When Trump announced US policy, the White House in line with Congress, was to now recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he ended an epoch.

Precisely to the day.

On the 6th of December, in the Jewish calendar the 18th of Kislev 5778, Trump said,

It was 70 years ago that the United States, under President Truman, recognized the State of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem — the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times. US Embassy

Some may think Trump vague, as this sounds like typical American sloppiness. In fact the state was not declared till May 14, 1948 (5 llyar 5708) and was recognised that day by Truman. The Israeli Knesset voted to move to Jerusalem on Tuesday 13 December, 1949 (22 Kislev, 5710). But Trump is in fact precisely correct in substance and in detail, to the Hebrew day!

Many people date the modern state of Israel's beginning to UN General Assembly resolution 181, Partition Plan voted for on 29 November 1947. The partition plan granted Jews a state, no matter that it was 'partitioned'. On that day Jews in Palestine, as it was called then, were glued to the event. For them, in general, half a loaf was better than no bread. For those that rejoiced in the streets, the nations, by a majority, had voted to give them a state.

Truman receives over 35,000 letters on the UN Partition, but was intent on leaving the matter up to officials. But it was not to be. Marvin Hier Rabbi of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre emailed recently,

“On July 20, 1944, Adolf Hitler is almost assassinated. He goes on radio to assure the German people that, “Fate has selected me for my mission.” It was to be the last time that Hitler ever spoke in public. On that same day, the Democrats gathered to nominate Franklin Roosevelt for a fourth term. His cardiologist notifies his senior aids that he will only live for another year.

Harry Truman does not want to be Vice President and in fact he is selected to nominate Jimmy Byrnes. But at Roosevelt’s insistence, he allows his name to be entered and after decisively loosing the first ballot to the sitting VP, Henry Wallace, he miraculously wins the second ballot by a landslide.

Nine months later, Roosevelt dies. Truman, has little experience in foreign affairs, and is totally dependent on his Secretary of State, General George Marshall, who vehemently opposes a Jewish State.

At this crucial moment, Truman’s (former business) partner, Eddie Jacobson (a Jew ed.), arrives uninvited in the Oval Office, passionately making the case for a Jewish State. In the end, Truman agrees and tells Chaim Weitzman that when a State is declared he will recognize it.”

It is well known Truman was the reason the US voted for the United Nations Partition plan in 1947, in direct opposition to both State Department recommendations and pressure.

What day was that vote? It was 70 years to the day… The 29 November 1947 in the Hebrew calendar was 16 Kislev, 5708. But you say the 6th of December was the 18th, not the 16th, and you are right. The speech was not written on the 18th of Kislev however, that was when it was delivered! On the 16th of Kislev 5778, exactly 70 years to the day, in the US, on Monday the 4th of December by Providence, the waiver to prevent the 1995 Congress bill being enacted to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was again on President Trump's desk. And he didn't sign it.

The week before had been one of Diplomacy. The Times of Israel on the 4th of December from the US reported that

“ In a video released on social media Monday, Barkat (Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat) is seen standing in front of the White House, where he thanked Trump for his “commitment and intention to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

They also reported “Barkat was leaving the US capital after what he described as “several productive days here in Washington” which included, “a number of events and meetings with senior US government officials and Jewish leaders.”

And

“A Palestinian delegation visited the White House on Friday and warned Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner that such a move would lead to violence, end the peace process, and instigate a tide of regional instability.

Over the weekend, Kushner told the Saban Forum, a premier conference on the Middle East hosted each December by the Brookings Institution, that the president has yet to make up his mind on the matter. “The president is going to make his decision,” he told his interviewer, the Israeli-American media mogul and Democratic donor Haim Saban. “He’s still looking at a lot of different facts.” TimesofIsrael

The facts emerge: both sides were lobbying Trump and his team. The team were considering facts with Trump, the decision maker, and sometime between Sunday December 3 and the afternoon of Monday December 4, the 16 of Kislev, Trump made up his mind, based on the facts he knew, and informed Jerusalem's mayor Barkat who went public. Barkat is not of note, the Israeli parliament under direction of Netanyhu clammed up, and it was missed by most until Trump formally announced it in a press conference 2 days later, from a speech that would have been begun to be written on that day of decision. The events are thus precisely 70 years apart.

They both happen to be exactly 9 days before Hannukah, the 25th day of Kislev the 8 day celebration of a miracle of light in the era of darkness when no prophets were speaking. As they happen in the day time they are 8 days before the day of the eve of Hannukah or Chanukah, the 8 day miracle. This can be no accident.

Significantly the Jerusalem Declartion on the 6th for 3 days overshadowed remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the 9th of December 1917 the day Jerusalam was taken from the Ottomans, (after the land was dedicated to the Jews for a state). In that year the Hebrew date was 24 Kislev, the eve of Hannukah Chanukah.

The 24 of Kislev is mentioned in the Bible.

Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month (Kislev), even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts. (Haggai 2:18-23)

On that day the US president offically calls Israel a miracle,

However, a miracle occurred and with God’s grace the oil lasted for eight days. On this holiday, we are proud to stand with the Jewish people who shine as a light to all nations. We also stand with the people of Israel, the Jewish State, which has itself a miraculous history of overcoming the tallest of odds..

In addition on the eve of the 24th of Kislev a depution from a prince of the South comes to Israel. This is Bahrain, insisted it had no official status though its mission statements say it has the backing of King Hamad. INN

There is more. The formal move of all government to Jerusalem the capital in 1949 was first raised by Ben Gurion on the 5 of December 1949, the 14 Kislev. It was raised as the UN was talking of a resolution that Jerusalem should be placed under a permanent international regime. This was voted on the 9th of December, the 18th of Kislev 38 votes in favour, 14 against, 7 abstentions. Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Guatemala, Iceland, Israel, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Yugoslavia voted against. Chile, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama and Thailand abstained. jewishvirtuallibrary

This is the same Hebrew day Trump makes his speech 68 years later.

Ben Gurion on 5 December 1949 hopefully (and naively) said,

We cannot imagine, however, that the U.N. would attempt to sever Jerusalem from the State of Israel or harm Israel's sovereignty in its eternal capital... Had we not been able to withstand the aggressors who rebelled against the U.N., Jewish Jerusalem would have been wiped off the face of the earth, the Jewish population would have been eradicated and the State of Israel would not have arisen. Thus, we are no longer morally bound by the U.N. resolution of November 29, since the U.N. was unable to implement it. In our opinion the decision of 29 November regarding Jerusalem is null and void.

The attempt to sever Jewish Jerusalem from the State of Israel will not advance the cause of peace in the Middle East or in Jerusalem itself. Israelis will give their lives to hold on to Jerusalem, just as the British would for London, the Russians for Moscow and the Americans for Washington.

Ben Gurion's answer to the UN vote on the 13th of December 1949 was,

But for the State of Israel there has always been and always will be one capital only - Jerusalem the Eternal. Thus it was 3,000 years ago - and thus it will be, we believe, until the end of time.

As soon as the fighting stopped, we began transferring Government offices to Jerusalem and creating the conditions the capital needed. https://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/eng/bengurion-jer.htm

The UN of course has not left Jerusalem alone and after the vain vote of 1949, has made many vain attempts, the latest on Thursday 30 November 2017 (70 years and one day after the vote to Partition).

UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to disavow Israeli ties to Jerusalem as part of six anti-Israel resolutions it approved on Thursday in New York. The vote was 151 in favor and six against, with nine abstentions. In New York, only 6 countries out of 193 UN member states fully supported Israel’s ties Jerusalem: Canada, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, the United States and Israel itself. The 9 countries who abstained were: Australia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Honduras, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, South Sudan and Togo.

The resolution stated that “any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever.” jpost

On Friday December 8 (20th Kislev) the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, rebuked the UN,

“Finally, I will not let this moment pass without a comment about the United Nations itself. Over many years, the United Nations has outrageously been of the world’s foremost centers of hostility towards Israel. The UN has done much more to damage the prospects for Middle East peace than to advance them. We will not be a party to that. The United States no longer stands by when Israel is unfairly attacked in the United Nations. And the United States will not be lectured to by countries that lack any credibility when it comes to treating both Israelis and Palestinians fairly.” USUN

(Aside Yitzchok Fingerer a Rabbi pointed out that December 6, 1790, 227 years ago, was the day that the US congress moved from New York to Philadephia the city of brotherly love to represent the new nation. The city set up by William Penn was based on religious conscience and uniquely also was open to Jews. He noted the city of peace is related to brotherly love).

How significant is this?

We must take notice for 2 reasons: Firstly the BBC treated it as a disaster with live updates, the UN called a special meeting of the Security Council, every world leader of note weighed in and multiple news had such obviously biased coverage to “prove” how dangerous Trump's declaration was! - such rioting (not that it's uncommon, people often riot.. even in Paris and the US). It is a take notice, so that even the dense must see!

Secondly for an era of 70 years to be made exactly on the Hebrew date we should take notice.

A seventy year era is to be found in Zechariah 1.

Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
(Zechariah 1:12-17)

Zechariah first clearly speaks of the Babylonian captivity as they returned to build Jerusalem. But if we look at the language we see something curious. The text states “I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.” See how it seems all the heathen of the world are earning Yahweh's displeasure? At the time it is true there were nations about that were causing issues, but not all the heathen (or nations). We see again now in our time the pattern repeated but more so, it is indeed all the 'heathen' or nations. Nearly all nations at the UN, who at are themselves at ease, are actively hindering, or seeking to hinder, Jews rebuilding Jerusalem.

What is more interesting is that immediately Zechariah goes on without a break

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. (Zechariah 1:18-21)

Do you notice “Israel” with Judah? There was effectively no Israel in the days of Zechariah, as only the Judean kingdom's captivity had returned. By the time of our Lord they called their nation 'Israel'. Also notice the finality of the cutting off. They shall no more be scattered. As we know Jews have been scattered for over 1000 years.

The horn of most animals, given mostly to the males of a species, is used for warfare for subduing those others who would assume top position. In the animal kingdom supremacy in a herd is maintained by use of the horn, therefore, a horn is a symbol of the powerful nations in the human kingdom. Zechariah is shown 4 horns, or as the Hebrew also implies 'tips of mountains' or great nations.

As Zechariah lived after the time of Nebuchadnezzar, there was yet four great empires that would have power to scatter Judah, Israel and Jerusalem: Medo-Persia, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and the partly strong partly weak kingdom which has arisen from the 10 nations that came out of the break up of the Roman Empire. This has re-emerged in recent times in the founding nations of the European Union.

There have been 4 great empires that sequentially over time scattered the people of Judah, Israel and Jerusalem, but the verse seem to imply there will be at one point in time 4 great and powerful entities who would seek to scatter Judah, Israel and Jerusalem!

Zechariah specifically wrote in this order: Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. But throughout all this time there was no nation of Israel to scatter. Notice how in eth second part Zechariah only mentions 'Judah', the Jews.

For a time, the last of the historical four 'horn' powers from the Greco Roman beast seemed to have no power over Israel. The papacy was reduced in power by Napoleon and the rise of protestant nations produced a window where from the mid 1860's until recently, Judah and Israel were gathered and not scattered. Any effort to scatter, including that from Europe, resulted in more gathering to Israel.

But in Madrid in 2002 'the Quartet on the Middle East' emerged. They were led from 2007 to 27 May 2015 by the former Prime minister of Britain Tony Blair, who has adopted the Latin speaking religion of the Romans. One member of the Quartet is America, and it was Britain and America who formed the United Nations, the second member of the Quartet. The third member of the Quartet is Russia, whose power from 1883 to 1990 was heavy over Jews in their midst. And the fourth, is the last revived power of Daniel's image (Daniel 2), the newly emerged superpower of the European Union.

As an aside, four horns may belong to two beasts. The United States of America and the United Nations are of one, but have a cultural inheritance from Rome and Greece. Russia is from the Byzantines and the European Union are from Rome.

All of the above powers over the other nations have had a role in interfering with Judah returning from Diaspora, to Israel, to Judah and to Jerusalem. The UN becomes particularly evident in relation to the partition of Israel in 1947 and the preponderance of anti-Israel resolutions since.

Since the Quartet on the Middle East was formed in 2002, the 4 super-nationals have acted together to 'toss' and 'winnow' Judah (Judea) which they dispute, Israel proper through harsh policies and Jerusalem which they seek to control and divide. Their project is not peace in the Middle East but ensuring Israel has less of a piece of the Middle East.

There emerges a carpenter, a builder to cut off the 4 horns. Who is the carpenter? Isn't it Jeshua?

But what about a builder-developer to prefigure the work?

The accusation in the recent events is that the US led by Trump has acted 'Unilaterally', or without consent of the Quartet or any others! Specifically and significantly the default leader of Europe (as Germany is without a government) French President Emmanuel Macron “expressed his concern over the possibility that the United States would unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel” during a phone call with Trump on Monday, Macron's office said.” Independent.co.uk

Before Trump, there was a carpenter that sawed at Europe. Nigel (meaning Champion) Farage was a leading figure who, from inside the EU as a MEP, was instrumental in sawing off Britain from Europe, and disaffecting many of its citizens. Thus for the moment the EU is powerless to do more than focus on the massive disruption of Britain leaving.

Trump and his White House team also has sawed off parts of the UN, reducing funding to UNESCO, in addition the whole of US policy is demoting the UN in repeated criticism.

There is the 4th of the Quartet, Russia, to be sawn, but considering that for the moment the EU is not talking to Russia, having been upset by Russia's counter actions in Ukraine, we may say that the Quartet has power no longer to scatter.

It was reported of the first Quartet meeting in the Trump presidency on the 14 March 2017 in Jerusalem that,

“Unlike the last meeting of the Quartet in September, there was no condemnation of Israel’s West Bank settlement construction, and the group did not issue a call for a two-state solution.” Times of Israel

When we first considered the 4 horns and 4 carpenters in May 2010 (see here), and wrote on it for Bible focus we saw no carpenter at all. Not one. The article is left with the 4 horns still having power to scatter.

Are there to be more 2 carpenters? Or is 4 a symbolic number?

The 70 years

Hosea writes

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:4-5)

We are not told how long 'many days' is. Jeremiah is told, in effect, that the 70 years is 'many days' as his property deeds are to sit in an earthen vessel as a witness until the return from captivity.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences,. and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For ..Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. (Jeremiah 32:14-15)

If they are to abide 70 years from 1948, then the era of Messiah begins in 2018.

Why this year 2017?

For many years nothing much changed in relationship to Israel. For all of the recent Obama presidency there seemed to be an increase in rhetoric against Israel, against their building. But something began to happen in 2016, and much more this year… could we call this a year of miracle?

There are a lot of anniversaries this year !!

500 years from Luther,

480 years since the Cromwellian dissolution of the Monasteries of Britain. 364 years since Cromwell's rule.

170 years since 1847 from 'Confession, Abjuration and Declaration' that clearly predicted the Role of Britain, India and Russia, Persia and the end of the Turkish empire and establishment of Israel.

It is 120 years from 29-31 August 1897 when the first Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland is convened by Theodore Herzl.

It is 100 years from when Russia was removed from its role, becoming the USSR for 70 years.

It is 100 years from 2 Nov 1917 when the Balfour Declaration was made. It had been presented to the British Parliament on 31 October 1917, the same day that the most remarkable Cavalry charge in history took place to gain the wells of Beersheba.

This miraculous win led to the capture of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks December 9 see (the 24th of Kislev, 5678) the eve of Hannukah

As was discussed in detail it was 70 years from 29 Nov 1947 the UN votes seek to divide the land for “gain” and the formation of a partition for Jews in Palestine. This was rejected by Arabs and is not legally relevant.

It was this year 60 years from March 25 1957 Treaty Of Rome. The Telegraph noted the EU feared Brexit would begin on the 60th anniversary. It began soon after.

It is 50 years since 7 June 1967 Jerusalem is captured by Jews during the Six Day War, some 1,900 years after its fall….

There has been something different about this year! but it began in 2016

More on 2016-2017 year of Miracles

Eras ended

We count 50 years as a jubilee but the Jewish jubilee must be after a 7th year. It therefore doesn't follow a 50 year pattern, but rather a 7x7 +1 pattern. Based on the 7th year which Jews still keep in Isarel, where debts are cancelled and no crops grown, it should have been from September 2015 to 2016. It is very hard to spot anything of note regarding Israel in that year. Retrospectively November 8, 2018 Trump's election is turning out to be the most significant event in relation to Israel. That was just after the Jewish new year the end of the 50th, on the Jewish date 7th of Cheshvan, 5777 Yom HaAliyah. The day of the going up….

In speaking of horn powers, my calculations of Daniel's 2300 day years from the little Roman horn out of the Grecian Goat from 275-273BC also end in the era 2017-2019.

For more see Times and Seasons, Daniel 2300 years

We await our carpenter king priest to cut off the national horns.

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