Tribulation or Footsteps?
To review, our working Footsteps text is:
“The blossoms have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its fruit, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along! (So 2:12-13)
The voice of the turtledove represented historical messengers of salvation to Israel throughout its history: Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Elazar, Mordechai, etc., and the last voice is King Messiah. It is believed in Jewish tradition that the Turtledove, Messiah, will guide Israel in all things physical and spiritual in the seventh millennium.
The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, which represents the chains of death in Abaddon. From there, the fig tree Israel would “Arise, and come away" in the Exodus and the resurrection. The unrepentant Israelites were the unripe figs, blown away in the three days of darkness in Egypt (Re 6:13). Pruned. And pruned again in the wilderness. And pruned again in Babylon. And being pruned again among the nations. The repentant Israelites were the ripened figs of Israel.
The time of the voice of the final Turtledove King Messiah is represented by this familiar passage from Isaiah:
-
How pleasant are the footsteps of the herald upon the mountains announcing peace, heralding good tidings, announcing salvation. (Is 52:7)
This is why the birthpangs of Messiah are also called the "Footsteps of Messiah." In the darkest night of mankind, Messiah's footsteps may be heard upon the mountains, which represent the nations, and he is announcing salvation to the Fig Tree.
The Midrash Rabbah 2§29 associates this “fig phrase” with the final redemption:
"The fig tree has ripened its fruit, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance." They predict concerning these days:
-
“Shortly before the days of Messiah, a great plague [dever gadol] will come to the world, and the wicked [unripe, rotten among the fig tree Israel] will perish in that plague.” Those who survive will return to Zion because they repented.
- “The vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance” allude to the righteous survivors of the plague-and regarding them, the verse states, ‘And the survivor will be in Zion and the remaining one in Jerusalem. “’Holy’” will be said of him-everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.’” (Is 52:7)
Because they are “blossoms,” the suggestion is that they are newly-repented, perhaps the eleven-hour workers of Yeshua’s parable.
In his instruction to learn the parable from the fig tree, Yeshua also warns the disciples to move quickly at his return, for there will be woes upon those who are “nursing children” in that day. In other words, they are the unripe figs not fully turned to the Torah that goes forth in the time of Footsteps. While they may return as “blossoms,” their journey may be more difficult because they may cling to physical possessions. An Israelite disrespecting Shabbat is in a most difficult situation, still adhered to the physical world.
Following the worldwide plague, the commentary proceeds to the period known as the Chevlei shel Mashiach, or Birthpangs of the Messiah. The Footsteps. Christians may associate it with “The Tribulation.” This period is filled with so many catastrophes because the world is like an infant being born: not yet in this world, but releasing from its womb that will soon shed dead blood and tissue. The pains are symptoms of the world’s decline that must precede the establishment of a new Kingdom on earth. Messiah will not insert himself into old systems, but establish new ones. These are the final seven years of the original Creation. The Eighth Year will usher in the Messianic Age.
- For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him. For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Mt 24:21-28)
There will be many who claim to be saviors and offer “miracle” solutions to the world’s problems. They will arrive within all kinds of systems, likely political, governmental, military, medical, educational, religious, etc. Yeshua says their salvation solutions will be so convincing that even the elect might be deceived to put faith in them. The clue is that they are pocketed here and there, “wilderness” or “inner chamber.” Just recently many were deceived by a secret internet entity.
Yeshua’s coming will not be in this place or that, but seen worldwide like lightning lights up the sky from east to west for all to see. The “corpse” of the deceived will be descended upon by the vultures, perhaps even as repentant Fig Tree Israel is protected by the eagle that carries her to her actual wilderness for nourishment.
One of the reasons this deception of the elect becomes possible is that it occurs in a generation “like the face of a dog.” The explanation is that when someone throws a stone at a dog or pokes at it with a stick, it will attack the stick, oblivious to the force behind it. It sees only the instrument of the pain, not the true source. Its enemy is the stone or stick:
-
“They will perceive their existential threat as the enemies that rise up against them, and ignore the reality of the Divine hand that wields the enemies of our people as a chastising rod, as the prophet cries in the name of God: ‘Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; My wrath is a staff in their hand.’ (Is 10:5) The true leader is the one who looks past the stick at the One Who wields it, and he focuses the efforts of his nation on mending their ways and returning to Him...when the leaders of the generation bark at everyone except those who throw them scraps, the face of the nation is indeed like the face of a dog.” 2§29
The nations come under judgment themselves when they exceed their roles as “rods” of chastisement:
- But I am very angry with the nations who are carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster. (Zech 1:15)
Can you think of more “scraps” a leader might work for?
- Votes
- “likes”
- “followers”
- “subscribers”
- Donors
- Attention/interviews/”Views”
- Preferred power positions or committees, steering control
-
Feelings of righteousness without being righteous
- ...?
This "dog-faced generation" has no respect for the aged. They turn viciously on one another even though they may have been allies the day before. They cannot be cohesive because their truth is not the constant, everlasting, truth of the Ancient of Days, but new truths newly extracted and disseminated from the chaotic soup of human imagination each day.
We are not to be fooled by them even when we are exasperated and vexed by them. They are merely the chastising rods of The Holy One, and they will eventually experience His wrath for exceeding His goal of bringing His Fig Tree to repentance from among the mountains of the earth. When you hear trouble, hear Footsteps.
Lovely.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
