Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem

A huge mystery of my youth was this question: Why is it that, when ordering a "pu-pu-platter-for-two" in a Chinese restaurant, there was always an odd number of appetizers? Three eggrolls, five shrimp, seven chicken fingers, five crab Rangoon? Why not four of each so that each person can get the same?

I finally summoned up the courage to ask the Chinese Waiter the reason for this. Here is the explanation:

Chinese People say that the number 4 is unlucky. This is because the Chinese handwriting character for "4" is almost indistinguishable from the Chinese character for "DEATH". This "bad luck" bleeds into the other even numbers making them not so good either, but odd numbers are lucky."

Well, OK. At least there was a reason for this strange phenomenon of the odd-numbers of appetizers.

Later, as my little sister got into Interior Design" she began to see that decorators seemed to use this principle of odd-numbered elements in home decor. This is carried to extremes in the principles of feng-shui, an Asian system of arranging things.

This seemed like a harmless superstition that didn't hurt anybody, so it didn't bother me at all, until my Mom passed away in 2015 and my siblings and I had to sell her two-family house near Boston. It was a huge house, worth well over $600,000 in the inflated real estate market, but there was a problem. The community was nearly 90% Chinese, the only people buying houses in the town were also Chinese, and the house was #44. The Realtor was afraid he would not be able to sell the house at all, or perhaps he could sell it to a developer for a much-reduced price, but the number was the number, and in the Chinese newspaper the real estate listing would say "death-death". Indeed, it took over six months to sell the house, during which I lived in spare room in the empty house with my guitar, my dog Lynn-Dah, and my computer. When the house finally did sell, it was for $200,000 less than the original asking price. A very astute Chinese gentleman who evidently was not superstitious bought the house and made it into TWO $400,000 condos. (sigh). Oh well. Water under the bridge.

Just as superstition can cause horrible consequences, so can the misinterpretation of Prophecy cause bad results. Some of the prophecies of Daniel have already come to pass, as in today's reading. The kings of the North and South were the successors to Alexander The Great, The Ptolemy and the Seleucids. The wars described are the ones that followed the death of Alexander, who had no heirs of his own. We even know the name of the princess whose marriage was part of an alliance.

This is a part of Ancient History that is often neglected, as it gets more familiar to Western people once we get to the Roman Empire. But if you recall, Julius Caesar got very involved with a certain Egyptian Queen, who is celebrated in film and story to this day. That was Cleopatra, and she was a descendant of the very Ptolemy "King of the South" in today's reading.

This chapter has me so intrigued that I may start reading up on Ancient History again!

Today is "Museum Day" and I am being taken to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts for the day, so I may be late answering your posts.

Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance! (Psalm 33)

God Bless America!

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

This Symbol Represents Christians in The Middle East, who desperately need our Prayers.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

Prayers always for Peace. God bless.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH FOR
THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM!
And for the Preservation of the Valiant
Israeli Nation!

Antiokhos IV

_ LSO I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall

stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.

Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

_____________________________________Daniel 11:1-35 (KJV)

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For ML In This Time Of Tribulation.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For A Rapid Recovery For Our Own Yorkie.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For A Rapid Recovery For Our FRiend Uri'el2012.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For The Safety Of Our Gallant Troops And For The Success Of Their Vital Mission.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For The Repose Of The Souls Of Our Embassy Staff In Libya Who Were Assassinated 11 September 2012.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For The Deliverance Of Our Beloved Nation From The Lion’s Mouth.

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH For Our Brethren Of All Faiths Throughout The World Suffering Persecution.
We pray in particular on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya and throughout the Mideast. The members of the oldest of our Christian Communities, some of which date from the days of the Apostles, suffer under cruel, merciless and unrelenting persecution. They are Orthodox and Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical, Coptic, Pentecostal, and Baptist. To the persecutors, we are all "Nazarenes."

Heard of Feng shui (pronounced Fung Shway)? It is an ancient Chinese science which creates balance and harmony to living & work spaces. Literally means Wind-Water.

A big deal in California when selling houses.

Joining in prayer, left that other site, for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Amen