385Questioning Paul

Devil’s Advocate

…Plague of Death

 

11

Chabaquwq | Embrace This

 

Cruel Lies…

As is often the case, we see things more clearly when we step back and achieve a better perspective. Sometimes we get so close to our subject that we fail to see what is occurring in the greater context of the human experience. In this light, I recommend that we commence our closing arguments in the case of Yahowah v. Sha’uwl with God’s opening statement regarding this man and his religion.

Approximately 666 years before Sha’uwl penned his first letter, sometime around 615 BCE, Yahowah chose a man named “Embrace This” to expose and condemn an individual named “Question Him.” God’s concern was that this heinous man would lure billions of souls back to Babylon by negating His Towrah and replacing His Covenant. This stunning prophetic witness began with these words...

“The is the prophetic pronouncement (ha masa’ – the published prophecy) which, for the benefit of the relationship (‘asher – to show the way to get the most enjoyment out of life), was received as a revelation by (chazah – was revealed and witnessed by way of a prophetic vision to (the qal stem is the voice of genuine relationships and of literal truth while the perfect conjugation reveals that this revelation was totally complete, lacking nothing)) Chabaquwq | Embrace This 386(Chabaquwq – Accept This, which is to acknowledge, accept, and act upon what is being revealed), the prophet (ha naby’ – the individual who proclaims the message of God regarding past or future events).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:1)

Yahowah brought Chabaquwq / Habakkuk forward in time to around 52 to 59 CE, where he was able to witness the speeches and writings of a man who would fundamentally change the nature of man and the course of history. What he saw and heard caused him to respond in a condescending manner, similar to our reaction throughout Questioning Paul.

It is indicative of Yahowah to encourage His prophets and witnesses to be judgmental. He wants us to express our disdain openly – recognizing that it is the most rational and compassionate response to something this hurtful and destructive.

During the one thousand years of prophetic discourse, there have been many monumentally important portrayals of future events. And while Yahowah’s promises to fulfill His Miqra’ey | Invitations to be Called Out and Meet while establishing and restoring His Beryth | Covenant with His ‘am | People remain supreme, this prophecy pertains to more people. It is among the most specific, relevant, and far-reaching ever recorded. And yet, we are the first to read these words as God intended – as a scathing rebuke against Sha’uwl | Paul and his creation: Christianity.

In his opening statement, Chabaquwq actually cried out to God, pleading for what he was witnessing to end. And while I suspect that all of us, having been exposed to Sha’uwl’s | Paul’s deplorable rhetoric over the past 1000 pages, are sympathetic, I think Habakkuk was actually pleading for his people and on behalf of his God. Having seen how Yahowah, Yisra’el, and Yahuwdah would suffer as a result of Paul and Christianity, he could not bear the 387thought that this Plague of Death would haunt the world for nearly 2000 years. Considering the carnage, it is heartbreaking.

“For how long and to what extent (‘ad ‘an – until when and up to what point), Yahowah ( – the pronunciation of YaHoWaH as guided by His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah – existence), shall I plead for relief during this desperately horrible and dangerous situation (shawa’ – should I vocalize this request for help (in the piel stem the object (those observing this prophecy) are affected by the plea while the perfect conjugation reveals that the call for help is sufficient but finite in time)) because (wa) You will not actually listen for a prolonged period of time (lo’ shama’ – You do not want to hear about this for an ongoing period (the qal stem is the voice of reality and imperfect conjugation conveys that this condition endures)) to my anguished appeal and summons (za’aq – to my cry and subpoena as a result of this emotional torment, asking for a response (qal imperfect))?

Toward and against You (‘el ‘atah – concerning You, the Almighty) there is a devastating plot comprised of cruel lies regarding being Towrahless and the plundering of people without moral restraint (chamas – there is a destructive force, a lack of ethical restraint, widespread injustice and violence from negating the Towrah, a despoliation of the people, grievous wrongdoing and unrighteousness, leading to death; from chamas – that which is wrong rationally and ethically, such that people are violently wronged), and so (wa – as a result) You must continuously withhold salvation (lo’ yasha’ – You do not provide deliverance (in the hifil stem the subject (Yahowah) causes the object (in this case those influenced by the promotion of the lies) to suffer the effect of the verb, which is the denial of salvation and in the imperfect, this condition is ongoing)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / 388Habakkuk 1:2)

One thousand nine hundred sixty-nine years (from Paul’s inception in 52 CE to today in 2021 CE) is a very long time, and yet that is how long the world has endured the horrible stain and stigma of Pauline Christianity. Nothing will ever approach its horrific treatment of God’s people – from which there would be no relief prior to Yahowah’s return with the Mashyach Dowd.

During this long hour of hopelessness, Yahowah has turned a deaf ear. There would be no reason for Him to endure the torment He cannot resolve. There is no fixing Christianity, and its premature removal would breach freewill.

Sha’uwl’s | Paul’s religious faith remains man’s greatest affront to God. It is a devastating plot comprised of exceedingly cruel lies, plundering God’s hopes and mankind’s soul. This lone individual’s immoral and unconstrained attack on Yahowah’s Towrah, Beryth, and Miqra’ey would result in God not being able to save anyone for nearly two millennia.

Yahowah can do many things, but He will not breach a promise. When He offered Abraham the five benefits of the Covenant based upon his acceptance of its five conditions, the standard Yahowah would forever honor had been established. And since Sha’uwl | Paul repudiated every condition, there would be no hope of reconciliation.

Further, Paul’s message was so repugnant, so vehemently anti-Semitic, his recasting of Yahowsha’ as both God and Messiah, and inference that Jews killed him, repelled Yahuwdym from Yahowsha’. This has precluded the Chosen People from capitalizing upon the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb – precluding their salvation.

Lost, abused and blind, Jews sold Muhammad Talmud citations, which he bastardized to vilify them. In the process, rabbis played a starring role in creating yet another 389adversarial religion.

Trying to deflect adverse attention away from Paul, there are those who will say that Habakkuk’s lament was over the treatment of Yisra’elites in Babylon after they were drug off into captivity. But that experience was not nearly as horrific as what they had already endured under the Assyrians or would suffer as a result of Christians. And since Yahowah orchestrated the Babylonian “time out” for bad behavior, there was no devastating plot nor cruel lies in its inception.

The exile to Babel was imminent and would become a current event in Chabaquwq’s lifetime, something he would witness with his own eyes. At this late date, there would have been no reason for Chabaquwq to use “masa’ – a prophetic pronouncement,” “chazah – a future vision received as a revelation,” or the title “naby’ – prophet who proclaims God’s testimony regarding future events” in his introductory statement. In addition, Yahowah had been clear, revealing to other prophets precisely why Yahuwdym would be taken from the Land. And then there is the realization that the Babylonian captivity only lasted 70 years, which is inconsistent with the prolonged timeline Chabaquwq revealed regarding the influence of Sha’uwl.

Also keep in mind that Yahowah is prone to foreshadowing, to using contemporaneous events to shine a light on those which are of even greater significance in the future. From this perspective, Babylon represents the “babel – confusion of commingling and intermixing” God’s words with man’s ideas resulting in religion. To this day, it remains man’s greatest impediment to salvation.

Babel is the first thing Yahowah asks us to leave before engaging in His Covenant. And it is the last plea Yahowah makes to His people in the waning chapters of Yirma’yah / Jeremiah. More than anything, God wants us to come out of Babylon, which is the realm of religion – 390and most adroitly, Christianity.

Seeking the answer to the questions we have been pondering, Chabaquwq asks...

“For what reason (la mah – for whom and why) are You having me witness (ra’ah ‘any – are You showing me, revealing to me, and having me look at and consider (in the hifil imperfect God wants this revelation to influence the witness as it does Him with ongoing implications)) this grotesque corruption and deliberate fraud (‘awen – the vanity and injustice, the wickedness of this evil individual, the falsehood and immoral iniquity that has been intentionally perpetrated, this misfortunate act of deceit, this troubling presentation of idolatry, the dishonesty and perversion; from an unused root meaning to pant, aggressively and emotionally exerting oneself in vain) along with (wa) the distressing misery being inflicted which (‘amal – the abysmal situation brought about as a result of this horrific imposition of oppression, subjugation, and harassment that) You are having me consider (nabat – You are causing me to observe and evaluate (hifil imperfect – Yahowah is enabling Chabaquwq to be His understudy with his witness seen over time))?

A demonic spirit seeking to be worshiped as God who is exceedingly malicious and oppressive (shod / shed – an malevolent spirit representing Satan, the Devil, himself, a demon seeking havoc, ruinous carnage and anguishing harassment), (wa) a destructive force, completely Towrahless and lacking moral restraint (chamas – a devastating plot comprised of cruel lies regarding the negation of the Towrah, widespread injustice and violence, plundering the people with grievous wrongdoing and unrighteousness, leading to destruction and death), is conspicuously before me, publicly conveying this message (la neged / nagad ‘any – is speaking right out in the open in my presence, confessing, 391avowing, and announcing, proclaiming and publishing this right up in my face).

He has been and continues to be (wa hayah – so he is continuously (imperfect conjugation scribed in the third person masculine singular)) contentious and conflicting, taunting and quarrelsome, harboring in hostile opposition a different perception regarding the proper standard (ryb – insulting and complaining, using words in a dispute to bicker).

He brings forth and continuously advocates (nasa’ – he consistently promotes and carries forward, advancing and lifting up, allowing to arise (qal stem imperfect conjugation scribed in the third person masculine singular)) dissension regarding judgment and vindication (wa madown – contention regarding the means to acquit, argumentative objections with regard to exoneration and condemnation; from mah – to question dyn – the means to judge and acquit).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:3)

Yahowah had asked His prophet to witness ‘awen, the “most grotesque corruption” of His testimony the world would ever know – Paul’s “deliberately deceitful” faith. God designated Sha’uwl’s message “fraudulent,” which means that his “dishonesty and perversion” of the Word of God was “premeditated.” Paul’s ‘awen | fraud was not just “grotesque, unjust, and wicked,” not only “perverted and evil,” it was “intentional.”

Chabaquwq saw what we have seen – “‘amal – the appalling agony” Paul inflicted upon the Chosen People. They would be “horrifically abused, persecuted, suppressed, and stalked” as a result of Pauline Christianity, enduring 2000 years of hateful anti-Semitism. And all the while, the Devil’s Advocate would be insidiously arrogant in his wickedness, lying as if it were his birthright.

Chabaquwq’s dismay over what he was witnessing 392was a consequence of ‘amal – the distressing misery being inflicted” upon his people. Sha’uwl | Paul brought about “‘amal – an abysmal situation resulting in oppression, subjugation, and harassment.”

But Habakkuk was only witnessing the beginning, just a snapshot in time, of what would emerge to become the man’s greatest menace. We know so much more today, having seen how the pandemic spread across the globe.

There would be haunting reverberations describing the Towrahless One known to the deceived as the “Antichrist.” Some 666 years before Sha’uwl would admit to having become Satan’s shrew, Yahowah revealed that Paul would serve a shod / shed – demonic spirit seeking to be worshiped as God. We know this because shed was used in Deuteronomy 32:17 and then in Psalms 106:37 to speak of the Devil and his Satanic influence over religion. Habakkuk saw what we have seen, and he used the perfect word (borrowing it from Moseh and Dowd) to depict Satan seeking to torch the Towrah and bury Yisra’el, all while composing a religion in which he would be worshiped as the Lord. Turns out, all the Devil had to do was ask Sha’uwl to promote him.

As for us, I thank Yahowah for this insight, one indelibly written into His lexicon thanks to the greatest of the prophets: Moseh | Moses and Dowd | David. Pronounced shod, the word means “havoc and violence, devastation and ruin, oppression and subjugation, looting and plunder.” Paul’s religion would devastate the Chosen People in these ways. And yet that prophetic insight pales in comparison to what we find in the same word, pronounced shed, but spelled identically in the Hebrew text. Shed is “Satan, the Devil,” and is inclusive of his “demons.” Shed is “an evil, demonic spirit seeking to be worshiped as if he were God.” Shed, therefore, describes the demon Satan sent to control Sha’uwl’s unbridled ego – by his own admission.

393This diabolical belief system would be “chamas – Towrahless, a destructive terrorizing force lacking moral restraint.” The Devil’s Advocate would “chamas – conspire to pillage” God’s people “by robbing them” of the promises Yahowah had made to them, “plundering them” and then transferring everything to his church.

Not once but twice, Chabaquwq has turned to chamas to describe the “cruel lies and great injustice leading to death” he was witnessing as a result of this “grotesque assault on the Towrah.” Sha’uwl, and the demonic spirit inspiring him, “would be a destructive force operating without restraint.” It was not just that they were wrong, it wasn’t only the widespread cruelty they would impose on Jews, Sha’uwl and Satan would plunder billions of Christians of their souls as well.

One of the untold catastrophes of these Satanically-influenced claims, especially those regarding Christou and the Cross, is that the repugnant stench of their mischaracterizations was so odious to Yahuwdym | Jews that they rejected everything to do with Yahowsha’, including his fulfillment of Pesach as the Passover Lamb. Their lies corrupted a vital truth – one we need to know to avail ourselves of the Doorway to Heaven and Life.

This prophetic denunciation was specifically targeted to a “neged / nagad – conspicuous public pronouncement.” The individual being excoriated would have to have been “exceedingly presumptuous to avow and announce, publish and proclaim” something this unGodly “right out in the open in everyone’s presence.”

The most gut-wrenching implication of Chabaquwq 1:3 is the juxtaposition of shod, chamas, and neged. It reveals something even the most courageous and compassionate dare not say for fear of repercussions. The conspicuous public presence of Satan’s desire to be worshiped as God affirms that he succeeded.

394“The demonic spirit seeking to be worshiped as God, who is exceedingly malicious and oppressive, the Devil, himself, is a destructive force, completely Towrahless and lacking restraint, and yet he is now conspicuously before [us], publicly conveying his malicious message right out in the open, avowing and announcing, proclaiming and publishing, it in our faces.” Paul’s Lord, the Christian god, is Satan.

When we consider the full implications of neged, along with chamas, and especially shod, following ‘amal, we are left with only two individuals in history who manifest every aspect of each word in the presence of God’s people: Paul and Muhammad. They were admittedly demon-possessed and their appalling public proclamations are legend. So, we should appreciate the prophet’s specificity.

The Devil and his Advocate would provide a steady diet of “ryb – contentious taunts and quarrelsome insults.” Their every word “would be in conflict” with Yahowah’s testimony. Their “perceptions regarding the proper standard remain in hostile opposition” to the truth.

This is directly analogous to Sha’uwl’s “derisive arguments against the Towrah.” And that is why ryb, speaking of this “insulting dispute and antagonistic disapproval,” was scribed in the third person masculine singular, and thus identified a lone individual man who would be responsible for “harboring a different perception regarding the proper standard which ultimately put mankind in conflict with God.”

Similarly, this “madown – source of contention and dissension regarding condemnation and the means to vindication” was “nasa’ – advocated and advanced” by one solitary soul. Paul’s “madown – contention regarding judgment,” his “contention concerning the means to acquit,” his “argumentative objections with regard to 395exoneration and condemnation,” are as legendary as they are ludicrous.

It should not be necessary, but alas, let’s be aware that Babylon was a nation of millions. The lone named perpetrator in this prophetic denouncement is Sha’uwl. No one named Sha’uwl reigned over Babylon, not then or ever.

And now that we have completed our review of Sha’uwl’s first letter, we know that Chabaquwq 1:3 is a fitting summation of Galatians. But that is just the tip of the iceberg gouging an irreparable gash in the hull of Christendom.

If Yahowah had taken Chabaquwq to Babylon to view his immediate future, he would not have questioned why he was there. He could have readily warned his contemporaries because so much had already been revealed to explain the justifications behind why Yahowah had Yahuwdym taken from the land. Chabaquwq knew that it was coming, and that it was both required and deserved.

However, if we move 666 years forward in time to witness the quarrelsome contentiousness of Sha’uwl, it would be natural for Chabaquwq to ask God this question, and then make these statements, realizing that the people who would benefit from this warning would not be born for another six centuries.

That said, Babylon is based upon babel, the Hebrew word for “corruption and confusion by commingling and intermixing.” It is the very place Abraham had to leave before he could engage in the Covenant. And yet, the Yisra’elite captivity in Babylon was not an injustice. The people deserved what befell them. But no one deserves the demonic insult of Pauline Christianity.

With the following, the list of men deserving God’s ire to this extent collapses from two to one solitary soul. The repudiation of the Towrah lies at the heart of Paul’s faith.

396“In this regard (ken ‘al – because of this approach), he will consistently seek to incapacitate, invalidate, and paralyze the purpose of (puwg – he will continually strive to nullify, weakening by causing a numbness toward, leading to a perceived cessation of (qal imperfect)) the Towrah | Guidance (Towrah – source from which teaching, instruction, direction, and guidance flow).

Therefore, he will never disseminate or carry forward (wa lo’ yatsa’ – then he will not bring out or extend (qal imperfect)) the everlasting and eternal approach (la netsah – the unending and permanent, eminent and majestic means) to vindicate by justly resolving disputes (mishpat – to exercise good judgment and make rational decisions regarding the adjudication of relational issues).

Instead, by contrast (ky – rather because), wickedness is invasive and injustice encompasses (rasha’ kathar – unrighteousness and evil are pervasive as a result of violating the standard, hemming in and encircling (hifil participle)) the means to be right and become innocent (‘eth ha tsadyq – the way of vindication and acquittal by being correct).

For this reason, that which (‘al ken) he brings forth and disseminates (yatsa’ – he publicizes and carries on about) perverts, distorts, corrupts, and convolutes (‘aqal – he misrepresents and debases, bends and twists) the way to make informed and rational decisions regarding judgment (mishpat – exercising good judgment regarding the means to resolve disputes; a compound of mah – to inquire about and shaphat – how to thoughtfully decide and appropriately judge).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:4)

From his twisted opening stanza to his perverted salutation, Sha’uwl | Paul has sought to “puwg – incapacitate, invalidate, and paralyze the purpose of” 397Yahowah’s Towrah. Each tormented phrase was scribed to “nullify and bring an end to” God’s “netsah – everlasting approach” to “mishpat – acquit those who exercise good judgment and make rational decisions.” For believers, faith would supersede being “tsadaq – right.” And that is dreadful because being “correct” is part and parcel to “tsadaq – vindication and righteousness.”

Even worse, in the resulting milieu of contradictions, rational fallacies, revisionist history, and replacement theology, Paul perverted, distorting and corrupting, the means Yahowah provided to redeem us. Without the Towrah, its Miqra’ey and Beryth, there would be no hope. This realization is why Sha’uwl, more than any other individual, was targeted for rebuke.

Sha’uwl’s “rasha’ kathar – wickedness was invasive, permeating” people’s minds to the point that billions would no longer even consider “‘eth ha tsadyq – the means to become right” regarding Yahowah, and thereby “tsadyq – become vindicated, and thus saved.”

For those who are wont to see many when Yahowah clearly spoke of one perpetrator, the Babylonians were never a party to the Towrah. The nation did nothing to incapacitate Yahowah’s Guidance nor twist His purpose. But the modern incarnation of Babylon that grew out of Sha’uwl’s relentless assault against Yahowah’s Towrah has done these very things.

If we were to distill Galatians down to its core, we find Sha’uwl attempting to annul the Towrah’s means to vindicate by justly resolving disputes. Paul did so by consistently “‘aqal – perverting and distorting, twisting and falsifying,” Yahowah’s testimony.

Continuing to excoriate the man responsible for inflicting the greatest harm upon God’s people, we find the prophet turning an eye to the future, encouraging us to see what he was witnessing…

398“You can witness this (ra’ah – of your own volition you can actually view and consider this (the qal stem denotes reality while the imperative mood expresses volition in the second person)) among the Gentiles (ba ha gowym – within the people from different races and places) if you care to be consistently observant, carefully considering and evaluating (wa nabat – by paying attention and being perceptive, especially concerned (hifil imperative)).

So you should avoid being among those negatively influenced. You should be astonished and astounded, and thereby remain free of these societal influences. You should independently exhibit an exceptionally negative reaction, bewildered and dumbfounded, wondering how it was even possible (wa tamah tamah – on your own recognizance, you will be shocked, independently displaying an extraordinarily adverse response, left puzzled and flabbergasted, wondering how it could have occurred (hitpael imperative qal imperative – indicates that the observer has managed by personal choice to avoid all religious and political pressure and as a result is stunned)).

Indeed, it is true that (ky – surely) a considerable undertaking will transpire (po’al pa’al – an effort will be carried out leading to an enormous accumulation of people, power, and riches as a result of the performance which is perpetrated (qal participle)) in your days (ba yowmym) which you will not find credible (lo’ ‘aman – you will not consider accurate (hifil imperfect)), even when it is properly assessed, written down, and he is held accountable (ky saphar – even if what can be known about him is recorded, reported, and published (the pual stem and imperfect conjugation addresses the continual consequence that befalls the object of the verb, also scribed in the third person masculine singular)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:5)

399When it comes to the ongoing conflict between Yahowah and Paul, the evidence is copious and ubiquitous. Christianity is, as the prophet portends, readily witnessed among the Gentiles. We can choose to consider or ignore it, carefully examine it or turn a blind eye to the resulting carnage.

The challenge for almost everyone today is being able to “nabat – closely examine and carefully consider” Paul’s letters without being “tamah – negatively influenced by them.” This is especially difficult because Christianity has “tamah – bewildered and dumbfounded” the preponderance of people to the point that society reflects Paul’s mantra.

One of the reasons that I affirmed this statement was written for our day is that there has been no other time in which it was possible to compare Sha’uwl’s rhetoric against Yahowah’s testimony and survive the experience. Our challenge today is to avoid being caught up in his net, staying free of his influence, while we evaluate his claims.

As we are aware, Sha’uwl’s crime was committed among Gentiles and against Jews, consistent with this depiction. The consequences have been so severe, so widespread, and so enduring, anyone with the will to “nabat – be observant” will be “tamah – astonished, even horrified.”

Yes, I said “anyone” recognizing that it will be almost “no one” because very few people are willing to contemplate the possibility that a religion with billions of followers could be wrong to such a staggering degree. And that is why Yahowah prefaced the verb tamah in the hitpael mood. It reveals that only those with the will and ability to remain free of religious and political influences will be able to perceive what they are witnessing – no matter how astonishing.

In this regard, tamah was repeated, intensifying the 400action of the verb. This means that, from God’s perspective, the popularity of Pauline Christianity is exceptionally bewildering. How is it that someone this pathetic, this irrational and condescending, fooled so many into believing the opposite of what is true? And then considering his asinine claims, and that it was literally his word against God and His people, how did he convince the world to turn against Jews and, worse, claim every promise Yahowah had made to Yisra’el for his church?

The exponential effect of tamah is intriguing because it already conveys “an exceptionally negative reaction.” Therefore, based upon what we have read from Sha’uwl’s letters, the most reasonable response is “to be astonished and astounded, bewildered and stunned, that something this exceptionally negative managed to dumbfound the world.

Po’al was also repeated, revealing that Paul’s considerable undertaking, his preaching throughout the Middle East, Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome, along with his fourteen letters, would have a considerable effect on the world. Christianity would indeed be enriching and empowering, accumulating people at a prodigious rate. And make no mistake, this was a “po’al – performance.” Paul knew that what he was preaching and writing was unbelievable, so he compensated by outworking the competition.

There are few things as affirming as seeing a prophetic statement in the Word of God which addresses something we are doing. And while I would encourage a thousand more to go beyond where I have gone, Questioning Paul remains the most systematic written accounting of Sha’uwl’s | Paul’s malfeasance. I have “saphar – evaluated his letters and speeches” and have held him “accountable.” This book is “saphar – easily verified and credible.” Moreover, Questioning Paul is comprehensive. This assessment has grown over the years from 700 to over 2000 401pages.

And yet, I realize that no amount of evidence satisfies the faithful. Christianity will survive the obliteration of Paul’s credibility – at least temporarily. Dowd | David, the man Sha’uwl | Paul plundered on behalf of Replacement Theology, will bring an end to this religion immediately prior to Yahowah’s return. It is poetic justice.

I am unaware of any other statement in the Prophets where we read the admission that something will not appear credible even when it is “ky saphar – thoroughly analyzed, methodically scrutinized, and comprehensively evaluated.” That makes this prophecy an anomaly. Chabaquwq is chronicling the most egregious attack on the Almighty ever perpetrated. Therefore, the realization that his condemnation is being leveled at the author of the world’s most popular religion is sobering.

Although every word of Habakkuk’s prophetic denunciation has been directed at Sha’uwl | Paul, he did not conceive his religion out of whole cloth. Instead, he interwove strands from the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Gnostic, and Roman religions into his Faith. The cradle of his Babel | Bible would be Babel | Babylon from which he “babel – confused by commingling and intermixing” misappropriated Towrah citations with pagan lore. This is what we have come to expect from those who are Ba Bel | with the Lord.

Therefore, Yahowah encouraged us to be wary of the Gentiles associated with the Chaldeans – a metaphor for the religious myths which grew out of ancient Babylon.

“For this reason (ky – rather indeed), look to Me, and pay attention (hineh ‘any – look up to Me and behold), standing upright while taking a firm stand (quwm – be resilient and forthright, becoming established, rising up restored (hifil participle)) against (‘eth – regarding) the Chaldeans (ha Kasdym – a synonym for Babylon and its 402religious influences, addressing sages, wise men, academics, fortune-tellers, astrologers, and theologians), the population of Gentiles (gowy – pagans from different races and places estranged from Yisra’el) who are disagreeable and embittered (mar – poisonous and anguished, pungent and hostile), impetuous and hasty (wa ha mahar – rash and disturbed (niphal participle)).

Through the vast expanses of the region (la merchab ‘erets) he makes his way (ha halak – walking around) acting as if it was his inheritance, taking possession of (la yarash – claiming an authorized agreement to control) inhabited places that are not his to own (mishkan lo’ la huw’). (Chabaquwq / Habakkuk 1:6) He is (huw’ min) terrible and repugnant, exceedingly distressing (‘aym – dreadful and terrorizing) as well as intimidating while demanding respect (wa yare’ – frightening and yet venerated).

And yet his decisions and judgment, his plans and means to resolve disputes (huw’ mishpat – his means to decide and sense of what is appropriate and fair) are his alone (huw’).

His means to be accepted into the relationship and to be forgiven (wa se’eth huw’ – his proposals on his personal esteem, salvation, and acceptance) he brings forth and disseminates (yatsa’ – he angrily expresses, spreads, and broadly and publicly extends (qal imperfect third-person masculine singular)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:7)

The best way to avoid losing your soul to Sha’uwl | Paul is to listen to God. We ought to be looking up, not down. This is why we have consistently compared Paul’s jargon to Yahowah’s testimony. When he contradicts God, he is wrong, regardless of what anyone believes.

It is by being informed, by observing the Word of God, that we can do as He is asking. Yahowah wants us to 403“quwm – to take a firm and unwavering stance” against Babel.

Those whom Sha’uwl has beguiled are “mar – disagreeable and embittered,” especially regarding Yahowah, Yahowsha’, the Towrah, Miqra’ey, and Beryth. Christians recoil like snakes ready to strike when encouraged to consider and embrace God’s nature and intent. The religious realize that the God of the Towrah is hostile to their faith. As a result, there is a “mar – pungent stench” about them from Yahowah’s point of view.

I suspect that the reference to being “ha mahar – impetuous and hasty” speaks to the realization that no one thinks his or her way to Paul and thus Christianity. Faith is the product of a rash decision because Paul’s propositions are preposterous. A modicum of thought, a momentary comparison, a quick fact-check, is all it would take to resolve the religious stupor.

We have already explained the principal reason Yahowah cross-referenced Paul with Babylon, just as we have discussed Sha’uwl’s affinity for Gentiles, but there is another possibility. Sha’uwl died an abject failure, thoroughly rejected, completely miserable, and totally alone. Had it not been for what Rome, from which we get the word “gentile,” and the legacy of Babylon, did with his religion, Paulos would have been of little account.

The inclusion of “Kasdym – Chaldeans” puts all of this in perspective for us because, immediately before Yahowah asked Abraham “to walk away from his country,” establishing the Covenant’s lone prerequisite, God told us that Abraham was living in “Ur of the Chaldeans.” Therefore, Yahowah is predicting that, by negating the Towrah’s presentation of the Covenant, Sha’uwl would take believers back to the political and religious milieu He asked His children to leave. And that is why in Yirma’yah / Jeremiah Yahowah pleads with His 404people to come out of Babylon. The nation is long gone but, thanks to Paul, not its influence.

“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every individual’s soul. Do not be cut off in her perverse corruptions. For this is the time of Yahowah’s vengeance. He will render recompence unto her.” (Yirma’yah / Jeremiah 51:6)

The religion Paul conceived has more in common with the mythos of Babylon than any other. As was the case with the Babylonians, Christians are fixated on their Trinity, on their Cross, on the celebration of the Winter Solstice and Easter Sunday when their god is born, dies, and is resurrected. Both worship a god whom they call “the Lord,” using Satan’s title.

And while there are a handful of nations which could claim to be the most Christian, such as Italy, Greece, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and America, Babylon was condemned for more than just being religious. Their relentless deployment of their military, one which was overwhelming in its day, and their corrupt mercantilism where the empowered cheated and controlled the masses, were hallmarks of Babylonian influence. When we bring these elements together, today one nation stands naked and exposed before God – the United States of America. I say this knowing that Yahowah will denounce the nation in Yasha’yah / Isaiah 17 and 18 – chapters we will dissect at the conclusion of Yada Yahowah.

This known, in addition to political Babylon, there is religious and geographic Babylon represented by the Roman Catholic Church and Islam in the Middle East. Those who are opposed to God are prolific and widespread.

Sha’uwl was a traveling man. He not only walked throughout Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, the Mediterranean, and Rome, he spoke and acted as if the world belonged to him. And yet, according to the prophecy, Yahowah 405disagrees.

By attacking the Towrah, its Miqra’ey and Beryth, one neuters the effectiveness of the “mishpat – means to exercise good judgment regarding the means to resolve disputes.” And having discarded Yahowah’s methods to reconcile our relationship, Paul created his own. Unfortunately for Christians, God views faith-based salvation and replacement theology as exceedingly distressing and repugnant. Then speaking of the monstrous man behind this dreadful plan, Yahowah said he was “‘aym wa yare’ – repugnant and intimidating, exceedingly distressing while demanding respect, frightening while venerated.” And it would be so.

Throughout this book, readers have been consistently reminded that Paul’s irrational claims regarding the “mishpat – means to condemn and acquit” were his own. He was not inspired by God. His promise of salvation through faith is not only without support in the Towrah, it is unreliable. No one has ever been saved based upon something Paul said or wrote.

While this conclusion has been obvious from the beginning, by using se’eth in the midst of this stinging rebuke, God is revealing that His issues with Sha’uwl include his contrarian means to be accepted into the Covenant relationship and to be saved. And yet, had he not claimed to have been inspired by God, had he not misappropriated and misquoted God’s testimony, Paul would not have earned a dressing down of this magnitude.

Finally transitioning from “he” to “they,” at least for a moment, Yahowah temporarily broadens the scope of His warning from the man we know as Sha’uwl | Paul to the warmongering nations and lethal institutions he inspired. God is taking us to our present and future, to the time the “namer – scummy remainder” of Paul’s legacy will deploy “suws – swift airborne weapons” to “chadad – menace” 406His people. As “‘ereb – the sun sets” on the human experience, Yahowah is pleading with His people, hoping that they will flee the “chadad – predatory nature of this lone wolf.”

“They will be despised as abhorrent so they will fade away (wa qalal – they will be disdained because they are despicable, contemptuous, and vile, regarded as having no value, insignificant and of no account, so they will be humbled and diminished (qal perfect)) as the dregs of a scummy remainder (min namer – as excess scum, a transparent stain from a limpid filtrate, even possibly a panther derived from Nimrod, the first king of Babylon who fought against Yah).

His swift airborne weaponry (suws huw’ – his fast flying machines and airborne cavalry, the horsepower of his military equipment) will be as fierce and menacing as a lone wolf (wa chadad min za’ed – will be harmful, destructive, violent, and slashing, acting as if a single predator; from chad – a singular individual (qal perfect)) as the sun sets (‘ereb – in the gloomy dusk at the approach of night by commingling and intermixing light and darkness, weaving things together while exchanging one thing for another, bartering with the darkness to replace and obscure in league with foreigners).

Their randomly dispersed and widely scattered (puwsh – their spread out and fast moving source of pride (qal perfect)) mobile war machines and accompanying soldiers (parash huw’ wa parash huw’ – mechanized weapons of war which pierce and separate along with military personnel riding battle chariots) will come from afar in the future (min rachowq bow’ – they will arrive from a great distance away, pursuing after a duration of time by (qal imperfect)) flying through the air, even hovering (‘uwph – with wings actually airborne, moving quickly, albeit for a brief moment in time (qal imperfect)), like (ka – similar to) birds of prey (nesher – hawks and 407eagles), quickly swooping down and ready (chuwsh – moving very rapidly (qal participle)) to consume and destroy (la ‘akal).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:8)

Paul’s Christians would be seen as “qalal – despised and abhorrent” not only by God, but also by His people. And as a result, soon they will be no more. The “namer – dregs of this scummy remainder” will fade away. We can no longer plead ignorance. We have been forewarned.

Six centuries would pass from the time Chabaquwq scribed these words until Sha’uwl’s arrival, and then another nineteen hundred would come and go before this portion of the prophecy would materialize. Today, “suws – airborne weapons” are commonplace. With electronic communications, advanced computer guidance, and global positioning, militaries can coordinate an attack – operating with the efficiency of a lone wolf.

Since this warning has focused on the most vicious weapons of war, and especially on fighters, bombers, helicopters, and drones, it is all too easy to see America’s immense war machine, particularly its menacing birds of prey, in these words. The nation has been in a continual state of war, dispatching its military horsepower far and wide to swoop down, destroying nations around the world, most recently focusing on the Muslim fiefdoms of the Middle East while engendering shock and awe. And sadly, no nation on earth is more Babylonian, more influenced by the vicious wolf known as Paul. No other country has engaged in fifteen wars in sixty years. None other has a military so enormous, it exceeds the cost of all others combined. Facing east toward perceived trouble, America has fought on behalf of and then supplied twenty-five times more weaponry to Israel’s Islamic foes than to the Chosen People. And that is why the final attack on Yisra’el will come from fighters who are “puwsh – dispersed and widely scattered.”

408And come they will as “‘ereb – the sun sets in the gloomy dusk at the approach of night.” It will be the result of “‘ereb – commingling and intermixing light and darkness, weaving things together while exchanging one thing for another, bartering with the darkness to replace and obscure in league with foreigners.”

While this was “rachowq – far into the future” from the prophet’s perspective, this is that time. Even beyond what we have recently witnessed during Israel’s War of Independence, the Six-Day War, and the War on Yowm Kippur, the upcoming battles of an all-Islamic war and the final world war will be far worse. The skies above Yisra’el will rain with “parash huw’ wa parash huw’ – mobile war machines and accompanying soldiers” who “min rachowq bow’ – will come from afar in the future” “‘uwph – flying through the air, even hovering” “ka nesher – like birds of prey.” They will “chuwsh – swoop down, “la ‘akal – ready to destroy.”

Returning to the inception of the madness, the prophet reveals…

“With all of his (kol huw’) devastating plots comprised of cruel lies dedicated to plundering the people of the Towrah (chamas – destructiveness, marauding and despoilation, injustice from Towrahlessness, grievous wrongdoing and unrighteousness leading to terrorism and death; from chamas – that which is wrong rationally and ethically, such that people are violently persecuted), he persistently pursues (bow’ magamah – he keeps coming, perpetrating this again; from ma – to ponder the implications of gam – doing something again).

They appear in the east in confrontational fashion (hem paneh qadym – their presence is antagonistic and hostile and their belligerent claims are combative).

He gathers the victimized (‘asaph – he assembles the 409estranged who will be exterminated) captives (sheby – populations are captured and controlled) as if they were sand (ka chowl – because they are innumerable and comparatively dense).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:9)

This is now the third time Yahowah has used chamas | devastating plots comprised of cruel lies in association with the dressing down of Sha’uwl. It speaks of Paul’s lack of moral restraint, the plundering of Yisra’el of God’s promises, and his consistent pursuit of Towrahlessness.

Those the Devil’s Advocate inspired have remained exceedingly “qadym – confrontational and antagonistic” toward God and His people. Unable to save anyone, Paul’s “‘asaph – harvest was comprised of victims who he estranged” from God. The souls of those “sheby – captivated” will be exterminated – nary a one entering heaven. And inexplicitly, the populations controlled by Christianity are “chowl – as innumerable and dense as sand.”

Consistent with Paul’s egregious tome to the Romans, religion and politics would be in lock step. Christianity would empower clerics and kings for nearly two millennia.

“And he, along with the rulers (wa huw’ ba ha melek – he with the political and religious leaders) mock and ridicule (qalas – deride and treat with contempt). Those who govern and are empowered (rozen – the elitists and dignitaries, judges and commanders) scoff, as they are haughty and egocentric (mischaq – strut around arrogant and proud) because of him (la huw’ – concerning him).

He, at everything (huw’ la kol) which defends and fortifies and should have remained off limits (mibtsar – which protects and should not have been questioned; from my – to question and batsar – to gather together and withhold, to fortify and restrain, to remain impenetrable and inaccessible), laughs in amusement while degrading 410Yitschaq (tsachaq – he considers everything associated with Yitschaq, whose name means Laughter, to be a joke to be mocked and disrespected (qal imperfect)).

He piles up a massive amount (wa tsabar – he gathers and accumulates, heaping up (qal imperfect)) of progeny along with their dust and debris (‘aphar – of offspring and their descendants as if coarsely crumbled sand), and he seizes and controls them (wa lakad huw’ – he captures and constrains them in his trap (qal imperfect)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:10)

It is Paul’s essay on government in the 13^th chapter of Romans which made this possible. Roman Emperors began toying with Christianity beginning with Constantine’s infamous, “Under this sign, conquer.” And while the burning cross superimposed on the sun was a myth, as was the voice from the sky, Eusebius, Constantine’s publicist and Roman Catholic polemicist, turned Paul’s pathetic rantings into a formidable religion. General Constantine, of course, knew it was a farce, and simply used the religion to advance his reign and burnish his reputation. But such would not be the case with Theodosius. He was the one who established Christianity as the lone acceptable Roman religion, and with it, the system of serfdom which would enslave Europeans for centuries.

This prophecy is inferring something I have personally verified. Those who profit by promoting Christian myths know that the religion is a sham. With regard to Roman Catholic popes, I will provide proof of this in the concluding volume of Questioning Paul. And as for Protestants, in discussions with many of the most famous of them, when I confronted them with the truth, they all readily admitted that almost everything they preached was untrue. But they went ahead anyway because Paul’s passion has remained a lucrative undertaking.

411All the while, the Towrah should have “mibtsar – remained off limits” because it alone “defends, protects, and fortifies.” By tearing it down, Paul rendered salvation “inaccessible.”

Even the centerpiece of the Covenant, the birth of Yitschaq, Sha’uwl managed to convolute and mock. Nothing he could have written would have been more disrespectful or deadly than replacing Yitschaq with Ishmael. In the process, Paul “tsabar – amassed” “‘aphar – progeny from the debris.” Christians would become little more than “crumbing specks of sand” between his fingers. It was all a “lakad – trap, a means to capture and control” the world.

Superficially, the most Pauline nation in world history, and thus the surviving embodiment of Babylon, has made a habit of vilifying world leaders while ridiculing their alleged weapons of mass destruction. America has amused itself with inferior fortifications, all while turning one nation after another into piles of rubble. While our focus is on the natural extension of Pauline Christianity, for those who might also be looking for references to America in prophecy, perhaps we have found common ground.

Affirming what became obvious when Galatians turned Gnostic, Yahowah warned that Sha’uwl would promote the wrong spirit in his attempt to elevate Babylon’s god. What follows is exceedingly indicting…

“Then at that time (‘az), he will actually go with a new and completely different spirit (chalaph ruwach – he will discard the Spirit, sweeping Her aside, actually exchanging the existing Spirit for a totally dissimilar spirit (qal perfect)).

And he will arrogantly travel about, intoxicating and alienating (wa ‘abar – based upon an unjustified and improper opinion of himself, he will give away an inheritance, pass over the sacrifice, and take away the 412prospect of forgiveness, repealing Passover, doing so in anger (qal imperfect)).

He will be wrong, incur guilt, and will genuinely suffer punishment (wa ‘asham – he is culpable and liable for his wrongdoing and will endure recompense for his acknowledged offenses (qal perfect)).

For this is (zuw – because this is regarded as) his influence (koach huw’ – the extent of his potential and capability, of his reptilian nature, resources, and qualifications, his functionality, performance, authority, and status) on behalf of his god (la ‘elowah huw’ – for his object of worship).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:11)

God was correct. In all of his references to the spirit, Sha’uwl substituted his Lord’s demonic influence for Yahowah’s Set-Apart Spirit. Paul’s new faith would have a new and different spirituality. Catholics would call this beast: the Holy Ghost.

Incidentally, “holy” is based upon the Hebrew “choly,” which is translated: “diseased,” and speaks of “sickness, malady, anxiety, calamity, and grief.” And it gets worse, because the Greek word translated “holy” is hagios, from hagos. It describes “that which originally had denoted something awful being deliberately removed and done away with because its removal was deemed somehow beneficial.”

Paul was “arrogant” to a fault. Rather than create his religion out of whole cloth, he cut, redyed, twisted, and rearranged snippets of Yahowah’s Word, “meddling” with His Covenant. He thereby “alienated” believers from God, “intoxicating” them. Worst of all, he would “‘abar – sacrifice the inheritance by revoking the prospect of salvation through repealing Passover.”

Fortunately, Yahowah is just, so Sha’uwl will be held accountable for all of the souls he has destroyed. His 413penalty will be an eternity in the place named in his honor: She’owl | Hell. And because Yahowah has already pronounced judgment, we can rest assured that our criticisms are valid and appropriate. ‘Asham on him.

It is also true that Satan will join Sha’uwl in She’owl. They have worked as one and will endure Hell together as a result. Their crime: replacing Yahowah with the Lord such that believers worship Satan as if he were God.

Christianity was born out of the spirit Paulos admitted possessed him – “a messenger from Satan.” The resulting religion was, therefore, “koah la ‘elowah – the influence of his god,” a wannabe deity known to the Towrah observant as “ha Satan – the Adversary.”

Also, while we are addressing this “chalaph ruwach – different and more recently conceived alternative spirit” “la ‘elowah – of his god,” be aware that the perpetrator being prophetically exposed and condemned in these words remains masculine singular. This rebuke is focused upon Sha’uwl because of what he did on Satan’s behalf.

It should go without saying: the Babylonians were not “spiritual,” and they worshiped a plethora of deities, further isolating this Divine sanction to the lone individual named in the second chapter of Habakkuk. This solitary individual remains the most infamous in history.

At this point, we find Chabaquwq wondering why anyone would oppose Yahowah, especially by proposing a religion based upon God’s supposed death, as is the case with Pauline Christianity. And yet while the death of the Christian god is reported to be the means to salvation, that was not the only indicting aspect of this next prophetic revelation. God revealed the pseudonym He would personally give to the individuals He appointed to rebuke Sha’uwl: “Shim’own Kephas – the Rock of Reconciliation who Listens” and to Dowd, the cornerstone of the Covenant.

414“Yahowah ( – the pronunciation of YaHoWaH as guided by His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah – existence), my God (‘elohym ‘any), my Set-Apart One (qodesh ‘any), are You not eternal, from an unlimited duration of time (ha lo’ ‘atah min qedem)?

Yahowah (Yahowah – written as directed by His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah – existence), we will not die (lo’ muwth – we will not be put to death or be absent of life (qal imperfect)) as the means to decide guilt or innocence (la mishpat – as the way to exercise good judgment regarding resolving disputes and rendering justice).

You have actually appointed for him (sym huw’ – You have placed upon him upon examining him (qal perfect)), accordingly (wa) the Rock (tsuwr) which You have assigned and positioned to argue against and rebuke him (la yakach yasad huw’ – You have laid as a foundation to initiate the process to prove that he is wrong, to chide him and judge him, using arguments to demonstrate he was wrong (hifil infinitive)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:12)

Paul was constantly focused upon the alleged “death” of his god on a pagan cross. And yet God “lo’ muwth – cannot die.” This is a blow to the heart and soul of Christianity. It is why Sha’uwl has already been judged and found guilty. There is nothing more offensive to God than billions of people parading around under the symbol of a dead god on a stick.

Yahowah is eternal. He is, He was, and He will always be, existing forever in the past and future. Man did not kill God.

Hypothetically, however, if Jews had the ability to kill the Christian god as Paul protests, then his followers ought to be worshiping Jews. But alas, it was the Romans who tortured and then assassinated the Passover Lamb, and they 415evolved to become the Roman Catholic Church.

Chabaquwq is affirming that “God’s supposed death,” should it have been possible, would have been immaterial. Salvation is not the result of God dying. The “mishpat – means to decide a soul’s guilt or innocence” is determined based upon our response to the Beryth and Miqra’ey – God’s means to life, not death.

Sha’uwl’s admitted foe was Shim’own, the “Kephas – Rock” – the Disciple who stood up against Paul in Yaruwshalaim to rebuke him. It was even the moniker Paulos used to identify his adversary in this debate. However, “Peter (meaning “rock” in Greek) was not Sha’uwl’s most formidable foe. It is in Dowd’s | David’s Mizmowr | Psalms that we find the most detailed and cogent arguments against Sha’uwl. Therein, Paul is called the “Father of Lies” and the “Son of Evil.” Dowd despises him, and he looks forward to eradicating the stigma of his religion upon his return.

Chabaquwq is now saying something I have long realized: God deserves better. He should not have been subjected to the taunts of such a mindless scumbag, nor the chorus of billions singing his praises. I do not much like him either.

“Too flawless (tahowr – too pure and clean) are eyes to witness (‘ayn min ra’ah – is understanding from observation to see (qal infinitive)) such malignant and displeasing evil (ra’ – such saddening and troubling wickedness, such distressful and miserable impropriety, such disagreeable and unpleasant injustice and sorrow).

You cannot endure nor prevail when (lo’ yakol – since You can neither succeed nor overcome, so there is no point (qal imperfect)) looking upon or responding to (wa nabat – observing or evaluating because there is no solution to (hifil infinitive)) such a perverse and grievous undertaking (‘el ‘amal – oppression of this magnitude, 416travail this painful, or labor this full of iniquity).

For what reason would (la mah – why would) You look at or consider (mah nabat – why would You pay attention to, attend to, or show any regard for (hifil imperfect)) the treacherous betrayal of an offensive and deceitful trickster and traitor (bagad – the conspirator, one who is disingenuous and disrespectful, especially prone to chicanery (qal participle))?” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:13 in part)

This is to say that the founder of the Christian religion was so vile, so “ra’ – malignant and wicked,” that Yahowah was repulsed by his presence and could not bear to look at him. So much for Sha’uwl’s | Paul’s claim to have met with God on the road to Damascus and then to have spent three years in Arabia being inspired.

Paul’s poison would be so debilitating and deadly, God could neither endure it nor prevail against it. And while that may sound extreme, it is actually an accurate assessment of the lone means to reconcile our relationship with Him because Yahowah cannot and will not save the religious. As long as someone remains beguiled by Paul’s faith, there is no antidote for his toxin. The lone prerequisite for becoming part of the Covenant is that we must disassociate ourselves from the confusion and intermixing of religion and politics.

From Yahowah’s perspective, Sha’uwl was “ra’ – the personification of evil, wicked, and thus saddening, troubling and unpleasant, displeasing and inappropriate, a miserable and disagreeable individual who was enormously distressing.”

Addressing the poison which would flow from Paul’s pen, God called it “‘amal – grievous and perverse, exceedingly oppressive, heinously unjust and hideously immoral.” He said that Sha’uwl was “bagad – treacherous” and that he was a “traitor, both offensive and deceitful, 417especially prone to chicanery.” That is a far cry from “I cannot lie.”

And speaking of traitors, I recall Paul decrying the Galatians as such. Methinks he was looking into a mirror. Those words will come to haunt him.

For every accusation, there is an answer. For every deception, there is a nugget of truth. The thirteenth verse would serve as a warning to those with an affinity for the self-proclaimed 13^th apostle…

“Therefore, You will enable an implement to write against this plot while You remain silent and unresponsive, taking no other action for a prolonged period, facilitating an inscribed response by composing an effective demarcation (charash – You will facilitate an inscribed response with ongoing implications, while remaining otherwise silent and unresponsive, taking no other action for a prolonged period (hifil imperfect – Yahowah is enabling an implement as an understudy to write against this plot, doing so in a way that will have unfolding implications over time)) concerning that which is befuddling and confusing besides countering it with effective communication, thereby devouring (ba bala’ – swallowing up those who lead astray by way of disseminating accurate information, destroying (piel infinitive – the guilty suffer the effect in a highly demonstrative manner)) the wicked (rasha’ – those who are evil and unGodly, becoming unrighteous and condemned by transgressing the standard in criminal fashion) more accurate and righteous than him (tsadyq min huw’ – more correct and appropriate than him, less wrong and guilty than him).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:13)

Yahowah would do as He has always done: leave His people without excuse. He would have Chabaquwq convey this prophecy to the world 666 years in advance of Sha’uwl 418fulfilling it. And then God would deploy and enable a “charash – implement,” reminiscent of the choter (presented in Yasha’yah | Isaiah 11 and meaning: insignificant stem or implement), to translate and “charash – chronicle” this prophetic spectacle for modern readers, combining it with an excoriating analysis of Sha’uwl’s letters. You are reading what Yahowah has had “charash – inscribed” for His people’s edification on the cusp of His return. I have sought to make a clear and unequivocal demarcation between Paul’s claims and Yahowah’s testimony.

God’s intent with this writing is to openly oppose Paul’s “bala’ – befuddling and confusing plot, devouring it through effective communication.” There are many who have been wrong about Yahowah, such as Akiba and Muhammad, but even they were less wicked and twisted than Paul. When it comes to evil, Sha’uwl is the most unGodly of all.

There would be others, however, the likes of Akiba, Hadrian, Muhammad, and Maimonides. Therefore, I have targeted each of them at the proper time.

For the most part, however, Yahowah pays no attention to those who pay no attention to Him. Live and let die is His motto in this regard. The malignant and displeasing victims of religion are unknown to God, and thus when they die apart from the source of life, their souls cease to exist. That is the reason Yahowah is reporting that the promises manifest in religions like Christianity are not reliable, making the faith a treacherous betrayal of trust.

Yahowah warned us in advance and in the aftermath of Sha’uwl’s formidable betrayal. He views that as sufficient because He has otherwise been silent.

However, His silence is not without implication. It means that God did not inspire anything in the Christian New Testament. If He had, He would have said so. And we 419would have read testimony such as this throughout the Christian “Scriptures.” But we haven’t, so He didn’t.

Paul was fixated upon presenting himself as second to none, as not taking a backseat to anyone, including Yahowah, Yahowsha’, Moseh, Dowd, or the Prophets, not even the disciples. He claimed to be the lone authorized apostle to the Greek and Roman world. He ordered the faithful to follow him and to obey him. And he spoke on behalf of his Lord, the Adversarial spirit who sought to possess and control humankind as if we were slaves.

This is the antithesis of God’s approach. Other than Dowd, He typically disdains kings and clerics. There are no strata in the Covenant family. Therefore, Yahowah had His prophet write...

“Therefore, You will act and engage with (wa ‘asah – You work on behalf of and expend considerable energy and effort to benefit (qal imperfect consecutive)) humankind (‘adam – men and women who have a neshamah / conscience) in a manner which could be compared to (ka – similar to) the fish (dag) of the sea (ha yam – in the water), similar to (ka – like) creatures which move freely about (remes – like the multitude of highly mobile animals) without anyone ruling over them or seeking to control them (lo’ mashal ba huw’ – without anyone claiming dominion or someone who claims to be in charge (qal participle)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:14)

Fish swim freely in the sea. They do not have lords. Life teems without submitting to governmental authority or religious institutions. They can swim wherever they like, even at different levels, some in the depths of darkness and others near the glistening waves of light. They even swim in schools, which symbolically suggests that they, unlike the religious, are receptive to proper instruction.

As for Paul, in Romans 13 he ordered Christians to 420submit to governmental authorities. He would have the faithful obeying the despots who claimed that they were either gods themselves or authorized by God. Writing to the Romans, a hideously oppressive and destructive empire, Sha’uwl claimed that even that government was instituted by his god.

Noach was an outcast when Yahowah reached out to him. Moseh was a shepherd, tending to another man’s sheep in the desert. Dowd was an otherwise unappealing young lad. God advances His will through the least of us. If you are impressed with status and credentials, you won’t much like heaven.

It would be appropriate to point out that it is not a coincidence that each and every criticism fits Sha’uwl. And that is because every one of them was written to indict him. It is not perchance that nary a statement has been made that does not apply to the author of and inspiration behind most of the “Christian New Testament.”

Baiting and hooking his audience, and netting vast numbers of souls, Sha’uwl killed everyone who took his bait. Worse, he was so depraved that he rejoiced in what was nothing short of mass murder.

“In everything associated with him (kol huw’ ba), he will use a lure and hook to entice, withdraw, and sacrifice (chakah ‘alah – a small, sharp implement to ambush, snag, bait, and catch the unsuspecting, lifting them up as an offering (hifil perfect)).

When (wa – and also [found in the DSS but not MT]) he catches them, he drags them away (garar huw’ – in a whirling and swirling fashion he grasps hold, pulls them away, and he tears them apart, chewing them up, he destroys them) in his dedicated trap (ba cherem huw’ – with the snare of his devotion and in his destructive net).

And he gathers them together and removes them (wa ‘asaph hem – so he assembles and collects, eradicating 421them (qal imperfect)) in his dragnets by kindling his victims’ yearnings (ba mikmereth huw’ – in his fishing nets designed to trap and snare while he is emotionally agitated; from kamar – to be mentally and emotionally dysregulated).

And yet, concerning this (‘al ken – so therefore in this way), he is elated (samach – he delights and is pleased, albeit by being intoxicated with himself (qal imperfect)) and he is glad, shrieking and shouting over this outcome (wa gyl – he screams in uproarious fashion as if this were a favorable outcome and beneficial circumstance (qal imperfect)).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:15)

Considering the hundreds of millions of people Islam has slaughtered in religious rage, it is sad to report that Sha’uwl was more murderous still when one considers the number of souls he lured to their demise. Not only does religion constrain our freedom, similar to a net with fish, Paul drew believers away from God. Moreover, the reference to “ensnaring fish” is indicative of Christianity, where the faithful used the image of a fish to identify themselves with their religion. This symbol remains prevalent today in the Christian Ichthus, Greek for “fish,” where the letters ΙΧΘΥΣ were formed inside the “sign of the fish.” It purports to be an acronym for “Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter – Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” In this regard, it is telling that this symbol not only preceded Christianity, it was originally associated with Astarte, the Babylonian Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. As a fertility symbol, it was a vagina. Such is the genesis and evolution of Christianity.

Paul’s faith is a trap, one which uses a person’s devotion as the bait and snare. Paul cast his enormous dragnet over the known world, capturing and killing every unwary soul within his purview. And all the while, he was emotionally and mentally dysregulated, shrieking and 422shouting while constantly shifting between celebration and agitation – becoming the court jester of the crazymakers.

The realization that Sha’uwl was elated at the demise of his victims demonstrates that he was sadistic – the trait we appropriately associate with his mentor: Satan. Christianity is premeditated murder perpetrated by a heartless serial killer.

As an interesting aside, while dark and dour, your stereotypical psychotic schizophrenic narcissist and psychopath seldom displays the range of discordant emotions we find in Paul’s letters and speeches. Because they lack empathy, they do not actually experience joy or happiness and are compelled to fake it to keep their devotees under their spell.

Throughout this extraordinary prophecy, the perpetrator remains one while his victims are many…

“So therefore in this way (‘al ken – so concerning this), he sacrifices and slaughters (zabach – he butchers, killing as part of his penitence, mollification, and worship (piel imperfect)) his devotees as they approach his net and are ensnared in his trap (la cherem huw’ – mutilating, disfiguring, and destroying in his ruse on behalf of his deity).

And he blows smoke to make illicit worship seem pleasant (qatar – he kindles aromatic incense in a religious setting and encourages offerings which trap; from qatar – to bind and shut in, fumigating a living space to drive out the occupants (piel imperfect)), ensnaring his victims while remaining emotionally agitated and unstable (la mikmereth huw’ – capturing his victims in his dragnet; from kamar – to be mentally and emotionally dysregulated).

For indeed (ky), by them (ba hem) he is enriched and satisfied (shaman – he grows fat, becoming unhealthy while becoming abundantly productive) through 423seductive words while he claims a share of his persuasive plot (cheleq huw’ – he takes his allotment and leads an easy life as a reward for his influential scheme).

And so what he devours (wa ma’akal huw’ – then his fruit) is contrived, newly fashioned and artificial (barya’ – recently created, entirely new, and synthesized, circumstances and conditions which have been amalgamated).” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:16)

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the 8HevXII rendering of Habakkuk 1:16 suggests that Sha’uwl’s “consumption grew large.” And if that is what the prophet was inspired to write, it means that his bread was filled with yeast, and thus is rife with the fungus of religious and political corruption. This could well be a rebuke to Paul’s “a little yeast the whole loaf of bread yeasts.”

I have not sought to assess the quantity of souls Paul has extinguished nor the scope of those who have been tormented by his faith, but they number in the billions and millions. The dankest and darkest, most irritating and opaque smokescreen of all has been cultured to hide his complicity.

Fortunately, Sha’uwl has earned his share of the plot he instigated. An eternity in She’owl will be his recompense.

As frustrating and embarrassing as it is for me to admit that the litany of misappropriated statements, contradictions, and rational fallacies Paul contrived was persuasive, he fooled me during my youth. But now, by comparing his claims to Yahowah’s promises, we know better. Paul’s was a “barya’ – artificial edifice, recently contrived by synthesizing and amalgamizing” pagan lore.

The enduring legacy of Pauline Christianity is a tribute to faith over reason…

424“So how is it (ha ‘al ken) that he continues to summon into such worthless delusions and then disgorge (ryq – he constantly calls out in vain, advocating meaningless fantasies from such a long distance away, promoting that which is unreal and has never existed and is without any benefit, and then discharges into nonexistence (hifil imperfect – making his victims act similarly with ongoing implications)) believers from his trap (cherem huw’ – the faithful from his net destroying his followers in his ruse on behalf of his deity), only to (wa) eternally and intentionally end the lives (tamyd la harag – continually and with premeditation, kill, murdering with everlasting implications) of Gentiles (Gowym – of people from different races and places, those prone to religious beliefs who are dead men walking estranged from Yisra’el), showing no concern or mercy (lo’ chamal – sparing none while incapable of pity, kindness, or compassion)?” (Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk 1:17)

Once again, we are confronted by a discrepancy between the Masoretic Text, first compiled in the 11^th century CE, and the Qumran Scrolls, dating to the 2^nd century BCE. According to the DSS, Chabaquwq queried:

“So how is it that he continues in vain to advocate meaningless fantasies from such a long distance away, promoting that which is unreal and has never existed, doing so without any benefit, only to disgorge into nonexistence with ‘his sword which severs and slays (chereb / charab),’ thereby continually and eternally killing the Gentiles without concern or compassion?”

Chereb / charab can be something which “cuts, severs, and destroys.” It is “an implement which lays waste, making life meaningless” as well as “a tool used to attack, smite, and slay.” Pronounced, choreb, it depicts a “dry, hot, and desolate place.”

Should chereb / charab have been intended, then 425Chabaquwq was likely contrasting Sha’uwl’s lifeless rhetoric to the revelation of the Towrah on Mount Choreb. This possibility is intriguing considering Paul’s false allegation that the Towrah’s Covenant enslaved because it was established through Hagar in this place.

Either way, it remains a provocative question. How is it that Sha’uwl continues to seduce so many with such worthless delusions? His letters are so readily disproven, it is a wonder that anyone believes such ridiculous fantasies. There is no truth nor benefit to anything he has proposed.

Nonetheless, we are reminded that Paul’s schemes were intentionally deadly, which means that he committed premeditated murder. This makes him history’s most deranged serial killer as the souls of believers are disgorged into oblivion.

While Yahowah has affirmed that Sha’uwl’s horrendous intent was premeditated previously, this is the first time that we read that God predicted that he would have no empathy. Paul was unable to feel compassion or concern over the delusion and death of his victims. This confirms that Paul was a psychopath. As a result, he may not be the best option for spiritual advice on living a fulfilling life. Just saying…

There has never been any secret regarding the fact that Sha’uwl | Paul sought to influence and indoctrinate Gentiles or demean and obliterate Jews. He would show no mercy to either. As a result, the means Yahowah provided to save His children would be rejected and replaced with a deadly religion.

There are a number of reasons that we have returned to consider a wider swath of Yahowah’s prophetic pronouncement against Sha’uwl. It serves to forestall the inevitable gymnastics Christian apologetics would otherwise bring to bear against such compelling evidence in opposition to the world’s most popular religion. But in 426light of what we have learned, Paul’s devotees have no hope of refuting the universal condemnation that Yahowah has leveled against Sha’uwl, especially as we transition out of the first and into the second chapter of Chabaquwq / Embrace This / Habakkuk.

Christianity’s only hope is to dissuade believers from considering Yahowah’s prophetic pronouncement by protesting that the prophet was speaking exclusively of Babylon. Therefore, by closely examining and carefully considering the preamble to the most damning prediction found anywhere in the prophets, we have proven that God had Paul’s number – a wrong and disconnected number out of touch with the truth.

With this in mind, let’s reconsider the specificity of God’s prediction as He lowers His sights and takes direct aim at the world’s single most hideous person. Even the prophet’s name, Chabaquwq | Embrace This, is telling when considered next to Sha’uwl | Question Him.

“This is the prophetic pronouncement (ha masa’) which, for the benefit of the relationship and to show the way to get the most enjoyment out of life (‘asher), was received as a revelation by way of witnessing a prophetic vision of the future by (chazah) Chabaquwq | Embrace This (Chabaquwq), the prophet who proclaims the message of God (ha naby’). (Chabaquwq / Habakkuk 1:1)

For how long and to what extent (‘ad ‘an), Yahowah (), shall I plead for relief during this desperately horrible and dangerous situation (shawa’) because (wa) You will not actually listen for a prolonged period of time (lo’ shama’) to my anguished appeal and summons (za’aq)?

Toward and against You (‘el ‘atah) there is a devastating plot comprised of cruel lies regarding being Towrahless, plundering of people without moral 427restraint (chamas), and as a result (wa) You must continuously withhold salvation (lo’ yasha’). (Chabaquwq 1:2)

For what reason, for whom and why (la mah) are You having me witness (ra’ah ‘any) this grotesque corruption and deliberate fraud (‘awen) along with (wa) the distressing misery and abysmal situation being inflicted that (‘amal) You are having me consider (nabat)?

The demonic spirit seeking to be worshiped as God, who is exceedingly malicious and oppressive, the Devil, himself (shod / shed), is a destructive force, completely Towrahless and lacking moral restraint (wa chamas), and yet he is conspicuously before me, publicly conveying this message right out in the open (la neged / nagad ‘any).

He has been and continues to be (wa hayah) contentious and conflicting, taunting and quarrelsome, harboring in hostile opposition a different perception regarding the proper standard (ryb). He brings forth and continuously advocates (nasa’) dissension regarding condemnation and vindication (wa madown). (Chabaquwq 1:3)

In this regard (ken ‘al), he will consistently seek to incapacitate, invalidate, and paralyze the purpose of, striving to nullify, while bringing an end to (puwg) the Towrah | Teaching and Guidance (Towrah).

Therefore, he will never disseminate or carry forward (wa lo’ yatsa’) the everlasting and eternal approach (la netsah) to vindicate by justly resolving disputes or to exercise good judgment by making informed and reasoned decisions regarding the adjudication of relational issues (mishpat).

Instead, by contrast (ky), wickedness is invasive and injustice encompasses (rasha’ kathar) the means to be 428right and become innocent (‘eth ha tsadyq). For this reason, that which (‘al ken) he brings forth and disseminates (yatsa’) perverts, distorts, and convolutes (‘aqal) the way to make informed and rational decisions regarding judgment (mishpat). (Chabaquwq 1:4)

You can witness this (ra’ah) among the Gentiles (ba ha gowym) if you care to be consistently observant, carefully considering and evaluating (wa nabat).

So you should avoid being among those negatively influenced. You should be astonished and astounded, and thereby remain free of these societal influences. You should independently exhibit an exceptionally negative reaction, bewildered and dumbfounded, wondering how it was even possible (wa tamah tamah).

Indeed, it is true that (ky) a considerable undertaking will transpire (po’al pa’al) in your days (ba yowmym) which you will not find credible in spite of it being truthfully and reliably verified (lo’ ‘aman), even when it is properly assessed, written down, and he is held accountable (ky saphar). (Chabaquwq 1:5)

For this reason (ky), look to Me, and pay attention (hineh ‘any), being upright while taking a firm stand (quwm) regarding (‘eth) the Chaldeans and the religious influence of Babylon (ha Kasdym), the population of Gentiles (gowy) who are disagreeable and embittered (mar), impetuous and hasty (wa ha mahar).

Through the vast expanses of the region (la merchab ‘erets) he makes his way (ha halak) acting as if it was his inheritance, taking possession of (la yarash) inhabited places that are not his to own (mishkan lo’ la huw’). (Chabaquwq 1:6) He is (huw’ min) terrible and repugnant, exceedingly distressing and terrorizing (‘aym) as well as intimidating while demanding to be venerated (wa yare’).

And yet his decisions and judgment, his plans and 429means to resolve disputes (huw’ mishpat) are his alone (huw’). His proposals on being accepted into the relationship and to be forgiven (wa se’eth huw’), he brings forth and disseminates (yatsa’). (Chabaquwq 1:7)

They will be despised as abhorrent so they will fade away (wa qalal) as the dregs of a scummy remainder (min namer).

His swift airborne weaponry (suws huw’) will be as fierce and menacing as a lone wolf (wa chadad min za’ed) as the sun sets in the gloomy dusk at the approach of night by commingling and intermixing light and darkness, weaving things together while exchanging one thing for another, bartering with the darkness to replace and obscure in league with foreigners (‘ereb).

Their randomly dispersed and widely scattered (puwsh) mobile war machines and accompanying soldiers (parash huw’ wa parash huw’) will come from afar in the future (min rachowq bow’) flying through the air, even hovering (‘uwph), like (ka) birds of prey (nesher), quickly swooping down and ready (chuwsh) to consume and destroy (la ‘akal). (Chabaquwq 1:8)

With all of his (kol huw’) devastating plots to plunder the people of the Towrah comprised of cruel lies and great injustice (chamas), he persistently pursues (bow’ magamah).

They appear in the east in confrontational fashion, antagonistic and belligerent (hem paneh qadym). He gathers the victimized (‘asaph) captives (sheby) as if they were sand, innumerable and comparatively dense (ka chowl). (Chabaquwq 1:9)

And he, along with the religious and political rulers (wa huw’ ba ha melek) mock and ridicule (qalas). Those who govern and are empowered (wa rozen) scoff, as they are haughty and egocentric (mischaq) because of him (la huw’).

430He, at everything (huw’ la kol) which defends and fortifies and should have remained off limits (mibtsar), laughs in amusement while degrading Yitschaq (tsachaq).

He piles up a massive amount (wa tsabar) of progeny along with their dust and debris (‘aphar), and he seizes them (wa lakad huw’). (Chabaquwq 1:10)

Then at that time (‘az), he will actually go with a new and completely different spirit, discarding the Spirit, sweeping Her aside, and actually exchanging the existing Spirit for a totally dissimilar spirit (chalaph ruwach).

And he will arrogantly travel about, intoxicating and alienating based upon an unjustified opinion of himself, sacrificing an inheritance while revoking the prospect of salvation by repealing Passover (wa ‘abar).

He will be wrong, incur guilt, and will genuinely suffer punishment for his acknowledged offenses (wa ‘asham). For this is (zuw) his influence (koach huw’) on behalf of his god (la ‘elowah huw’). (Chabaquwq 1:11)

Yahowah (YaHoWaH), my God (‘elohym ‘any), my Set-Apart One (qodesh ‘any), are You not eternal, from an unlimited duration of time (ha lo’ ‘atah min qedem)? Yahowah (Yahowah), we will not die (lo’ muwth) as the means to decide guilt or innocence (la mishpat).

You have actually appointed for him (sym huw’), accordingly (wa) the Rock (tsuwr) which You have assigned and positioned to argue against and rebuke him (la yakach yasad huw’). (Chabaquwq 1:12)

Too flawless (tahowr) are eyes to witness (‘ayn min ra’ah) such malignant and displeasing evil (ra’). You cannot endure nor prevail when (lo’ yakol) looking upon or responding to (wa nabat) such a perverse and grievous undertaking (‘el ‘amal).

431For what reason would (la mah) You look at or consider (mah nabat) the betrayal of an offensive and deceitful trickster and traitor engaged in chicanery (bagad)?

Therefore, You will enable an implement to write against this plot while You remain silent and unresponsive, taking no other action for a prolonged period, facilitating an inscribed response by composing an effective demarcation (charash) concerning that which is befuddling and confusing besides countering it with effective communication, thereby devouring (ba bala’) the wicked (rasha’) more accurate and righteous than him (tsadyq min huw’). (Chabaquwq 1:13)

You act and engage with (wa ‘asah) humankind (‘adam) in a manner which could be compared to (ka) fish (dag) of the sea (ha yam), similar to (ka) creatures which move freely about (remes) without anyone ruling over them or seeking to control them (lo’ mashal ba huw’). (Chabaquwq 1:14) And yet with everything associated with him (kol huw’ ba), he will use a lure and hook to entice, to withdraw and then sacrifice (chakah ‘alah). When (wa) he catches them, he will drag them away (garar huw’) in his dedicated trap (ba cherem huw’). And he will gather them together and remove them (wa ‘asaph hem) in his dragnets by kindling his victims’ yearnings while emotionally agitated and mentally dysregulated (ba mikmereth huw’).

And yet, concerning this (‘al ken), he is elated, being intoxicated with himself (samach), and he is glad, shrieking and shouting over this outcome (wa gyl). (Chabaquwq 1:15)

So therefore in this way (‘al ken), he sacrifices and slaughters (zabach) his devotees as they approach his net and are ensnared in his trap (la cherem huw’). And he blows smoke to make illicit worship seem pleasant 432(qatar), ensnaring his victims while remaining emotionally agitated and unstable (la mikmereth huw’).

For indeed (ky), through them (ba hem) he is enriched and satisfied (shaman), through seductive words while he claims a share of his persuasive plot (cheleq huw’).

In this regard, what he devours (wa ma’akal huw’) is contrived, newly fashioned and artificial, recently created, entirely new, and synthesized, comprised of circumstances and conditions which have been amalgamated (barya’). (Chabaquwq 1:16)

So how is it (ha ‘al ken) that he continues in vain to advocate such worthless fantasies and delusions from so far away, promoting that which is unreal and has never existed, doing so without any benefit, only to disgorge into oblivion (ryq) believers from his trap (cherem huw’), thereby (wa) eternally and intentionally ending the lives (tamyd la harag) of Gentiles (Gowym) while showing no concern, compassion, or mercy (lo’ chamal)?” (Chabaquwq / Habakkuk 1:17)

I do not suppose that it would be possible for a rational person who has carefully considered these words to think that this was all about Babylon, as if the empire was comprised of a single individual, circa 609 to 538 BCE instead of Sha’uwl’s ongoing influence commencing in 52 CE. But if you are predisposed to see this as God’s fixation on the short-lived and flickering history of the nation of Babylon, a brief history may be in order. In that Chaldea includes Assyria, this story begins with the initial Assyrian conquest of Yisra’el which was led by Tiglath-Pileser III and Shalmaneser V. It began around 740 BCE, more than a century before this prophecy was written. Sargon II and his son, Sennacherib, completed the twenty-year campaign, ending with the captivity and demise of ten of Yisra’el’s twelve tribes. This story is told in 1 Chronicles 4335 and 2 Kings 15. By 722 BCE, Samaria was the final Northern Kingdom city to fall (2 Kings 17 and 18). Assyrian cuneiform tablets reveal that 27,290 captives were hauled away from Samaria as slaves.

Shortly thereafter, with 185,000 Assyrians returning to finish off Yaruwshalaim and the Kingdom of Yahuwdah | Judah, King Chiziqyah | Hezekiah found a copy of the Towrah. After reading it, he decided that destroying all vestiges of religion while observing Passover, UnYeasted Bread, and Firstborn Children would be the best way to spare the lives of his people. God agreed, killing the assailants instead.

But the means to salvation was soon forgotten, and throughout most of the 7^th century BCE, Yahuwdah became a client state of the Assyrian empire. However, once the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians, Egypt became concerned about its survival and launched a preemptive strike. Babylon counterattacked, bringing Yahuwdah into the fray, killing King Yowshyah | Josiah in the Battle of Megiddo in 609 BCE. This was within five years of the time Yahowah inspired Chabaquwq to pen this prophecy.

Upon losing the battle, Yahuwdah became a client of Babylon, forging a treaty of alliance in Yaruwshalaim which kept Yahuwdah somewhat sovereign. But just a decade later, Yahuwdym | Jews revolted against Babel | Babylon. So, in 599 BCE, they picked the fight that ultimately led to their demise, just as Rabbi Akiba and the warlord Bar Kochba would do in 133 CE, repeating this history with the Romans. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar II began the Siege of Yaruwshalaim in early 597 BCE, with resistance crumbling a few months later. While the city was not destroyed, it was pillaged and prominent Yahuwdym were taken to Babylon.

Then, against the warnings Yahowah made through 434the Prophet Yirma’yah | Jeremiah, King Tsidqyah | Zedekiah entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt and pushed for independence against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar returned, defeated the Egyptians and laid his sights on Yaruwshalaim, destroying the city wall and the Temple. Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babel along with many other Yahuwdym. Yahuwdah became Yahuwd Medinata (the Aramaic word for “province”) in 587 BCE, briefly losing its sovereignty.

After the fall of Babylon to Persia under the leadership of Cyrus the Great in 538 BCE, the occupiers were gone and the enslaved Yahuwdym returned to Yahuwdah to join those who had remained. And that was the end of Babylon – at least as a nation. Its menacing influence over Yahuwdah lasted less than fifty years. Whereas Sha’uwl’s influence is still being felt 1,969 years after he penned his first letter.

Moreover, when Yahowah had an issue with a Chaldean king, He called him out by name. And yet the only individual named in this prophecy is Sha’uwl. No one by that name ever ruled over any Mesopotamian nation. In addition, Yahowah devoted most of Yirma’yah | Jeremiah, a man much closer to the scene, to presenting His overt condemnation of Babylon. And the Prophet Zephanyah | Zephaniah was better positioned to tell its story.