A Jewish Traditional Signal The Arrival Time of Its Messiah Is Drawing Near
A Tel Aviv School of Prophets is now training Jewish Prophets in Tel Aviv
For the first time since Herod’s Temple was destroyed in 70 AD by Titus.
The Old Testament Prophets were called by the God of Israel – Not by Man!
December 10, 2012
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
Begin Paragraph Quote from YNet News Article
“[According to Jewish tradition, prophecy ended among the Jewish people after the Second Temple era and will only return in the generation of redemption, which will see the arrival of the Messiah. The saying “Prophecy given to fools” refers to those trying to communicate prophecies since the Temple’s destruction.]”
Matthew 23:38,39 – Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Romans 11:25 – For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Matthew 11:13 – For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
John 1:17 – For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Luke 16:16 – The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Micah 3:5-7 – Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. [6] Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. [7] Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
Begin an Excerpt from the Jewish History Series History Crash Course #25 :
Loss of Prophecy
Why did things get so bad?
Largely because prophecy disappeared from the land and strong central authority was largely lacking.
When the prophets were around and leadership was strong, heresy was much more difficult. A prophet talked to God and he’d straighten a heretic right out. No one could deny basic tenets of Judaism in the face of prophecy and open miracles. In the period of the Judges and the First Temple an individual could always make a free-will decision to reject Judaism, worship idols and even use the impure spirituality of idolatry to perform magic and divination, but the presence of prophets and strong leadership made it virtually impossible to undermine the philosophy and practices of Judaism.
But when prophecy disappeared and central authority was weakened, it became easier for people to stray and for various holy institutions (like the High Priesthood) to become corrupt.
Prophecy disappeared because the Jewish people had damaged their relationship with God. They were spiritually weaker and could not do the same intense spiritual work required to achieve prophecy(6). To be a prophet you have to perfect yourself spiritually, you have to have total self control. It’s the ultimate Jewish expression of who being a great man is. The sages say, “Who is a great man? He who conquers his inclination (controls himself).” [Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1]
Prophecy in the Jewish understanding is not just the ability to predict the future. It is a state of transcendence of the physical world. It means the prophet has entered such a high plane of understanding that he or she is able to communicate with the Infinite and access information and understanding inaccessible to a normal person.
Moses was the ultimate prophet ― that is he reached the highest level of prophecy that is humanly possible. But there were many others ― hundreds of thousands, according to the Talmud ― who achieved lesser levels and were prophets. In the story of Saul, we talked about how the Jewish people consulted the prophets on everything, including lost objects. But that phenomenon disappears during the early years of the second Temple. “After the later prophets, Haggai, Zecharia, and Malachi, had died, the prophetic spirit disappeared from the Jewish people…” (Yoma 9b)(7)
If anyone is interested in how to become a prophet there is an instruction book available. It called “Path of the Just” and it was written in the 18th century by the great Kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, also known as the Ramchal. This is a guidebook on how to get complete control of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually so you can transcend this world and become a prophet. In his book, The Way of God, Rabbi Luzzatto clearly defines the concept of prophecy:
The main concept of true prophecy is therefore that a living person achieves such an attachment and bond with God. This in itself is certainly a very high degree of perfection. Besides this, however, it is often accompanied by certain information and enlightenment. Through prophecy one can gain knowledge of many lofty truths among God’s hidden mysteries. These things are perceived very clearly… Part of a prophet’s career may include being sent on a mission by God(8).
But even if you master that book, you will not be a prophet. Why not? Because the gates of prophecy are closed to us. Why? Because prophecy is only possible if the rest of the Jewish people are also spiritually elevated.
As an individual you can reach a tremendously high level but you can only reach so high. To get all the way to the top and break through the threshold, you’ve got to “stand on the shoulders” of the Jewish people because there has to be a minimum level of spirituality of the entire nation upon which to rest yourself so that you can reach the level of prophecy. If the nation drops below that level, that threshold, it doesn’t matter how much you stand on your tippy-toes and reach up, you’re not going to succeed. And during the Second Temple period, we’re going to see the Jewish people dropping below a certain threshold of spirituality which they’re never going to attain again during the entire period.
As we saw from the Purim story-by the time we arrive at the period of the Second Temple, God’s presence is hidden, the Ark of the Covenant is hidden as is prophecy.
End Excerpt from the Jewish History Series History Crash Course #25 :
Begin Excerpt from YNet News
School of prophets opens in Tel Aviv
New course aims to train next generation of Jewish prophets for first time since days of Second Temple
Akiva Novick
December 3, 2012
In biblical times they could be found on every street corner, preaching God’s word to sinners in a rumbling voice and shining eyes. A new course opening this week aims to restore passed glory and train the next generations of Jewish prophets – for the first time since the days of the Second Temple.
“The Cain and Able School of Prophets” is not located on a high mountain or on the banks of a serene river, but rather in the heart of the southern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Florentine.
According to Jewish tradition, prophecy ended among the Jewish people after the Second Temple era and will only return in the generation of redemption, which will see the arrival of the Messiah. The saying “Prophecy given to fools” refers to those trying to communicate prophecies since the Temple’s destruction.
But Rabbi Shmuel Portman Hapartzi, founder of the school of prophets, who says he is affiliated with Chabad’s messianic stream, believes that the generation of redemption has already arrived and that prophecies are permitted again.
“Our generation has been declared by many as the first generation taking part in the experience of redemption,” Hapartzi explains in an introduction to his curriculum. “The Cain and Able School of Prophets aims to provide the generation of young prophets with authorized sources to direct their spiritual experiences to way of truth and honesty.”
So what does one need to know to become a modern prophet? According to the course’s syllabus, the future prophets will learn about face reading, dream interpretation and ways to achieve divine spirit.
The school’s core studies also include an introduction on the angels’ ways of communication and participation in our lives.
The course will take place on Tuesdays at the Palterin Shel Melech spiritual center in Tel Aviv. Each participant attending 10 one-hour lectures will receive a prophet’s diploma. Registration costs NIS 200 (about $52).
‘I’m not a freak’
Although Chabad does have an active messianic faction, not everyone in the Hasidic movement approves of this initiative. “It’s a shame that delusional people, who do not represent the rabbi or his doctrine, continue to desecrate his legacy and drag Chabad’s name to bizarre areas.”
But Shmuel Hapartzi insists he is completely serious. “I’m not a freak. I have solid answers to every single question on this subject. I have been collecting material for the school for several years now. I am proficient in the material and I have translated most of it from Russian to Hebrew.”
Has the curriculum been approved by any rabbis?
“Everything being studied is based on biblical principles.”
How many prophets are you planning on training?
“We already have 10 students who will start the basic course this week. The good students will continue and, with God’s help, achieve divine spirit and serve as prophets. There are several levels of prophecy I hope my students will reach.”
Aren’t you afraid people will start prophesying on the streets and it will all go out of control?
“I wish. But it won’t just happen without a person being chosen from above.”
Do you have any ways to identify false prophets?
“The truth is that there are many institutions today for the study of Kabbalah, mysticism and black witchcraft, and it does confuse people. I teach strictly kosher material and teach my students to distinguish between true prophecy and false prophecy and between a real dream and a false dream.”
How can you be trusted?
“Because I’ve started doing it too recently.”
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