Gilbert House Fellowship

'Damascus Will Cease to Be a City'

AN ALLIANCE between the northern kingdom of Israel and the Aramaean kingdom of Damascus forms the backdrop of this prophecy of the city’s ultimate destruction. 

In a callback to chapter 7 of Isaiah, this is an “already but not yet" prophecy of the destruction of Damascus. It was captured by the Assyrians in 732 BC, but it has continued as an occupied city (possibly the oldest continuously occupied city on earth, dated back to 9000 BC). The "not yet" is still to come. 

Verses 12 through 14 of Isaiah 17 describe a coalition of "many peoples" that come against Israel only to bechased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.” We see this as a prophecy of the war that leads to Armageddon (cf. Ezekiel 38–39 and Revelation 19). It would appear that the ultimate destruction of Damascus takes place in the end times. 

This week's question: Who are the Amalekites today?

THE DESTRUCTION of the kingdom of Moab by the Assyrians was prophesied by Isaiah, although God took no pleasure in it. 

At the time Isaiah wrote, the Assyrians were expanding their empire to the west and swallowing up smaller kingdoms like Israel, Ammon, Edom, and Moab. The Moabites had been enemies of Israel and Judah for centuries by the time of Isaiah. Through the prophet, God warned Moab of its imminent destruction. 

We discussed the possibility that Isaiah chapters 15 and 16 is an "already but not yet" prophecy, with final fulfillment to come as part of a Psalm 83 war, which has been written about by our friend Bill Salus. 

This week's question: what's the connection between Paul's teaching that women should have their heads covered in church "because of the angels" and the Book of 1 Enoch? 

Here's the link to the study by Dr. Michael Heiser on 1 Corinthians 11 regarding head coverings for women in church and the first century belief in a connection between long hair and fertility. 

The secrets of creation were contained in an oath—and one of the fallen Watchers demanded that Michael reveal to him the "secret name" so that those who heard the oath would quake before it. 

That's one of the revelations in this week's study of 1 Enoch. Bear in mind, this section of the book was written just before the birth of Jesus so any specifics regarding the names of fallen angels and their abilities or misdeeds must be taken with a grain of salt. 

However, it is interesting that this section, in the translation by R. H. Charles, is titled, "The Names and Functions of the (fallen Angels and) Satans.” Apparently, during the Second Temple, it was believed there was more than one Satan. We need to remember that Satan was not even considered a fallen angel until Ignatius of Antioch in the early second century A.D.. 

Again, the study is important because of New Testament doctrines that are not found in any Jewish writing prior to 1 Enoch. 

Here is the link to the Academia page for scholar John Ben-Daniel, whose research into the book of 1 Enoch has been so helpful to us: https://independent.academia.edu/DrJohnBenDaniel

We're asking for your help to Build Bunker Better! We've decided to remain in our home, but we need certain upgrades to make it safe for Derek given his recent mobility limitations compounded by mild COPD. Find out more at Gilberthouse.org/donate. 

Isaiah’s polemic against the king of Babylon is, in our view, also a condemnation of the entity who led the rebellious sons of God in Genesis 6.

We discuss the connections between “Lucifer” and the netherworld, especially the references to the “branch,” which is actually a loan word from Egyptian that means “dead god,” and the “dead body trampled underfoot” (Isaiah 14:9). We believe these refer to the entity called El, Enlil, Dagon, and Molech—i.e., Shemihazah, not Satan.

We also discuss a potential reference to the Watchers in Isaiah 14:21, and the “flying fiery serpents” (dragons!) in Isaiah’s oracle against the Philistines.

Question of the week: Why will children have to die during the Day of the Lord?

Here’s the link we promised to TheSinging.Bible.

A DAY is coming when fallen angels and evil rulers throughout the centuries will regret their decisions to rebel against God. 

The chapters we read from the book of 1 Enoch prophesy a time when kings and the mighty plead for a respite from their torment so they might come before the throne and worship God. Sadly, their opportunity to repent has passed. 

Likewise, punishment for the fallen Watchers has been decreed and is being carried out with no hope of reprieve—at least not until the abyss opens up in Revelation 9 and they're given five months to torment those without the seal of God on their foreheads. 

These chapters come from the section of 1 Enoch called the Book of Parables. As we've discussed over previous months, chapters 37 to 71 of 1 Enoch was completed just about the time Jesus was born. It's important because it tells of a messianic character called the Son of Man who would execute these judgments. It's the first mention of the Son of Man in any Jewish writing—and 30 years later, Jesus applied that title to himself. 

We also read a couple chapters dealing with Noah. We point out a couple verses that disqualify 1 Enoch as scripture—for example, Noah apparently praying to his great-grandfather Enoch. 

Questions of the week: What’s the difference between astral projection and the Lord carrying prophets away in the spirit, and is reassigning prophecies for Israel to the church Replacement Theology? 

Lucifer is not Satan. 

In this week study, we dig into the Hebrew name translated Lucifer in the king James Bible, Helel Ben Shachar. Scholar William Gallagher showed in a peer reviewed paper more than 30 years ago that Helel was the West Semitic (i.e., Hebrew) transliteration of the Akkadian deity Ellil. 

This entity was known by many names in the ancient Near East, including Dagon, Assur, El, and Milcom (and thus Molech). All of these entities were connected to the underworld whereas Satan is nowhere in the Bible linked to Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, or the abyss. 

The other clue pointing to Ellil et. al is the fact that this polemic is directed at the king of Babylon. In Hebrew, that's melek bab el, which literally means "King of Babel" or "king of the god-gate." 

We realize this is a unique take on a famous and well studied chapter of the Bible. But it's consistent with other scriptures, and it's a good reminder to ask ourselves whether our interpretation of scripture is based on the Bible itself or human traditions. 

Here's the link to the book by David W. Lowe, Deconstructing Lucifer, which shows how our understanding of Satan today is quite different from how the apostles viewed him: https://bit.ly/4cWhW9U 

Question of the week: Why do some scholars call Judea in the time of Jesus "Palestine"? 

GIANTS AND WATCHERS will execute God's judgment on the prophesied Day of the Lord. 

Isaiah 13 is, on the surface, a prophecy of judgment on Babylon. But there are clues in this chapter that there's more to this prophecy than meets the eye. First, the Hebrew verb translated "consecrated" (as in "consecrated ones," Isaiah 13:3) is based on the same root behind the words “holy one/s” in Daniel 4:13 and 17, used in parallel with "Watcher/s” in those verses. 

Given that the Septuagint translates Hebrew gibborim ("mighty men") as “giants," it's possible that the "consecrated ones" of Isaiah 13:3 are Watchers—a powerful class of angel often tasked with carrying out God's will (as in Daniel 4). 

As a whole, Isaiah 13 is an "already but not yet" prophecy of the destruction of Babylon. The "already" took place roughly 150 years after Isaiah wrote this prophecy when Cyrus the great captured the city the night of Belshazzar's drunken feast. The future fulfillment comes on the Day of the Lord, which we believe takes place at the end of the seven year Great Tribulation. 

In addition, there are hints of the supernatural fulfillment of the "not yet" part of the prophecy. Isaiah 13:20–22 foretells a day when Babylon is utterly destroyed, becoming a haunt of supernatural creatures. That's not apparent in most English translations, but digging into the Hebrew and Greek reveals more of Isaiah's original vision: Babylon inhabited forever by demons, sirens, satyrs (or donkey-centaurs), and dragons. 

Question of the week: What do we think about the Noahide laws? 

After 200 years of idolatry, God finally allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to be destroyed and the people carried off by Assyria. 

Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah was being ruled the young, foolish, idolatrous King Ahaz. After being defeated in battle by the Aramean Kingdom of Damascus, Ahaz decided to worship the gods of Syria rather than turning to God for help. He also sacrificed his son to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom southwest of Jerusalem. 

Then he turned to the Assyrians for help against Israel, Syria, and Edom, cutting up fixtures in the Temple to send to Assyria as tribute. Needless to say, God was not pleased. 

Apparently, neither were the people of Judah. Ahaz was buried in the City of David rather than in the tombs of the kings of his forefathers. 

Sharon’s niece, Sarah Sachleben, has been battling stage 4 bowel cancer and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. 

Derek’s new book War of the Watchers Book One: From Baal to Balfour is now available at Amazonin paperback and as a Kindle e-book! 

After several chapters of prophecies of destruction at the hands of the Assyrians, Micah concludes his book with a promise of restoration for the people of Israel. 

Although there are some differences between the Masoretic text on which the old Testament of our English Bibles is based and the Septuagint, which was translated from Hebrew into Greek by about 200 BC, the overall message is the same: God will chastise His people for their behavior, but He will bless the remnant who repent and return to Him. 

Who is the Assyrian?

The Bible foretells a mysterious character called “the Assyrian” who seems to have a role in the end times war against Israel. Who is he? 

What’s odd is the Hebrew text of Micah 5:5–6 (and Isaiah 14:25, 31:8, and 52:4) lacks the definite article “the.” In other words, there is no "the Assyrian" in the Old Testament. 

The Hebrew word Assur can referred to Assyria, its capital city, or its chief deity, who was the equivalent of the Sumerian/Babylonian god Enlil (called Ellil in Akkad), El of Canaan, Dagon of the Philistines, and Milcom of Ammon—and thus Molech, the netherworld god who demanded the sacrifice of children from his followers. 

We believe the passages in Micah are an “already but not yet” prophecy, referring to the imminent conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria, which occurred during Micah’s lifetime in 722 BC, and a future return of Assur in the end times as the Destroyer, Abaddon/Apollyon, who is released from the abyss for five months to torment those without the seal of God on their foreheads.