Signs that the Redemption is near?

It’s the end of the month again. That means it’s time to take another look at Redemption.

 For years, the American magazine, Sports Illustrated, has run a weekly mini-report entitled, “Signs of the Apocalypse” (or something like that). It contains a one-or-two sentence announcement that features some weekly occurrence in the Sports world. Typically, it focuses on someone doing something really stupid. It highlights how incredibly awful highly-paid or famous people can be. Such behaviour by those we honour, the piece suggests, is surely a sign that our world must soon end.

Mostly, these incidents entertain.

That magazine comes from America. We live in Israel, which follows a different religious and spiritual orientation. So if someone in America thinks about Christian-inspired world Destruction, perhaps we can think about something different--a Jewish-inspired Redemption.

Consider now some recent examples from the news that, in some way—humorous and not so humorous-- might suggest that the world might be preparing for something New. If you don’t see how these headlines might pre-sage a Jewish Redemption, that’s okay. That just means that your ‘Redemption training’ isn’t up-to-date.

For July 2013: 

-PM: Palestinian leaders think it’s possible to destroy Israel (Jerusalem Post)

--Abbas: 'Not a single Israeli' in future Palestinian state (Jerusalem Post)

 - Democracy Index 2013: Global Democracy At A Standstill, The Economist Intelligence Unit's Annual Report Shows (Huffington Post)
 
-Did you know the Postal Service has a NSA-like surveillance arrangement, too? (Dallas Morning News)

-New computer programs Goodfeel and Lime Lighter help blind read, write music (New York Daily News)

-Twinkies, Hostess snacks back in stores today (Chicago Tribune)

--Pro-Mursi protesters are awaiting signal for ‘sexual Jihad’: report (Al Arabiya)

-Divine intervention? Angel Gabriel ‘spotted’ at pro-Mursi protest (Al Arabiya)

-Has the Arab Spring nose-dived? (Al Arabiya)

-The aftermath of Egypt's June 30 uprising: Has the Muslim Brotherhood turned towards jihadist violence? (Al Arabiya)

-UK's first dementia dog gives couple 'their lives back’ (The Independent—London, England)

-Toddler buys Austin Healey vintage car on eBay using dad's smartphone (The Independent, London, England)

-Obesity and traffic fatalities endemic to Arab world (Al Jazeera)

-Rifle-wielding soldiers develop breasts (The Guardian)

-Nurses ‘too busy’ to provide basic care for their patients (The Times of London)

-Liverpool fan to get a tattoo of the United badge on his bottom in memory of his friend and father-in-law (Manchester (England) Evening News)

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July saw a surge of pre-Redemption signals.  Yishmael continued his war to conquer Israel. A report appeared in early July stating that in the first six months of 2013, Arabs attacked Jews in Israel more than 5,600 times. At the end of July, ‘peace talks’ began—and the Arab announced he will make his ‘Palestine’ Jew-free.

But then just as this anti-Israel news appeared, we were reminded about something we once learned: when Redemption begins, Egypt will be the first nation to fall, among those who war against G-d’s Chosen. On July 3, Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi was ousted from office by the Egyptian army. Egypt plunged into turmoil.

Protests erupted. At one protest, an Egyptian reportedly saw the angel Gabriel. Gabriel is the angel who helped the Jewish prophet Daniel with his prophecies, many of which focus on the Jewish Redemption. Could his ‘appearance’ in Egypt herald something for Egypt?

Another news story seemed to hint at why swords might get changed into plowshares. As you may recall, this ‘metallic  conversion’ is a poetic reference in Tanach (Jewish Bible) to a Future time when the swords of war will become so irrelevant they will be converted to better use—plowing the earth to provide food. In late July, we saw a report that soldiers who carry army rifles have experienced breast enlargement. How does this suggest swords into plowshares? Well, soldiers tend to be young, strong men—boys, really, with a sense of machismo; how many such young men would rush to join an army if it turns out that such service provokes female-like breast enlargement?

If these reports prove correct, those young men might prefer plows to guns.  

Look at the other headlines. What do you see? When dogs heal humans and Twinkies resurrect, could there be change in the air?

Our future beckons. The world reveals hints.  It is up to us to understand what we see.

Naturally, it’s possible that all this news is meaningless. These stories may have nothing at all to do with the Jewish Redemption. Perhaps these headlines simply prove that nothing changes—except our health.

But then a soccer fan announces he will put a tattoo on his bottom. Have you ever heard of such a thing? On his bottom?

That could be a sign. It could mean we’ve hit bottom. If so, then things really are changing: it could mean we have nowhere else to go but up.

Does it mean change is afoot?