Tag Archives: James

Apr 12 2012

The Last In Line: Antichrist Revealed

There is much speculation about the identity of the Antichrist. Some of the more popular targets at the moment are Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Pope Benedict XVI, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and William Arthur Philip Louis. So, who is the Antichrist, and how will we recognize him when he comes into power?

Yeshua prayed for strength and for His disciples and those who did and would believe in Him before He entered Garden of Gethsemane and was betrayed, arrested, tried, crucified and resurrected. The Garden of Gethsemane was symbolic is many ways. The fall of man occurred in the Garden of Eden which brought the curse of death through sin, likewise the events in which Yeshua would defeat Satan and provide salvation unto all sinners who accepted His sacrifice began in a garden. During Yeshua’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12 KJV).

The Son of Perdition is a phrase that appears in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament). Many theologians and scholars also consider “the beast that goes into perdition” mentioned in the Book of Revelation to be references to the “Son of Perdition.”

According to theologians and scholars, Yeshua, the Apostle Paul, and the Apostle John’s Son of Perdition (Man of Sin) is also prophesied of in the Book of Daniel. The Apostle John related the Son of Perdition (G684) concepts by language, referring to “the star that fell from heaven” (Revelation 9:1) by two names, one Greek, and the other Hebrew (Revelation 9:11). The Greek name is “Apollyon” (G623) and means the destroyer (Satan). The Hebrew name is “Abaddon” (G3) and means destroying angel (Satan). Perdition (G684) means destruction, waste or damnable.

We can conclude that the Antichrist is a reference to the “son of sin” or the “man of lawlessness” from the definitions of these words and the references to him throughout the Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul and the Apostle Timothy in there second epistle to the Thessalonians wrote, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 KJV).

When speaking in a parable Yeshua said, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first” (Matthew 19:30) and “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16).

The Revelation of Saint John the Divine gives us are strongest warnings and clues concerning the false religion and kingdom of the prophesied Antichrist. The two key chapters in the Book of Revelation are the thirteenth and seventeenth chapters.

Revelation 13 ends with a clue and warning that states, “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six [666]” (Revelation 13:18 KJV).

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies” (Jeremiah 51:6-9 KJV).

If anyone looks at the pagan holidays that have been adopted and “Christianized” by the Corpus Christianum, it is apparent that all of these holidays (including Christmas, Lent, Easter, Saint Valentine’s Day, etc.) started with the ancient Sumerians on the plains of Shinar. What specifically occurred on the plains of Shinar? For this we must return to the Book of Genesis.

After the Great Flood, Noah planted a vineyard. He drank the wine he produced and became intoxicated and passed out. His son Ham sinned against his father and told Noah’s other sons, Shem and Japheth. After Noah woke up, he realized what Ham had done. Noah said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant” (Genesis 9:25-27).

After the death of Noah, Genesis lists the genealogy of Noah’s sons,  Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The Bible says, “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD” (Genesis 10:1-9 KJV).

The King James Version says that Nimrod “began to be a mighty (H1368) one in the earth.” The Hebrew word used for mighty is gibbowr (גִּבּוֹר). The Gibborim are the “Mighty Men of Renown” created by the Watchers (a class of angel) when they left their heavenly abode and came down to the daughters of men and produced the “Nephilim” and “Mighty Men of Renown” as recorded in Genesis Chapter 6:1-4 of the Tanakh (Old Testament). They were half breeds, angelic-human hybrids. The union of these beasts with humans produced children that were different in many ways. The first apparent difference was that they developed giantism. They were giants. Og the King of Bashan had a bed that was 13 to 15 feet long; and Goliath was 6 cubits tall (9 feet) and they had six fingers and toes. In addition to giantism, the Gibborim had powerful psychic abilities like out of body experiences, levitation, mind control, time travel, mind reading, remote viewing, the power of placing curses and diseases, the power of removing curses and diseases, and ways of knowing and predicting the future. They were astrologers, homosexuals, lesbians, cannibals, serial killers, and the mighty men of renown. They had super powerful brains and they were extremely intelligent. They knew all the sciences. In short, they had demonic powers. They used these powers to control and enslave mankind and this is how they built the great pyramids and great wonders around. The presence of these hybrids (abominations) was one of the reason for the Flood of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.

To continue, the Genesis narrative states, “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations” (Genesis 10:8-20 KJV).

Nimrod began to construct cities and a kingdom. Nimrod and Semiramis (Nimrod’s wife) founded a Mystery Religion (this religion is the basis of all pagan religions throughout the world today). In Nimrod’s kingdom of Babylon, he began to build a tower to wage war on God (YHVH) in retaliation for the death of his ancestors that perished in the Great Flood.

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
(Genesis 11:1-9 KJV)

As the people whose language was confounded began to disperse around the earth, they took their Mystery Religion with them. Nimrod was known by many names throughout many cultures. These cultures also began to build monuments (Egyptians, Mayans, Aztecs, Hindus, etc.) to serve their false gods.

The Sumerian “Epic of Gilgamesh” tells many of the same events contained in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible. How does Gilgamesh compare with Nimrod? Josephus says of Nimrod, “Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah — a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny — seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers.”

Nimrod is Gilgamesh. Please see the following links from Dr. David Livingston for a much more detailed account and his findings on this subject.

Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is shown with a subdued lion.

Dr. David Livingston writes that, “The Epic of Gilgamesh has some very indecent sections. Alexander Heidel, first translator of the epic, had the decency to translate the vilest parts into Latin. Spieser, however, gave it to us “straight” (Pritchard 1955: 72). With this kind of literature in the palace, who needs pornography? Gilgamesh was a vile, filthy, man. Yet the myth says of him that he was “2/3 god and 1/3 man.”

In summary, we can conclude that Nimrod declared war on God (YHVH). The Epic of Gilgamesh states that he was 2/3 god and 1/3 human. Two thirds is exactly 66.6% (666). Therefore, Nimrod was the first Antichrist in history.

The Book of Revelation says, “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:1-6 KJV).

Why does John wonder with great admiration when he is shown the woman that sat upon the beast and was drunken with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Yeshua? Because the woman is the Corpus Christianum. A woman almost always represents the church in prophecy. The woman is a whore (the mother of all whores) and an abomination (the mother of all abominations) and she is called Babylon. This is representative of the witchcraft and pagan rituals celebrated by the Corpus Christianum today after forsaking the instructions and the commandments of God (YHVH). The woman is also drunken with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Yeshua. So the Corpus Christianum has sanctified and participated in the murder of God’s people.

And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
(Revelation 17:7-18 KJV)

The angel tells John that, “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

So John is presented with a riddle, a riddle that is very strange and perplexing. What is a best that was, and is not, and yet is? This beast ascended out of the bottomless pit and will go into perdition. The woman also sets upon seven mountains.

I think it is fair to conclude that the woman that sits on seven hills is a reference to the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican Hill (one of the seven hills upon which Rome was built) is a name that was given, long before the founding of Christianity or Catholicism. The name “Vatican” has often been thought to derive from the Latin “vates”, meaning “seer, soothsayer”, though this is uncertain and it is also possible that “Vaticanus” comes from an unrelated Etruscan loan-word. Indeed, the Vatican Hill was the home of the Vates long before pre-Christian Rome. Vaticanus, also known as Vagitanus, was an Etruscan god of prophecy, and his temple was built on the ancient site of Vaticanum (Vatican Hill).

The angel continued to explain to John, “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” We can determine from history who the first seven kings are with  fairly good certainty.

  1. Nimrod
  2. Pharaoh Amenhotep II
  3. Sennacherib
  4. Baal-Eser II
  5. Antiochus IV Epiphanes
  6. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
  7. Adolf Hitler

For additional information on these kings see the Wikipedia links above or Peter Goodgame’s website concerning the Giza Discovery.

The angel tells John that, “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” So this clearly indicates that the Antichrist was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition. So the appearance of the Antichrist is the Second Coming of the Antichrist. Satan counterfeits everything that God (YHVH) creates or does. He is the master of deception and the father of all lies and sin.

When Moses died, Satan had to fight Michael the Archangel over Moses’ body. Deuteronomy says, “And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended” (Deuteronomy 34:1-8 KJV). Jude, the brother of Yeshua and James wrote, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9 KJV).

Satan clearly wanted Moses’ body. For what purpose? Resurrection and deception. It is not only God (YHVH) that can work miracles, signs and wonders. Yeshua said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV).

The Apostle Paul, in his second epistle to the Corinthians wrote, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV).

John the Baptist was the spirit of Elijah, reincarnation is not possible as we are born and die only once. The Apostle Paul wrote, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV). Solomon wrote, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 KJV).

The prophesied Antichrist will be the spirit of one of the seven kings that have fallen. If Babylon is the mother of harlots and the abominations on the earth then who is her son? Her son is Nimrod, just as the Babylonian tales of Nimrod’s death and Semiramis’ “virgin birth” of Tammuz (the reincarnation of Nimrod and the “son of god” whom she later married). Nimrod (Ra, Baal, Osiris, etc.) was deified as the sun god and Semiramis was deified as the Queen of Heaven (Ishtar, Easter, Isis, Dianna, etc.). The Antichrist is Nimrod.

The ten horns are ten kings who will come to power with the beast will only exist for one hour (fifteen days). Together with the beast they will make war against the Corpus Christianum and will destroy the harlot church that sets on seven hills. Therefore John wrote what the angel cried out as a warning to the church in the last days, “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities” (Revelation 18:4-5 KJV).

These ten kings have many possibilities including a entity that does not yet exist. Three of these possibilities are the United Nations, European Union and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. However, this is only speculation on my part and was not revealed to me by the Holy Spirit as Nimrod’s identification as the Antichrist was revealed.

Europe: Many Tongues, One Voice

Mar 29 2012

The Laws of Lashon Hara

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.
(Leviticus 19:16 KJV)

It is forbidden to speak disparagingly of one’s chaver (male firend) or chaver (female friend). Even if the information is entirely truthful, it is called Lashon Hara (evil tongue). If the information also contains any fabrication, it is also called Motzi Shem Ra (to produce a bad name). The speaker of Lashon Hara violates the prohibition of Leviticus 19:16.

Leviticus 19:16 explicitly prohibits Lashon Hara and Rechilut (talebearing or gossip that incites hatred and resentment), yet there are many more commandments that bear on the speaking of Lashon Hara.

The above seriousness of speaking Lashon Hara relates to someone who incidentally includes something inappropriate in his speech. But those who make it a habit to talk about others in a derogatory manner (“Did you hear…..”, “Do you know she…..”, etc.) are labeled Ba’alei Lashon Hara (masters of Lashon Hara, in that such speech is an integral part of themselves), and their transgression is far more severe. They regularly create a Chilul HaShem (desecration of the name of God; Leviticus 22:31-33) because of their rebellious manner. Though they may view their activities as social tools, such behavior cuts them off from many good things in the world around them.

Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you, That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.
(Leviticus 22:31-33 KJV)

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:17-19 KJV)

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
(James 2:10-13 ESV)

The comparison of Lashon Hara to well-known and agreed-upon sins such as murder is surprising. But at the same time, we can imagine why: just as the violation (sins) of the Ten Commandments damage and destroy vital physical aspects of the world, Lashon Hara afflicts the emotional and social realms.

There is no difference when speaking Lashon Hara whether one tells a juicy story of his own will or because someone encourages (or pressures) him to do so. Even if the speaker’s teacher (Rebbe) or parent whom the person must honor and fear, and not contradict, requests that he tell about an incident, if the relating of the information would result in Lashon Hara or even Avak Lashon Hara (speech that provokes Lashon Hara), he cannot say it.

If you think about it, Lashon Hara isn’t any different from any other commandment. If someone encouraged you, or even nagged you, to eat a cheeseburger, you would still be fully responsible for your actions. Certainly social pressure for gossip seems more effective than it is for food, drink and many other areas, but that may be because we are not used to saying “no” to evil speech.

Even when subject to great financial loss, one is not permitted to speak Lashon Hara. This may mean that he will be viewed as a fool, and denied financial opportunity by the “intelligent” people with whom he associates. As in all Mitzvot Lo Taaseh (Torah prohibitions), we are commanded to forgo all of our income.

It is generally helpful to try and develop a (personal) rational approach to the laws of Lashon Hara. When someone is confronted with a situation in which he is expected to speak derogatorily about someone, if he can respond with a simple personal philosophy (or sometimes just enough self-confidence to convey adherence to a personal philosophy), he will leave most of those situations with others’ respect intact. And in those situations which are not in the “most” category, the best thing to do is remember the benefits that accrue through hardship in observing this mitzvah.

If someone stands to lose personal honor by not speaking Lashon Hara, he must also sustain the loss and remain silent. For example, if one is sitting in a group speaking Lashon Hara, and he has no way to separate from them at the moment, he cannot participate in their lively discussion. This applies even if he will look like a simpleton or social clod. He should try to hold himself back and remember the many sayings of the Sages regarding his situation: “Better to be considered a fool in the eyes of man throughout one’s lifetime than as a wicked person in the eyes of God for one moment (Eduyot 5:6),” “the reward is according to the effort (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers 5:25),” “one hundred times more in hardship than without it (i.e. the reward is one hundred fold; Avot d’Rabbi Natan),” and the Vilna Gaon who writes that “for every second that one remains silent he will merit reward beyond the comprehension of any being, even celestial.”

Whether spoken, written, or hinted with gestures or any other way (if you looked at the Rashi in Leviticus 19:16 you saw that winking was described as a characteristic behavior of Holchei Rachil – those who go about slandering), any communication of Lashon Hara is prohibited. This also applies if you weren’t the writer of a piece disparaging someone. Rabbi Pliskin elaborates on a footnote in the Hebrew about the communication of Lashon Hara: showing a letter or other writing (e.g. a newspaper) to belittle its writer would also be forbidden. I would anticipate that this would also apply to footage in a film or other media.

Even if you’re disparaging yourself alongside the subject, it is prohibited. It doesn’t matter if you look even worse than the subject, and it doesn’t matter if you mention yourself first. Rabbi Pliskin gives some nice examples:

  1. Ben and I both shoplifted when we were younger.
  2. Nobody in our group studies Torah properly.

It is also forbidden to speak Lashon Hara about yourself.

The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways:

  1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.
  2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.

King Solomon wrote, “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble” (Proverbs 21:23 ESV).

In his epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

James, the brother of Yeshua, had plenty to say about the tongue. “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26 ESV). He also wrote, “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:5-10 ESV).

King David wrote, “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them” (Psalms 39:1-6 KJV).

“If an evil thought should arise in the mind, suppress it. Watchfulness in the habit, is the bridle upon the head; watchfulness in acts, is the hand upon the bridle. When not able to separate from wicked men, we should remember they will watch our words, and turn them, if they can, to our disadvantage. Sometimes it may be necessary to keep silence, even from good words; but in general we are wrong when backward to engage in edifying discourse. Impatience is a sin that has its cause within ourselves, and that is, musing; and its ill effects upon ourselves, and that is no less than burning. In our greatest health and prosperity, every man is altogether vanity, he cannot live long; he may die soon. This is an undoubted truth, but we are very unwilling to believe it. Therefore let us pray that God would enlighten our minds by his Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts with his grace, that we may be ready for death every day and hour.”
(Matthew Henry’s Concise  Commentary)

It is quite obvious from the texts of the Bible, Rabbinical Commentaries and Christian Theologians that the tongue (although small) is capable great sin. This is an area we all need to work on constantly. Psalms 39:1 is one of my favorite passages from Scripture, my tongue has always been my greatest stumbling block in my walk with YHVH.