and around the time of the Taiwan president’s inauguration,” he said.
In the South China Sea, there have been continuing tensions between Beijing and Manila over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, with a clash between the two countries’ coastguards on Monday.
North Korea’s provocations of the US and its allies have also been on the rise. On Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
According to Barton, the US is clearly monitoring the situation in the Taiwan Strait closely, where he predicted that the PLA’s military activities would continue throughout Lai’s time in office.
He added that the South China Sea’s strategic importance and the growing activism and defensiveness of North Korea also posed concerns in the region.
Washington’s show of strength is “designed to deter multiple fronts at once” and sends a message regarding “its ability to preserve peace and the status quo in the region through the deterring presence of its sheer military might alone,” Barton said.
“I think Washington wants to impress this point upon Beijing and to others watching that it can multitask multiple strategic hotspots at once. The message is that its ability to work on several fronts should be seen as a strength and not a weakness to be exploited.”
1 And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them,
— and sanctified them; the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering, and all appertaining; this finishing of the whole was at the end of the seven days of consecration of Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:35.
2 that the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes and were over those who were numbered, offered. — offered not sacrifices but gifts; they brought their presents to the Lord for the service of his sanctuary, and set them before him, as follows;
3 And they brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons and twelve oxen — a wagon for two of the princes and for each one an ox; and they brought them before the tabernacle.
— and they brought them before the tabernacle; the Targum of Jonathan says, Moses would not receive them, and therefore they brought them before the tabernacle; and so, Moses received them not at their hands, until it was declared to him by the mouth of the Lord what he should do, as follows;
4 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
5 “Take it from them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.” — to every man according to his service; whether lighter or heavier, for such difference there was in the three divisions of the Levites; and according as their work was, they had more or fewer wagons and oxen given them;
6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.
7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service; — unto the sons of Gershon; the eldest son of Levi;
8 and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. — to the sons of Merari; all the remaining wagons and oxen, which were double the number given to the Gershonites;
9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders. — because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders;
— as the ark with the mercy seat, and cherubim, the shewbread table, the candlestick, and the two altars; though in later times we find the ark was sometimes not only carried by the priests, but upon a cart;
10 And the princes offered for the dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. — and the princes offered for dedicating of the altar; for setting it apart to sacred use and service, even the altar of burnt offering;
11 And the Lord said unto Moses, “They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.” — each prince in his day; thus the dedication continued no less than twelve days, which made it very solemn, and gave to every tribe an opportunity, by its representative, to express their devotion and reverence to God, and to receive tokens of gracious acceptance from him;
12 And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. — the first day was Nahshon; of the tribe of Judah; taking the lead, Judah having had the precedence assigned to it, the prince or head of that tribe was the first admitted to offer as its representative;
— one of a series of JUDAH FIRST (1) Movement of the Camp, Numbers 2:3; (2) Judah’s First to present Offering, Numbers 7:12; (3) Judah first to cross the Jordan River, Jewish Malbim writing
13 And his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
14 one spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense;
15 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
16 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
17 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, offered. — on the second day Nethaneel, prince of Issachar, did offer; this tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah.
19 He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
20 one spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense;
21 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
22 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
23 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, offered. — Judah, then Issachar, then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute;
— the name Helon or Elon is Dutch, from hence there in Pretoria arose Elon Musk of Dutch ancestry.
25 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
26 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
27 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
28 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
29 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, offered. — despite being the firstborn, Reuben was placed fourth here;
31 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
32 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
33 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
34 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
35 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, offered. — the fifth, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
37 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
38 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
39 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
40 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
41 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered. — the sixth, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
43 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, and a silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
44 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
45 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
46 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
47 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
48 On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered. — the seventh, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
49 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
50 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
51 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
52 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
53 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day offered Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh. — the eight, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
55 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
56 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
57 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
58 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
59 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered. — the ninth, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
61 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
62 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
63 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
64 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
65 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered. — the tenth, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
67 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
68 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
69 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
70 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
71 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered. — the eleventh, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
73 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
74 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
75 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
76 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
77 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.
78 On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered. — the twelfth, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp, and all the princes brought the same gifts.
79 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;
80 one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
81 one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;
82 one kid of the goats for a sin offering;
83 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
84 This was the dedication of the altar in the day when it was anointed by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold,
85 each charger of silver weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy. All the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
86 The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons was a hundred and twenty shekels.
87 All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering, and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve.
88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the hegoats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
89 And when Moses had gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from the mercy seat that was upon the ark of Testimony, from between the two cherubims; and He spoke unto him.
— and when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation, to speak with God; to consult him on some affair or another, or to learn whether he had anything else to communicate to him, to be delivered to the children of Israel;
— or whether he had any directions and instructions to give him about the presents and gifts of the princes, since this seems to be immediately after their offerings;
— then Moses heard the voice of one speaking unto him; the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, the voice of the Spirit; or rather the voice of the Shekinah, hence the Father, in or as the Shekinah spoke as the Spirit; hence they are the same Being, and the Spirit doesn’t exit as a separate being;
— from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; upon the ark in which the law was, called the testimony, was the mercy seat; over that were placed two cherubim shadowing it, and between these was the seat of the Majestic Father, where the Temple Jesus refered to as “my Father’s house,” (John 2:16);
— not only are the twelve tribes to bring burnt offerings and sacrfices, the nations afar off, are also required to do so: and this confirmation is from Isaiah 56:
6 Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant,
7 even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar, for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people,” Isaiah 56:6-7
Numbers 8
1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: ‘When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.’” — Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him; it being his work to light the lamps, though; it was not just incumbent on an high priest alone to do this, for it also belonged to the sons of Aaron;
— the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick; the Targum of Jonathan says, “at the same time of thy lighting the lamps over against the candlestick, there shall be seven lamps giving light: three on the west side and three on the east side, and the seventh in the middle:”
3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the Lord commanded Moses. — and Aaron did so, he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick; as God had said so in the most holy place, as appears by the voice speaking from off the mercy seat;
4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold; unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work. According unto the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick. — according unto the pattern which the Lord had showed Moses; when on Mount Sinai with him;
5 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
6 “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them. — and cleanse them; with water, by sprinkling the water of purification on them, and by washing their bodies and clothes with water;
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. — and let them shave all their flesh; the hair of their bodies, in all parts thereof; even the beard; yet not the corners of it; but the whole hair of the body, everywhere, was to be shaved off;
8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering. — after this purification the Levites were to bring two young bullocks, one with the corresponding meat-offering for a burnt-sacrifice, the other for a sin-offering;
9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation, and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together. — and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together; the heads of the tribes, and elders of the people; where the whole congregation is said to be assembled at the consecration of the Levites;
10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites. — put their hands; whereby they signified their transferring that right of ministering to God from the firstborn, in whose hands it formerly was, to the Levites;
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord. — the ceremony of waving consisted in his conducting the Levites solemnly up to the altar, and then back again;
12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering unto the Lord to make an atonement for the Levites. — to make an atonement for the Levites; who could not be admitted to service until their sins were expiated;
— as no man is worthy to be employed in the work of God, but such for whom reconciliation for their sins is made by the blood, by which they are purged from dead works to serve the living God.
13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord. — and thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons; after atonement was made for them; then they were presented to Aaron and his sons, to whom they were given to he their ministers, and assistants to them.
14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. — and the Levites shall be mine; that is, exempt from all military duty or secular work; free from all pecuniary imposition and wholly devoted to the custody and service of the sanctuary.
15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and thou shalt cleanse them and offer them for an offering. — to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: to assist the priests at the altar of burnt offering, to take down the tabernacle and bear the vessels of it, and set it up, as occasion required;
16 For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel, instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto Me. — instead of such as open, every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto me;
17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast. On the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. — and I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. Gave up his right in the firstborn, and instead of them took the Levites for his use and service;
19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation and to make an atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.”
— that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh to the sanctuary; by approaching nearer than they should, touching what they ought not, intruding themselves into service they were not called to, or doing it amiss, not being instructed in it, or inured to it as the Levites were.
20 And Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so did the children of Israel unto them. — so did the children of Israel unto them: which, as Jarchi notes, is said to the praise of them that did it, and of what was done by them;
— everything was done that was ordered, and in the manner in which it was prescribed; Moses sprinkled, or ordered to be sprinkled, the water of purification on them, and set them before the tabernacle, and before the Lord; the children of Israel laid their hands on them, and Aaron waved them, offered the sacrifices for them.
21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord, and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. — and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them; by offering the sacrifices for them, Numbers 8:12.
22 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron and before his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them. — and after that went the Levites in; into the court of the tabernacle, being at the door when the above rites and ceremonies of their consecration were performed;
23 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
24 “This is what applies unto the Levites: From twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. — from twenty and five years old and upward, they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; in Numbers 4:3; the time for the Levites entering on the work of the tabernacle is fixed to thirty years and upward;
— at twenty five years old the Levite goes in to learn the rites of service, and he learns five years, and where he was employed in lighter service, such as opening and shutting the doors of the sanctuary; and at thirty years of age a Levite entered into the service of bearing and carrying burdens;
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more, — and shall serve no more; by bearing and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary upon their shoulders; and all the toilsome duties of the service, and shall only give advice and direction;
26 but shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites concerning their charge.”
— to keep the charge; a clear distinction is here made between the service which involved heavy manual labour in carrying the furniture of the Tabernacle and in slaughtering the victims, and the charge or oversight of the furniture and the vessels of the Sanctuary.
A UK Royal Navy aircraft carrier canceled its launch to join a NATO exercise on Sunday, the second similar failure in a week.
A UK carrier was meant to be a centerpiece of NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercises taking place off the coast of Norway.
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales moored in Portsmouth Harbour after its scheduled sailing was called off at the last minute on Sunday, February 11, 2024
Its twin, modern carriers cost some $3.7 billion each. They are among the newest in the world and a clear demonstration of the UK’s aspiration to be a first-rate military.
But neither of them could make it — the first candidate, HMS Queen Elizabeth, broke down on the eve of sailing.
Its replacement, HMS Prince of Wales, was meant to sail on Sunday, but the launch was abruptly pulled.
Sky News reported that crowds had gathered to watch the vessel depart, only to find out that it wouldn’t.
It set sail the next day instead from its home harbor in Portsmouth, England.
Although it only pushed the schedule back one day, the unexplained delay was another embarrassment for the Royal Navy after HMS Queen Elizabeth pulled out of the exercise, citing a problem with its starboard propeller shaft.
The Prince of Wales itself underwent months of repairs after breaking down in 2022.
The UK Ministry of Defence did not give a reason for the delayed departure, saying in a statement that the aircraft carrier was “due to sail from Portsmouth soon, subject to suitable tide and weather conditions.
From protecting vessels against Houthi militants in the Red Sea to deterring Russian and Chinese aggression, the Royal Navy is seeking a central role in conflict flashpoints across the world.
But critics say that that long-standing government underfunding has impacted the Royal Navy’s combat readiness.
Admiral Lord West, former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, told Business Insider last week the cuts had “had a serious impact” on the navy’s ability to respond to global threats.
He listed a series of problems, including an aging fleet of ballistic missile submarines, “precariously low” weapon stocks and engineering stores, and a gaping lack of personnel. He also said the Royal Navy doesn’t have enough ships, particularly destroyers and frigates.
According to reports, the UK’s aircraft carriers will be dependent on foreign allies for support vessels during the Nato exercises.
HMS Queen Elizabeth entered service in 2017, and the Prince of Wales in 2019, and each cost around $3.7 billion.
The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart;
and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways. “And thou shalt be only oppressed and despoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. Deuteronomy 28:28-29
Trump plans to deport ‘millions’ – Axios; Could such an action spark a WAR?
But, first, understand this encrypted message:
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
An immigration crackdown would use federal officials and obscure laws to deport undocumented migrants, a report has claimed.
Former US President Donald Trump will seek to impose a series of aggressive restrictions on immigration – including detention camps for migrants near the country’s southern border – should he be reelected to the White House later this year, according to a report by Axios.
Trump has made immigration reform and the strengthening of border security protocols key campaign pledges ahead of a likely rematch with incumbent President Joe Biden in November. Should he win the presidency, Trump will seek to harness a range of executive powers to deport “millions” of people as part of his immigration crackdown, the outlet said on Sunday.
Citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the plans, Axios reported that a second Trump administration would likely see the mobilization of US immigration officials, the FBI and various other executive arms of the government to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Additionally, fast-track deportations would be expanded to individuals found to have illegally crossed the border and who are unable to prove they have been living in the United States for at least two years, the report said.
Furthermore, Trump would make use of legislation which is more that two centuries old that would allow for the rounding up and immediate deportation of immigrants with criminal histories, the publication claims. Large sites would also be constructed to hold migrants awaiting deportation in areas close to its southern border with Mexico.
It was also previously noted by Axios that Trump would likely reimpose the so-called ‘Muslim ban’ that restricts the entry to the US of people from some Muslim-majority countries. US President Joe Biden had previously rescinded the legislation when he succeeded Trump in 2021.
In December, Trump said at a campaign stop in the state of New Hampshire that immigrants “are poisoning the lifeblood of our country” – rhetoric that was seized upon the Biden campaign, who claimed that he had “parroted Adolf Hitler” who had used similar language in Mein Kampf.
Axios also stated that Trump’s immigration agenda would likely receive pushback from Democratic lawmakers, as well as from Latino advocacy groups and ‘Sanctuary Cities’ – the title given to areas that obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
Financial analysts have also predicted that removing undocumented migrants from the workforce would harm the US economy, as well as stifle policies designed to ease inflation, Axios said.
Trump adopted a similarly aggressive approach to immigration during his four-year term in the White House between 2017 and 2021, although he managed to deport fewer people during his presidency than his predecessor, Barack Obama.
Last month, a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll found that immigration is the key issue of concern for US voters, ahead of inflation and the economy.
The number of people arrested for crossing into the US from Mexico illegally reached an all-time high of 249,785 in December, US officials said last month. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the number of non-detained illegal immigrants soared to 6.3 million last year – compared to just 3.7 million in 2021.
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
But to understand the encrypted message above, see the followings:
For more about the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah
BLIND and NAKED: totally ignored by William J Burns in his accessment paper is this PROPHECY:
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
For as long as countries have kept secrets from one another, they have tried to steal them from one another. Espionage has been and will remain an integral part of statecraft, even as its techniques continually evolve. America’s first spies spent the Revolutionary War using ciphers, clandestine courier networks, and invisible ink to correspond with each other and their foreign allies.
In World War II, the emerging field of signals intelligence helped uncover Japanese war plans. During the early Cold War, the United States’ intelligence capabilities literally went into the stratosphere, with the advent of the U-2 and other high-altitude spy planes that could photograph Soviet military installations with impressive clarity.
William J Burns (chief spy and diplomat) CIA Director “While Russia may pose the most immediate challenge, China is the bigger long-term threat”
The simple stars etched on the memorial wall at the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, honor the 140 agency officers who gave their lives serving their country. The memorial offers an enduring reminder of countless acts of courage. Yet those instances of heroism and the CIA’s many quiet successes remain far less well known to the American public than the mistakes that have sometimes marred the agency’s history.
The defining test for intelligence has always been to anticipate and help policymakers navigate profound shifts in the international landscape—the plastic moments that come along only a few times each century.
As President Joe Biden has reiterated, the United States faces one of those rare moments today, as consequential as the dawn of the Cold War or the post-9/11 period. China’s rise and Russia’s revanchism pose daunting geopolitical challenges in a world of intense strategic competition in which the United States no longer enjoys uncontested primacy and in which existential climate threats are mounting.
Complicating matters further is a revolution in technology even more sweeping than the Industrial Revolution or the beginning of the nuclear age. From microchips to artificial intelligence to quantum computing, emerging technologies are transforming the world, including the profession of intelligence. In many ways, these developments make the CIA’s job harder than ever, giving adversaries powerful new tools to confuse us, evade us, and spy on us.
And yet as much as the world is changing, espionage remains an interplay between humans and technology. There will continue to be secrets that only humans can collect and clandestine operations that only humans can conduct.
Technological advances, particularly in signals intelligence, have not made such human operations irrelevant, as some have predicted, but have instead revolutionized their practice. To be an effective twenty-first-century intelligence service, the CIA must blend a mastery of emerging technologies with the people-to-people skills and individual daring that have always been at the heart of our profession.
That means equipping operations officers with the tools and tradecraft to conduct espionage in a world of constant technological surveillance—and equipping analysts with sophisticated artificial intelligence models that can digest mammoth amounts of open-source and clandestinely acquired information so that they can make their best human judgments.
At the same time, what the CIA does with the intelligence it gathers is also changing. “Strategic declassification,” the intentional public disclosure of certain secrets to undercut rivals and rally allies, has become an even more powerful tool for policymakers.
Using it doesn’t mean recklessly jeopardizing the sources or methods used to collect the intelligence, but it does mean judiciously resisting the reflexive urge to keep everything classified. The US intelligence community is also learning the increasing value of intelligence diplomacy, gaining a new understanding of how its efforts to bolster allies and counter foes can support policymakers.
This is a time of historic challenges for the CIA and the entire intelligence profession, with geopolitical and technological shifts posing as big a test as we’ve ever faced. Success will depend on blending traditional human intelligence with emerging technologies in creative ways. It will require, in other words, adapting to a world where the only safe prediction about change is that it will accelerate.
PUTIN UNBOUND
The post–Cold War era came to a definitive end the moment Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. I have spent much of the past two decades trying to understand the combustible combination of grievance, ambition, and insecurity that Russian President Vladimir Putin embodies. One thing I have learned is that it is always a mistake to underestimate his fixation on controlling Ukraine and its choices.
Without that control, he believes it is impossible for Russia to be a great power or for him to be a great Russian leader. That tragic and brutish fixation has already brought shame to Russia and exposed its weaknesses, from its one-dimensional economy to its inflated military prowess to its corrupt political system.
Putin’s invasion has also prompted breathtaking determination and resolve from the Ukrainian people. I have seen their courage firsthand on frequent wartime trips to Ukraine, punctuated by Russian air raids and vivid images of Ukrainian battlefield tenacity and ingenuity.
Putin’s war has already been a failure for Russia on many levels. His original goal of seizing Kyiv and subjugating Ukraine proved foolish and illusory. His military has suffered immense damage. At least 315,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded, two-thirds of Russia’s prewar tank inventory has been destroyed, and Putin’s vaunted decades-long military modernization program has been hollowed out.
All this is a direct result of Ukrainian soldiers’ valor and skill, backed up by Western support. Meanwhile, Russia’s economy is suffering long-term setbacks, and the country is sealing its fate as China’s economic vassal. Putin’s overblown ambitions have backfired in another way, too: they have prompted NATO to grow larger and stronger.
Espionage remains an interplay between humans and technology.
Although Putin’s repressive grip does not seem likely to weaken anytime soon, his war in Ukraine is quietly corroding his power at home. The short-lived mutiny launched last June by the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin offered a glimpse at some of the dysfunction lurking behind Putin’s carefully polished image of control.
For a leader who painstakingly crafted a reputation as the arbiter of order, Putin looked detached and indecisive as Prigozhin’s ragtag mutineers made their way up the road to Moscow. For many in the Russian elite, the question was not so much whether the emperor had no clothes as why he was taking so long to get dressed.
The ultimate apostle of payback, Putin eventually settled his score with Prigozhin, who was killed in a suspicious plane crash two months to the day after starting his rebellion. But Prigozhin’s biting critique of the lies and military misjudgments at the core of Putin’s war, and of the corruption at the heart of the Russian political system, will not soon disappear.
This year is likely to be a tough one on the battlefield in Ukraine, a test of staying power whose consequences will go well beyond the country’s heroic struggle to sustain its freedom and independence. As Putin regenerates Russia’s defense production—with critical components from China, as well as weaponry and munitions from Iran and North Korea—he continues to bet that time is on his side, that he can grind down Ukraine and wear down its Western supporters.
Ukraine’s challenge is to puncture Putin’s arrogance and demonstrate the high cost for Russia of continued conflict, not just by making progress on the frontlines but also by launching deeper strikes behind them and making steady gains in the Black Sea. In this environment, Putin might engage again in nuclear saber-rattling, and it would be foolish to dismiss escalatory risks entirely. But it would be equally foolish to be unnecessarily intimidated by them.
The key to success lies in preserving Western aid for Ukraine. At less than five percent of the US defense budget, it is a relatively modest investment with significant geopolitical returns for the United States and notable returns for American industry. Keeping the arms flowing will put Ukraine in a stronger position if an opportunity for serious negotiations emerges.
It offers a chance to ensure a long-term win for Ukraine and a strategic loss for Russia; Ukraine could safeguard its sovereignty and rebuild, while Russia would be left to deal with the enduring costs of Putin’s folly. For the United States to walk away from the conflict at this crucial moment and cut off support to Ukraine would be an own goal of historic proportions.
Biden and Burns speaking in front of the memorial wall at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, July 2022 Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
XI’S POWER PLAY
No one is watching US support for Ukraine more closely than Chinese leaders. China remains the only US rival with both the intent to reshape the international order and the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so.
The country’s economic transformation over the past five decades has been extraordinary. It is one for which the Chinese people deserve great credit and one that the rest of the world has broadly supported in the belief that a prosperous China is a global good. The issue is not China’s rise in itself but the threatening actions that increasingly accompany it.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has begun his third presidential term with more power than any of his predecessors since Mao Zedong. Rather than use that power to reinforce and revitalize the international system that enabled China’s transformation, Xi is seeking to rewrite it. In the intelligence profession, we study carefully what leaders say. But we pay even more attention to what they do. Xi’s growing repression at home and his aggressiveness abroad, from his “no limits” partnership with Putin to his threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, are impossible to ignore.
So, too, however, is the impact of Western solidarity on Xi’s calculus about the risks of using force against Taiwan, which elected a new president, Lai Ching-te, in January. For Xi, a man inclined to see the United States as a fading power, American leadership on Ukraine has surely come as a surprise.
The United States’ willingness to inflict and absorb economic pain to counter Putin’s aggression—and its ability to rally its allies to do the same—powerfully contradicted Beijing’s belief that America was in terminal decline. Closer to Chinese shores, the resilience of the American network of allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific has had a sobering effect on Beijing’s thinking.
One of the surest ways to rekindle Chinese perceptions of American fecklessness and stoke Chinese aggressiveness would be to abandon support for Ukraine. Continued material backing for Ukraine doesn’t come at the expense of Taiwan; it sends an important message of US resolve that helps Taiwan.
Competition with China is taking place against the backdrop of thick economic interdependence and commercial ties between it and the United States. Such connections have served the two countries and the rest of the world remarkably well, but they have also created critical vulnerabilities and serious risks for American security and prosperity.
The COVID-19 pandemic made clear to every government the danger of being dependent on any one country for life-saving medical supplies, just as Russia’s war in Ukraine has made clear to Europe the risks of being dependent on one country for energy. In today’s world, no country wants to find itself at the mercy of a single supplier of critical minerals and technologies—especially if that supplier is intent on weaponizing those dependencies.
As American policymakers have argued, the best answer is to sensibly “de-risk” and diversify—securing the United States’ supply chains, protecting its technological edge, and investing in its industrial capacity.
In this volatile, divided world, the weight of the “hedging middle” is growing. Democracies and autocracies, developed economies and developing ones, and countries across the global South are increasingly intent on diversifying their relationships to maximize their options. They see little benefit and plenty of risk in sticking to monogamous geopolitical relationships with either the United States or China.
More countries are likely to be attracted to an “open” geopolitical relationship status (or at least an “it’s complicated” one), following the United States’ lead on some issues while cultivating relations with China. And if past is precedent, Washington ought to be attentive to rivalries between the growing number of middle powers, which have historically helped spark collisions between major ones.
A FAMILIAR ENTANGLEMENT
The crisis precipitated by Hamas’s butchery in Israel on October 7, 2023, is a painful reminder of the complexity of the choices that the Middle East continues to pose for the United States. Competition with China will remain Washington’s highest priority, but that doesn’t mean it can evade other challenges. It means only that the United States has to navigate with care and discipline, avoid overreach, and use its influence wisely.
I have spent much of the last four decades working in and on the Middle East, and I have rarely seen it more tangled or explosive. Winding down the intense Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip, meeting the deep humanitarian needs of suffering Palestinian civilians, freeing hostages, preventing the spread of conflict to other fronts in the region, and shaping a workable approach for the “day after” in Gaza are all incredibly difficult problems.
So is resurrecting hope for a durable peace that ensures Israel’s security as well as Palestinian statehood and takes advantage of historic opportunities for normalization with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Hard as it may be to imagine those possibilities amid the current crisis, it is even harder to imagine getting out of the crisis without pursuing them seriously.
Key to Israel’s—and the region’s—security is dealing with Iran. The Iranian regime has been emboldened by the crisis and seems ready to fight to its last regional proxy, all while expanding its nuclear program and enabling Russian aggression. In the months after October 7, the Houthis, the Yemeni rebel group allied with Iran, began attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, and the risks of escalation on other fronts persist.
The United States is not exclusively responsible for resolving any of the Middle East’s vexing problems. But none of them can be managed, let alone solved, without active US leadership.
SPIES LIKE US
Geopolitical competition and uncertainty—not to mention shared challenges such as climate change and unprecedented technological advances such as artificial intelligence—make for a fiendishly complicated international landscape.
The imperative for the CIA is to transform its approach to intelligence to keep pace with this rapidly transforming world. The CIA and the rest of the U.S. intelligence community—led by Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence—are working hard to meet this moment with the urgency and creativity it requires.
This new landscape presents particular challenges for an organization focused on human intelligence. In a world in which the United States’ principal rivals—China and Russia—are led by personalistic autocrats operating within small and insular circles of advisers, gaining insight into leaders’ intentions is both more important and more difficult than ever.
Just as 9/11 ushered in a new era for the CIA, so did Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I’m deeply proud of the work that the CIA and our intelligence partners have done to assist the president and senior U.S. policymakers—and especially the Ukrainians themselves—to thwart Putin. Together, we provided early and accurate warning of the coming invasion.
That knowledge also enabled the president to decide to send me to Moscow to warn Putin and his advisers in November 2021 about the consequences of the attack we knew they were planning. Convinced that their window for dominating Ukraine was closing and that the upcoming winter offered a favorable opportunity, they were unmoved and unapologetic—badly overestimating their own position and underestimating Ukrainian resistance and Western resolve.
Good intelligence has since helped the president mobilize and sustain a strong coalition of countries in support of Ukraine. It has also helped Ukraine defend itself with remarkable bravery and perseverance. The president has also made creative use of strategic declassification.
Before the invasion, the administration, along with the British government, exposed Russian plans for “false flag” operations that were designed to pin blame on Ukrainians and provide a pretext for Russian military action. These and subsequent disclosures have denied Putin the false narratives that I have watched him so often weaponize in the past.
They have put him in the uncomfortable and unaccustomed position of being on the back foot. And they have bolstered both Ukraine and the coalition supporting it.
Meanwhile, disaffection with the war is continuing to gnaw away at the Russian leadership and the Russian people, beneath the thick surface of state propaganda and repression. That undercurrent of disaffection is creating a once-in-a-generation recruiting opportunity for the CIA. We’re not letting it go to waste.
While Russia may pose the most immediate challenge, China is the bigger long-term threat, and over the past two years, the CIA has been reorganizing itself to reflect that priority. We have started by acknowledging an organizational fact I learned long ago: priorities aren’t real unless budgets reflect them.
Accordingly, the CIA has committed substantially more resources toward China-related intelligence collection, operations, and analysis around the world—more than doubling the percentage of our overall budget focused on China over just the last two years.
We’re hiring and training more Mandarin speakers while stepping up efforts across the world to compete with China, from Latin America to Africa to the Indo-Pacific.
The CIA has a dozen or so “mission centers,” issue-specific groups that bring together officers from across the agencies’ various directorates.
In 2021, we set up a new mission center focused exclusively on China. The only single-country mission center, it provides a central mechanism for coordinating work on China, a job that extends today to every corner of the CIA.
And we’re also quietly strengthening intelligence channels to our counterparts in Beijing, an important means of helping policymakers avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and inadvertent collisions between the United States and China.
Even as China and Russia consume much of the CIA’s attention, the agency can’t afford to neglect other challenges, from counterterrorism to regional instability. The successful US strike in Afghanistan in July 2022 against Ayman al-Zawahiri, the co-founder and former leader of al Qaeda, demonstrated that the CIA remains sharply focused on—and retains significant capabilities to combat—terrorist threats.
The CIA is also devoting substantial resources to help fight the invasion of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year. And familiar regional challenges loom, not just in places long considered strategically important, such as North Korea and the South China Sea, but also in parts of the world whose geopolitical significance will only grow in the years ahead, such as Latin America and Africa.
SMARTER SPIES
Meanwhile, we’re transforming our approach to emerging technology. The CIA has been working to blend high-tech tools with age-old techniques for collecting intelligence from individuals—human intelligence, or HUMINT. Technology is, of course, making many aspects of spycraft harder than ever.
In an era of smart cities, with video cameras on every street and facial recognition technology increasingly ubiquitous, spying has become much harder. For a CIA officer working overseas in a hostile country, meeting sources who are risking their own safety to offer valuable information, constant surveillance poses an acute threat.
But the same technology that sometimes works against the CIA—whether it’s the mining of big data to expose patterns in the agency’s activities or massive camera networks that can track an operative’s every move—can also be made to work for it and against others.
The CIA is racing against its rivals to put emerging technologies to use. The agency has appointed its first chief technology officer. And it has established another new mission center focused on building better partnerships with the private sector, where American innovation offers a significant competitive advantage.
The CIA’s in-house scientific and technological talent remains superb. The agency has developed warehouses’ worth of spy gadgetry over the years, my favorite being the Cold War camera designed to look and hover like a dragonfly. The revolution in artificial intelligence, and the avalanche of open-source information alongside what we collect clandestinely, creates historic new opportunities for the CIA’s analysts.
We’re developing new AI tools to help digest all that material faster and more efficiently, freeing officers to focus on what they do best: providing reasoned judgments and insights on what matters most to policymakers and what means most for American interests. AI won’t replace human analysts, but it is already empowering them.
Another priority in this new era is to deepen the CIA’s unmatched network of intelligence partnerships around the world, an asset the United States’ lonelier rivals currently lack. The CIA’s ability to benefit from its partners—from their collection, their expertise, their perspectives, and their capacity to operate more easily in many places than the agency can—is critical to its success.
Just as diplomacy depends on revitalizing these old and new partnerships, so does intelligence. At its core, the intelligence profession is about human interactions, and there is no substitute for direct contact to strengthen ties with our closest allies, communicate with our fiercest adversaries, and cultivate everyone in between. In more than 50 overseas trips in nearly three years as director, I’ve run the gamut of those relationships.
Sometimes, it’s more convenient for intelligence officers to deal with historic enemies in situations in which diplomatic contact might connote formal recognition. That’s why the president sent me to Kabul in late August of 2021 to engage with the Taliban leadership just before the final withdrawal of US troops.
Sometimes, the CIA’s relationships in complicated parts of the world can offer practical possibilities, as in the ongoing negotiations with Egypt, Israel, Qatar, and Hamas over a humanitarian cease-fire and the release of hostages from Gaza.
Sometimes, such ties can provide discreet ballast in relationships full of political ups and downs. And sometimes, intelligence diplomacy can encourage a convergence of interests and quietly support the efforts of US diplomats and policymakers.
IN THE SHADOWS
Every day, as I read through cables from stations around the world, travel to foreign capitals, or speak with colleagues at headquarters, I’m reminded of the skill and courage of CIA officers, as well as the unrelenting challenges they face.
They are doing hard jobs in hard places. Especially since 9/11, they have been operating at an incredibly fast tempo. Indeed, taking care of the CIA’s mission in this new and daunting era depends on taking care of our people.
That’s why the CIA has strengthened its medical resources at headquarters and in the field; improved programs for families, remote workers, and two-career couples; and explored more flexible career paths, especially for technologists, so that officers can move into the private sector and later return to the agency.
We’ve streamlined our recruiting process for new officers. It now takes a quarter of the time it took two years ago to move from application to final offer and security clearance. These improvements have contributed to a surge of interest in the CIA.
In 2023, we had more applicants than in any year since the immediate aftermath of 9/11. We’re also working hard to diversify our workforce, reaching historic highs in 2023 in terms of the number of women and minority officers hired, as well as the number promoted into the agency’s most senior ranks.
By necessity, CIA officers operate in the shadows, usually out of sight and out of mind; the risks they take and the sacrifices they make are rarely well understood. At a moment when trust in the United States’ public institutions is often in short supply, the CIA remains a resolutely apolitical institution, bound by the oath I and everyone else at the agency have taken to defend the Constitution and by our obligations under the law.
CIA officers are also bound together by a sense of community, and by a deep, shared commitment to public service at this crucial moment in American history.
They know the truth in the advice I got many years ago from my father, who had a distinguished military career. As I was wrestling with what to do with my professional life, he sent me a handwritten note: “Nothing can make you prouder than to serve your country with honor.”
That helped launch me into a long and fortunate career in government, first in the Foreign Service and now at the CIA. I’ve never regretted the choice I made. I take enormous pride in serving with thousands of other CIA officers who feel the same about theirs—and are rising to the challenge of a new era.
CIA director calls China biggest ‘threat,’ says Ukraine war benefits US geopolitically and economically
CIA Director William J Burns published an article demonizing China as the biggest long-term threat, boasting that the spy agency has doubled its budget for anti-China operations. He also said the Ukraine war helps the US economically and geopolitically, and warned Taiwan could be next.
But totally ignored by William J Burns in this accessment paper is this PROPHECY:
“And upon thy sword shalt thou depend, entering at every place: yet thou shalt be supple and credulous, and be in subjection to thy brother [Jacob]; but it will be that when his sons [the children of Israel] become evil, and fall from keeping the commandments of the law, thou shalt break his yoke of servitude from off thy neck….and then will I kill Jakob my brother,” Genesis 27:41-42 Jonathan
The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William J Burns, published an article in which he referred to “the United States’ principal rivals—China and Russia,” while emphasizing that “China is the bigger long-term threat.”
Strongly implying that we are in the early stages of a new cold war, he wrote that “China and Russia consume much of the CIA’s attention.”
Burns revealed that “the CIA has been reorganizing itself” in order to counter China. The notorious US spy agency has created a special “mission center” focusing exclusively on Beijing, and has doubled its budget for anti-China operations.
He also boasted that the war in Ukraine has helped the United States geopolitically and economically, and he argued that, by supporting Kiev, Washington is sending a threatening message to Beijing over Taiwan.
The CIA director wrote this article for Foreign Affairs, the official publication of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). One of the most powerful US think tanks, the New York City-based CFR has a virtual revolving door with the State Department, acting as a kind of umbilical cord between Wall Street and the State Department, coordinating economic and foreign policy.
In the January 30 piece, titled “Spycraft and Statecraft: Transforming the CIA for an Age of Competition,” Burns acknowledged that China’s “economic transformation over the past five decades has been extraordinary.”
China’s rapid economic and technological advances have weakened US hegemony, the CIA director lamented, writing that “China’s rise and Russia’s revanchism pose daunting geopolitical challenges in a world of intense strategic competition in which the United States no longer enjoys uncontested primacy.”
Many top officials in Washington, including President Joe Biden, have claimed that the United States only seeks “competition” with China, not a new cold war. But in his article, Burns wrote that the “post–Cold War era came to a definitive end the moment Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.”
By stating that the “post-Cold War era” is over, and by frequently speaking of China and Russia together in the same breath, the US spy chief strongly implied that Washington is indeed waging Cold War Two.
Nevertheless, it is not Moscow, but rather Beijing that Washington considers to be its main “threat.”
“China remains the only US rival with both the intent to reshape the international order and the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so,” Burns warned.
The CIA director wrote (emphasis added):
While Russia may pose the most immediate challenge, China is the bigger long-term threat, and over the past two years, the CIA has been reorganizing itself to reflect that priority. We have started by acknowledging an organizational fact I learned long ago: priorities aren’t real unless budgets reflect them.
Accordingly, the CIA has committed substantially more resources toward China-related intelligence collection, operations, and analysis around the world—more than doubling the percentage of our overall budget focused on China over just the last two years. We’re hiring and training more Mandarin speakers while stepping up efforts across the world to compete with China, from Latin America to Africa to the Indo-Pacific.
The CIA has a dozen or so “mission centers,” issue-specific groups that bring together officers from across the agencies’ various directorates. In 2021, we set up a new mission center focused exclusively on China. The only single-country mission center, it provides a central mechanism for coordinating work on China, a job that extends today to every corner of the CIA.
Burns also used the Foreign Affairs article to call for Washington to continue supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The CIA director referred to US military assistance to Ukraine as “a relatively modest investment with significant geopolitical returns for the United States and notable returns for American industry.”
In other words, the spy chief was acknowledging that the Ukraine war has benefited the Military-Industrial Complex, enriching US arms corporations.
Burns likewise argued that US support for Ukraine could intimidate China.
“The United States’ willingness to inflict and absorb economic pain to counter Putin’s aggression—and its ability to rally its allies to do the same—powerfully contradicted Beijing’s belief that America was in terminal decline,” the CIA director wrote.
“Continued material backing for Ukraine doesn’t come at the expense of Taiwan; it sends an important message of U.S. resolve that helps Taiwan,” he added.
As US ambassador to Russia in 2008, Burns predicted Ukraine war. Now he targets Taiwan
On the issue of the Ukraine war, William Burns has a disturbing track record.
In the Barack Obama administration, Burns was deputy secretary of state, making him second-in-command of the State Department, reporting directly to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Before that, in the George W Bush administration, Burns served as US ambassador to Russia.
At the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania in 2008, President Bush pledged that Ukraine and Georgia were going to join the US-led military alliance. This upset several top NATO allies, including Germany and France, who worried that the promise would exacerbate tensions with Russia.
In the document, which was made public by the whistle-blowing journalism organization WikiLeaks, Burns wrote:
Ukraine and Georgia’s NATO aspirations not only touch a raw nerve in Russia, they engender serious concerns about the consequences for stability in the region. Not only does Russia perceive encirclement, and efforts to undermine Russia’s influence in the region, but it also fears unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences which would seriously affect Russian security interests.
Experts tell us that Russia is particularly worried that the strong divisions in Ukraine over NATO membership, with much of the ethnic-Russian community against membership, could lead to a major split, involving violence or at worst, civil war. In that eventuality, Russia would have to decide whether to intervene; a decision Russia does not want to have to face.
If only the CIA’s rogue operations had been consigned to history as a result of the crimes exposed by the Church Committee, or at the least had brought the CIA under the rule of law and public accountability. But that was not to be.
There are three basic problems with the CIA: its objectives, methods, and unaccountability. Its operational objectives are whatever the CIA or the President of the United States defines to be in the U.S. interest at a given time, irrespective of international law or US law. Its methods are secretive and duplicitous. Its unaccountability means that the CIA and president run foreign policy without any public scrutiny. Congress is a doormat, a sideshow.
As a recent CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, said of his time at the CIA: “I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. We had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.”
The CIA was established in 1947 as the successor to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The OSS had performed two distinct roles in World War II, intelligence and subversion. The CIA took over both roles. On the one hand, the CIA was to provide intelligence to the US Government. On the other, the CIA was to subvert the “enemy,” that is, whomever the president or CIA defined as the enemy, using a wide range of measures: assassinations, coups, staged unrest, arming of insurgents, and other means.
It is the latter role that has proved devastating to global stability and the US rule of law. It is a role that the CIA continues to pursue today. In effect, the CIA is a secret army of the US, capable of creating mayhem across the world with no accountability whatsoever.
When President Dwight Eisenhower decided that Africa’s rising political star, democratically elected Patrice Lumumba of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), was the “enemy,” the CIA conspired in his 1961 assassination, thus undermining the democratic hopes for Africa. He would hardly be the last African president brought down by the CIA.
The extent of the continuing mayhem resulting from CIA operations gone awry is astounding.
In its 77-year history, the CIA has been held to serious public account just once, in 1975. In that year, Idaho Senator Frank Church led a Senate investigation that exposed the CIA’s shocking rampage of assassinations, coups, destabilization, surveillance, and Mengele-style torture and medical “experiments.”
The expose by the Church Committee of the CIA’s shocking malfeasance has recently been chronicled in a superb book by the investigative reporter James Risen, The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys―and One Senator’s Fight to Save Democracy.
That single episode of oversight occurred because of a rare confluence of events.
In the year before the Church Committee, the Watergate scandal had toppled Richard Nixon and weakened the White House. As successor to Nixon, Gerald Ford was unelected, a former Congressman, and reluctant to oppose the oversight prerogatives of the Congress.
The Watergate scandal, investigated by the Senate Ervin Committee, had also empowered the Senate and demonstrated the value of Senate oversight of Executive Branch abuses of power. Crucially, the CIA was newly led by Director William Colby, who wanted to clean up the CIA operations. Also, FBI Director J Edgar Hoover, author of pervasive illegalities also exposed by the Church committee, had died in 1972.
In December 1974, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, then as now a great reporter with sources inside the CIA, published an account of illegal CIA intelligence operations against the US antiwar movement. The Senate Majority Leader at the time, Mike Mansfield, a leader of character, then appointed Church to investigate the CIA. Church himself was a brave, honest, intelligent, independent-minded, and intrepid Senator, characteristics chronically in short supply in US politics.
If only the CIA’s rogue operations had been consigned to history as a result of the crimes exposed by the Church Committee, or at the least had brought the CIA under the rule of law and public accountability. But that was not to be. The CIA has had the last laugh —or better said, has brought the world to tears—by maintaining its preeminent role in US foreign policy, including overseas subversion.
Since 1975, the CIA has run secretive operations backing Islamic jihadists in Afghanistan that utterly wrecked Afghanistan while giving rise to al-Qaeda. The CIA has likely run secretive operations in the Balkans against Serbia, in the Caucuses against Russia, and in Central Asia targeting China, all deploying CIA-backed jihadists.
In the 2010s, the CIA ran deadly operations to topple Syria’s Bashir al-Assad, again with Islamic jihadists. For at least 20 years, the CIA has been deeply involved in fomenting the growing catastrophe in Ukraine, including the violent overthrow of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 that triggered the devastating war now engulfing Ukraine.
What do we know of these operations? Only the parts that whistleblowers, a few intrepid investigative reporters, a handful of brave scholars, and some foreign governments have been willing or able to tell us, with all of these potential witnesses knowing that they might face severe retribution from the US government.
There has been little to no accountability by the US government itself, or meaningful oversight or restraint imposed by Congress. On the contrary, the government has become ever-more obsessively secretive, pursuing aggressive legal actions against disclosures of classified information, even when, or especially when, that information describes the illegal actions by the government itself.
Once in a while, a former US official spills the beans, such as when Zbigniew Brzezinski revealed that he had induced Jimmy Carter to assign the CIA to train Islamic jihadists to destabilize the government of Afghanistan, with the aim of inducing the Soviet Union to invade that country.
In the case of Syria, we learned from a few stories in the New York Times in 2016 and 2017 of the CIA’s subversive operations to destabilize Syria and overthrow Assad, as ordered by President Barack Obama. Here is the case of a dreadfully misguided CIA operation, blatantly in violation of international law, that has led to a decade of mayhem, an escalating regional war, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and millions of displaced people, and yet there has not been a single honest acknowledgment of this CIA-led disaster by the White House or Congress.
In the case of Ukraine, we know that the US played a major covert role in the violent coup that brought down Yanukovych and that swept Ukraine into a decade of bloodshed but to this day, we don’t know the details. Russia offered the world a window into the coup by intercepting and then posting a call between Victoria Nuland, then US Assistant Secretary of State (now Under-Secretary of State) and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt (now Assistant Secretary of State), in which they plot the post-coup government.
Following the coup, the CIA covertly trained special operations forces of the post-coup regime the US had helped bring to power. The US government has been mum about the CIA’s covert operations in Ukraine.
We have good reason to believe that CIA operatives carried out the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline, as per Seymour Hersh, who is now an independent reporter. Unlike in 1975, when Hersh was with the New York Times at a time when the paper still tried to hold the government to account, the Times does not even deign to look into Hersh’s account.
Holding the CIA to public account is of course a steep uphill struggle. Presidents and the Congress don’t even try. The mainstream media don’t investigate the CIA, preferring instead to quote “senior unnamed officials” and the official cover-up. Are the mainstream media outlets lazy, suborned, afraid of advertising revenues from the military-industrial complex, threatened, ignorant, or all of the above? Who knows.
There is a tiny glimmer of hope. Back in 1975, the CIA was led by a reformer. Today, the CIA is led by William Burns, one of America’s long-standing leading diplomats. Burns knows the truth about Ukraine, since he served as Ambassador to Russia in 2008 and cabled Washington about the grave error of pushing NATO enlargement to Ukraine. Given Burns’ stature and diplomatic accomplishments, perhaps he would support the urgently needed accountability.
The extent of the continuing mayhem resulting from CIA operations gone awry is astounding. In Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, Venezuela, Kosovo, Ukraine, and far beyond, the needless deaths, instability, and destruction unleashed by CIA subversion continues to this day. The mainstream media, academic institutions, and Congress should be investigating these operations to the best of their ability and demanding the release of documents to enable democratic accountability.
Next year is the 50th anniversary of the Church Committee hearings. Fifty years on, with the precedent, inspiration, and guidance of the Church Committee itself, it’s urgently time to open the blinds, expose the truth about the US-led mayhem, and begin a new era in which US foreign policy becomes transparent, accountable, subject to the rule of law both domestic and international, and directed towards global peace rather than subversion of supposed enemies.
“I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled” Hosea 6:10
“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” Obadiah 1:15
Richard Baldwin is Professor of International Economics IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland; VoxEU Founder & Editor-in-Chief
The US is the world’s sole military superpower. It spends more on its military than the ten next highest spending countries combined. China is now the world’s sole manufacturing superpower. Its production exceeds that of the nine next largest manufacturers combined. This column uses the recently released 2023 update of the OECD TiVA database to paint an eight-chart portrait of China’s journey to superpower status and the asymmetric impact that its dominance has had on global supply chains.
I’m not an expert on China, but during ongoing work on global supply chain disruptions with my co-authors Rebecca Freeman and Angelos Theodorakopoulos, I’ve noticed a stark fact that I don’t think is as widely known as it should be. China is the now world’s sole manufacturing superpower.
This column uses the OECD’s recently released 2023 update of their invaluable TiVA database to show, in eight charts, how this came to be. I will skip the historical Chinese reform narrative as that has been well covered by real China experts (e.g. Wang 2023, World Bank 2013, Ranganathan 2023).
The world’s big players in manufacturing
The charts in Figure 1 show two views of global manufacturing shares in 2020 (the latest year in the database). The left panel displays world shares in terms of gross production; in the right panel, the same is shown in terms of value added. The distinction is in intermediate inputs: Chinese gross production equals the total sales of Chinese manufacturers; Chinese value added is their gross production minus the purchased intermediates.
Figure 1 Slicing the global manufacturing pie, 2020, gross production basis
Source: OECD TiVA database, 2023 update.
Six nations manufacture at least 3% of the world total. China is followed by the US, Japan, Germany, India, and South Korea. Note how the world has changed. Only three of these are long-established industrial economies; the other three are newly industrialised economies. Four of the G7 don’t make the cut. The chart separately identifies nations with shares of at least 2%, and on the left, this includes Italy, France, and Taiwan (two of the G7, the UK and Canada, don’t make the cut). In the right panel (value-added basis), the UK makes an appearance with a share just above 2%.
When it comes to gross production, China’s share is three times the US’ share, six times Japan’s, and nine times Germany’s. Taiwan, Mexico, Russia, and Brazil now have higher gross output than the UK. Canada is further down the ranking, in 15th place.
Unprecedented industrialisation
China’s industrialisation is unprecedented. The last time the ‘king of the manufacturing hill’ got knocked off the throne was when the US surpassed the UK just before WW1. It took the US the better part of a century to rise to the top; the China-US switch took about 15 or 20 years. China’s industrialisation, in short, defies comparison.
Figure 2 portrays how China dethroned the king of the hill. If we think of this as a 25-lap horserace – one lap per year – all the excitement was in the first 13 laps. Since data only go back to 1995, China started the race a bit ahead of Canada, Britain, France, and Italy. China passed Germany in 1998, Japan in 2005, and the US in 2008. Since then, China has more than doubled its world share while the US’s share has fallen by another three percentage points. If this were a live horserace, boredom would have driven most of the audience away years ago.
The right panel shows that China’s share now exceeds that of the next largest manufacturers combined. This remarkable fact helps us to understand current US-China trade tensions, and the magnitude of supply chain disruptions that occurred when China dialled down its production during Covid. India (not shown separately) was the second fastest share gainer: its global share of manufacturing production rose by two percentage points since 1995.
China’s rise has slowed and looks to have stagnated at about a third of world output. To confirm this, however, we will need more recent data since the last two years in the sample are muddled by events related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI) has data to 2022 for value added, and these conform to the flattening narrative, but the WDI do not report gross production data.
Figure 2 China’s meteoric rise in manufacturing, 1995-2020 (world gross production shares)
Source: OECD TiVA database, 2023 update.
China’s dominance is less stark in exports (Figure 3), though the rise is equally amazing. In 1995 China had just 3% of world manufacturing exports, By 2020, its share had risen to 20%. The corresponding fall in the G7 share was less dramatic than for its share of production. This is explained by the meteoric rise in Chinese domestic consumption, which has absorbed an increasing share of its manufacturing production since 2004. Not shown in the charts is that China’s export to production ratio, having peaked at 18% in 2004, is 13% in 2020 – almost back to its 1995 level of 11%. The same diagrams in the Annex are shown for a value-added basis.
Figure 3 China’s share of world manufacturing exports, 1995-2020
Source: OECD TiVA database.
Asymmetric supply chain exposure: G7 and China
The global supply chain indicators that Rebecca Freeman, Angelos Theodorakopoulos and I developed last year (Baldwin et al. 2022) provide a convenient way of identifying foreign production exposure in supply chains (eight of our new indicators can be found in the TiVA 2023 update). Two of our new indicators are particularly intuitive when it comes to portraying global supply chain exposure.
Foreign Production Exposure: iMport side (FPEM). This shows the share of all industrial inputs (including domestically sourced inputs) that one nation sources from another on a scale of 0 to 100. FPEM accounts for exposure on a look-through basis in the sense that it looks through the suppliers-to-suppliers veil to discover the purchasing nation’s reliance on production in the selling nation.
Figure 4, left panel, shows that the US relies far more on Chinese manufacturing production than vice versa. While shocking at first sight, this should not be unexpected. It is natural that a country with 11% of the world output buys more from a country that produces 35% than vice versa, but the numbers are astounding. China was more exposed to US inputs before 2002, but the US has had greater exposure since then. In 2020, the US was about three times more exposed to Chinese manufacturing production than vice versa.
Foreign Production Exposure: eXport side (FPEX). This indicator reflects the share of a nation’s gross output of intermediate goods that is exported to a particular partner. It is a measure of exposure on the sales side.
Figure 4, right panel, shows the expected result: China is and always has been more reliant on sales to the US than the other way round. In the mid-2000s, China’s dependence on the US was ten times the reverse dependence, but the asymmetry has narrowed substantially.
Putting together the pieces, this shows a remarkable, historical, world-shaping asymmetry in supply chain reliance between China and other major manufacturing countries. Politicians may wish to decouple their economies from China. These data suggest that decoupling would be difficult, slow, expensive, and disruptive – especially to G7 manufacturers. For explicit estimates, see the simulation studies by Felbermayr et al. (2023) and Goes and Bekkers (2022).
Before closing this chapter on the China rise story, it is important to say that the massive asymmetry has nothing really to do with China. It has to do with China’s superpower standing in manufacturing. To see this, imagine what the charts would look like if they displayed the facts for OPEC and the G7 in the petroleum sector. We would see that the G7 is massively more dependent on OPEC supplies than vice versa. The next chapter of the story redirects the spotlight to the China level.
Figure 4 China and US bilateral FPEM and FPEX, 1995-2020
Source: OECD TiVA database.
China’s balance of trade by sector, supply chain engagement, and openness
What does the rise to superpower status look like from the shores of China? One convenient, if simplistic, yardstick of a country’s competitive profile is its balance of trade by sector.
The left panel of Figure 5 shows the balance of exports less imports in the major sectors: manufactures, agriculture, mining, and services. The overall trade balance, which is just the sum of the sectoral balances, is shown with the thin black line. The pattern is as clear as it is unsurprising. China is a net exporter of manufactured goods and a net importer of everything else – agriculture goods, mining goods and fuels, and services. Both the positive and negative net balances have been growing quickly. Plainly, China is a big importer and a big exporter. Overall, it ran surpluses in the late 2000s, which then decreased and turned negative in 2018 and 2019 (black line).
The right panel provides important hints about the evolution of China’s manufacturing. It charts the evolution of the country’s net exports of intermediate inputs and final goods. Until the mid-2000s, China was a typical offshore destination: a net importer of intermediate inputs and a net exporter of final goods that embodied the imported inputs. From about 2002, China became a large net exporter of intermediate goods as well as final goods.
Figure 5 Net exports by sector, China, 1995 to 2020
Source: OECD TiVA database.
Aggregate balance-of-trade numbers like those in Figure 5 can hide the evolution of the constituent parts. Figure 6, which focuses on manufactured goods, shows exports and imports separately. In the left panel, we can observe that China’s engagement with global supply chains was extremely vigorous until the mid-2000s. Imports and exports of industrial parts and components were growing rapidly, and imports and exports were growing in tandem. Afterward that, exports grew faster, and this difference has produced the positive balance in manufactured goods..
The right panel shows a different picture for final manufactured goods. Here, exports have always exceeded imports, with the imbalance growing rapidly in the 2010s.
Figure 6 Trade in intermediates versus final goods, China, 1995 to 2020
Source: OECD TiVA database.
The next pair of charts shows the change in the sectoral composition of China’s exports.
Figure 7 presents the sectoral shares for 1995 (first year in the database) and 2020. It shows that China has moved from being relatively reliant on simple manufacturing sectors like textiles and clothing to more sophisticated sectors like electronics, basic and fabricated metal products, and chemicals and pharmaceuticals. A telling factoid is that textiles accounted for the biggest share in 1995, but electronics did so in 2020.
Figure 7 China’s export basket, 1995 versus 2020
Source: OECD TiVA database.
Globalisation ratio
Finally, consider China’s globalisation ratios (Figure 8). The right panel exhibits the country’s gross globalisation ratio (GGR) in manufacturing. This is the share of manufactured production that is sold abroad, where production is measured as the total sales of all China-based manufacturers. It differs from manufacturing GDP since it includes all sales, not just final good sales.
Turning to the facts, we see that during its rise to manufacturing superpower status, China’s GGR rocketed up – almost doubling – in the first decade of the data. Indeed, most of the action came between 1999 and 2004. That period was an extraordinary feat of globalisation, and it is probably why so many think of China as an economy that is incredibly dependent on exports. But the story doesn’t end in 2004.
Since 2004, China’s GGR has been falling steadily. And don’t miss the fact that it is, in 2020, not far above where it started in 1995. Chinese manufacturing, in short, is no longer as dependent on exports as many might believe. True, the first part of the rapid growth period involved exports growing faster than production (so the GGR rises). But then production grows faster than exports, implying that domestic sales were becoming relatively more important, compared to export sales – even though domestic and foreign sales were both booming throughout the high-growth episode. This dispels the myth that China’s success can be entirely attributed to exports. From around 2004, China increasingly became its own best customer.
The takeaway is simple: China’s openness, as measured by the GGR, has fallen rapidly. By 2020 it was only slightly more dependent on export sales than it was 1995.
Figure 8 China’s manufacturing growth and Gross Globalisation Ratio (GGR)
Source: OECD TiVA database.
Concluding remarks
China is now the world’s sole manufacturing giant. As its recent success in electric vehicles demonstrates, its wide and deep industrial base can help it gain a competitive edge in virtually all sectors. The exceptions are the most advanced sectors, where the G7 countries still dominate.
Politicians who indulge in loose talk about decoupling from China need a clear-eyed look at the facts. As we have shown (Baldwin et al. 2023), all the major manufacturers in the world source at least 2% of all their industrial inputs from China. Decoupling would be difficult, to say the least.
“Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated. I will even gather them round about against thee and will uncover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness” Ezekiel 16:37
The doctrine of the Investigative Judgement, which began on October 22, 1844, is an integral part of the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, teching that a judgement had begun on that year’s Day of Atonement, when Christ entered the Most Holy Place in heaven to start an “investigative judgement.”
One of the revealing fact is that according to Jewish reckoning, there is no way Yum Kippur could be so late as October 22 of any year; and in the year 1844, the real Yum Kippur was on September 23; some four weeks earlier. However in the year 1844, October 22, in Hebrew year is the 5605; Cheshvan 9 which is in the eight month following the seventh month, Tishrei, where Yum Kippur is.
The only people who has Yum Kippur a month late would be the Samaritans; which is in the month Cheshvana; that is, on the eight month:
And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made; and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart, and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel; and he offered upon the altar and burned incense. I KIng 12:32-32
Jeroboam, who re-established calves for worship, also made priests from the lowest of the people; and for his idolatry and rebellion against the true worship of God, his kingdom was rent away from him and given to another dynasty under king Baasha.
Since the Investigative Judgement is a central doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist teaching, we’ll make a study here. Their SDA Derivation of this 1844 date is as follows:
Seventy “week” period (Daniel 9:24-27) is held to begin in 457 BC, the seventh year of Artaxerxes I.
The “2300 evenings and mornings” period (Daniel 8:13-14) is held to commence in the same year.
2300 days are held to correspond to 2300 years. Hence from 457 BC plus 2300 years gives 1844 AD. — more specifically the date given in their historical statements hold October 22, 1844 as the Second Coming of Christ, resulting in a disillusion known as the Great Disappointment.
Years later, and reluctant to acceptiong a defeat of their prior “understanding” the Adventist movement reinterprets October 22, 1844 as the starting date for the pre-Advent Judgement when Christ entered the Holy of Holies to clean the heavenly Sanctuary.
This perceived revelation of an investigative judgement was greatly encouraging by their prophetess for the Seventh-day Adventist movement. Quoting Daniel 8:14, Ellen G White wrote:
“The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the advent faith, was the declaration, ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed . . . pointed to Christ’s ministration in the most holy place, to the investigative judgement, and not to the coming of Christ for the redemption of His people'” (White, The Great Controversy, 1888, p 409).
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint who spoke, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”
And he said unto me, “Until two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” Daniel 8:13-14
A key to this mysterious time period was hidden from Daniel’s understanding — was not to be revealed until the latter days! It is a prophecy for our time — this climactic 21st Century!
Seventh-day Adventists try to explain this prophecy by assuming the “sanctuary” is in heaven and claim that this vision of “2300 days” commenced in 457 BC and ended in 1844, (using a day for a year principle, hence the “2300 days” represent 2300 years).
During this time of 2300 years the “sanctuary” that was cast down, trodden under foot — the Holy of Holies in heaven itself — God’s very throne — was to be “cleansed” beginning on October 22, 1844.
How could “the little horn” cast down the Holy of Holies, trodden under foot, in heaven? Such thinking are just Nonsense! Oh Goodness! Insanity asides, how could well over 20 million Adventists believe such balderdash today? Unless, of course, they were deceived by a Phoenician princess, Jezebel, not a true Prophetess!
The SDA’s Phoenician Princess, Jezebel, masquerading as a true Prophetess!
“O Blind Guides! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” The first thing that these believers need to clean is to clean their own brains. God the Almighty is well capable of looking after his Holy of Holies in heaven! Or, is he not so Almighty?
Whatever the answer is, it has to do with an earthly event concerning the Sanctuary or the Temple in Jerusalem. But notice the little horn takes away the daily sacrifice for “2300 days.” Were there any daily sacrifices taken away since the writing of Daniel?
One possible answer is that this prophecy of the taking away of the evening and morning sacrifice has already been fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes. This is rather possible! Notice why: what happened to the daily sacrifice in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes (168-165 BC).
The wicked deeds of Antiochus Epiphanes are recorded in Daniel 11:31. He polluted the ancient sanctuary. He took away the daily sacrifice, and the 1150 days is one possibility; or perhaps it could be a preamble.
Now consider who the “little horn” in this prophecy is. It spring out from the King of the North; which originally was Syria, the Seleucid Empire — north of Palestine. But Syria was soon swallowed by ROME. The Roman system of government became the “King of the North.”
Later the “little horn” became the papal Roman Church, which persecutes the true Church — the “holy people” shall shine in the resurrection like the stars of heaven (compare Daniel 8:10, 24 with Daniel 12:3).
The papal Roman Church had existed to our time in Europe, Asia and now all over the world. In the Middle Ages it was called the Holy Roman Empire, and the church ever since was and is the Roman Catholic Church.
Notice Daniel 8:26: “And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true….” The vision of “2300 days” is actually called in the Scripture “the vision of the evening and the morning”
The word “days” this note reveals that the original Hebrew of the word “days” is “evening morning” (the original “days” in Hebrew is “bō·qer e·reḇ” which is morning and evening). This prophecy is NOT referring to 24-hour days but to evenings/mornings; that is, the evening and the morning sacrifice!
According to verse 11 the little horn takes away the DAILY SACRIFICE. The daily sacrifice was offered in the evening and in the morning. In Exodus 29:39, “The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening.”
Verse 14 in other versions “two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings.” In other words, here is a prophecy that two thousand three hundred evening and morning sacrifices would cease to be offered.
Since the daily sacrifice was offered TWICE A DAY, this prophecy is actually speaking of one thousand one hundred fifty (1150) days. In 1150 days there would be exactly two thousand three hundred sacrifices offered at evening and morning.
When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. In 167 BCE, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He banned brit milah (circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple.
By 164 BCE, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event. Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made.
We may not be sure of the exact dates, but one account says the abomination took place on the 15th of Kislev (1 Maccabees 1:54) in 167 BC, and at the end of this 1150-day period the sanctuary is to be “cleansed” or “justified.”
And on another account this cleansing was established on the 25th of Kislev in 164 BC to celebrate this liberation: Hanukkah; which would be roughly 1105 days, short of 1150 days by 45 days, or 90 “evening morning, bō·qer e·reḇ.” Thus this prophecy of “2300 days” could have been or partially fulfilled by the abomination set up by Antiochus Epiphanes until its liberation.
And finally, such a prophecy could be dual, that is, another possibility could reoccur if the third Temple is to be built in Jerusalem in the future and another transgression of desolation causing the daily sacrifices to cease. This final time, it could be fulfilled exactly “2300 days.”
And skipping forward to Daniel 12:11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
And in Matthew 24:15 “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand).” There we are, another transgression of desolation yet in the future. How will all these play out, well, we’ll have to wait and see.
The rift between President Ferdianand Marcos Jr and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte has widened to an unbridgeable abyss, with both accusing the other of drug use.
“We have a drug addict for president; that son of a whore!”
On January 28, while Marcos was launching in Manila a national movement called Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) to solidify national unity and drive an economic development program, with Duterte’s daughter Vice President Sara Duterte in attendance, Duterte addressed a rally in his hometown Davao, in the southern island of Mindanao, telling his audience: “We have a drug addict for president; that son of a whore!”
Duterte then warned Marcos that he could be overthrown if he supported the House of Representatives’ move to revise the country’s Constitution and switch from the present presidential form of government to a parliamentary system with no term limit for lawmakers and ministers, and he called on the army and the police to protect the constitution.
He also called on the island of Mindanao, with 27 provinces and 26 million people – about 20 percent of the country’s population – to break away from the nation.
Marcos, who seeks only to revise the Constitution’s economic provisions to encourage foreign direct investment, but isn’t keen on a parliamentary system, waved it off as the effect of the highly addictive fentanyl, which Duterte has been using as a painkiller, muddling his mind.
The island of Mindanao, with 27 provinces and 26 million people – about 20 percent of the country’s population – to break away from the nation?
This spat is rooted in a four-letter word. Fear. Fear on both sides. Marcos while taking over the presidency at the end of Duterte’s six-year term in mid-2022, was worried about Duterte’s overarching popularity across the nation and influence over the military and the police.
When Marcos declared his candidacy, Duterte publicly disparaged him as a weak leader, a spoiled child with the baggage of his family, who is credited with having stolen billions of dollars from the country before being deposed in the 1980s.
When he was leaving office, opinion surveys claimed that in this country where machoistic behavior is applauded, the unpredictable Duterte commanded a 75 percent popularity rating, which had risen to 79 percent in December 2023, as opposed to 68 percent for Marcos according to Pulse Asia.
Therefore, also recognizing Duterte’s cantankerous ways, Marcos had to tread a tricky path in his first year in office. So he chose to keep Duterte at ease by keeping the International Criminal Court investigating Duterte for his alleged human rights violation away from the country.
Now, however, Duterte has good reason to be very afraid. As a former lawmaker explained, he is now “obsessed with fear and in a state of panic” that Marcos could let the ICC grab him and prosecute him for the so-called Davao Death Squad when he was mayor of Davao, and Operation Double Barrel during his presidency that killed thousands in the name of cleansing the country of dangerous drugs.
“Look at it: he is calling the army and the police to protect the Constitution, and at the same time calling for Mindanao to secede! He is off his rocker.”
In his self-interested effort to shield Duterte from the ICC’s reach, Marcos first figuratively stuck his neck out.
In January 2023, when Marcos was just six months in office and the ICC authorized reopening the investigation into Duterte’s drug war, which had remained suspended since November 2021 at Manila’s request, Marcos’s justice secretary, Jesus Crispin Remulla, denounced the ICC move, calling it an “irritant” and saying that ICC “cannot enter our country.”
Six months later, when the ICC was about to decide on sending prosecutors to the Philippines to collect information about Duterte’s drug war, Remulla asserted again: “They are to do nothing of the sort here. They have no relevance here…We’re a free country with its justice system.”
This strategy helped Marcos to keep Duterte appeased while he reorganized command lines and took a good grip of the nation’s reins. As his administration completed its first six months, the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Benhur Abalos, asked full police colonels and generals to file their courtesy resignations while a five-person team investigated officers to cleanse the force.
As a part of it, 49 members of the drug enforcement group that included 12 high-ranking officers were also ordered to surrender their firearms as they were found liable for drug-related irregularities.
Marcos was now well in the saddle with European leaders acknowledging that human rights are upheld better under Marcos than under Duterte, although extrajudicial killings continue, albeit at a slower pace, according to Human Rights Watch.
Still, there remained a long way to go to realize the objective Marcos declared in his inaugural address: raising per capita GNP to the equivalent of US$4,256, uplifting the country to upper middle-income status by the time his administration reached mid-term. It called for expanding foreign trade and attracting foreign direct investment. In both, Duterte loomed large.
Some of Manila’s trade partners, particularly the European Union, which granted more than 6,200 Philippine products duty-free access under its GSP+ scheme, which helped Philippines exports to the 27-nation market rise from a minuscule US$7.2 million in 2014 to $11.17 billion in 2022, is determined that whoever seeks preferential access to the EU market must uphold human rights standards.
Allowing ICC investigators access to the Philippines falls within that framework. Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament who led a delegation to the Philippines early last year, reminded Manila that this condition of the European Parliament is “not going to go away.”
In the meantime, just over two months ago, the EU agreed to let Manila continue enjoying the privilege while it worked towards fulfilling human rights conditions.
Just as it happened, the Marcos administration’s solicitor general, Menardo Guevarra, who was justice secretary with the Duterte administration, clarified that ICC investigators are free to visit the Philippines like any visitor with proper travel documents, and gather the information they want. “You can investigate in whatever way you want; you can talk to any person…interview any person,” but do not expect cooperation from the government.
Since then, matters have moved swiftly, and according to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a Duterte nemesis, ICC investigators entered the country, conducted interviews, and gathered the information they needed. The ICC, said Trillanes, could soon issue arrest warrants against Duterte and his aides.
Duterte and his associates then saw what was imminent. Ronald dela Rosa, Duterte’s first chief of police (now a senator), who is included in the ICC investigation for carrying out Duterte’s shoot-to-kill order in the drug war, demanded the president to be “man enough” to admit if he has allowed ICC investigators enter the country.
The credibility of Trillanes’s claim aside, the important question now is how the ICC would execute its arrest warrant. The court has no enforcement team.
The Marcos administration, which refuses to cooperate with the ICC because of national sovereignty, can hardly be expected to execute the warrant. So the warrant will become as unworkable as the one the ICC issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It should have let Duterte continue to remain relaxed. But he panicked.
Now, Duterte’s roar to have Marcos overthrown or for Mindanao to break away from the Philippines could go like a cry in the wilderness as leaders of the autonomous Muslim region in Mindanao have denounced his call to secede while the chief of the armed forces, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the armed forces would remain with its duty to protect the state against threats, whether external or internal.
Thus Duterte has a right to be afraid.
“Remember the father Marcos was a complete and total tin-pot US puppet. He did everything that the US did until they got tired of him and then they got rid of him. And this is the son. The son who does not fall far from the tree,” one writer observes. “He did what these client politicians do — they signal left but turn right.”
Putin debunks Tucker Carlson’s warmongering anti-China propaganda, mocks his CIA ties
A failed CIA applicant interviewing a successful former KGB agent!
“We should thank God they didn’t let you in.”
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin condemned the “boogeyman” anti-China propaganda that Trump ally Tucker Carlson spewed in his interview in Moscow, while mocking the ex Fox News host for applying to join the CIA.
The US TV host Tucker Carlson set off a political scandal by traveling to Moscow this February to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This provoked a debate in the media, which – as is so often the case in partisan US politics – completely missed the forest for the trees.
Liberal war hawks like Hillary Clinton portrayed Tucker Carlson as a traitor and “useful idiot” of Putin.
Democrats have been blinded by their obsessive hatred of Russia, and are utterly incapable of seeing what is happening geopolitically.
In reality, Carlson and other Donald Trump allies in the Republican Party have tried for years to drive a wedge in between Russia and China, while maniacally pushing for war on Beijing.
Trump’s former top advisor Steve Bannon, who ran the far-right leader’s 2016 presidential campaign, stated openly in 2018: “We’re at war with China.”
Bannon called to “unite the West against the rise of a totalitarian China”. And he considers Russia to be part of the “West.”
This strategy was also adopted by France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who stated in 2022 that she wanted to improve relations with Russia in order to prevent it from allying with China.
The Trumpist Republicans and their far-right counterparts in Europe see Russia as white, European, Christian, and capitalist, and a potential ally against China, which they demonize as an non-white, Asiatic, atheistic, and communist threat to so-called “Judeo-Christian Western civilization.”
Carlson has played a key role in this warmongering campaign against China.
When he had his prime-time show on Fox News, Carlson declared, “Russia is not America’s main enemy. Obviously, no sane person thinks it is. Our main enemy, of course, is China. And the United States ought to be in a relationship with Russia, aligned against China.”
The narrative that Carlson is “anti-war” is totally false. The reason that he opposes the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine is simply because he wants all resources focused on war with China.
The far-right TV host is afraid that a China-Russia alliance would end US hegemony over the planet, which the close Trump ally wants to preserve.
“If Russia ever joins forces with China, American global hegemony, its power, would end instantly”, Carlson lamented. “If Russia and China ever got together, it would be a brand new world, and the United States would be greatly diminished. Most Americans agree that would be bad.”
Since he was fired from Fox News in 2023, Carlson has continued pushing this same warmongering narrative: that the US should ally with Russia against China.
In his February interview with Putin, however, the Russian leader could clearly see that Carlson is a political operative acting on behalf of the Republican Party and Trump, and that they hope to encourage division between Moscow and its most important ally.
Putin pushed back against Carlson’s hysterical anti-China narratives, which he referred to as mere “boogeyman stories.”
The Russian president emphasized that China wants peaceful cooperation, and that “China’s foreign policy philosophy is not aggressive.”
TUCKER CARLSON: The question is what comes next? And maybe you trade one colonial power for another, much less sentimental and forgiving colonial power. I mean, is the BRICS, for example, in danger of being completely dominated by the Chinese, the Chinese economy, in a way that’s not good for their sovereignty? Do you worry about that?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: We have heard those boogeyman stories before. It is a boogeyman story.
We’re neighbors with China. You cannot choose neighbors, just as you cannot choose close relatives. We share a border of a thousand kilometers with them. This is number one.
Second, we have a centuries long history of coexistence. We’re used to it.
Third, China’s foreign policy philosophy is not aggressive. Its idea is to always look for a compromise. And we can see that.
The next point is as follows. We’re always told the same boogeyman story, and here it goes again, through a euphemistic form, but it is still the same boogeyman story.
The cooperation with China keeps increasing. The pace at which China’s cooperation with Europe is growing. It’s higher and greater than that of the growth of Chinese-Russian cooperation.
Ask Europeans. Are they afraid? They might be. I don’t know. But they are still trying to access China’s market at all costs. Especially now that they are facing economic problems.
Chinese businesses are also exploring the European market.
Do Chinese businesses have small presence in the United States? Yes.
The political decisions are such that they are trying to limit the cooperation with China.
It is to your own detriment, Mr. Tucker, that you are limiting cooperation with China. You are hurting yourself.
As Putin made clear, the Republicans have failed to isolate China from Russia and divide BRICS.
The irony is that the Democratic Party’s hysteria over the Russiagate conspiracy, combined with the war in Ukraine, prevented the Trumpist elements from realizing this strategy.
(Washington’s failure to divide Russia from China has only further incentivized the United States to focus heavily on allying with India’s far-right government, seeking to provoke conflict between New Delhi and Beijing. Both Trump and Joe Biden have sought to woo India.)
Carlson’s bellicose anti-China rhetoric was not mere red meat for his typical Fox News conservative audience. Since he was fired, Carlson has continued churning out this cartoonish propaganda as an independent broadcaster.
On February 2, just four days before he interviewed Putin, Carlson published a video claiming that China is “fueling the invasion of America.” The implication was that war w[ith] Beijing would be justified in response to a supposed Chinese communist-backed “invasion.”
“Why is China allowed to conduct imperialism in our hemisphere?” Carlson asked.
Trump replied, “Yeah, and it’s far beyond Cuba; it’s all over South America.” The former US president then claimed, without a shred of evidence, that “China is building military installations in Cuba.”
Carlson is a personal friend of Trump, and acts as a propagandist for the former president and his faction of the Republican Party.
This is especially relevant considering that Trump may very well win this year’s presidential election. Most polls show that he is leading over Biden, including in critical swing states.
As he campaigns for president, Trump has pledged to implement extremely aggressive anti-China policies. The Washington Post reported, citing his advisors, that “Trump is preparing for a massive new trade war with China,” and wants to impose 60% tariffs on all imports of Chinese goods into the US.
Historically, economic wars of this magnitude often lead to military conflict. So Trump’s hawkish anti-China policies could escalate into a conventional war.
Ironically, this strategy advocated by Trump, Bannon, Ramaswamy, and Carlson was also previously promoted by Henry Kissinger.
Back in the Richard Nixon administration in the 1970s, Kissinger used “triangular diplomacy” to play China against the Soviet Union. Washington’s alliance then with Beijing was a significant factor that led to the destabilization and eventually overthrow of the USSR.
In 2018, Kissinger called for returning to this triangular diplomacy, but in the opposite direction. The Daily Beast reported, “Henry Kissinger suggested to President Donald Trump that the United States should work with Russia to contain a rising China.”
Putin mocks Tucker Carlson for applying to join the CIA
With the rise of Donald Trump and his far-right movement, Tucker Carlson tried to rebrand himself as a so-called populist.
But Carlson was always blue-blooded media royalty. His middle name is Swanson, and his stepmother was the heiress of the eponymous food corporation.
The scion of a powerful, wealthy, politically connected family, Carlson started his media career as a neoconservative hawk, churning out diehard pro-war articles for the notorious neocon bible the Weekly Standard.
Carlson was soon kicked upstairs, in the 2000s, to host shows at CNN and MSNBC, before later moving to Fox News.
In the Trump era, Carlson has marketed himself as a paleoconservative, condemning neoconservatives to try to score points with “populists.” But back during the George W. Bush administration, Carlson was a card-carrying neocon.
Carlson eagerly supported the illegal US invasion of Iraq, using crude, neocolonial, racist talking points.
Tucker Carlson described Iraqis as “semiliterate primitive monkeys” in past comments made on the Bubba The Love Sponge radio show, according to new audio recordings uncovered by Media Matters. The Fox News host also claimed Iraqis don’t “behave like human beings” and said he had “zero sympathy” for Iraqis or their culture during a May 2006 discussion of the Iraq War on the popular radio show. “A culture where people just don’t use toilet paper or forks,” Carlson said—adding that Iraqis should “ just shut the fuck up and obey” the US because “they can’t govern themselves.” In a Sept. 2009 episode, Carlson also proclaimed that Afghanistan would never be a “civilized country because the people aren’t civilized.”
In fact, Carlson was such a dedicated Reaganite and cold warrior that, back when he was in college, he applied to join the CIA.
Journalist Alan Macleod showed how, in the 1980s, Carlson traveled to Nicaragua to support the CIA’s far-right death squads, the Contras, in their terror war against the revolutionary Sandinista government.
Tucker’s father, Richard “Dick” Carlson, was the director of Voice of America, a US government propaganda outlet that is closely linked to the CIA and other spy agencies.
Russian intelligence clearly knew about Carlson’s CIA ties. So when he interviewed Putin in February, the Russian leader mocked Carlson for having applied to join the notorious US spy agency, which Putin emphasized had organized many coups d’etat and meddled in the internal affairs of countless foreign countries.
The following is a transcript of the exchange:
TUCKER CARLSON: With the backing of whom?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: With the backing of CIA, of course. The organization you wanted to join back in the day, as I understand.
We should thank God they didn’t let you in. Although it is a serious organization, I understand.
My former vis-à-vis, in the sense that I served in the first main directorate, the Soviet Union’s intelligence service.
They have always been our opponents. A job is a job.
Tucker Carlson’s neocolonial views on Latin America
Although he criticizes neocons today, Carlson’s foreign policy regarding Latin America is decidedly neoconservative, and neocolonial.
Carlson routinely treats Latin America like the US “backyard,” and frequently complains that China is supposedly trying to “take over” and even colonize “our hemisphere.”
In 2022, when he was still at Fox News, Carlson traveled to Brazil to produce a propaganda documentary for far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who was staunchly pro-US and anti-China.
In effect, Carlson was meddling in Brazil’s election, seeking to prevent the return to power of leftist Lula da Silva (who went on to win the 2022 election).
In the promotional video that Carlson made for Bolsonaro, he invoked the 200-year-old, explicitly colonial Monroe Doctrine, in order to fearmonger about China’s bilateral, consensual relations with Latin American nations – and to justify increasingly aggressive US interventionism in the region.
The Fox News host declared (emphasis added):
In 1823, President James Monroe announced a policy that has been the center of American foreign policy for the last 200 years. Called the Monroe Doctrine, it has a very simple thesis: Great powers would not be allowed to control nations in the Western hemisphere. That would be a direct threat to the interests of the United States. And for 200 years, we haven’t allowed it.
Under the Biden administration, the Monroe Doctrine is no longer enforced.
Constrained by its ideological concerns, consumed with petty political grievances and above all, distracted by a faraway war in Eastern Europe [ie, against Russia in Ukraine], the Biden administration has abdicated its responsibility.
And into the void left by the United States moves a new superpower.
We’ve come to Brazil to see for ourselves the rise of China, and how the government of China is replacing the United States as the dominant power in our hemisphere.
Washington’s bipartisan imperialism
This anti-China, pro-colonial diatribe was a stark reminder that Carlson is in fact an ardent advocate for US imperialism.
Carlson is not opposed to war on principle. He only criticizes the US proxy war against Russia because he wants to focus the entire attention of the US empire for war on China.
Carlson is co-opting many well-intentioned people who don’t want war on Russia, and brainwashing them to want war on China.
However, US liberals’ hysteria over the Russiagate conspiracy has blinded them to this reality.
Of course, in Washington there is bipartisan opposition to China. But the Democrats are more fixated on Russia now, in the short time, while referring to China as a “long-term threat.”
Republicans, led by Trump and Carlson, want to put aside differences with Russia and dedicate all of the US empire’s resources into containing, weakening, and ultimately overthrowing the Communist Party of China.
Both dominant US political parties are thoroughly imperialist. Their fight is not about whether the US should be an empire; rather, their debate is about what is the best strategy to preserve the US empire.
Carlson and Trump share much in common politically with neocons and liberal-interventionist hawks, whom they sometimes criticize for “populist” credit.
What unites them all is their desire to strengthen the US empire and maintain Washington’s unipolar hegemony over the planet.
This is precisely why Tucker Carlson warned with terror, back on his Fox News show, “If Russia ever joins forces with China, American global hegemony, its power, would end instantly.”
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel’s government said on Sunday it would bring in 65,000 foreign workers from India, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan to resume construction stalled since Oct. 7 when Palestinian workers were sent home in the wake of the attack on Israel by Hamas.
Some 72,000 Palestinian workers were employed on construction sites in Israel prior to the attack, which prompted the government to lay them off and exclude them from Israel for security reasons.
Some 20,000 foreign workers remain but almost half the country’s building sites have been closed down due to the labour shortage.
A housing ministry spokesperson said new groups of foreign workers were expected to arrive in coming weeks as the government seeks to avoid a blockage in supply that would risk reigniting real estate prices as interest rates start to fall.
Indians queuing in long lines for jobs in Israel as the war with Hamas grinds on say the risks to their safety are preferable to hunger at home.
Recruiters are aiming to fill a labor shortage in Israel exacerbated by nearly four months of fighting against Palestinian militants in Gaza.
While India is the world’s fifth-largest economy and one of the fastest growing, it has struggled to produce enough full-time and well-paying jobs for millions of people.
For the hundreds of Indians in line, almost all men, the chance of a skilled construction job in Israel — and wages up to 18 times higher — outweighs their fears.
“If it is written in our fate to die, we’ll die there — at least our kids will get something,” said motorbike mechanic Jabbar Singh, among the packed crowd at a training center and recruitment site in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. “It’s better than hunger here.”
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter still suffers at least 65 basic deficiencies where it continues to fail to meet basic testing specifications, the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) said in a report.
The F-35 program faces scrutiny for 65 technical problems and cost blowouts
The JPO [F-35 Joint Project Office] completed the readiness review for JSE [joint simulation environment] trials in September 2023, and certified it as ready for testing, despite 65 deficiencies against the baseline JSE requirements, the report said on Friday.
The F-35 program development cycle continues to experience delays due to immature and deficient Block 4 mission systems software and avionics stability problems with the new Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) hardware going into Lot 15 production aircraft, the report said.
“As a result, deliveries of production Lot 15 aircraft in the TR-3 configuration are on hold until more testing can be completed and the avionics issues resolved. …[T]hese delays prevented the F-35 JPO from adequately planning and programming for hardware modifications … of the upgraded hardware configuration,” the report said.
Also, the necessary flight test instrumentation, including both aircraft and open-air battle shaping instrumentation, for both, the remaining TR-2 configuration and upgraded TR-3 aircraft, are not all on contract and will not be available in time, the report added.
In June 2019, Defense News published an investigation into the F-35 that detailed all 13 category 1 deficiencies on the books at the time — the first and only time a full list of F-35 critical deficiencies has been publicly released.
Details of [deficiencies] — even unclassified [deficiencies] — are not publicly releasable; but here is a list of known problems:
A technical problem involving the F-35′s cockpit pressure regulation system led to several incidents of extreme sinus pain, or barotrauma. In April 2020, the program office believed it would be able to resolve the problem in 2021 after flight testing the fix.
On nights with little ambient light, the night vision camera embedded in the F-35 helmet could display horizontal green lines that could make it more difficult for pilots to land on ships. The JPO had intended to test a software update for the Generation III helmet to assess whether that could correct the issue with the hopes of declaring the deficiency solved in 2021.
The F-35′s Northrop Grumman-made AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar meets requirements, but the Navy wants to upgrade the system so that it can scan a wider area while in sea-search mode. In 2020, the program office stated that this issue would remain on the books until 2024, when a software update is made to the aircraft’s avionics equipment.
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these” Jeremiah 7:4
“I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them” Jeremiah 9:16
Let’s sketch a big country in three broad strokes:
First, its population is over 333 million. These citizens privately own about (or at least) 339 million guns. They are unique in that no other state in the world has more private guns than people. They easily outdistance, for instance, Yemen, a country with a martial culture that has gone through years of civil war and yet there are only about 53 firearms per 100 inhabitants.
Second, polarization is unusually high and virulent: As of 2020 already, a political scientist at one of America’s most prestigious universities, found that “political polarization among Americans has grown rapidly in the last 40 years — more than in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia or Germany,” for instance.
The result: America is special, but not in a good way. “None of the wealthy, consolidated democracies of East Asia, Oceania, or Western Europe,” a 2022 paper published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace pointed out, “have faced similar levels of polarization for such an extended period.”
Last year, another Carnegie Endowment paper found that even while some of the perception of polarization on specific policy questions (such as gun control or abortion) is exaggerated, that perception itself is detrimental to the country’s cohesion.
Because “the people who are most involved in civic and political life hold the least accurate [here meaning: highly negative] views of the other side’s beliefs” and there is a high degree of what political scientists call “affective polarization.”
Put simply, all or many of those citizens, collectively hoarding so many guns that over 40% of households are armed in one way or the other, do not like or even merely respect “the other side” of the political spectrum – not at all and ever less.
Third, the country also displays a pronounced cultural preoccupation, really almost obsession, not merely with the idea of civil war as such or the specific history of its own very bloody civil war in the nineteenth century.
Rather its elites and general population are fixated on a coming civil war, which, as of 2022, a whopping 43 percent considered likely in the next ten years. Debates, high-brow books, articles, and popular culture feature this fantasy prominently and persistently.
We are talking, of course, about the United States of America. While it would be easy to adduce more criteria and data points, there is no need. The above is sufficient to demonstrate that it would be shortsighted to pooh-pooh the risk of a second civil war in America, for two reasons:
It is not a mere fantasy, owing its current national resonance to “hype” and the titillation of imagining a liberatingly apocalyptic future of chaos and every man and woman for themselves (and, in the US, I guess, every other gender that wishes to participate).
Smart Americans realize this as well. Barbara F. Walter, for instance, is a prominent political scientist who has worked extensively with the CIA to develop a model of civil war predictors, for any country but the US, of course.
She has now come to warn that the model begins to fit America itself disturbingly well. She may have her centrist biases – the usual exaggeration of “Russian influence” included – but her core points are valid: The US is turning into an anocracy, that is, in essence, a regime that only pretends to be a democracy. (
In fact, that is what it has always been, I would content.) And there is a substantial constituency of those who feel threatened by losing their former social status and preeminence. Those happen to be phenomena strongly correlated with a risk of civil war.
Let’s also not forget that America is proving its enormous capacity for global disruption every day, even without civil war at home. While some observers may – even gleefully – hope that Americans fighting each other would finally have to let go of the rest of us, that is a very dicey bet.
With an elite narcissistically obsessed with global “primacy” and “indispensability,” about 800 bases worldwide, an arsenal of thousands of nuclear warheads, and a nasty habit of blaming others for its own failures, a new American civil war would not exclude aggression abroad.
Moreover, declining as it is, the US is still a key part of the global economy, much more so than in 1860, when its first civil war already had serious repercussions for the rest of the world.
In sum, it may attract preppers with camo baseball hats, beards, and pump guns, but don’t let that fool you: American Civil War 2.0 is a serious issue. So, what about it? What can we reasonably guess about how likely it really is and what shape it might take if it happens?
To start with the latter question, perhaps the first thing to note is that big civil wars can start small and local. That is, by the way, the real significance of the recent, open tensions over migration and border control between the state of Texas and the federal government in Washington.
They did involve armed forces and much foreboding rhetoric, but, fortunately, no shots were fired. Yet those glibly dismissing the incident as mere political theater are wrong. Because, as the New York Times has noted, it was not only Texas that defied the US government. Rather, “many Republican state leaders publicly expressed defiance in terms that echoed armed conflicts.”
Indeed, the second thing to note is that, due to America’s federal structure, a new civil war would most likely begin with secession. In the fracas between Washington and Texas, 25 Republican governors openly sided with rebellious Texas.
This was a perfect illustration of how one local flashpoint could quickly suck in the rest of the country by creating a logic of ultimate polarization and then secession. This logic has not yet fully unfolded. Its contours, however, have emerged clearly.
It is worth noting that many of the fiction narratives about Civil War 2.0 make the same point: Whether it is the cult graphic novel series “DMZ,” the bitterly ironic novel “American War” (it’s obvious in-joke is that it has some Americans treat other Americans the way Americans and Israelis now treat Palestinians, Iraqis, or Syrians), the small-budget yet clever movie “Bushwick,” or the big-budget “Civil War” about to hit American cinemas now: Again and again the basic premise is a scenario of secession escalating into massive domestic warfare.
Third, while the humongous pile of private firearms would certainly play a large role in a new civil war, it would be misguided to assume that such a fight would only pit gangs of private citizens, organized in militias, against official police and military forces.
In reality, a dynamic of secession, once set in motion would lead to parts of the US’s manifold “siloviki” choosing their own allegiance, splitting, and starting to fight each other. If you believe that, in such a situation, the formal chains of command ultimately linking them all back to Washington would remain intact, I have a whole-and-indivisible Yugoslavia to sell you.
And, last but not least, in such a development, the war would be both severe and long. In that respect, it would resemble the first Civil War. Although, due to advanced technologies and declining inhibitions, it could be even more devastating and cruel.
In Netflix’s recent and tellingly successful “Leave the World Behind,” the protagonists never learn who exactly is blowing up their country, but by the end of the movie two things seem reasonably clear: No, it’s not enemies from outside, but an inside job, and nukes are being used. That, by the way, was the premise as well of the earlier, initially unsuccessful but now cult television show “Jericho.”
How likely is such a dark future? Obviously, we do not know. But let’s note two things: We could, a priori, be looking at an America where no one is much interested in thinking about it. Yet we are seeing the opposite. If you think that means nothing, fine. Just don’t mistake your guess for a good policy or planning basis.
There are, of course, alternatives to civil war. One is peaceful de-polarization under the current anocratic conditions, which, hypothetically, can happen. The other is full-blown authoritarianism: one way to suppress the possibility of a civil war is to impose dictatorship.
But here’s the catch: A country can end up with both civil war and dictatorship. Ask the ancient Romans. Those Romans, that is, who were so much on the mind of the founders of the American Republic.
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north, 5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.’
6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins, and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. 7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, ‘Why sighest thou?’ that thou shalt answer, ‘For the tidings, because it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water.’ Behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 21:4-7)
~ Come to my parlour ~ the spider says to the butterfly: “Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.”
"Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant?” Isaiah 42:18-19
"Where two sit together to study the Torah, the Shekinah rests between them."
“Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet! And show My people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins" Isaiah 58:1
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word out of My mouth, and give them warning from Me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die,’ and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul" Ezekiel 3:17-19
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to the children of thy people and say unto them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from their borders and set him as their watchman, and
3 if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people,
4 then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning: his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
6 But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand’ Ezekiel 33:1-6
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord who doth sanctify you'" Exodus 31:13
ISRAEL, today as in the past, has many BLIND shepherd, for it was prophesied:
“His watchmen are BLIND; they are all ignorant; they are all DUMB dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” Isaiah 56:10
The mission here is to provide research ARTICLES that are ENLIGHTENING and EASY TO UNDERSTAND using SCRIPTURES to help improve our knowledge and make our life better.
“I have seen a horrible thing in the house of ISRAEL; there is the whoredom of EPHRAIM, Israel is defiled” Hosea 6:10
“Shall a TRUMPET be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” Amos 3:6
“Hear, ye DEAF; and look, ye BLIND, that ye may see” Isaiah 42:18
Hence the RESEARCH produced here are to help us UNDERSTAND and hopefully WE all could learn together.
There's nothing special about me, except perhaps, since I was younger, I (L Siaw) had an inner struggle between my heart and my head, hence this blog.
I produce articles that I would understand and hopefully you could too.
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Japheth
The Mystery of Esau and Ephraim 