MICHAEL FREUND: Ezekiel is commanded by God to take two sticks. On one, he is to write "For Judah," and on the other "For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim." Then comes the crucial instruction: "Bring them together into one stick so that they become one in your hand" (37:17). Ezekiel's vision is not one of uniformity. The two sticks do not cease to be what they are. Judah remains Judah; Joseph remains Joseph. Unity does not erase difference – it sanctifies and elevates it by placing it within a larger shared destiny.
Ketriel Blad: In other words, in order for a total restoration to take place, the restored Ephraimites from among the nations will have to become Jewish, in the legal sense of the word, thus accepting the Jewish authorities and becoming obedient to Jewish halachah. In the prophecy of Ezekiel 37:19 the Hebrew text can be understood as HaShem giving Yehuda's stick the function of being over Ephraim's stick and this way both sticks will become one. This teaches us that the Ephraimite movement that comes from heaven cannot rise apart from the Jewish people without submission to the Jewish leaders' authority. This is not for all the gentiles.
Pleased to welcome my Chinese friend & counterpart, FM Wang Yi, to Tehran.
Excellent exchange on expansion of global, regional and bilateral cooperation in the context of our comprehensive strategic partnership, culminated in the signing of a historic 25-year strategic roadmap. pic.twitter.com/ebMfxGyFHv
ADNAN AAMIR: The governments of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan will revive a transnational rail service linking Istanbul, Tehran and Islamabad in 2021. Speaking on condition of strict anonymity, a Pakistani government official told Nikkei that the ITI railroad will connect to China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region through Pakistan's ML-1 railway line.
MOHAMMAD MAZHARI: A member of an Islamabad-based think tank believes that a triple partnership between Iran, China, and Pakistan can enhance Islamabad’s global position.
MIDDLE EAST MONITOR: Members of the "Axis of Resistance" (Persian: محور مقاومت) are said to include Iran, Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Houthi-led government of Yemen, Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Although an informal alliance already exists, the aim of the "NATO-style" treaty is to oblige members to respond collectively to any attack on any members by Israel or other hostile states.
יעקב צבי זקס: It is all too easy for a leader to pursue popularity by being what people want him or her to be – a Raver to Ravers, a Goth to Goths, a Queer to Queers, a Catholic to Catholics, a Protestant to Protestants, a Christian to Christians, a Jew to Jews, a Witch to Witches, taking decisions that win temporary acclaim rather than flowing from principle and conviction. The only answer is to "know thyself." No one is stronger than one who knows who and what they are.
AVI ISSACHAROFF: Today, Iranian fingerprints can be found throughout the region: Yemen, of course, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and even Bahrain. The Shi’ite militias include not only Iraqis and Iranians, but also mercenaries from Afghanistan and Pakistan, who were shipped in to fight the Islamic State group in the Syrian civil war and remained, highly motivated to face the familiar old enemy – Israel.
STEPHEN H. ARNOFF: Christian disconnect with the Divine in John's Apocalypse is the result of God’s withdrawal from protection of Christian religious sanctity because of their compromise and lack of faith. Christians can no longer mirror Jesus because God is no longer a face to be experienced and reflected upon. Modern Christianity of the destroyed 7 churches in Turkey is one of Physical and Spiritual Babylonian Exile under Persian Rule.
TYLER ROBBINS: The first chapter of the Book of Esther sets the stage for the rest of the account. It tells us why she even became the Queen of the Persian Empire in the first place. More specifically, it tells a bit about her charming husband, Ahasuerus (other translations usually call him Xerxes).
CAROLINE ANDERSON: Monks are a conduit through which a Buddhist can earn merit. Giving alms to Buddhist monks is believed to foster a spiritual connection between monks and the lay Buddhist. The community believes they bear the responsibility to care for the physical needs of monks, and monks are expected to care for the spiritual needs of the community in return.
BESA CENTER: Should Israel attack one or more of Iran’s known nuclear installations, it is likely Tehran would retaliate through groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Several wargames have found that the US would be drawn into such a conflict. If the US struck Iran’s installations, Israel and possibly America’s allies in the Persian Gulf would be drawn into the fighting as well.
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and SAMYA KULLAB: Al-Sistani is also notoriously reclusive and has not left his Najaf home in years. He does not make public appearances and his sermons are delivered by representatives. He rarely receives foreign dignitaries.
My trip to Kashmir Line of Control. Pakistan side. Going there was dangerous but you gotta support good causes. Pls raise your voice and show your support to Kashmir. @ Muzaffarabad https://t.co/8AerWdA1JC
DAVID CHRISTENSEN: This is how Malaysia and Indonesia started out back when they were all peaceful Buddhists. Now its a high risk travel zone with sharia law, allows public whipping. Islam is a plague. Read the quran and see for yourself. YouTube channel Dontconvert2islam
ABARIM PUBLICATIONS: The "wise men" from the East who knew about the birth of Christ long before anyone else did and who famously came to Judea to honor [H]im, were most probably Persian Jews (MATTHEW 2:1).
Neil Asher Silberman, Israel Finkelstein, David Ussishkin, and Baruch Halpern: The Book of Joshua (12:21) specifically mentions the defeat of the king of Megiddo and the allotment of his territory to the tribe of Manasseh;
NETANYA MUNICIPALITY: thanks to the Lord for giving them {Netan~ya, lot. "gift of God"} the ability to continue the legacy of the 12 tribes who settled in the Land of Israel, and particularly of the half~tribe of Manasseh, which settled in the region.
Stephen Epstein: Some went down the Mekong River into Vietnam, the Philippines, Siam, Thailand and Malaysia, while some of the Israelites moved to Burma and west to India.