The Jewish prayer shawl is called a tallit (tah-leet). An in-depth study of the many different traditions associated with wearing a tallit would be too long for this article plus it is not my purpose to discuss that anyway. My purpose is to provide information about the flags of Israel and Jerusalem. Those who are interested should Google “tallit,” if they want more information.

The modern flag of Israel was designed in 1889 by David Wolffsohn, a man who got his inspiration from a tallit. Religious Jews wear a tallit at special times and places (during their morning Scripture studies; prayers at the synagogue; on Feast Days, etc.). Many Christians believe the first three Jewish Feast Days (Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits) prefigure the first coming of Jesus. Some also believe that the last three Jewish Feast Days (Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles) prefigure the second coming of Jesus.

All tallits are not identical (the stripes can be black, blue or multi-colored; there can be two stripes or many stripes; the shawl can be made of wool, silk, etc.), but there are many similarities because a partial list of instructions for a tallit were given by God to Moses (Num. 15:37-41). The tallit David Wolffsohn used when he designed the flag of Israel had two blue stripes, a large Magen David (Star of David) in the center and four corners.

Blue is the color of the sky and it reminds God’s peculiar people that we should walk in a heavenly way. Stripes remind Christians that Jesus was beaten and by His stripes we are healed (Isa. 53:5). The Star of David reminds Christians that Jesus came the first time as a descendant of King David to die for the sins of the world (Matt. 1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30). Jesus also came as that Star out of Jacob (Num. 24:17) and He is the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16). Placing the star in the center of Israel’s flag reminds God’s peculiar people that Jesus should be the center of our life. And the four corners remind God’s peculiar people that God will gather the Jews from the four corners of the earth during the Millennium (Isa. 11:12; Jer. 31:8).

In 1949 (one year after Israel became a nation), Jerusalem officials held a competition to design a city emblem that would reflect two things: 1) Jerusalem’s past history, and 2) Jerusalem’s present and future status in the world. A designer named Eliyahu Koren suggested that the city use the Lion of Judah in front of a brick wall with the word “Jerusalem” above the Lion of Judah and two olive branches beside the Lion.

The Lion of Judah reflects Jerusalem’s past history because it was the symbol of the Tribe of Judah, the tribe that controlled and protected Jerusalem in ancient times. The brick wall also reflectsJerusalem’s past history because it pictures an actual segment of the Wailing Wall that was part of the support structure for the Jewish Temple. The olive branches reflect Jerusalem’s present and future status because olive branches are a symbol of peace and hope. The word Jerusalem means “city of peace.” Jews view Jerusalem as a city of peace and hope in the future.

In 1950, city officials approved Koren’s emblem, but they also wanted an official flag for Jerusalem. They decided to keep the tallit (tah-LEET) or prayer shawl with a white background and two blue stripes. But to be different from the flag of Israel, they decided to replace the Star of David with the official emblem of the city ofJerusalem. In other words, they kept the blue color that reminds God’s peculiar people that we are supposed to walk in a heavenly way. They kept the stripes that remind God’s peculiar people that by His (Messiah’s) stripes we are healed. They kept the four corners that remind God’s peculiar people that God will gather the Jews from the four corners of the earth during the Millennium. But they removed the Star of David that reminds God’s peculiar people that Jesus came the first time as a descendant of King David to die for the sins of the world. And they replaced it with the Lion of Judah that reminds God’s peculiar people that Jesus is coming a second time as the Lion of Judah.

When Jacob blessed his twelve sons he called Judah a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9). Jacob said, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:10). The Lion of Judah is the One that will gather the Jews from the four corners of the earth. John the Revelator was called up into heaven where He saw Jesus holding a seven-sealed scroll, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Rev. 5:5). One of the twenty-four elders in heaven called Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Jesus came the first time as the Son of David and the root of Jesse. He is coming a second time as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The flag of Israel symbolizes the first coming of Jesus. And the flag ofJerusalem symbolizes the Second Coming of Jesus.

On Monday September 22, 2012, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood before the United Nations General Assembly and declared that the Israelis have “no roots” in the Middle East. He needs to look at the four-cornered flag of Iran because it has stripes, an emblem and words that pertain to Iran’s Islamic roots. Then, he needs to look at the four-cornered flags of Israel and Jerusalem and realize that they have things that pertain to Israel’s roots in theMiddle East and Jehovah’s view of the world’s future.

FYI: Kindle owners can download eight of Daymond Duck’s teachings at amazon.com and I would love for you to leave a review.
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

In the Old Testament, God promised to bless Israel when she obeyed Him and to curse Israel when she disobeyed Him (Deut. 28:1-15). A study of the curses shows that disobedience would be punished by, among other things, hunger and thirst or famine and drought (Deut. 28:48). In his day, Isaiah recognized that famine had come upon the Jews as a result of their disobedience to God (Isa. 51:17-19).

Disobedience to God and famine are not new on earth, but the end of the age will be like the days of Noah when the wickedness of man was great (Matt. 24:37; Gen. 6:5). Then, famine will progress to the point that multitudes will die (Rev. 6:5-8). When asked about the signs of His coming one of the signs Jesus mentioned is famine (Matt. 24:7). He didn’t say all of His words will come true except famine. He said His words will not pass away (Matt. 24:35). Everything He said will come true including famine. The unsaved will probably blame the famine on Global warming, and the saved will not all agree, but many will rightly attribute it to Global disobedience of God.

Jesus talked about men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth when He said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:26-28). I wondered, “Are we seeing famine begin to come to pass?” Well, I remember reading that a spokesperson for the World Bank recently said the drought in America is threatening (or beginning) to push the price of food beyond the reach of multitudes (famine). This person spoke of the potential (could be the beginning) for a Global food crisis and said the World Bank is developing emergency measures to deal with it. I also read an article about a growing alarm (close to fear) and the need for governments to act to prevent a sharp spike in food prices. I read another article about drought-stricken pastures; a shortage of water, hay and feed for animals; and the beginning of more rises in food prices and hunger. And another quoting the head of something called The International Food Policy Research Institute calling on food producing nations to get ready to open up their grain reserves and not to cut back on their food exports. And another saying drought is causing rivers and lakes to get low, water temperatures to soar, and millions of fish to die as a result.

In all honesty, I got the impression that a crisis is looming in some nations, but it is not yet a Global crisis. Many over-fed Americans are still going to be over-fed. It is just going to cost them a lot more. But right now, it’s very possible that some people may be seeing the beginning of a Global food crisis (spreading famine). In a sense that’s bad news. But in another sense it’s good news because it could mean the Church’s redemption is drawing nigh. Wow!

While some of this was spinning around in my mind, I encountered one of my former church members who is now a salesperson for a very large seed company in the United States and Canada. She told me that some of the fields of low-yield corn and some of the fields of no-yield corn that farmers plowed up were fields that had been planted for seed. She spoke about concerns that already expensive seed corn may be scarce and extremely expensive in 2013. I asked a friend that works at a farm supply store about it and he is concerned that the media and greedy speculators will enter the picture and drive the price of seed through the roof. Naturally, that would increase production costs and cause the hunger and famine to spread.

I’m not recommending anything to anyone and I know not everyone can grow a garden, but I recently Googled “who sells heirloom seeds,” “who sells open pollinated seeds,” and “who sells non-hybrid seeds.” I went home, selected a company and ordered my seed corn for next year. I hope I don’t need it, but if I do, I can save seed for the future.

We wouldn’t need to do this if America was still a Christian nation or if the Church would do what God said when there is a drought, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain (if I send a drought), or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chron. 7:13-14).

FYI: Kindle owners can download eight of my teachings at amazon.com and I would love for you to leave a review.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck