Insights into the Hebrew Language and Hebrew Bible

I'm going to give you some insights on the Hebrew language and the Hebrew scriptures today on Thoroughly Jewish Thursday. The It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of Fire School of Ministry. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUT.

That's 866-34-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Check this out. Check this out.

This is YNetNews.com. the brother of Mahmoud Abbas. The brother of Mahmoud Abbas.

So, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, who has often hailed as martyrs, Palestinian terrorists who have killed Israelis. His brother, Is Um ill. Critical condition. diagnosed with cancer, Abu Lawi. Where is he being treated?

In Tel Aviv. is being treated in Tel Aviv. Abulawi is hospitalized at the luxurious Asuta medical center in critical condition. Um Abu Lawi joined a handful of other Abbas family members who have received Treatment in Israel. Isn't that something?

He he lives in in in Qatar, or Qatar, with his wife.

So he doesn't go to the Palestinian territories for treatment. I don't know why he's not getting treatment in the country where he lives now. But he's being treated at a private Hospital in Tel Aviv. Yeah, somehow Israel doesn't get it that they're supposed to be this terrible apartheid nation. guilty of ethnic cleansing.

And using disproportionate force and killing all these innocent people, as even Jewish candidate Bernie Sanders recently said. No, Israel is treating the brother. Of Mahmoud Abbas, Because he has cancer. This is Michael Brown. It is thoroughly.

Jewish Thursday. Any Jewish-related questions you have. Today's a great day with Hebrew questions you've had. Questions you may have heard about Jewish religion or Jewish tradition, and you're trying to sort out fact from fiction. Today's a great day to call 866-348-787.

884. I want to play something for you, and then I'm going to get into some.

Some detailed explanations about the Hebrew Bible, about the Hebrew language, that I think you'll find helpful. Joey, grab clip number 11. Morgan Freeman. Morgan Freeman, famous actor. has gotten fierce backlash on social media.

What did he do? It's this new National Geographic series. He's doing The Story of God. Listen to this, clip number 11. My first destination is Jerusalem, the spiritual center of the Jews.

Christians and Muslims, I want to know why the end of days is so closely tied to this city. All right, great, great question. And yes, accurately described in terms of its importance to Jews, Christians and Muslims, but to Jews and Christians much more than Muslims. He's getting blasted. Why?

Because he said Jerusalem, Israel. That's that's how it was tagged. Jerusalem, comma, Israel. As Fox News Insider reports, the seemingly innocuous post later edited. quickly drew thousands of comments.

Pitting supporters of Israel against those who believe the contested city should belong to the Palestinians. It's Palestine, you fool, one commenter said, with another arguing that Jerusalem is the eternal and struggling capital of the state of Palestine. Jerusalem is the most beautiful place in Israel, someone else said. Has been and always will belong to the Jewish state Israel, no doubt on this. when the post was then changed to simply read Jerusalem It didn't draw further.

criticism. Extraordinary. extraordinary. Same thing happened to actor Jean-Claude Vendamme a few weeks ago when he wrote Shalom from Jerusalem, Israel in a Facebook post. Oh, how dare!

How dare? You connect the eternal city of the Jewish people with the Jewish people. How dare you connect the capital of Israel with the people of Israel? 866-34TRUTH, you've got Jewish-related questions. We'll take them today.

Change the world. Change the world. God of light, hear our cry. Send the fire. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Welcome to Thoroughly Jewish Thursday. Michael Brown, delighted to be with you.

If you've got Jewish-related questions, I'll gladly take them today. 866-3666. 348-7884. Uh I'm scheduled to fly to London after the broadcast today. And then be ministering over the weekend in London Saturday at a Passover celebration, and then Sunday at a key church, Sunday morning, and Sunday night.

If you're anywhere near London, come visit the meetings. I believe Saturday you need to register. It's an all-day event. I'll be speaking a couple of times. And then Sunday morning, Sunday night.

All the information is on my website, ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org. Just click where it says itinerary or on your website, contact then itinerary. All right, before I get to calls and some more Jewish-related news, let me explain a few things to you about the Hebrew language that might help your understanding of how there can be different interpretations of words and things like that, and why a translation might give, here's one way of rendering it, here's another way of rendering it. On the one hand, We only have a limited amount of material.

in ancient Hebrew. In other words, if you look at the English language today, we have the English language spoken all around the world. We have literature being written in English all around the world. And we have English literature going back centuries and centuries and centuries and centuries and centuries and centuries.

So we have a lot of literature. And normally we can figure out what a word means by context. We can figure out what a word means by seeing how it came into the English language or how the word was created, etc.

So it's relatively easy to find out meanings of words when you have a large corpus of material. But when the material is much more limited, then you're going to have words that occur just one or two times. And you can look to try to see. Excuse me, to see the roots of the root system in the Semitic languages often has similar meanings from one language to another. You can see the same root, say, same three letters that are occurring as a root system, and you'll see them in other languages, and you can get an idea, but you can't always do that.

And then sometimes the word is just obscure. or it occurs in a difficult context. You know, Proverbs, for example. Translating Proverbs is much more difficult than, say, translating 1 or 2 Kings. Because straight narrative is one thing, but Proverbs, there can also be a play on words, or it's a pithy little saying, and you, you know, haste makes waste, right?

You have to understand that pretty well in English. And if you're not familiar with English, even though it's just three words and it's simple, you might not get the full meaning. Birds of a feather flock together. What are birds of a feather? What does that even mean?

That's a proverbial saying in English.

Sometimes you have a word occurring in a poetic section that's difficult, and it's the only time it's there.

So scholars will do their best to sort this out. A word that occurs only one time. I don't mean a form of the verb. Like you have, I am writing, I write, she writes, they're writing, and now those are all different forms of the same verb. I'm talking about a word, just that word.

occurs one time. That verb in any form occurs just one time in the Hebrew Bible, or that noun. Just one time in the Hebrew Bible. It's called Hapex Legomenon. Not just in the Hebrew Bible, but general literature.

Something that is only found once, that only occurs once.

So, how do I know what it means? if I see the word snickle, This made up word. I probably mean something in some language. Schnickel.

Well, how do I know what it means? Uh I want to buy that. What will it cost? It'll cost you a schnickel.

Well, how do I know where the Schnickel is? And you know, what is it? Is that a word for my bicycle? I gotta trade in my bicycle. Is that a a currency, a certain amount of money?

Or what it was it meant it's it's l you know, it was as big as a schnickel.

Well, does that mean it was small? It was really big. It was, we don't know.

So, how can you figure it out?

Well, You can see, okay, are there similar words in maybe Arabic or Babylonian or Phoenician? And the major dictionaries will tell you this, and this is the degree that I got in Near Eastern Languages and Literature.

So it'll tell you these things. And now you can compare. All right. We've got almost the identical word. And it occurs in this context, and it's all in sales transactions and Babylonian documents.

It seems to be a certain currency and so on, and a certain amount of money.

Okay. That's one way you can do it.

Sometimes, as I said, you look at the root. And the root will tell you, say, okay, this seems to come from this root, and this root has to do with being big, so maybe it's something big. Then the other thing we can say is, okay, let's look. how it was translated. Let's see how it was translated by the ancient Jews.

So the Septuagint, the Greek translation a couple hundred years before the time of Jesus. Hmm. How did they understand this word? Let's see the Targum, the Aramaic translation paraphrase from around the time of Jesus and after. How did they render it?

Hmm. Let's look at the early Christian renderings. Let's look at the Vulgate, the Latin, or the Peshitta, the Christian Syriac version. Hmm, how did they understand this? Let's see, was it quoted in the rabbinic literature, the ancient rabbinic literature from the centuries after Jesus?

And how did they understand it?

So, a lot of times we have more information. And through that, we can then come to a determination. But sometimes it's difficult. And scholars will do their best to wrestle with it.

Now the good news is there is nothing essential like this in the Bible. In other words, there is nothing in the Hebrew or the Greek that is an essential point, an essential doctrine, an essential life command that is obscure or difficult. These tend to be found in, say, a poetic passage in Job or something like that. In other words, the passage is difficult, but it's one of these things that we don't build doctrine on and that it's not specifically relating to us. But that's where you can see several different translations.

You can compare them. You can just go to a website like BibleGateway.com and compare several different versions. And if they're all saying the same thing, you can be relatively sure that that is an assured meaning from the Hebrew or New Testament from the Greek.

Now, one other thing: if you're looking to get Bible software, if you want to get the most complete options and packages, that would be Logos Bible software. If you go to my website, askdrbrown.org, scroll down to the bottom, when you order a package from Logos, you can get like an entry $250 package where you get $2,000 of software and it keeps going up. You know, you get more commentaries and study guides and all kinds of resources. You build your library, you can get a 15% discount when you order through the website. You see a code to use there.

And so that's just on my website, askdrbrown.org. Just scroll down, you'll see that logos.com referenced on the bottom. And you can call in and use the code or order online with the code. And then anytime you order after that, anything that you order, we get a 15% donation from Logos.

So you pay the normal price once you get your package, but they generously donate to us in appreciation for us letting folks know about this excellent software.

So if you're looking to do that, that's a great place to start. All right, I've got a ton more to talk about, but we are going to go to the phones and we'll start in Boston. Eric, welcome to the line of fire. Hi, Dr. Brown.

By the way, since you brought up how you're going to London, I saw your Twitter post about that and I Immediately recommend it to a friend of mine who lives in England without even knowing the topic. I told him, If hey, go, you'll be blessed.

Well, great. Hopefully, you'll be able to make it. Yeah, yeah, I see. And so yes, my question is about the Divine Council, a view that Michael Heisler proposes. And I was curious how wide or how popular that view is among scholarship?

And then do you see any sort of like what's your take on that? Because for me, I see some sort of Uh perhaps maybe it undermines the idea of there being one God. Uh so I I don't know what your take on that is. Yeah, sure. The the Bible Clearly speaks about other gods.

For example, Exodus 15, who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? There are clearly other divine beings that were worshipped in the ancient world. Were they angels, or were they demonic powers? They were certainly not God in the sense of the one true creator. What we can see is that there is an angelic council.

That stands before God and gives account. We see this from the book of Job, the first two chapters. And if there's reference to God sitting in the council of the gods, small g, it could well be referring to these angelic beings that he created. But for the pagans, they didn't understand it like that. The pagans understood that there were all these different competing deities.

And some thought that Baal was the supreme one, and others that Eel was the supreme one, others that Marduk was the supreme one.

So they had these different battles. And in fact, the creation accounts from the ancient world reflect the battles between the gods for supremacy. It's the exact opposite of Genesis 1.

So In the context of that, in the context of the belief of the gods in the ancient world, no, no, no, there's only one God, Yahweh. There's only one God, there's no other God. In the context of his created entourage. These other divine beings, these angels, yes, there is that divine counsel that God presides over. But the ancients didn't understand it like that.

The pagans, the polytheists, they thought it was many different gods. In that sense, no, there's only one true God. But in the context of belief in these other powers, Yahweh is greater than all these other quote. gods. Thank you, sir, for the question.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks so much for joining us.

On the line of fire. This is Michael Brown. It is Thorly Jewish Thursday. Before I get back to the phones, let me explain something else to you about. the Hebrew language.

Originally, it was written without vowels. Originally, it was written without vowels. If you read a modern Israeli newspaper, or read a modern Arabic newspaper, or book, They are written without vows.

So how can that work? The language is such, the structure is such that you're able to understand it. without vowels.

Now, here and there there's ambiguity. But in context, you can virtually always figure it out.

Now, it's not entirely without vowels, but largely.

So let me explain. I actually read something in English where every word was messed up. where letters were switched, in the wrong position. and you read the whole paragraph through and you understand every word of it, your mind instantly makes the corrections. It was kind of startling to see.

I mean you figured it out as you read, even though you knew everything was wrong. And you for me I just read right through it. And and here, lo and behold, everything was twisted and it's telling you yeah your mind just makes these adjustments In And In English. If you have the the letter W, right? And I say ow, that really hurt.

Ow.

So O W Ow. You don't say awa. Correct? Ow, wa. No, no, ow.

That W is just conveying. Uh part of the O sound, ow. If if I use the letter why, the word pay. Pierre I don't say peyeux.

So that y has a vowel function, but it's actually a letter. Ancient Hebrew in its earliest phases began to add what are called vowel letters.

so the W could stand for an OO or an O. or the Y could stand for an E or an A sound.

So that would help you as you read.

Now, we have those in Hebrew and Arabic today, these vowel letters. It'd be like a W or a Y that's not pronounced in an English word, but that tells you how to pronounce the vowel before it. If you just had an O, it would be O, you put the W after it, it's OW. Right? POW, P-O-W.

If you didn't have the Didn't have the W there, it would have a different sound to it.

So these were introduced at a certain point in history. And then, remember, they were saying them with vowels, they were understanding them with vowels, the vowels just weren't written. Several hundred years after Jesus, more than 500 years after the time of Jesus. Scribes began to develop a different system of dots and short lines. To signify vowels, to further clarify, so the sacred text of the Bible would have the vowels added.

or the Quran in Arabic would have the vowels. Add it, and this would then make very, very clear what was being said. But remember, when we're talking about the Hebrew Bible, the vowels were not there, the vowels were not there originally. All right, people said things with vows, but they were not written down.

So over the course of centuries, spelling conventions changed. When I was a kid growing up, there were words that you had a double letter with that you don't have a double letter for now. If I'm correct, when I was growing up, the word judgment, she had an E after the G, but It's gone now. And say if you went further back, the word color, C O L O U R, labor L A B O U R that's still the way it's spelled in England, but we got rid of the U's C O L O R, L A B O R.

So the same way in Hebrew, the spelling has changed over the centuries.

So, the way that we have the Hebrew Bible today is not the exact same spelling. as would have been in Moses' day. Or would it be in Isaiah's day? The spelling changed, not the words, but the spelling of the words. That's what makes this whole thing where we can count certain letters equidistant letter is and you know go from here to here and and it has these secret codes.

Well, hang on. That's not how it was originally written.

So all you're talking about is the contemporary manuscripts that or the most recent manuscripts that have been preserved.

So we don't have the original spelling. We have the original. words. And sometimes the way the vowels were added by scribes centuries later reflects their understanding, but it may not be the original. And that's why you might see two scholars looking at the same Hebrew text, but they they take the vowels away and they say, was this rightly understood?

I don't think so. And that's how sometimes you'll get different translations. I hope this is making some sense to you. The more you study and learn, though, the more you realize how secure things are. In other words, we have so much evidence and so many resources that we can feel secure and sure as we're reading our Bibles in English.

Nonetheless, there are variations, and that's why you'll have footnotes saying, or it could read like this. Or literally it's this, but we're interpreting it to mean this. He said, well, I'll just learn the languages for myself. Great, wonderful. I encourage you to.

But by the time you learn the languages well enough to differ with the scholars, that's probably going to be 10, 20, 30 years down the line if you're able to spend the time working on it. All right, before I go back to the phones on this thoroughly Jewish Thursday, remember you can still order a numbered signed collector's edition of the first printing of my newest book, The Grace Controversy. answering 12 of the most important questions about grace. It's practical, it's edifying, it's upbuilding, and it'll also steer you away from some erroneous hypergrace teaching today.

So the first printing, we only do this at the beginning, we number the copies, and then I sign them with a scripture reference to you. And this time it's very inexpensive, only $20 postage paid.

So to order call 1-800-278-9978. By the way, they make great gifts for folks. You just have to give us, if you want to get a bunch of copies, just tell us, all right, I want you to sign five to this one, this one, this one, this one.

So make sure we can personalize all of them. And they'll be, of course, numbered in the order of that first printing we receive. You can go online, ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org. AskDr.

Brown.org. To find out more and to place your order. All right, we go to Washington, D.C. Roger, welcome to the line of fire. Hi, how are you?

Doing very well, thank you. Good, good. Yeah, I was just calling. I was listening uh the other day and I think you're having a conversation on um you know the Palestinian conflict and the you know, how each group is treating each other. And um Then I heard this sermon about how God gave us two ears to listen and only one mouth to speak, so we should listen more than we talk.

This woman called in and she was She had a different opinion than yours. And I'm very conservative and not that I agreed with her, But in my heart, I felt that you really kind of that, well, she was abused and didn't have a chance to even speak. No one even listened to her. She didn't have a chance to talk. Yeah.

That she was a Palestinian? And that was her position. I don't think it was a Palestinian, but she was kind of on their side. My point was that You know, I don't think Christ would treat anyone like that. And I would question someone's sincerity and salvation even over treating people that way and not.

Because you don't think I was fair to a caller. Hmm. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 Truth. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Where's Roger? Three.

I had my Call screener Howard, let him know. I wanted to talk to him on the other side of the break there. But uh Roger What happened to you, buddy?

So you call in and tell me that I abused, I think you used the word abused. and uh didn't give her a chance to speak. and that you question someone's salvation Over that. Wow. That's a new one.

Of course, I do my best to be respectful to everyone, and we get some pretty Crazy calls. And if I'm ever disrespectful or don't give someone adequate time or anything like that, I'd Of course, it would apologize and make it right. But wow Isn't that something? Should I question your salvation? Roger?

Maybe I should question your salvation for calling and accusing me. Of of that. You see the absurdity of that, sir? Very odd. I'm sorry you're not there.

I wanted to hear more. We didn't hang up on you. We just had a break. Short break in fact. I told Howard But you know, when I kept talk keep talking, you're gone Hmm.

Yeah, hit and run. 866-348. Seven. Eight, eight, five. In uh Norway.

uh well-known rap star there. It's a group, I guess, or a couple of guys, a carpetium. Three-time winner of the Speliman Prize, which is often dubbed the Norwegian Grammy Awards. The deal was put together by Magdi Omer Tree Trade there. Abdul Maghuid, a Norwegian of Egyptian descent, And Shirag Rosh Mikant Patel, whose family is Indian.

A popular Norwegian rap duo was accused of mainstreaming anti-Semitism by using the word Jew. and Ariel Charon is insults in its latest single. Uh yeah, they're they're big, big there.

So The lyrics, I'm going to have to change them in order to be able to say them. Uh The guy's referring to, he says, I mean dog or female dog or prostitute, changing the words here, or derogatory word. or Jew or Dork A joke is a joke Ariel Charon. What?

So, a Jewish rap fan, Eliana Hertz. 21 years old. uh posted an open letter to them. And then Norway's largest newspaper reproduced the letter in its opinions section. Drawing attention to the song by national media and prominent members of the Jewish community, including its president, Irvin Cohn.

It turned my stomach, she said. Uh She's an activist against anti-Semitism.

So Carpi Diem spokesperson said, no, no, no, no, no, no. The derogatory terms were listed, quote, to point out. that the terminology is problematic when taken out of context.

So the bad word for prostitute. That's only problematic when it's taken out of context. or Doric It's only problematic when it's taken out of context. Ariel Charon, what's the context for Ariel Sharon? Come on And Hileda Hertz argued that the inclusion of the word for Jew in Arla Sharon, a former Israeli prime minister, in a list of insults augments the problem rather than helping to solve it.

Quote, it turned my stomach because during my childhood I experienced being called blanking Jew. The song reinforces that which I try to fight against every day. Norway. Is it a surprise? No, not a surprise.

866-348-7884. We come back. I will take your calls, any Jewish-related calls that you have right here on the line of fire. And if you'd like to launch a stinging accusation against me, just make sure you can stay on the phone so I get to hear what it is. Fair enough.

We will be right back. Around the new sign, shaking sound, change the world, change the world we want, for fire we please. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 Truth.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. You are Attitude problem. Yeah, basically Rapper, Norwegian, Norwegian rapper anti-Semitism. Last week I wrote about robot anti-Semitism and another rapper in the States and his anti-Semitism.

It's out there. Why? Because it's demonic ultimately. 866348788 Four, we go to Brooklyn. Nancy, welcome to the line of fire.

Oh, God bless you. Thank you so very much for taking my call. I can always rely on you, Dr. Brown. I just love your ministry.

I have a question today. In the book of Acts, In chapter twenty one, twenty six, Paul relays that there there were four men uh that were about to end their vow and they were to be taken to the temple to uh finished the well and offer and do um and make an offering. And I'd like to know what the offering was that they offered. what kind of offerings they would offer at that time. And also, um in Acts twenty four, seventeen Paul talks about himself.

bringing um to the temple Um sacrifices. And I'd like to know what the sacrifices were at that time. Yeah. Yeah, and thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it.

If you start in Acts chapter 18. Uh you'll see that there's a reference uh to Paul there. And that he had taken on a Nazarite vow. Yeah, yeah.

So so you see this in Acts 18, 18. After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers, set sail for Syria with him, Priscilla and Quilla at Kencreae. He had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. Meaning a Nazarite vow.

So as long as the temple was standing... The Jewish people, the believers, were still part of that ancient world and still participated. In other words, they recognized that something greater had come. They recognized that the Messiah had come and brought atonement for sin. But there were various offerings for dedication, there were consecration offerings, that kind of thing.

So even if there was an atonement element of it, to them, they knew it was already dealt with. For example, I've participated sometimes with Messianic Jews at a Yom Kippur service, a day of atonement service.

So that's a day when traditional Jews around the world are praying for forgiveness and beating their breasts and confessing sins. And if I've ever. Partaken in those prayers as a believer, I've done them one to search my heart. You know, to examine my own life for purity, but then also to intercede for my people Israel to know the forgiveness that I already have.

So I'm doing it, but I'm not doing it the same way they're doing it.

So in Acts, the 21st chapter, if we just back up a little bit, so we know that there are multiplied thousands, tens of thousands of Jews in Jerusalem who believe, but they're living by the law. All right. Because especially with the temple still standing, but the other question is: well, why wouldn't they? In other words, there's no reason to throw off the Sabbath, no reason to get rid of the biblical calendar. You just understand you're not justified by those things.

Exactly. But as long as the temple was standing, remember, Peter went up to the temple in Acts 3 at the time of prayer. There were times people gathered, and they would still partake of those. And especially Paul said, among the Jews, he lived as a Jew. To win the Jews.

So that would mean even traditions he didn't have to take on. that he would take them on.

So this was, as you see, verse 23, do therefore what we tell you, Acts 21, 23, we have four men who are under a vow. Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so they may shave their heads.

So this would have been the purification offerings after the Nazarite vow. And you can find out more about that in the book of Numbers that discusses that.

So, even though there is a minor element that said this is for atonement, that's not why they were doing it. They were doing it in participation with their people as long as the temple was standing. They were still Recognizing that the reality had come, but the shadow was still there. Hebrews tells us it's getting ready to fade away, and then the temple was destroyed, and that was the end of that system.

So, if now, now here's a question: let's say. that there's a future temple that's built. Let's just say it happens. Would Messianic Jews go up to the temple? And participate in the services there to be part of their people and to intercede for their people.

Or would they say, no, we will not participate because the Messiah has already come? That's actually a debate. Do you participate and show you're still part of your people and use it to intercede for Israel? God, open their eyes, may they see what these sacrifices really mean, or do you stay away? Because the work's already been done, and you want to send that message out.

So there's a debate that Messianic Jews have had. But here this would have been the purification offerings after the Nazarite vow. And as I said, you find out more about the details of that in Number 6.

So they weren't doing it for salvation, for forgiveness, but just as part of the purification, consecration system they had in that day.

Okay. And does that apply uh to the same um to the other scriptures in Act twenty four seventeen? where he says that I came to Jerusalem to bring a charitable gift to my nation and to offer sacrifices. That that will be the same application. Yeah, to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.

Yeah, look, there could be Thanksgiving offerings, right? You know, there could be consecration offerings. That was still done. There was nothing stopping you from doing it. That was the way of life for centuries and centuries and centuries.

So the Messiah had come, brought us forgiveness, brought us redemption. We were now in the right relationship with God. But it didn't stop you from saying, hey, I understand these things don't save my soul or change my life, but they're part of the temple system.

So certainly. Right, and to support the temple, of course. Yeah, as long as it stood. When it was destroyed, it was destroyed. But the Jewish believers didn't miss a beat because they already knew the spiritual realities that were greater than the temple.

Amen. Amen. Thank you so much. You are very welcome. Bless you.

God bless you. Sure thing. God bless you. All right, you two. Thank you for your enthusiasm and kindness.

Much appreciated. 866-34TRUTH. You've got Jewish-related questions. We've got answers. By the way, If you never read my article posted Sunday afternoon, my open letter to Bruce Springsteen, you can still read it on the stream, stream.org.

I encourage you to go there.

Something just took off with it. It's been shared just on the stream website over 200,000 times, over 4,000 comments there. And uh It's been shared a bunch on other websites as well.

Something about it just kind of took off. And went viral. If you haven't read it, by all means do. A video that's getting a lot of views since we posted it is about the man who believes he's a woman but now believes he is a female dragon, a mythical dragon. You can read that by going to AskDr.

Brown. I'm like, read it. Excuse me. You can watch it. By going to askdrbrown.org and just clicking on latest videos.

By the way, do you subscribe? Do you subscribe to my video channel on YouTube?

So, you didn't know I had one? Yeah, we have one. We've got, I don't know, maybe 21,000 subscribers. It's fairly new. It's only been up for a couple of years.

But we're putting out. New teaching videos every week. Commentary videos, illustrated videos, clips from broadcasts, phone calls, key things like that. It can be two in a week, it could be four or five in a week. But as soon as it's posted, if you subscribe, then instantly you'll be notified by email and you'll be able to watch.

All right. 866-348-7884. Do you recall? That when I spoke Uh uh a after the horrific Terrorist attack in Pakistan. that killed scores and scores and scores of children and women and men.

And was the work of a fringe Taliban group, according to the reports, and specifically targeted Christians on Easter Sunday. Do you recall that I had Muslims, Pakistani Muslims coming on my Facebook page saying this is not Islam. And we have a great relationship with the Christians in our country. Everything's wonderful with us, and the Christians are our friends and our neighbors. And I said, hey, Maybe where you live they are, but they suffer terribly in your country.

It is, according to Opendoors.org, the situation of Christians in Pakistan in terms of persecution is extreme.

Well, here's a report on Breitbart.com. Pakistani textbooks teach children that Christians are, quote, nefarious. violent and tyrannical by nature. Yeah. Pakistani textbooks.

A new study on textbooks used in Pakistan's public schools found deeply troubling content in the representation of Christians and other minority religions as fundamentally inferior and less trustworthy than Muslims. The comprehensive report: Teaching and Tolerance in Pakistan, Religious Bias, and Public School Textbooks. That the textbooks are used to confer public shaming on Christians and other minorities, indoctrinating schoolchildren with a pro-Muslim prejudice from the earliest ages. Is anybody surprised? It was a conservative Muslim nation.

Is anyone surprised? We'll be right back. Shake the nation, change the world. Change the world. Roll card of burning, cleansing flame, send the fire.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Sure.

Thanks for joining us on Thurley Jewish Thursday. This is Michael Brown. I was at a board meeting, church board meeting yesterday. And I saw email sent to me by my assistant. Hamas endorses Bernie Sanders.

Hamas endorses Bernie Sanders. Well, it was a mock website, but the announcement was as if it was a real announcement. And when I saw it, I first just shared it with the others. I said, oh, check this out. Hamas has endorsed Bernie Sanders.

Everybody laughed and wasn't surprised just because as a Jew, he's got some pretty anti-Israel views, or let's say hypercritical views of Israel or believing a certain narrative that demonizes Israel. We don't want to whitewash everything Israel does, but the other extreme is to demonize, and he seems to be in the demonizing camp. which is not atypical for a liberal American Jew. It it does happen sometimes that there's the extreme siding with the the the hurting of the oppressed in a way that's unrealistic. In other words not realizing that the the the reason that they're hurting and the oppressed in the situation there is is is 'cause they're trying to kill the other people.

and that's why they're being dealt with harshly. Uh i in any case, in any case, it was just a spoof. It's a good thing I, I mean, I would always read the article first before I'd share it with others, but it's a good thing I wasn't on the radio and I announced it's just a spoof. Uh 866-348-7884. Any Jewish-related questions you have.

There is a gentleman. That I follow on Twitter, Brian Schrauger, S-C-H-R-A-U-G-E-R. And I was just looking at some of his tweets last night. He was retweeting some other posts from Israel. One, Israel keeps making it so difficult to be a devout racist.

And here, this is from Israel: congratulations to General Jamal Hakrush. The first Arab Israeli to be promoted to this rank in the Israeli National Police. And Arabs read, oh, wait, wait, I thought Israel was a terrible apartheid state. I I thought Israel was guilty of ethnic cleansing. Why didn't they kill this guy?

I can assure you. I can assure you. That during the Holocaust Jews were not being promoted. to being uh Uh high-ranking people in the German national police and and and to the joy of the Germans When yeah Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah, there are some great posts.

Yeah, this one: Israel is such a failure as an apartheid state. And here's a picture of all these policemen. They're holding policemen and women holding up cell phones, and others in the audience, they're holding up cell phones, watching the promotion. Promotion ceremony for Deputy Commissioner Jamal Hakrush. Again, he's an Arab Israeli, he's a Palestinian.

He's a Palestinian. Uh yeah, so uh he's a Muslim. He's a Muslim Palestinian, and he's been appointed deputy commissioner. And here they are putting the stripes on his shoulders, whatever you call them. He's going to lead a newly formed division aimed at improving police services in the Arab communities.

Yeah, Matt, check Times of Israel. We should post that. It's from a few days back. Times of Israel reported on it. Evil, evil Israel.

So Brian's just got these. Great posts, retweeting others. Time to fire the Israeli minister of ethnic cleanse again. Israel's not doing a good job of ethnic cleansing. Yes, he's being sarcastic.

He is being sarcastic. Eight six six three four eight seven eight eight four uh There is a report. From camera.org, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle Eastern Reporting from yesterday. Actually, Matt, the Times of Israel article is just yesterday, the 13th. Camera's Israel office prompted correction of a agency franz press France, I guess the French, the France Press Agency, forgive my bad French pronunciation there, the correction of their article last week, which incorrectly reported that the Entebbe hijackers.

Remember years ago, that terrible hijacking? Singled out Israeli passengers. No, they singled out Israeli and non-Israeli Jewish. Passengers. Not all non-Israel passengers were released.

Jews who did not hold Israeli citizenship were also not released. All non-Jewish passengers were released. They reported saying non-Israelis were released. No, it wasn't just Israelis, it was Jews. It was Jews.

The article april sixth said that Uh it had erred about the July 7, 1976 hijacking. By the time the Israeli commandos arrived, all non-Israeli passengers had been released by the hijackers, leaving about 100 Israelis and crew members aboard. No, it was actually... 100 Israelis or Jews. See, often when there's an attack on Israel, there's an attack on Jews.

Often when there's hatred of Israel, it's hatred of Jews. Oh, there are people who love the Jewish people. but have issues with the modern state of Israel or some of their policies, and I can respect that. But in so many cases, anti-Zionism is simply a mask for anti-Semitism. Who died?

Who died in the in the absolutely heroic raid to rescue the hostages. Who died in that raid? Anyone know? 866-348-7884. Israel came in.

Uh they w they they they went into to Africa And it was a dangerous, dangerous undertaking to free the hostages because if anything goes wrong, the hostages die. and breathtaking success and then as they're leaving, The key Israeli leader gets shot to death. Anybody know who it was? You don't?

Well I don't think I saw the movie Raided on Tevi, or whatever the exact name was. Uh it was Oh let's just see. When that movie came out, I don't believe I saw it when it came out, but. Who was killed? Yes, Benjamin Netanyahu's brother.

Basically leading the operation, a commando. And right towards the end, It was one of the hostage takers. were part of that team who'd been wounded. Was able to gain strength just to shoot. and killed Netanyahu's brother.

Case you didn't know that. I think it's something worth knowing. All right. And John Kasich Uh At Amatza Bakery. links the blood of Jesus to Passover The great link between the blood that was put above the lamp posts and the Uh did he say lampposts instead of door posts?

He said lamposts. The blood of the Lamb, because Jesus Christ is one of the Lamb of God, and His blood we believe. Yeah. Governor Kasich Great Christian testimony. Probably Probably not what you want to say in an Orthodox Jewish.

Bakery. Probably not. what you wanted to say. There. Shmura Matzah Bakery and Hasidic School in Burrow Park on Tuesday.

Oops! Oops. My bottom line today. Knowing the truth about Israel will set you free from all kinds of lies and demonic conspiracy theories. Are you willing to face the tree?

I'm going to give you some insights on the Hebrew language and the Hebrew scriptures today on Thoroughly Jewish Thursday. Yeah. It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and President of Fire School of Ministry.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. I ain't digging down.

I'm not sure if I can do it. Welcome, welcome to the line of fire on this thirdly Jewish Thursday. Michael Brown, introduced by the singing voice of Barry Weber. eight six six three four eight seven eight eight four. That's 866-34TRUTH.

Any Jewish-related question you have, especially if you've got one about the Hebrew language. or the Hebrew Bible. or the translation of a particular verse you've wondered about. in the Hebrew scriptures. This would be a great day to ask those kinds of questions.

866-34-TRUTH is the number to call.

Okay, right, right before. Uh, the last hour ended.

Some of you just tuning in now, right before the last hour ended. I I mentioned something that happened in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish bakery. A matzah bakery. In in Brooklyn. where John Kasich visited to obviously campaign for Jewish votes.

Ted Cruz had been in a similar setting. and seems to have a good standing with a number of Hasidic Jews, ultra-Orthodox Jews, because they recognize him as a strong moral conservative and they recognize him as a real friend of Israel.

So John Kasich went in there. And I'm sure he's trying to be sincere. I'm sure he's trying to be sincere. But boy, was was this was this A faux pas did Did he not help the cause he wanted to help? Uh Maybe he was just thinking, hey, as Jews and Christians, we have this wonderful joint heritage.

But um Uh He visited a Jewish bookstore and then the Shmura Matzah Bakery and Hasidic School. uh in Borough Park.

So this is ultra Orthodox Jews. Ultra Orthodox Jews Not only do I believe in Jesus, but But but many of them wouldn't say the name. If they did, they'd spit on the ground. That's how much they despise him and think of him as the destroyer of their people. And the one responsible for an ocean of Jewish blood through the centuries because of church persecution of Jews.

That's how they would see things.

So as John Kasich came out of the bakery, reporters are there with him. It's a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community, the Passover. And then he says this The Great Link. Between the blood that was put above the lampposts, he meant door posts. Hey, I've I've done this and we've all had a slip of the tongue where you think you said one word and you actually sent another.

So the great link between the blood that was put above the lamp posts Meaning door posts. The blood of the Lamb, because Jesus Christ is known as the Lamb of God. It's his blood we. Believe. Uh the the report says on Times of Israel that That the only saving grace was that his remarks kept getting interrupted by the subway rumbling on the elevated tracks overhead.

Now you say, hey. Hey. You know, this is uh this is Wonderful that he was unashamed to testify of Jesus to religious Jews. I don't think he was doing that. I think he was saying, Hey, we have this in common.

You love Passover as Jews, we love Passover as Christians. But you really don't want to talk about the blood of Jesus. If you're there trying to Befriend religious Jews.

So one Jewish Uh Person told a Jewish telegraph agency he's very knowledgeable and he takes his religion very seriously. In context, I thought it was appropriate. I'm glad some took it positively. Hey, he meant well, he meant well. I just From my vantage point, very interesting to say the least.

We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUT. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. It is Thurley Jewish Thursday. Michael Brown, delighted to be with you. 866-348-7884. Four, number to call with any Jewish-related questions.

Let me go into the Hebrew scriptures with you a little bit. All right. If you look in an English translation, sometimes there'll be an introduction or preface and explain: here are the manuscripts we used, or here are the translation principles that we followed, here's how we came to the conclusions we did, here's the guidance you'll find in the footnotes in the Bible here, or in endnote references, whatever it is, and you'll normally see. That the primary text that was used is what's called the Masoretic text. the Masoretic Text.

You'll be told this is the text of the Hebrew Bible that was used. And then manuscript evidence was also drawn from the Dead Sea Scrolls. And then it was compared to the ancient translations, the Greek Jewish translation, the Septuagint, and other more minor ones. And then from the Vulgate, the Latin translation, the Peshitta, the Syriac translation, the Targum, the Aramaic translation/slash paraphrase, that those are all compared for reference, but the primary basis of the translation is the Masoretic text.

Now, Would that give you the impression that there is one text called the Masoretic Text? Yes, it would. That is a misnomer. There is no one Masoretic Text. There is the Masoretic temple.

textual tradition. The Masoretic Textual tradition, which consists of thousands of Masoretic manuscripts. They are in massive agreement With thousands of tiny, tiny, tiny, minor variations. the most of which are clearly not The accurate text. but these are meticulously copied, There are thousands of manuscripts that have been found over the centuries.

and they are in absolutely essential harmony. That is the Masoretic textual tradition. But there is not one specific manuscript called the Masoretic. Text. Are you with me so far?

All right, let's let's go a little further. Who are the Masoretes? The Hebrew word Masara means tradition or transmission. The Masoretes were transmitters. They were the ones who were copying out the text.

They were not innovators, okay? They were not innovators. In other words, they were not saying, okay, we're developing new traditions. Or we're giving you our interpretations. That was not their primary function.

Their primary function was to be scribes. to copy out the texts And What they also did was they added vowel signs to the text.

So Hebrew as it originally was written was just consonants And then consonants with what would be called vowel letters. I explained this a bit more in the first hour. A vowel letter would be, if I spell out PA in English, you'd say PA. Ta. I can grandpa or just pa.

If I put a y at the end, you say Taya? Pahia? No, you say pay.

So that why functions as a vowel letter. It changes the pronunciation of the A. Correct? Uh if if if I Oh, let's just think of something that will work here. If you just saw CO abbreviated, you say, oh, that's short for company.

or call. Put it a W after it, cow, you don't say kowa. No, cow, the W is not pronounced, but it changes the pronunciation of the O, so the W is like a vowel. Letter. The O is the vowel, the W is like a vowel letter.

So originally Hebrew was written with consonants only. and then with vowel letters added on. If you had an h at the end of the word, that could signify that the word ended with a. If you had a W in the middle of the word, that could signify that there was an O or an O there. If you had a Y, that could signify there was an E or an A sound.

But you did not have vowel signs to give you those other details. The vowel signs came in highly. Hundreds of years after the time of Jesus. And there were Masoretes. uh living in in three primary different areas.

and they each developed a different way of putting in the vowel signs.

Some had it mainly on top of letters, some mainly underneath letters.

So the same sounds, but signified in Different Waits. And then they copied out their manuscripts, and the ones that we primarily have relied on were the ones that were in Tiberias in Israel.

So, the Tiberian Masoretes, those are the ones whose texts we rely on.

Now, what you have to remember is this. Even though We don't have manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. going back We don't have Masoretic manuscripts, complete Masoretic manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible going back, say, 1500 years. We don't have them that far back. We don't have him Back at the time of Jesus, I'm talking about the whole Bible.

You say, well, how could they be reliable? Because they were meticulously copied. Letter for letter. Letter for letter. And at the end of books, you would do a count.

I've mentioned this before, but it's good to hear this again. They would do a count. And so you get to the end of the book of Genesis.

Okay. How many words were there in the book of Genesis? Got them all counted. How many verses were there? Got them all counted.

How many sections were there? Similar to chapters. Got them all counted. Check, check, check, check, check. How many letters were there?

Okay, what was the what was the middle letter? It was the middle word. It was the middle verse. That's how carefully Everything had to be counted out. You ever have a group of like 15 people?

You're choosing sides for sports or something. Like, how many people we have? And you're trying to count and you keep miscounting. Oh, wait, no, did I go around this? Oh, were you standing there?

Tell you what, try this out. Take out a page, just one page of the Bible. and count through on that page. I I mean on computer. Don't do it on a computer, all right?

Just what you do is count through. With your finger, okay, all the words on the page. Open the Bible and say, do both pages. and write down that number. Then go do it again, see if you get the same number.

The or or Copy out. The first chapter of the Gospel of John, say. Just going to write it out by hand. You look at your Bible and you write. Just keep writing.

In other words, don't stop and review every letter each time, just keep writing. Go through it and see if you copied it perfectly. See, or if you really want to do an experiment, copy out the whole the Gospel of John, say. Or any book from the Bible that's a little bit longer. And then go back and see if you got it exactly right.

Yeah, it's more challenging than you'd realize.

Okay, now do the same thing with that page of the Bible. Count out every letter on the page. Yeah, and do your count again, see if you get it right. No calculators, just do it. That's what they did for whole books of the Bible.

That's what they did for the five books of Moses. When you have a Masoretic manuscript. and you come to the end of the five books of Moses. you will then see there it's written. That the five books totaled this many sections called parashiot, this many sections.

this many verses, this many words, this many letters. And this is the middle verse, and this is the middle word, and this is the middle letter. You say, well, what happens if they got it wrong?

Well, obviously, you recheck, recheck. If you have an error somewhere, The manuscript is just buried. It can't be used, but it has the name of God in it. You don't want to defile it. You're not going to burn it or something like that.

but it just has to be disposed of. You say, okay, but where were the earlier manuscripts?

Well, as they would get old and worn, they would then be stored or buried.

So they were they They were honored. but they were not perfectly preserved. And unless you have certain weather conditions and certain types of materials, they're not going to be preserved over many, many, many centuries.

So uh these are These are carefully passed on. carefully transmit it. and when manuscripts were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, There were some that were found to be the exact same tradition represented among the Masoretes.

So you're talking about a gap of 1100 years. From the Dead Sea Scrolls to the earliest complete Masoretic Bible we have, which is about a thousand years old.

Okay. You have an 1100-year gap. But some of the manuscripts were letter for letter identical. letter for letter, identical. Why?

Because they copy them so carefully.

So it is somewhat of a misnomer. to refer to the Masoretic. Text. better to refer to the Masoretic textual tradition. composed of thousands of manuscripts.

but with massive detailed Harmony. 866-348-7884. More about the Hebrew language, Hebrew Bible, when we come back. And Answers to your Jewish-related questions. Israel-related questions, even Islamic-related questions.

I'm not as expert on that, but do my best to answer where I can. We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. Welcome to the line of fire on this thoroughly Jewish Thursday. Right after the broadcast, literally right after the broadcast, I get into my car with my assistant Dylan, and he drives me. to the airport to fly to London. I'm not going straight to London.

It's one stop somewhere, layover, and then London, and then Saturday. is a great day that's going to be an all-day Passover event vision hosted by Barion Bacha's Siegel Vision for Israel and Joseph Storehouse. They they help ministering to the needs of the poor. Terrorist victims of terror and others in the land of Israel. And there's poverty.

There are real needs.

So it's a great, great. Ministry.

So I'll be doing some special teaching during the day. Saturday, that's an event you register for, but an all-day event. If you're in London, by all means, try to get there on Saturday. And then Sunday, preaching for Clive and Colin Urquhart. Sunday morning, Sunday night, 10 a.m., 6 p.m.

Really looking forward to these meetings in England. And then God willing, fly back on Monday.

So just in and out. Won't be able to do a lot in the city, but we'll have a great time of ministry there. The four times I get to speak. For details, those of you leading, listening from London, by all means, join me if you can. The details are found on my website: ask Dr.

Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org. And either you'll just say itinerary or click where it says contact, and you'll see itinerary there. All right, I'm going straight to the phone starting in Greensboro, North Carolina. Jim, you are on quickly. Welcome to the broadcast.

Good afternoon, Dr. Brown. I have a question pertaining to the Jewish diet. What was the last supper meal? Um I know the Jewish people eat ate a lot of fish and lamb and what not.

But in terms of the last supper, what was that meal? And also what about the meal in general back in that time? as well as going back to perhaps the time of uh Abraham So far. We don't have a tremendous amount of details on all of that. Certainly, lamb was going to be eaten at the Passover meal, and there'd be cups of wine that were drunk.

But the Passover meal has since been. The Passover meal has since Been elaborated greatly, and there are various elements to it. You know, you have bitter herbs to remind you of the the bitterness of the time in Egypt. Of course, you have the matzah, the unleavened bread, which would have been part of the meal. You do have the lamb shank, but then you said these other elements.

There's an egg. It's uh difficult to know where the egg came from, just like the Easter egg, you know how they get an egg in the Passover celebration. But it's unlikely that all of those things were current in Jesus' Day. But as for the the meal, the meals that were were eaten And hey, Jim. Just gotta, Matt.

It's the wrong clip that Times of Israel 1 is the wrong post. We'll find the right one in a moment.

Sorry to do that. But, Jim, we know in the ancient world, That aside from the Jewish diet of not eating unclean foods listed in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

So not eating shellfish and pork and things like that. We know that eating meat was not the norm, that you didn't have meat every day. That this was something of celebration. You would have fish more than you would have meat. But if you remember.

Luke the 15th chapter, kill the fatted calf. That was a special celebration.

So eating meat It was not the way we're used to doing in America, where some people have meat, you know, three, four, five. Six days a week, seven days a week, was absolutely not the way it would have been. It would have been much more grain-based, plant-based, fruit-based, natural-based. Uh as as many folks try to live today. There are people who talk about the maker's diet.

Or the Genesis diet, or the hallelujah diet. You know, Christians who've written about these things, talking about eating the way folks would have eaten in Scripture, but it was much more natural. a plant-based, fruit-based, grain-based. There would have been fish. Of course, only the fish that could be eaten, and then meat would have been more for celebratory purposes.

The Passover meal itself, Jim, which is called the Seder, that developed over a period of time. And as I said, it's unlikely that all of the elements that we're familiar with today. Would have been kept at that time. These things were developed by tradition over a period of centuries. All right.

Well, thank you so much. Yes, sir. All right. Thank you for the call. Much appreciated.

All right. 8663-4Truth. Yeah, Matt, the article I was looking for that I wanted to post on Facebook was the one about the Muslim. Uh general being being uh installed as in a deputy police position. and that being celebrated Uh in Israel.

Jamal Harkush was his name. That's the one I was looking for. I wanted to post on Facebook. Yeah, yeah, it's not just Bernie Sanders, but The annual U. S.

Report on Human Rights Says nearly half. of Palestinians killed by Israel were not carrying out attacks and many times did not pose a threat to life. This is as reported on Times of Israel. Today, the Obama administration accused Israel of using excessive force. Against Palestinians during a wave of deadly violence in an annual report that pointed to a global decline in human rights.

According to numbers cited in the report, 149 Palestinians were killed in 2015 by Israeli security forces, but only 77 were in the course of Attacking Israelis.

Now, Israel, of course, will dispute this vehemently. There is no question. There is no question. that with the random knife attacks that took place in Israel. where some teenager just come and start stabbing another teenager, trying to kill him.

Or some man will just run by an older woman and just stab her and keep running. Uh and and There there were many fatalities. And many, many, many injuries. And horrific right through this year. Horrific, horrific stories like a mother of six.

And and and the Palestinian attacker starts uh stabbing her. and sh and actually the only way to fight him off where she has to keep the knife in her so he can't pull it out and kill the rest of her family. And then he takes off, and she dies. I mean, at the funeral, the daughter's just sobbing. And she said on that day she couldn't have helped her mother.

When all this was happening. Here and there. there may have been cases where someone was trigger happy. It could be. In other words, maybe the person had a knife.

and they were not about to attack, but they had just stabbed three people on the street. And they made a lunging move. Yeah, even though they were 10 feet away, yeah, they may have been shot dead. That may have happened. And Israeli sentiments to see them die would have been high.

No question about that. No question about it. But America, as much as America stands with Israel on a certain level, has hardly been a true friend of Israel. And um when when some of these accusations came forward. Prime Minister Netanyahu was not happy.

He responded angrily to the letter when its existence was reported in March, speaking of. Letter. to John Kerry from Extremists on the Other Side. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown.

Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. My first destination is Jerusalem, the spiritual set of the Jews.

Christians And Lucims, I want to know why the end of days is so closely tied to this city. Yes, yes, I mentioned this in the first hour. That was the voice of Morgan Freeman. This is Thurly Jewish Thursday.

So he tweets out. He's doing this National Geographic story, the story of God. They start in Jerusalem. And he tweets out from Jerusalem, Israel, and it creates a firestorm on Twitter. Jerusalem, that's Palestine, that's not Israel, it's Palestine.

No, it is it's the home of the Jewish people. No, it's the Palestinians Homeland. Unbelievable. Jerusalem Israel Extraordinary. Extraordinary.

Eight six six three four truth. You've got Jewish-related questions. We'll do our best to give you Jewish-related answers. By the way, if you're able to listen to the entire two hours today, so right now we're in our last half hour, our focused half hour. And we do our best to make every segment standalone because many of you are in the car for 10 minutes and that's how you get to hear.

And every half hour standalone, some of you are only able to listen on your radios for a half hour. But we have everything archived every day, and then you can get it by podcast, so it's two hours a day. We spend a good amount of time talking about the Hebrew language, talking about the Hebrew text behind the Bible.

So you may find that very interesting, helpful, maybe even fascinating, but certainly useful.

So if you don't subscribe by podcast or you want to listen later, just go to the radio website, lineofireradio.com. And you can click there to subscribe by podcast, or within a couple hours of the show, through the faithful work of our team, we're able to get the audio upload it.

Now, look. If you listen to say to Rush Limbaugh and you want to listen to the audio, you have to pay.

Now they transcribe it, which is amazing. I think that happened because of his deafness. They transcribe it every day, so that's a lot of work and a lot of money to do that. But there are quite a few shows in order to listen, you have to pay. But we're doing our best to get the message out.

So, thank you, all of our faithful supporters, our torchbearers. Those who've helped us with one-time gifts, you enable us to do this and to share so much so freely with so many.

So to subscribe or to listen to past broadcasts, line of fireradio.com. All right, I'm going to go right to the phones, and I'm going to start in St. Augustine, Florida. Joshua, welcome to the line of fire. Yes, hi.

Hello. Yes. Yes, the ship. Yeah. Bike.

In Jesus' time, in Yeshua's time, You know Uh the Messianic congregation's making big deal with candles and kippers and filling. But for my studies, Ra Dr. Raphael Patai had Messiah texts and other books. Uh prayer There wasn't any proof that candles were were used on the Shabbat service that Jesus even wore phylacteries with Still and or that he wore a kippah. Do you agree with that?

Or do you have any other insight on that? Yeah, the the kipah or the the yamulka, the head covering, that definitely. Uh that definitely came about later. There's no reference to that.

Now we know the high priest wore a term. But otherwise, no. There's a reference in the Talmud hundreds of years after Jesus to one rabbi being so godly he wouldn't even go a few feet without his head covered. But no, that's a later tradition. That's a later custom.

Even a thousand years after Jesus, there were parts of the Jewish world where it was not customary to cover the head.

So in any case, Um if if you If you have a picture of Jesus wearing the almukah, that would be anachronistic. That would be out of place. That's what I would say. The same way, the prayer shawl, he would not have worn a prayer shawl.

However, he clearly wore a fringed garment. In other words, that was according to the Torah law. And you could make a good case for him using the phylacteries, filin, the prayer boxes on his left arm, forearm, and on his head. We know they were common from the Dead Sea Scrolls, and we know he rebuked the religious leaders for going too far with them. Did he wear them himself?

Maybe yes. Maybe no. We don't know for sure. That was a traditional development, so we don't know for sure. Thanks for the questions.

God of light, hear our cry, send the fire. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Yeshua from the kingly tribe of Judah, Cain, a promised ruler, brought truth and gave sight to the blind and sprinkled the lame. Welcome to Thurly Jewish Thursday. Eight, six, six, three, four. Four Truth My joy to be speaking with you today. You've got Jewish-related questions.

We've got Jewish Answers, we go to Rock Hill, South Carolina. Matthew, welcome to the line of fire. Hey, Dodger Brown. Hey. I got a question about Hebrews 4 where it talks about as I swore into in verse 3, as I swore into my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

Um I had a friend that Uh uh almost wants to interpret this as the entire um uh Isra the entire generation of Israelites wouldn't I guess not quote unquote be saved. Um or when I have salvation. Um so my question is you know was it r uh relating to I guess eternal separation or just uh them entering into the land of Canaan. Yeah, certainly the latter. It was that they were not going to enter the land of Canaan, of course.

That was the judgment, and they died in the wilderness. As to their eternal salvation, it's not addressed in the context at all, nor can we deduce something from it. They did not enter the promised land. Hey, look, Moses died. Before Aaron and Miriam, they all died.

They couldn't enter the promised land. Does that mean they all went to hell? Of course not. Of course not. So no, it is not a damning.

Indictment on the entire generation that they all went to hell, but they all died in the wilderness. And that would have meant. that that many of them would have died fairly young. You know, if you were 35 years old and you came out of Egypt, well, you would have died before you were 75. If you were 21 and you came out of Egypt, you would have died before you're 61.

Right? Mm-hmm. I appreciate it. Sure thing. Sure thing.

You bet. All right. Uh 86634. For truth. All right, somehow, Joshua, we cut you off prematurely.

My apologies. Your other question, go ahead. Yeah, I got I got s I got a bloodless, painless circumcision. I was circumcised off.

Now, the candles, there's no proof. Ah, yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't I didn't answer that. Yeah, and and Mike, one other thing. I wanted to ask you something about Jacob's trouble after the candles.

All right, I'll hold on. Oh okay, so he has a painless circuit, painless cutting off there. Yeah, we We know. That's fairly early on. There is the rabbinic prayer.

that says that that uh God commanded us to sanctify the Sabbath with the lighting of the candles. And that's considered an actual commandment. You commanded us. To kindle the Sabbath lights. The question is: when was that commanded?

It was never commanded in Scripture. which would have meant that it is a rabbinic tradition that became a command. Because it was considered to be somehow given by God or inspired by God. But look, we know on a practical level. That you would light a candle.

You would not be lighting a candle once the Sabbath began, right?

So common sense would tell you you're lighting candles. uh to to burn or or you know um an oil lamp to burn you know before the sabbath uh starts so that you'll have light uh during the night as much as you can, unlike any other night, right? And then you get up with daylight, you know, the candles go off at a certain point, and then you get up at daylight. But having said that, was there a prayer and a ritual associated with it? I don't think you can say that it went back that far.

We don't know for sure. But I I I Do not believe you can argue that the prayer went that far back.

So, were candles used? Yeah, but not necessarily as a special sign of the Sabbath, but just you would always use candles at night. you know, when the light goes down.

So you could have some light candles or lampstands, they uh or or wick lamps, things like that, oil wick, they go out at a certain point and then um you just wouldn't rekindle it in the middle of the night, you wouldn't do that. And then at daybreak, you have light for the rest of the day. But was there the prayer the way we pray it today? Um I don't think you can prove that. All right, Jacob's trouble.

Ken, can you hear me? Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. Just a brief comment: whenever I visited, I've been a Jewish believer since my return from Israel back in 1972. And whenever I went to messianic congregations, different ones, and I would say, look, I have the freedom not to wear a kippah or do the candles or da-da-da.

You know, it's and usually there was a problem, and I didn't want to cause a problem, but I said, I want to be scriptural, and they didn't quite understand that. But with Jacob's trouble, alas, for that day is great when I see every man with his hands and his loins, the time of Jacob's trouble. That's the great tribulation according to what my my study of scripture And and possibly yours. But if you could elucidate more, that's the great tribulation and Jacob trouble. Is that correct?

It can apply to it, but it's not the primary context. I wrestled with that in my Jeremiah commentary. In Jeremiah the 30th chapter, I looked at it as carefully as I could in context. And first and foremost, it has to be talking about. What happened to Jerusalem and the Jewish people with the time of the destruction of the temple and the exile to Babylon?

That's the first and foremost reference. It's impossible, given the context of Jeremiah, the promises of judgment back then that were imminent, that Jeremiah lived to see, and the taking of his people into exile, and the promise of return and restoration. The first primary reference must be there.

However, the way the text is written. And I really dug into it deeply. In my Jeremiah commentary, the way the text was written indicates that it has future application. That there have been many times of Jacob's trouble. The Holocaust would have been another notable one.

And there could well be a final one. But here's the difference: all around the world, we can see that there'll be shaking according to the scriptures. As I understand it, there'll be parallel extremes. On the one hand, extremes of God's moving and the harvest and the outpouring of the Spirit. On the other hand, extremes of satanic activity.

And in the midst of all of it, God shaking everything that can be shaken.

So it seems that there is a problem. of a promise of severe worldwide calamity shaking at the end of the age, in the midst of which God works mightily. The difference for Israel is that Israel has promised deliverance out of it. In other words, it's not that Israel is going to get the worst of it, but Israel's promised deliverance out. out of it.

So I see Jeremiah 30 as a template. beginning with the destruction of Jerusalem. In 586 BC, by the Babylonians, and then through the centuries. uh that it has been a recurring theme. of trouble and then deliverance out of it.

It's Mike. Did can you hear me? Yeah. Yeah, you do you see the significance of Jacob's name being used? even after the name change, that is the only name uh name change in scripture that I could ascertain that the old name is used quite often even though the new name was given.

So it's could it specifically refer to the unregenerate Uh thank you. Jacob. in the old state, not not transformed in the future and for The city is a very important thing. Yeah, it's an interesting thought. The problem is that you just have Jacob used several hundred times.

And y you can't universally say it. I mean Psalm 14, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. They're obviously synonymous. Psalm 20, may the God of Jacob support you. You know, so references to the God of Jacob and God ruling over Jacob and a testimony in Jacob.

And then even in the book of Jeremiah. The house of Jacob is used synonymously with house of Israel.

So it seems to just be another way of referring to Israel. And you'll even see in Jeremiah 30 alternating between Jacob and Israel.

So it's interesting that that is the name that does continue. And I think. There's more to figure for. I mean, I think you've got a great theory. I just don't think it works all the time.

I think sometimes it might apply to that. But Joshua, I would say. I would say that i in reality It's a good question to ask. Does Jacob have a different significance than Israel in any passages? Or why?

Was that name used after Israel's name had been changed? We even have it used in the New Testament. And funnily enough, the church never says we're the new Jacob, do they? Right. They never say it.

But if you look in Romans 11:26, and this way all Israel will be saved, it's written: the deliverable will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

So all Israel. And there it is, Jacob. Hey, Joshua, I appreciate the questions very much. Thanks so much. Thank you.

All right. 866342. Yeah, that that was my bad. Uh if you call in one day And the next day You think of another question you want to ask. And call in, you'll be told, sorry, we have a two-week rule.

And that's to be fair to other callers and to make sure that no one tries to dominate the show with their questions or points of view. But on busy days when the phone lines are completely jammed and it's difficult or impossible to get through, then obviously a case like that, we want to be fair.

So that's why we have a two-week rule. But when I cut someone off and forget, I thought I answered all the questions and went on to the next call.

So that's why we brought Joshua back on. That was my bad. He gave me his questions and I didn't answer all of them.

So glad we got them all answered. All right, we will be right back. Change the world. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 Truth. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Boy, we are We are almost Out of time. Thoroughly Jewish Thursday right after this.

Show literally 10 minutes from now, get in my car with my assistant Dylan, head to the airport and head to London.

So, if you're anywhere near London, England, yeah, London, England, London, England, join me Saturday and Sunday for special meetings. They'll be in different locations. All the info is on my website, ask dr. BrownAskiduraBrown.org under itinerary.

Okay. Before I get back to the phones, I mentioned in the first hour that the brother of Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian authority is being treated, even though it isn't in Qatar, Qatar, as it's called now. Uh even though Even though He lives there. He's being treated, diagnosed with cancer and critical condition at an expensive. private hospital in Tel Aviv.

Abbas's brother.

Okay. Mahmoud Abbas's brother.

So you think, okay, that's Israel. Really, you know, they're helping out and reaching out to this man in need.

Well, this is Israel National News Reports. Palestinian Authority Chairman Lachman Abbas may have claimed to Israeli TV two weeks ago that he extends his hand in peace. But his Fatak movement made clear that terror remains its true goal. Fatach just this week. And two weeks ago, it took to its official Facebook page to glorify two female Fatakh member suicide bombers who between them murdered eight Israelis and wounded over 100 others back in 2002.

as reported by Palestinian Media Watch on Thursday, which translated and revealed the post. Hailing one as a hero and the other as a bride of Palestine on the anniversary of their attacks, Fatach ended both posts with the phrase Glory and eternity to our righteous martyrs. Repeat. They between them. murdered eight Israelis and wounded over a hundred others back in 2002.

One of those honored was Ayat al Akras, who was at the age of seventeen was the youngest female Palestinian suicide bomber. On March 29th, 2002, she detonated near a Jerusalem supermarket, murdering two victims, wounding another 28. Abbas's organization is saying, hey, we're extending a hand of peace. His brother is being treated in an Israeli hospital. And um his own organization is putting out these murderous statements.

Boy, oh boy. It's the reality there, the Middle East said to say. Oh, we go to Des Moines, Iowa. Anita, welcome to the line of fire. Hi, doctor Brown.

I'm going to ask a question and then I'm going to hang up and listen to the answer.

Okay. In Luke, the eighth chapter, they talk they speak of Yeshua. Um Sending from uh sending uh the the the demon le legion into a herd of Pigs. Number one, I didn't think they had pigs. herds and farms and whatever in Israel like that.

Now, has that always been or did that just start? Was that just starting? Have they always not? Pudge to pork. And then the other thing, there's scripture that reads What I have said is clean, do not say is unclean.

And my understanding of that was meant for Most things, including pigs.

So I'm trying to get the kosher. What they eat and what they can't eat straight. Sure thing. Okay, so you're going to hang up and keep listening.

So glad to answer your questions, Anita. Let's go first back to biblical law. All right. Biblical law, if you go to Leviticus chapter 11. and Deuteronomy chapter 14, Leviticus 11 And Deuteronomy 14, you will find there the list of animals that could not be eaten.

There are a couple of them here and there. a couple of them here and there that um Uh We don't know exactly what kind of bird was being referred to, or something like that. Otherwise, we know these animals and for sure, pork was always on it.

Okay, so without question. Pork was prohibited in ancient Israel, and to this day, religious Jews will not eat pork. A religious steward rather would rather Go without food than eat pork.

So that's the first thing. There's nothing new. About that. That's the way it's always been.

Now, you've had secular Israelis. You can go to Israel today and you can get pork among secular Israelis, but religious Jews would absolutely never touch it. And it's frowned on through all of the Hebrew Bible. And there's no possibility. that just in a normal course of life, Religious Jews living in Jesus' day would have eaten pork.

So that's absolutely clear and certain.

So What about Acts 10, where God says what I call uh clean don't let anyone call unclean the context there is gentiles The context there is don't think of the Gentiles as unclean anymore because God is accepting them through Jesus. There's no evidence that Peter went out after that and went and had a pork sandwich or something like that. Or, you know, a pepperoni pizza to give something more contemporary. No, it was spiritually speaking. That being the case, though, God never gave the dietary laws to the whole world.

I know this can be debated, but it's pretty clear to me, God never gave the dietary laws to the whole world. God never said to the whole world, you all have to keep these. These were given to Israel to keep them separate from the nations. There may have been health reasons as well, but that was primarily where they were given.

So I don't believe that a New Testament believer is under bondage to this. Um, they should consider whether they think there's a good reason to live by ancient Israel's laws or dietary laws, but there's no binding commandment you're free. In that sense, what you eat can't defile you. Jesus makes that plain in Mark 7 and Matthew 15 as well. The food can't defile your inner being.

It doesn't mean you eat it, but it can actually defile you. As for pigs in the ancient Jewish world, there could have been Gentile. Herders. Uh there or else very very Non-religious Jews in a totally non-religious area. Otherwise, they could have been Gentile herders.

And in either case, it was appropriate for the pigs to drown as the demons went into them. They were hardly beloved creatures. Creatures.

So I hope that answers those questions. But they could have well been Gentile pig herders. Otherwise, it was certainly not a thing that a any Observant Jewish community, anyway, would have tolerated it, absolutely not. All right, friends. Can I encourage you to stand with us?

You know, Paul writes in Romans 15 to the Gentile believers that if you have benefited. from the message of salvation that has come from Israel. And the service in that case of the apostles. Or If you have benefited from those things, then. You should, if you benefited spiritually, help Israel naturally.

I want to encourage you to help us in our outreach to Israel, help us in our Jewish ministry work. Help us reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Why not become a torchbearer? Why not join us as a monthly supporter? Put aside a dollar or more per day, so $30 or more per month, and we'll send you a great gift book to equip you and strengthen you every month.

Then we'll send you a new audio message. We give you 15% discount on our online bookstore and access, free access to our online classes, video and audio.

So we minister back to you as you stand with us to reach the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Go to ask Dr. Brown, askdrbrown.org, click on donate to become a torchbearer. My bottom line today, I'm standing with Israel because God is.