Va'era: I appeared — וארא

Thoughts on Torah for Last Week:

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Exodus 1-5
This portion begins by recounting Israel’s enslavement to the Egyptians.  As we will see when God enumerates the curses for those who fail to keep His law, bondage is one of the curses that appears on His list – Deu 28.  Here is another recurring theme that we see not only in the scriptures but throughout human history – humanity wins its freedom through righteousness only to then to forget God, indulge in wickedness and then back into bondage.

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And without God's plan to implement a Millennial period, man is destined to cycle through this sequence of events over and over and over - forever.
 
The Cycle of Apostasy and Restoration
The general model of what this cycle of apostasy looks like is:

This cycle of apostasy is a major theme in the Book of Judges.  Consider what this cycle looks like in the Book of Judges in this video teaching.

 
Endtimes
Fortunately for humanity, this continuous cycle of apostasy and restoration comes to an end; and past events that are repeated in the Endtimes line up in a linear fashion.  Isaiah describes over thirty past events that manifest themselves during the Endtime winding-up scene.  What makes the Endtimes a linear sequence of events and not a cyclical sequence of events is that those categories of humanity who are not holy and set apart who have not been Born of God and who have not been purged of their sin nature – God eliminates.  So during the Endtimes, we have a progression of separation and purging. 

Moreover, the Endtime righteous categories of Seraphim, Son/Servants and Zion/Jerusalem who survive are comprised of ethnic Israel and a remnant of righteous gentiles.
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The following table summarizes this progression.

Isaiah Chapter 12
The righteous who are delivered from Endtime destruction sing a song of praise to God.

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: Exodus 6:2-9:35
GOSPELS: Luke 11:14-22

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

​​Commentary with Nehemia Gordon
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HAFTARAH: Isaiah Chapter 13

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, PhD