Visions and Warnings. Isaiah chapter 6
Isaiah had a vision in which he saw the angels worshipping the Almighty in which he was chosen as a messenger to the people (6:1-9). It was destined that the people would hear but deny or fail to comprehend until it will be to late and the whole land shall be desolate (6:11). Only a tenth will remain and they too will undergo severe tribulation (6:13).
Isaiah 6:
1 In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
"THAT KING UZZIAH DIED": Some say "died" literally, others that it refers to the time when he was smitten with leprosy.
Uzziah, also known as Azariah, was king of Judah. He was a son of Amaziah (2-Chronicles 26:1). Amaziah was the brother of Amots the father of Isaiah. Uzziah and Isaiah were therefore cousins. Uzziah was 16 when he began his reign of 52 years. Albright gave the date of the rule of Uzziah as 783 - 742 BC. Before then he was co-ruler with his father Amaziah for ca. 12 years. Uzziah was struck with leprosy for disobeying God (2 Kings 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:19-21). This was
in ca. 751-750 BCE. After catching leprosy the son of Uzziah, Jotham, became the effective ruler though Uzziah lived on.
While Uzziah (and Jotham) ruled over Judah, Joash (of Israel), and Jeroboam-2 and Shallum ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel.
In the early part of his reign Uzziah was guided by the prophet Zechariah and "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord" (2-Kings 15:3; 2-Chronicles 26:4-5).
In Jerusalem Uzziah made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.
Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones (2-Chronicles 26:14).
Uzziah conquered the Philistines and settled Jews in their region. He also ruled over the Arabians, and received tribute from the Ammonites (2-Chronicles ch. 26). Uzziah fortified the country and "his name spread abroad, even to the entering in of Egypt" (2-Chronicles 26:8-14).
Uzziah attempted to change the order of sacrifice and to elevate the role of the monarch above that of the High Priest. He entered the Temple of the LORD intending to burn incense which was a prerogative of the High Priest who was also called Azariah, another name for Uzziah himself. An earthquake shook the Temple (Josephus Antiquities 9; 10:4 cf. Amos 1:1) and Uzziah was stricken with leprosy (2-Chronicles 26:19-21).
Josephus, Antiquities 9; 10:3
# He was a good man, and by nature righteous and magnanimous, and very laborious in taking care of the affairs of his kingdom. He made an expedition also against the Philistines, and overcame them in battle, and took the cities of Gath and Jabneh, and brake down their walls; after which expedition he assaulted those Arabs that adjoined to Egypt. He also built a city upon the Red Sea, and put a garrison into it. He, after this, overthrew the Ammonites, and appointed that they should pay tribute. He also overcame all the countries as far as the bounds of Egypt, and then began to take care of Jerusalem itself for the rest of his life; for he rebuilt and repaired all those parts of the wall which had either fallen down by length of time, or by the carelessness of the kings, his predecessors, as well as all that part which had been thrown down by the king of Israel, when he took his father Amaziah prisoner, and entered with him into the city. Moreover, he built a great many towers, of one hundred and fifty cubits high, and built walled towns in desert places, and put garrisons into them, and dug many channels for conveyance of water. He had also many beasts for labor, and an immense number of cattle; for his country was fit for pasturage. He was also given to husbandry, and took care to cultivate the ground, and planted it with all sorts of plants, and sowed it with all sorts of seeds. He had also about him an army composed of chosen men, in number three hundred and seventy thousand, who were governed by general officers and captains of thousands, who were men of valor, and of unconquerable strength, in number two thousand. He also divided his whole army into bands, and armed them, giving every one a sword, with brazen bucklers and breastplates, with bows and slings; and besides these, he made for them many engines of war for besieging of cities, such as cast stones and darts, with grapplers, and other instruments of that sort. #
Isaiah ch.6 continues:
2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called out to another and said,
Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory.
"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY." This phrase is part of the Main ("Standing") Prayer said three times a day by religious Jews. This prayer contains a request for the return of the Lost Ten Tribes as well as for a return of the exiles from Judah. The Main ("Standing") Prayer said three times also contains 12 (out of 19) blessings that according to Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav relate to characteristics of the 12 Tribes of Israel. These characteristics supplement and confirm those used by us in identifying Israelite Tribes in our book, "The Tribes".
See:
Rabbi Nathan and the Twelve Tribes
http://www.britam.org/nathan.htmlExtracts:
Joseph
The Blessing, "On the Righteous", parallels Joseph the Righteous One.
Brit-Am Commentary:
We identify Joseph with mainly with the English-speaking peoples of British Descent. This includes those of America.
These peoples are not always as good as they would like to be depicted. A lot of criticism can be directed against them. The element of righteousness however does exist amongst them. This may be seen even in their entertainment.
British (and to some degree American humor) presupposes an order of justice. It is assumed that things should go in a certain order according to set principles. When they seem not to do so in a ridiculous manner then it may be depicted as funny.
Nevertheless the idea of justice exists and that it should be in place is there. When it is lacking then it needs to be rectified or laughed at.
We are so used to this principle and it seems so self-evident to us that we are not usually conscious of it. With other peoples however it is not so accepted and often lacking.
Asher
The Blessing, "Hear Our Prayer", parallels Asher (Genesis 30)
[Genesis 30:13] AND LEAH SAID, HAPPY AM I, FOR THE DAUGHTERS WILL CALL ME BLESSED: AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME ASHER.
The name Asher in Hebrew can suggest affirmation which is what we receive when our prayers are answered. "Asher" also connotes blessing and happiness.
[Deuteronomy 33:24] AND OF ASHER HE SAID, LET ASHER BE BLESSED WITH CHILDREN; LET HIM BE ACCEPTABLE TO HIS BRETHREN, AND LET HIM DIP HIS FOOT IN OIL.
In Psalm 144 the Hebrew words "asher" meaning "which" and "ashrei" meaning "happy" or "blessed" are repeated throughout. These Hebrew expressions resemble the name of "Asher" and it is suggested that this Psalm pertains to that Tribe.
Brit-Am Commentary:
Scandinavia, Scotland, and Ireland all seem to contain elements from the Tribe of Asher. The Tribe of Asher was to be happy, rich, posesses oil (petroleum?), and have womenfolk who were beautiful inside and out. Asher was also to bring forth formidable warriors.
We believe that the Lost Ten Tribes migrated to Western Europe and their descendants are to be found there as well as in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
We came to the conclusion that specific tribes tended to congregate in different countries. This was expressed in the National characteristics of those countries, Biblical prophecies, and the names of Tribal groups that were found in the said nations. These names correspond with those of Israelite clans as enumerated in Genesis 46, Numbers 26, the Book of Chronicles, and elsewhere.
4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the Temple was filling with smoke.
5 Then I said,
Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
7 He touched my mouth with it and said, Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.
"YOUR SIN IS FORGIVEN." God can decide whether our sins will be forgiven or not.
8 Then I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, Here am I. Send me!
9 He said, Go, and tell this people:
Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.
10 Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.
11 Then I said, LORD, how long? And He answered,
Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
12 The LORD has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
These last verses are apparently referring to the exile of the Ten Tribes who were in the northern State of Israel centered on Samaria and separate from the southern state of Judah.
The present-day Jews are descended mainly from the former inhabitants of "Judah".
Most of the inhabitants of the northern ten-tribed kingdom of "Israel" disappeared and lost recollection of their identity.
These are the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel.
13 Yet there will be a tenth portion in it,
And it will again be subject to burning,
Like a terebinth or an oak
Whose stump remains when it is felled.
The holy seed is its stump.
Yet there will be a tenth portion in it: After the exile of the Ten Tribes and many from Judah by the Assyrians probably only a tenth or less of the original population remained.
These were in the southern section of Israel, in Judah, and these too were destined to be exiled shortly afterward by the Babylonians.
Disasters are liable to come upon the present-day Israelites from the Ten Tribes (and maybe also from Judah) unless they repent.