Show 14-48 Summary: This week is an encore presentation of show 12-48, “The Mysterious Jewish Sect Behind the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Essenes.” It’s a fascinating look at the scrolls found nearly 2,000 years after being left behind by a Messianic Jewish sect that had waited for centuries and accurately predicted when the Messiah would come. And, using their religious calendar, have predicted the end of days.
For links mentioned during the show, see the original show page, linked above.
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Original Air Dates: November 26th & 27th, 2022 | Guest: Dr. Ken Johnson
Show 12-48 Summary: Those “400 years of silence” between the Old and New Testaments? It turns out they weren’t. The Essenes were driven from the priesthood by the Pharisees and Sadducees but kept the faith and kept prophesying. Incredibly accurately as it turns out. Maybe it’s because the Essenes correctly predicted the coming of the Messiah. To the year. A Jewish “Deep State”? Find out why they wanted to bury the Essenes, forget the Dead Sea Scrolls, and largely succeeded in driving them from history. Except even that ended up fulfilling prophecy.
13-48 It’s Christmastime! Dating, Origins, History, and Biblical Accounts
Show 13-48 Summary: Christmastime is that time of year when you run into the Christmas downers who try to convince you “real Christians” shouldn’t celebrate Christmas because it has “pagan origins.” You doubtless see them popping up on social media and among your circle of friends. And they will arrogantly scoff at anyone who doesn’t echo their dismissive Christmas attitude. The modern-day Christmas downer is a lot like the downer Puritans before them: if they don’t approve it, then it’s just not Christian. For much of American history, the Puritans and other protestant offshoots banned Christmas celebrations — especially merrymaking. This week, find out why you shouldn’t let them steal your Christmas joy. We talk with Pastor Richard Peil about the origins and history of Christmas celebrations, its potential dating, and some exciting insights into the two Biblical accounts of the Nativity story.
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Original Air Dates: December 2nd & 3rd, 2023 | Guest: Pastor Richard Peil
This Week – It’s Christmastime!
For most people, Christmastime is a joyous time. Filled with traditions, family, joy, and memories and nostalgia about Christmases past. But not for everyone. Some are committed to being the Christmas downer. Why? Because they’ve gotten it in their head that Christmas has pagan origins. That it was originally a pagan holiday that the early Church co-opted Saturnalia. Or other pagan holidays. So they spend what should be a joyous time of year dragging others down and, Grinch-like, attempting to steal others’ joy and Christmas spirit.
Don’t let them.
And when they’re not pushing the Saturnalia angle, they’ll point out similarities between the Mithra religion. Yes, there are alleged similarities. But you know who’s the greatest imitator of God and what is holy? Satan. (Funny how they forget that.) They’ll say we don’t know when Jesus was born. And that’s largely true. And they’ll also say whenever he was born it was not on December 25th, in 1 A.D. Yes, that’s possible. After all, if your focus is to pick a day that something didn’t happen, you’ve got a 364 out 365 chance of being right.
Calendars and the Dating of Christmas Day
Over the millennia, calendars and dates have been tweaked and revised and reordered to an extent that it’s hard to say which day might have been the true Christmas Day. And it’s a moving date. At one time, most scholars thought Jesus was born in 4 B.C. based largely on Josephus. But better information came to light, including a better dating for the eclipse Josephus mentioned. And, drawing on other historical sources, it’s now reliably likely that Jesus was born in 2 B.C.
But which day of the year?
Well, here’s the thing: no one knows. But it’s not the date that’s important – it’s what happened that’s important. Regardless of the day of the year. That the war against Satan had started and his time holding power over this world was coming to an end. And, as with any life, it’s not “just” that you’re born but what you do with that life. The date it started doesn’t matter in the greater scheme of things.
Origins of Christmas
We welcome back Pastor Richard Peil who leads Victory Baptist Church in Bend, Oregon, to talk about Christmas, its early church origins and beliefs. In the early days of Christianity, which had many Jewish converts and followed Jewish heritage, most people did not celebrate birthdays at all. Instead, they celebrated the day when someone died. Which is rather odd from our modern standpoint. But tune in to hear other traditions and about two competing theories of why the early church thought Jesus was conceived on March 25th. And therefore must have been born on December 25th.
We also talk about Christmas time celebrations during America’s early days. Or not. Because in some colonies and states, not only was Christmas definitely not celebrated but was even banned from being celebrated.
And then we talk about the two Nativity stories in the Bible, from Matthew and Luke. Which tell the story of Jesus’s birth from two different viewpoints. And intended for two different audiences. Why does Matthew focus on the arrival of the Magi and Luke ignores it? Why does Luke focus on John the Baptist and the shepherds? And why does Matthew ignore those?
Speaking of Magi, you’ll hear what some sources think their arrival was really like. And with some historical context, you’ll never think of the “Three Wise Men” the same ever again.
Christmastime Traditions and Today
Then we wrap up with some important discussions of Christmas in today’s day and age. Should Christians even celebrate? If so, why? What do non-believers need to see and to hear during Christmastime? And the same for Christians? What traditions does Pastor Peil’s family and church family celebrate and are important to them?
So when you run into the Christmas downer, spewing their Christmastime hate, remind them the date is not important. The Joy of Christmas is found in what happened that day, not the day on which it happened.
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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info
Pastor Peil’s church is Victory Baptist Church. Their website is victoryforyou.church
“April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. …In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.”
“In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A.D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: ‘25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.’ Or, ‘December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea.’ This… is the first recorded celebration of Christmas.”
Historians beware! Interesting discussion on Julian/Gregorian Calendars (University of Nottingham)
The Julian Calendar was the system of dating followed from 46BC onwards. It established a 365-¼ year. Except it was 11 minutes too long.
In 1582, the Gregorian calendar corrected the over-correction by eliminating ten days and adjusting leap years. But took nearly 400 years to be universally adopted!
“Tertullian (AD 160-220), the early Church writer, noticed that the pagan religion [of Mithra] utilized baptism as well as bread and wine consecrated by priests. He considered Mithraism to have been inspired by the devil, who wanted to mock Christians and lead others to hell.”
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Greek word there for “dwelt” is σκηνόω (pronounced, “skay-NAH-oh”) which means to tent or to encamp; which is why some translations use “tabernacled among us” instead of “dwelt among us.” See this link to Strong’s Concordance for more on σκηνόω.
Show 13-41 Summary: Get some great insight into the Israel-Hamas war and into Israel’s surrounding neighbors. We’re talking with best-selling author, Scott McEwen, co-author of American Sniper, who has a ton of military contacts and special ops insiders he relies on to write his books. We talk about what happened, why it happened, and address some conspiracy theories. And what next? Will Hezbollah attack? What about Iran? Is the two-state solution off the table now? How does Israel build peace with a people who have lied over the last year, saying they want peace when the whole time they were preparing for this attack? And can Israel trust its other neighbors who have also said they want peace?
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Original Air Dates: October 14th & 15th, 2023 | Guest: Scott McEwen
This Week – Israel-Hamas War
On Saturday, October 7th, a Jewish Sabbath after Sukkot (better known as the Feast of Tabernacles in the West), Hamas broke through barriers around the Gaza Strip and invaded Israel. They invaded from multiple points, fired some 5,000 rockets into Israel, and attacked by land and air and even by sea.
The operation, which Hamas dubbed, “al Aqsa Flood,” had apparently been in planning for over a year. A year during which Hamas had been assuring Israel that it wanted peace and normal relations. That it no longer wanted to fight.
Making the mistake of trusting Hamas, Israel was caught off guard. Security watch posts were overwhelmed in the early morning hours. Hamas attacked. By the end of the day, some 1,500 Israelis were dead, including women, babies and infants, and elderly. And another 100–200 Israelis had been kidnapped.
Israel responded by formally declaring war on Hamas.
Was it an intelligence failure? Did Hamas simply deceive a trusting neighbor into complacency? And happened to Israel’s Iron Dome? Did it fail? Did Hamas find out the secret to defeating it? Or did Iran give them technology to help defeat it?
Scott McEwen: Israel-Hamas War Analysis
We welcome back Scott McEwen to talk in depth about the Israel-Hamas war. We had scheduled Scott weeks ago to talk about other issues but after the Hamas terrorist sneak attack and Israel declared war, we scrapped that discussion to spend the full hour on Israel’s war with Hamas.
Scott McEwen is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling, American Sniper, and has his own series of military novels and other non-fiction books about the military and combat operations. (See Scott’s full list of books.) And he has a number of military insiders and contacts, including in special ops, on whom he relies to write his books so accurately.
We talk to Scott about what happened but also how and why it happened. We talk about the $6 billion that the Biden administration handed over to Iran — on the 9/11 anniversary no less. Don’t tell me that didn’t have symbolism for our enemies. America is weak and bowed the knee to Islam.
Infuriating! After Hamas’s attack and a bunch of pro-Hamas rallies break out across Europe — nowHenry Kissinger says Europe let in too many foreigners? Now he says it? Kissinger and his globalist goons were the ones pushing the mass immigration.
But we also wanted his military insights into what comes next in the Israel-Hamas War. A Gaza invasion. Will the larger terrorist organization, Hezbollah, join in and attack Israel from the north? What about Syria and Lebanon?
We also address some of the conspiracy theories that are already surfacing. But what does all of this look like in the long-term? Is the two-state “solution” now officially off the table? And how does Israel have normal relations with its neighbors going forward?
And it’s more than Hamas crossing into Israel. What about the incursion on our own Southern border? Could we be seeing terrorist attacks here at home?
The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version
Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—catch the podcast version. I Spy Radio is now available on your favorite platform, or you can grab it right here. See the full list of podcast options.
Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info
Check out all of Scott McEwen’s novels and nonfiction books on the Navy SEALS, U.S. military, special ops, and more.
“Israel stupidly exited Gaza in 2005, evicted 8,500 Jews living there, and handed over the entire region to Arab Muslims, all to foster peace. That was Ariel Sharon’s folly and sounded the death knell for the Israeli Left.”
Hamas is not some “fringe group” that just happens to reside in Gaza. The residents of Gaza elected them as their leaders.
US puts special forces on alert to help Israeli forces locate American hostages as hundreds of brave IDF reservists arrive at JFK [Airport] to answer call to fight – after terrorists beheaded babies (UK Daily Mail, Oct 11, 2023)
Mohammed Deif – Hamas leader who masterminded Saturday’s attack. He has escaped 7 assassination attempts
Hamas has dressed up the attack as a response to Israeli incursions around the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem
Security experts suggest hat Deif’s ability to evade Israel’s military can, in part, be attributed to his deliberate avoidance of modern communication technology.
Why no one likes Hamas: “Hamas supporters in the USA gather to mock a pro-Israel group that had met up to mourn together.” (Visegrád 24, Twitter, Oct 10, 2023)
Arabs allegedly okay with pre-1967 borders. Why? They weren’t okay with the pre-1967 borders before 1967, which is why there was a 1967 war. Why should anyone trust what they say now? Does any reasonable person actually think that once Israel gives up land, they will then be safe?
And then reality hits: “Israel eases gun laws to arm ‘as many citizens as possible’ after terrorist attack” (Just the News, Oct 11, 2023)
“Israel is easing its gun laws with the goal of arming “as many citizens as possible,” according to Minister Itamar Ben Gvir”
Israeli woman Inbar Lieberman, 25, is hailed a hero for saving kibbutz Nir Am from invading Hamas (UK Daily Mail, Oct 11, 2023)
“Inbar Lieberman led a group of residents to kill more than two dozen advancing terrorists while defending the kibbutz (community) [Nir Am], just a mile from the Gaza Strip. …She quickly realized that the sounds were different to those she heard during the usual rocket attacks on the kibbutz and rushed to open the armory and distribute guns among the 12-member security team. … She killed five terrorists herself, while the others claimed the lives of 20 more over a four hour period.
Key: “Nir Am was turned into an impenetrable fortress, while nearby [undefended] kibbutzim’s suffered heavier losses.”
“Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection G‑d provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt”
12-48 The Mysterious Jewish Sect Behind the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Essenes
Show Summary: Those “400 years of silence” between the Old and New Testaments? It turns out they weren’t. The Essenes were driven from the priesthood by the Pharisees and Sadducees but kept the faith and kept prophesying. Incredibly accurately as it turns out. Maybe it’s because the Essenes correctly predicted the coming of the Messiah. To the year. A Jewish “Deep State”? Find out why they wanted to bury the Essenes and largely succeeded in driving them from history. Except even that ended up fulfilling prophecy.
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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, six different times, on seven different stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to the I Spy Radio Show. Podcast available Mondays after the show airs on out network of stations.
Original Air Dates: Nov 26th & 27th, 2022 | Guest: Dr. Ken Johnson
This Week – The Essenes
Since it’s the start of the Holiday Season, we thought we’d take a break from our usual and bring you a story most people have probably heard little or nothing about. You’ve undoubtedly heard about the Dead Sea Scrolls. But you probably don’t know very much about the Essenes, the mysterious Jewish sect who wrote, guarded them, and then hid them away before disappearing into history.
Many churches today talk about the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments. When God appeared to go silent and no longer talk through His prophets. But it turns out God never stopped talking. It’s just that the Jewish religious authorities at the time, the Pharisees and Sadducees, tried to silence them.
Tune in to hear about the Jewish civil war that happened between the close of the Old Testament and the opening of the New Testament. A war that drove the existing priesthood from power, seized both the religious and political power, and then did everything they could to keep the truth hidden from their own people and the world.
The Essenes: Keepers of the True Faith
This week, we welcome Dr. Ken Johnson, a Dead Sea Scrolls scholar and researcher, who has written 33 books. He walks us through the history of the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are partial or complete copies of every book in the Hebrew Bible (except the book of Esther). But the Dead Sea Scrolls are not “just” copies of books of the Old Testament. There are tons of extra-Biblical writings as well. Apocryphal books like the Book of Enoch and the Book of the Giants. The Testaments of the Patriarchs, which the Essenes held to be the true doctrine, not the Pharisees’ oral tradition allegedly passed on to them from Moses. The Essenes’ commentary and interpretation on the books of the Bible. Their prophecies. Incredibly accurate ones, as it turns out. And the Essenes’ unique and sacred calendar. In fact, they considered the Jewish calendar, based on a lunar cycle, to be an abomination.
The Essenes’ calendar, divided into seven ages and further divided into various cycles and subdivisions, was central to their belief system. And they used it to make those incredibly accurate prophecies. Which is why you might want to tune in to hear how close we are to the end of that calendar.
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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info
Dr. Ken Johnson’s website is a treasure trove of Dead Sea Scrolls knowledge and information. It can be found at BibleFacts.org
Dr. Ken does a weekly live stream Monday nights, including a Q&A. Find his channels on Rumble, Telegram, or YouTube.
Check out Ken Johnson’s appearances on Prophecy Watchers., including the episode mentioned during our show where Dr Johnson showed the calendar “sundial.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls calendar website. Find today’s date in the Essenes’ reckoning. And see the difference between the Essenes’ calendar and the current Jewish (Pharisee) calendar. They are way off!
Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library. (Note however that include other caches of scrolls found and lump them in with the Essenes’ scrolls.)
“The scrolls remained hidden for anyone to find for nearly 2,000 years. And on the very day, the very day, that Israel’s rebirth was confirmed, a Jewish professor confirms the existence of ancient Israel.”
Show Summary: After the Holocaust, Jews and the rest of the world pledged “never again.” But a mere two generations later, Evelyn Markus had to flee the EU’s antisemitism for America—only to find antisemitism on the rise here too. What happened? And why?
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Original Air Dates: Nov 16 & 17, 2019 | Dr. Evelyn Markus
This Week: A look at the rise of “acceptable hate”: antisemitism. The world seems to have forgotten the Holocaust, because right now antisemitism is surging again in Europe. And lest you think this is merely “anti-Israel”, you need to know that Leftist politicians have been spotted in marches where shouts of “Hamas! Hamas! Jews to the gas!” have filled the streets.
How is this happening? And why?
Antisemitism: Big-Government Sponsored Hate
Big government demands conformity from its subjects. And uniformity. You must be part of the group and those outside the desired conformity, are labelled dissidents, and targeted for hate. And even removal. We’ve seen it before throughout history with the Holocaust but we’re seeing it again now in places like Hong Kong.
Surprisingly, we’re also seeing it from the Left right now in the EU and even right here in the U.S. It’s not just the Left’s embrace of socialism that’s worrying, it’s the fringe elements of hate: antisemitism. While not unique to the Left, hatred of Israel and, by extension, Jews, seems to have become almost mainstream within the Far Left.
This is deeply worrisome. Especially to someone whose parents lived through the Holocaust.
Why Antisemitism Matters
Because the rise of antisemitism gives rise to hate of all sorts. The snowball effect of hate spreads and it becomes mob hate – not just the hate of individuals but of hate directed to an entire race. The mob hate finds its way to those in power who begin to preach the politics of hate and the hatred of a race simply because of their existence.
This week, we’re pleased to welcome Dr. Evelyn Markus, an activist against antisemitism. An author and speaker, she is the hand behind Never Again is Now, a terrific film about not forgetting the lessons of the holocaust in the face of rising antisemitism in Europe and even right here at home
Never Again is Now
“Never Again is Now” is available on Amazon Prime
Dr. Markus’ parents lived through the worst of the politics of hate. After The Netherlands were conquered, the Jews—who had been welcomed and lived a quiet, wonderful life in The Netherlands—were targeted by the Nazis. Then, after what they thought were incidental acts of discrimination, the Jewish people realized too late that things were growing out of control. Forced to wear yellow stars affixed to their clothes and before long, entire families were loaded into trains without knowing where they were going. And it was too late to stop it.
And, cruelly, neighbors turned on neighbors. Even worse, collaborators turned in those in hiding or who might have escaped. Neighborhoods were emptied never to see many of their once friends, ever again.
Dr. Markus’ parents survived the Nazi occupation — miraculously escaping with their entire family intact when many of their friends had only a few family members survived or were wiped out altogether. Dr. Markus talks to us about her parents’ life, what it was like for them to go through it all, and the very real world of seeing how good people behaved when their lives were at stake. Some who you’d think would be brave crumbled, while others who hardly appeared destined for greatness, did great things.
Antisemitism on the Rise? Again?
But Dr. Markus’ story doesn’t end there. That’s really just the beginning. Her story is about her realization that—despite the shadow of WWII and so many personal stories of loss—that antisemitism was rearing its ugly head in Europe after 9/11. Things became so bad that she left Europe, only to realize it was spreading in her newly adopted homeland: the U.S.
Join us for a spellbinding look at the rise of hate. And what can be done, what must be done.
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Is it Holland or Netherlands? Yes. Sometimes. Maybe. Both. (via Holland.com)
HUNDREDS of Orthodox Jews Chant “Four More Years!” at NYC Trump Fundraiser on Tuesday — Donate $5 Million to Reelection Campaign (Gateway Pundit, Nov 14, 2019)
Ans van Dijk – Jewish collaborator who betrayed 145 jews to the Nazis, including her own brother and his family. (via Wikipedia)
Show Summary: An interview with Dan Sered of Jews for Jesus on the symbolism of Jesus—yes, Jesus—in that most holy of Jewish feasts: Passover. Tune in! Your next Communion won’t be the same.
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This Week: Despite no shortage of political news this week, we are taking a break from it all to celebrate Easter. But this week, Friday at sundown, was also Passover. Did you know that the symbolism within Passover’s sacred meal, the Seder Feast, point to Jesus as the Messiah? Our guest thinks so. We’re pleased to welcome for the first time to our show Dan Sered, COO of Jews for Jesus on the symbolism of Jesus in the Passover.
Passover Meal: The Origins of Communion
As Christians, we all know about Communion. It’s a meal many Christians celebrate monthly or even weekly. But howmuch do you really know about Passover, which is the origin for Communion?
As the name implies, Jews for Jesus is an organization of Jews who believe that Jesus was and is the Messiah. We invite Dan on to walk us through the Passover meal, how it’s celebrated and the many deep traditions within the highly structured and ordered Seder meal.
For thousands of years, Jews embraced the prophecies of the Old Testament that would reveal the Messiah. But as you’ll hear, so much of the Passover meal itself—this most sacred meal so central to Judaism—actually symbolize and point to the very Messiah they’ve rejected. Jesus. You’ll also hear the struggle many Jews go through when (as other Jews see it) they “leave” the faith.
Symbolism of Jesus in the Passover
Join us to hear the traditions and symbolism of this sacred meal. We reflect on the symbolism, its ties to Christianity, and how the routine and order taken throughout Passover represent God has laid out a plan and process for our life and salvation.
Your next Communion won’t be the same.
As we start this very holiest of celebrations, we wish you all a very wonderful Easter weekend!
Descendants of Lost Tribe of Manasseh return to Israel (Jerusalem Journal, Feb 24, 2017) *“In Israel, there are more than three thousand members of the tribe of Manasseh who have returned over the years. This year they will be joined by another 700.”
“Lost Tribe” of Manasseh Returns to Israel (The Berean Call, Oct. 2007): “Ezekiel 36 and 37 declares that Judah and Israel shall be joined as one in the regathering. This is true today. Ezekiel’s famed vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones is unquestionably the monumental Biblical fulfillment of the 20th century.”
For fun: Doesn’t Egyptian Chronology Prove the Bible is Unreliable? Via Answers in Genesis).
We welcome back Scott McEwen to talk in depth about the Israel-Hamas war. We had scheduled Scott weeks ago to talk about other issues but after the Hamas terrorist sneak attack and Israel declared war, we scrapped that discussion to spend the full hour on Israel’s war with Hamas.
