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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

http://sulekha.com/chpost.asp?for...ilosophy&show=0&cid=79532

Did you know that parliament is an anagram of partial men? Or, Clint
Eastwood an anagram of Old West Action?

Some searchers look for pangrams in literary works. These tireless
investigators have found pangrammatic occurrences in Shakespeare,
Milton and the Bible.

This passage from Ezra 7: 21 contains every letter except j.

And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the
treaurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the
priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of
you, it be done speedily.

"All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams." - Anu Garg

Anagram - a word spelled out by rearranging the letters of another
word. When both lexical forms appear in the same poem, especially in
proximity, a reader may reasonably suspect that the anagram is a
figure of speech. If only one form occurs, the encoding of an
association is harder to prove. For example, "the teacher gapes at
the mounds of exam pages lying before her."

A sentence using all the letters of the alphabet is called a pangram.
There are many pangrams 26 letters long:

Mr. Jock, TV quiz PhD, bags few lynx.

Cwm fjord bank glyphs vex't quiz.
A cwm (Welsh word) is a geological term
(an eccentric's annoyance at finding ancient inscriptions on the side
of a fiord in a valley).

Cwm, pronounced "koom" and signifying "mountain hollow," is a
borrowing from Welsh, in which tongue W is a vowel equivalent to oo
(or perhaps we should say, double-U). Use of W this way in English is
anomalous and is not what linguists have in mind when they talk about
W being a part-time vowel.

How a mutation like cwm got into a nice language like English in the
first place is a question that bears some looking into. Except for
persons who spend a lot of time prowling around mountain hollows,
it's useful chiefly to composers of crossword puzzles and other
disreputable amusements, e.g., the "pangram." A pangram is a sentence
containing every letter of the alphabet at least once and ideally no
more than once. You can see how cwm would come in handy in this
regard. For example, we have:

Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz

... which means, "Carved figures in a mountain hollow and on the bank
of a fjord irritated an eccentric person." ("Vext," of course, is an
alternate form of "vexed," and "quiz" means "an eccentric person.")
Similarly we have:

Junky qoph-flags vext crwd zimb

... meaning, "Trashy flags with a design resembling the Hebrew letter
qoph exasperated an Ethiopian fly whose customary habitat was an
ancient Celtic stringed instrument (crwd)." But it's not like I'm
telling you something you don't already know.

Perhaps existence and reality itself is an anagram from something
else, deeper, hidden. - Sitaram

In an odd way, DNA is a kind of anagram, or encoding.

http://mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?panckshara

panychAkshara as popularly known is the holy five syllables
(literally holy five letters) that is the supreme mantra of all
devotees of Lord Siva. As the name suggests it is made up of five
syllables. This great mantra is namaH SivAya (namah Sivaaya). The
five syllables in this mantra are na - maH - si - vA - ya.

The core of the vedas

The Holy Five Syllables namaH SivAya is the heart of vedas. It is the
core of the very famous chapter of vedas that stands in the middle of
the vedas - the shata rudrIyam or rudra sUktam. This great mantra of
veda samhita while hailing the God as the Lord of everything of the
worlds, salutes the God as namaH SivAya cha SivatarAya cha.
Meaning of the paNJchAkshara mantra
The meaning of this matchless mantra is abound. The purANas and the
philosophical texts talk in a very detailed and elaborate manner its
meaning and significance and hail its ultimateness. Here only a
simple meaning is presented to start with.

The word Siva means auspiciousness and perfection. It refers to the
God Who is Perfect without any kind of dependency on anything
external to make It complete. Naturally because of this self-
perfection, It is completely blissful and ever auspicious. (All other
auspicious things are in one way or the other dependent on the
external circumstances etc.) The prefix namaH is the mantra of
salutation. The mantra namaHSivAya salutationally invoke the Perfect
God Siva.

Tirumular says that anagram mantra, Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya stands in the
sphere of Fire; Va-Si-Ya stands in the Sun; and Va-Si stands in the
Moon. Chanting Namasivaya drives away the fiery snake of Pasa--
bondage. Sivaya Nama is the Sukshma (subtle) mantra, chanting which
eight thousand times reveals the subtle path of Sushumna, destroys
karma, and gives the bliss of Siva.

Many films have a cult following, but fans of The Matrix (1999) seem
to take the term literally, pointing to Buddhist, Christian and Hindu
references. Books like William Irwin's The Matrix and Philosophy have
analysed it dry.

Neo, the hero, is an anagram of one (as in Anointed One, we're told).
Trinity, his leading lady, somehow represents the Holy Trinity.

Rearranging the letters of 'Organised Religion' gives:
I grin (Realise, no God)

and

Ole! Rigid reasoning!

"Catholicism" is an anagram for "Comical shit."

"Christian" is an anagram "Rich at sin."

Rearranging the letters of 'The Beast of Revelation' (Biblical
prophecy) gives: To the evil before Satan.

We are always searching for hidden meanings. Our search ranges from
grand cosmic equations like e=mc2 and a theory of everything down to
anagrams in the rearranged letters of words (see below).

The New Testament leaves us, in the Book of Revelation, with a puzzle
to search for in finding who is designated by "the number of the
beast" (666).

Occasionally, when purchasing several small items, the cash register
will ring up $6.66.

The early gnostic Christians who purported to have hidden knowledge
were countered by other Christian
groups who quoted Christ's words: "That which you have heard
whispered in the ear shout from the rooftops."

Kierkegaard said "The way is not the difficulty but, rather, the
difficulty is the way."

http://www.biblewheel.com/GR/GR_FirstWord.asp

In Christian theology, though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are
each eternal God, and God is One, yet the Father is first in the
sense that he begets the Son. And from the Father and the Son
proceeds the Holy Spirit. Simple as ABC, or rather, Aleph (Av,
Father), Beyt (Ben, Son), Gimel (Gomel, Abundant Giver - The Holy
Spirit). All things are from the Father, through the Son, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, for "there is but one God, the Father, of
whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom are all things, and we by him."

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/bible/TO_Prophets_1460/DeutHist/
DebFrymerKensky.htm

On Mount Tabor, Deborah the prophet announces the victory. She
herself does not go down to the battle. Like Moses, Deborah is not a
battle commander. Her role is to inspire, predict, and celebrate in
song. Her weapon is the word, and her very name is an anagram of "she
spoke" (dibberah).

http://www.countryyossi.com/dec00/mmw1.htm

The Gemara in Berachos teaches "shma garim," that a name foretells a
person's destiny. It teaches us that a name has a person's future
stored in it. Thus by studying names we see the hand of Hashem - for
seeing the events ahead of time in a person's name precludes any
element of chance.

So, for example, Hevel's name, which means "vanity" - and is quite an
unusual choice for parents to make - actually prophesied his dying in
vain at the hands of his brother. Similarly "Noach" has the same
letters as "chein," prophesying the fact that that he would find
favor in the eyes of Hashem. So too "Moshe" has the same letters
as "Hashem," for no human would come as close to Hashem as he. And
the list goes on and on.

Sarah Imeinu's maidservant was called "Hagar." Rashi informs us that
Hagar was the daughter of Paraoh and that she gave up all the
grandeur of her father's court when she realized the truths of Sarah
and Avraham. It is therefore perfect that "Hagar" also can be
read "Ha Ger," the ultimate convert, because that is exactly what she
was. Hagar in gematria also equals 208, the exact numerical value
of "Yitzchak" - since it was in the merit of introducing Hagar as a
rival that Yitzchak was born.

But there's more! Hagar also has in its root "gimel-reish," which
means to contend and be contentious. This accurately describes
Hagar's nature, for she went against her whole upbringing and gave up
her lavish surroundings to become a handmaid to Sarah. This
demonstrates a very vigorous spirit. Then, after years of venerating
Sarah and upon seeing her immediate pregnancy, she contended with
Sarah as well.

But we're not finished yet. There's more. The posuk says that Hagar
was Sarah's handmaid. Why exclusively Sarah's? The Medrash informs us
that when Paraoh witnessed Sarah's incredible modesty, he awarded
Hagar to her. And the Medrash explains that Hagar is a composition of
two words - "Ha Igracha," which means "Here is your reward." So
there's quite a lot packed in ahead of time in the little
name "Hagar"!

Another fascinating Biblical personality that we learned about
recently is Og. Where did the name "Og" come from? The Medrash tells
us that when Og came to inform Avraham that his nephew Lot had been
taken into captivity by the Four Kings, it was Erev Pesach. At that
time Og witnessed Avraham baking matzos. He asked Avraham, "What are
these strange cakes?" Now, cake in Hebrew is called an "ooga," and
thus he became known as "Og."

Now, while this might sound like just a piece of Biblical trivia,
there really is a deep significance in this lesson. The Medrash tells
us that Og built 60 cities. His career was incredibly lengthy,
starting from before the Flood and extending all the way to Moshe
Rabbeinu (Prophet Moses). He witnessed much in his life. Yet the
event that was most momentous and meaningful in his long and
checkered career was seeing Avraham Avinu bake matzos! What a
powerful lesson on the importance of mitzvos.

If you look at the name "Og," its anagram is the word "gava," which
means to expire. The Medrash tells us that the reason that Hashem
kept Og alive for almost a thousand years is to show the world what
people were like before the Flood, thereby demonstrating the might of
Hashem - that He was able to punish an entire world of such
prehistoric giants. Thus Og's very existence was a testimony to "Kol
asher b'aretz yigbah - Everything that was upon earth expired." Hence
his name is an anagram of "gava."

For our next name, let's take a look at a very contemporary subject.
When Hagar had her child, Hashem told her to name him "Yishmael,"
which literally means that G-d listened to her prayers. But the
Medrash informs us that this word means "Yishma Kel - G-d will
listen," for it prophetically revealed that Yishmael's descendants,
the Arabs, would generate many Jewish prayers, causing Hashem to
listen to the urgent cries of His people. How amazing! A boy is born
to a former bondmaid and a prophecy is revealed that, thousands of
years later, his myriad descendants would repeatedly cause Tehillim
to be said by Jews all around the world.

Indeed the description of Yishmael is replete with amazing prophecy.
The description that he will be a "perre adam - a wild (ass-like)
man" is a perfect description of the Arab mentality. Who else would
send little children with rocks to confront high-tech tanks? Who else
but a wild subhuman people would go on suicide mission after suicide
mission? And what about the testimony of what the posuk says, "V'yad
kol bo - And everyone's hands will be in him," which the Targum
translates to mean "That all will need him." How awesome a prophecy
this is, that nations - world over - are in urgent need of Arab oil.
And what about the verse that tells us "Al p'nei kol echav yishkon -
That he (Yishmael's descendants) will dwell on the face of all of his
brethren." How uncannily accurate is this description of how the
Arabs totally encircle the Jewish people, literally camping upon all
of their borders.

Already at the beginning of mankind, names loomed as an important
subject. The very first job that Hashem gave to Adam was to name the
animal kingdom. This was a massive task - to name the myriad of
prehistoric species. And when Adam finished this mission, Hashem
applauded him, indicating that whatever he had called these animals
was indeed their correct names.

This is quite puzzling. If they were nameless before, then of course
whatever he called them would become their names. What exactly was
the substance of Hashem's praise to Adam?

The commentators explain that a name is not a mere label. Rather it
intrinsically points to the essence of that which it is naming. To
contrast, in the English language, we call the four-legged "bow-wow"
a "dog." However, since the letters D-O-G spell also G-O-D, it is
unlikely that there is an intrinsic message here (unless you're a dog
worshiper).

On the other hand, in Lashon Kodesh, the Holy Tongue, a dog is called
a "kelev." The word "kelev" contains a corruption of two words: "kol"
and "lev," i.e., "with all its heart" (using the "lamed" in the
middle on both ends). This is an accurate description of the essence
of a dog, which never bites the hand that feeds it and is unceasingly
loyal to its master.

This explains why such a great personality as Kalev ben Yefuneh would
be named "Kalev." At first it would seem odd that such a righteous
individual, a giant of his generation, would be given a name that
means "dog," but now we understand completely - for Kalev
demonstrated total loyalty to Hashem when he defied the wishes of the
majority of the spies and loyally defended the reputation of Eretz
Yisroel. This example serves to illustrate how every name
intrinsically alludes to the nature of what it is describing.

Similarly water is named "mayim." Not only is it made up of
two "mems" and one "yud," which parallel the molecular makeup of H2O
(two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen), but it is also a
palindrome - a word that reads the same from the front and the back.
This is to illustrate that the water cycle is reciprocal in nature -
first coming down from the sky, then being pumped up as water vapor,
only to return once again from the sky.

As well, the sun is called "shemesh," another palindrome, since it
goes back and forth from east to west, on an unceasing mission to
serve its Creator. How accurate is the fact that the name "shemesh"
can be read "shamash," for it is the ultimate sexton of the earth,
helping to keep the world pleasantly lit and warm and ensuring the
growth of the world's vitality.

In many Chasidishe seforim, we are taught that the gematria of the
word "shem" (name) is 340. It is the same numeric value as the
word "tzinor," a pipeline, for one's name is the conduit that helps
to bring down one's shefah bracha (divine blessings) from Heaven. It
is for this reason that when people are blessed with a daughter, some
try to make the kiddush on the day that they name the child, since
this is a time for great celebration - awarding the child with her
connection with Heaven.

With our heightened understanding of the importance and weightiness
of a Jewish name, we can now better understand why one of the three
reasons we were redeemed from Mitzrayim was that we didn't change our
Jewish names. At first glance, a name merely seems to have
sentimental value, but now we see that our attachment to our ancient
names means that we have devotedly refused to divest ourselves of our
Heavenly connection.

Here are two contemporary stories that show how much stock we put in
what our name is. The great Rav Sonnenfeld of Yerushalayim once took
seriously ill with pneumonia. At that time pneumonia was often fatal.
His Rebbe, the Brisker Rav, Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, added the
name "Yosef" to his existing name "Chaim." Thus he became known as
Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld,and baruch Hashem he recovered from his
illness.

One Purim after this event, he brought Shalach Manos to his Rebbe -
very early on Purim day. When the Brisker Rav commented on what a
zarid (energetic person) he was, Rav Sonnenfeld answered, "Well, the
Rebbe made me that way." Upon close inspection of this cryptic
comment, we find that the numeric value of the name "Yosef Chaim" is
identical with the gematria of "zarid." Thus he was saying that his
Rebbe, who added "Yosef" to his name, added the quality of "zarid" to
the essence of his being!

In another fascinating story, the Torah Temimah relates that there
was once an individual named Yechiel Michel who took ill. When they
wanted to add the name "Chaim" (which is one of the customary names
that is added to an ill person - together with such names
as "Yosef," "Refoel," "Alter," "Chaya" and the like), someone
said, "Don't add 'Chaim'!" and the Rav agreed by saying
cryptically, "Yemach shemo - His name will be blotted out." The Torah
Temimah explains this enigmatic comment to mean that if the
name "Chaim" would be added to "Yechiel Michel," it would then form
the abbreviation "Yud-Mem-Ches," which would spell "YeMaCH - he
should be blotted out." Therefore such a sequence of names should be
avoided.

The events surrounding the name "Yaakov" are very puzzling. The Torah
explains that he was given the name because upon birth, "V'yodo
ochezes ba'akeiv Esav - And his hand grasped the heel [of his twin]
Esav." Now, why would we name - for perpetuity - one of the greatest
men ever to live after a seemingly insignificant happening in the
birthing room?

The Tur on Chumash gives a beautiful and revealing explanation. He
teaches us that when a mother delivers twins, after the first one is
born she usually has to go through the entire pain of labor and
delivery a second time. With kindness already apparent in his
infancy, Yaakov wanted to spare his mother a second round of pain. He
therefore held on to his brother's heel and came out at the same time
as Esav, thus saving his mother from having to go through the birth
pains twice.

Thus the name "Yaakov," at its very inception, is a symbol of
kindness and compassion. Now when we think of the hundreds of Bais
Yaakov schools for girls that Baruch Hashem sprinkle the world, we
will attach greater significance to its meaning, for, among many
things, it stands for Houses of Chesed in the footsteps of our great
father Yaakov.

We give names to commemorate miracles that happened. Thus when Moshe
Rabbeinu was saved from the sword of Paraoh, he called his
son "Eliezer," which stands for "Elokei avi b'ezri - The G-d of my
father came to my defense." Similarly Basya, the daughter of Paraoh,
called Moshe Rabbeinu by the name "Moshe," "Ki min hamayim mishisihu -
From the water I have drawn him," in order to commemorate the
miracle of her hand telescoping 400 amos to reach Moshe Rabbeinu. We
know that Esav was called by that name because it can also be
read "asoo," completed, for Esav was born fully formed and, as the
Targum Ben Uziel elaborates, he already had a beard, front teeth and
even molars.

Did you ever wonder why Rivka, who was only 22 when she had the
twins, never had any more children? The answer is that Esav, deciding
he didn't want any further competition from siblings, kicked
ferociously upon exiting his mother's womb and destroyed it. This is
one of the reasons he was called "Edom," ruddy red, because he
emerged full of his mother's blood. Then Esav shifted his murderous
intentions to his little twin, figuring he could get rid of all the
competition by smashing straight into the vulnerable fontanel of
Yaakov's delicate infant head with his heel. But lo and behold,
Hashem made a miracle and Yaakov's weak infant hand was able to hold
back the full force of Esav's murderous heel. Thus the name "Yaakov"
commemorates this great miracle for eternity. See how much history is
hidden in the Biblical names!

As we know, Yaakov was given another name - "Yisroel" - and it is
with this name that our people and our land are primarily
identified. "Klal Yisroel" and "B'nei Yisroel" are the names of our
people, while "Eretz Yisroel" is the proud name of our land.

Here is a fascinating insight into the name "Yisroel." The letters
that make up this very special name ("yud-sin-reish-aleph-lamed")
form an abbreviation that stands for all of our avos and imahos, our
patriarchs and matriarchs. The "yud" stands for Yitzchak and Yaakov,
the "sin" for Sarah and the "reish" for Rivka and Rochel. The "aleph"
stands for Avraham and, finally, the "lamed" for Leah. Thus in a very
profound way we are the B'nei Yisroel, the children of our great
forefathers and mothers.

The Torah tells us about Efron HaChiti. Here was a man who made it
into the Torah for all time because he had a very special piece of
real estate. In his possession was the rarefied burial site of Adam
and Chava, the direct handiwork of Hashem. This was the very essence
of his existence - that he would be the messenger to transfer
ownership of M'oras HaMachpelah to Avraham Avinu.

There was also a great personal challenge involved: whether Efron
would be generous or stingy in the sale. History reveals that, while
he promised much, he was miserly in the extreme, exacting from
Avraham 400 shekel kesef - a princely sum - and further demanding
that its payment be in the most liquid of currencies.

Lo and behold, all of these events are hidden in Efron's name. The
word "Efron" is an anagram of "pira-on," which means "to exact
payment," for that was precisely what Efron did. The word "Efron" can
also be read "afaron," dust and earth, since he exacted payment for
the earth of M'oras HaMachpelah.

But that's not all. Toward the end of the incident, the Torah drops
the letter "vav" from Efron's name to depict his cheapness and
smallness of character. Spelled without the "vav," the word "Efron"
consists of an "ayin" - which equals 70, a "fei" - which equals 80,
a "reish" - which equals 200, and a "nun" - which equals 50.
Remarkably the value of these letters total 400 in gematria - the
exact amount that Efron insisted upon in payment for M'oras
HaMachpelah. This is yet another marvelous example of the secrets
working in Biblical names!

After Yitzchak's marriage, the Torah tells us, "Vayosef Avraham
vayikach isha u'shma Keturah - Avraham added a wife by the name of
Keturah." Rashi informs us that she was none other than Hagar. Why
the name change? Rashi gives us two reasons. First, her deeds were as
sweet as ketores, the sweet-smelling incense offered on the altar.
Second, Keturah contains the Aramaic word "katar," which means "to
tie," alluding to the fact that, after leaving Avraham, she abstained
from any relations with any other man (cf. Rashi).

Let's analyze Rashi's first reason. If she was called "Keturah"
because of her sweet deeds, why wasn't she called "Naomi"
or "Naamah"? These are names of great people (the mother-in-law of
Rus and the wife of Noach) who were named after their ne'imus - their
sweet deeds. Why the additional analogy to the ketores? I believe
that this comparison is to indicate that Hagar's sweetness of
character came out after she was "burnt" by the suffering of being
expelled from Avraham and Sarah's home. Thus she was compared to the
incense that only emits a sweet fragrance upon being burned.

Rashi's second reason, that her name indicates her fidelity to
Avraham even after being evicted from his home with her son, reveals
a profound massage. Hagar was a Mitzris, and the Mitzrim were known
for their promiscuous and lewd nature. That Hagar went against her
natural inclination and remained faithful to Avraham was a supreme
exhibition of breaking her nature and doing good. In this way she
showed that she was an admirable match for Avraham, who we know went
against his nature of kindness to offer his son on the akeidah. Thus
this new name beautifully shows that, although the initial reason for
taking Hagar - namely to have Yitzchak - no longer applied, Keturah
was a fitting mate in her own right. Thus we have yet another
wonderful example of how a name sheds light on a person's makeup.

So as we marvel at Hashem's prophecies and at the wondrous names in
His Torah, may the prophecy speedily come to be, "Vahaya ... b'yom
hahu yihyeh Hashem Echad U'shemo Echad - And it will be in that day
that Hashem will be One and His Name will be One," and may we all be
in good health to live to see it.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1450&letter=A

In the Talmudic and Midrashic literature, anagrams became a system of
Biblical interpretation, called (inversions). Eleazar of Modi'in
introduced it in explaining the word (Gen. xlix. 4) by the
transposition of its letters. But this system, applicable originally
only to the transposition of the letters, was gradually extended to
simple transpositions of the words. Jewish literature, and especially
the Jewish poetry of the Arabic epoch, imitating the Arabic poets,
who had a predilection for anagrams, offers many examples: ("If you
mock my sickness, I will tender you my cheeks"), Judah ha-
Levi, "Diwan," ed. Brody, ii. 149; ("And she amasses corn and plenty
of food for a time of scarcity and famine"), Al?arizi, "Ta?kemoni,"
ed. Kaminka, p. 49).

The golden age for anagrams began with the Cabala. The Platonists had
strange notions as to the influence of anagrammatic virtues,
particularly of anagrams evolved from names of persons. It is not
surprising, therefore, that the cabalists, like all the
Neoplatonists, pretended to discover occult qualities in proper names
and in their anagrams. Thus, most amulets are based upon the
transposition of letters (compare "Raziel ha-Malak," p. 62).
Cabalists explain, for instance, the custom of reciting some Mishnah
paragraphs on the anniversary of the death of relatives (Jahrzeit),
by pointing out that (Mishnah) contains the letters of (soul).
Nearly all the cabalistic writings give rules for composing anagrams,
which are called temurah (change).

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=2&letter=L

Laban is identified by the Rabbis with Beor, Balaam's father, and
with Chushan-rishathaim (Judges iii. Cool

, the last name being
interpreted as "perpetrator of two evils" (Sanh. 105a; comp. Targ.
pseudo-Jonathan to Num. xxii. 5). R. Joshua b. Levi, however,
identifies Laban with Kemuel (Gen. xxii. 21), the latter name being
interpreted as, "who stood up against God's people" (; Gen. R. lvii.
4). The name "Laban" is interpreted as "glowing with wickedness" (ib.
lx. Cool

, and the surname "Arammi" (= "the Aramean"; see Laban,
Biblical Data) as an anagram of "ramma'ah" (= "impostor"; ib. lxx.
17). Laban is called also "the master of impostors" (ib. lxxv. 6).
When he saw the bracelets on Rebekah's arms (Gen. xxiv. 30) he
determined to kill Eliezer; but the latter, divining his intention,
pronounced the Sacred Name, by which he caused camels to remain
suspended in the air above the well. This and Eliezer's resemblance
to Abraham made Laban believe that Eliezer was Abraham. Laban
therefore invited him to enter the house (Midr. Abkir, in Yal?., Gen.
109; comp. Midr. Hagadah on Gen. xxiv. 23).

http://xenohistorian.faithweb.com/worldhis/Hist12.html

Jeremiah revealed how God would use Israel in the midst of the
nations (See Jeremiah 25:15-29). Jeremiah was called as a prophet
appointed "over the nations and kingdoms" (Jeremiah 1:10). Because of
his unique call, Jeremiah's interpretation of God's purpose for
Israel is extremely important. Jeremiah saw God forcing all nations
to drink of the "cup of the wine of wrath." Every nation must drink
from it; first Jerusalem would, then those nearby would drink,
followed by the distant nations. Finally (verse 26), a king named
Shishak is forced to drink. There is an Egyptian king named Shishak
in 1 Kings 14:25, but Egypt is already mentioned in verse 19, so this
must mean somebody else; some Talmudic scholars have suggested
that "Shishak" is a Hebrew anagram meaning "Babel." What this means
is that God will bring calamities upon every nation, just as He did
to Jerusalem, culminating with the destruction of a restored Babel.
Later, Jeremiah envisioned Israel as God's war club (Jeremiah 51:19-
23) by which He would smash the nations.

What is the wine of God's wrath? It is God's judgment on the Babel
aspirations of the nations. The Babel tendency (the creation of
empires within the civilized world) uses economic success to win
followers. Indeed, when God destroys Babylon (Revelation 1 Cool

it
appears as if "international commerce" is the thing directly
affected. Coupled with the drive for economic independence comes the
pride and greed associated with the good life. God sent His people
into the nations carrying the Torah and the revelation of God. The
Jewish people have been a sobering testimony of God's wrath. Wherever
they have lived in the nations, they have carried the story of God's
judgment on the city established for His name, even Jerusalem.
Moreover, God promised to destroy every nation that the Jews emigrate
to (Jeremiah 30:11). So if God judged Jerusalem which He loves, why
will He spare the pagan nations? (Romans 11:21)

As we consider this prophecy, we can, by hindsight, understand the
gradual spread of civilization and the sequence of empires which have
appeared. Today civilization has encompassed virtually the entire
world and most people are involved in international commerce. The
Jewish people still carry the Torah scrolls announcing God's
judgment. In God's time, He will accomplish His purpose. Joel said
(Joel 3) that God will ultimately call all the nations to war with
Him because of their response to the Jewish people who were dispersed
in their midst.

======================================

Some more anagrams:

GEORGE BUSH: When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

DORMITORY: When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

EVANGELIST: When you rearrange the letters:
EVIL'S AGENT

PRESBYTERIAN: When you rearrange the
letters: BEST IN PRAYER

DESPERATION: When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE MORSE CODE: When you rearrange the
letters: HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES: When you rearrange the
letters: CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY: When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

MOTHER-IN-LAW: When you rearrange the
letters: WOMAN
: HITLER

SNOOZE ALARMS!: When you rearrange the
letters: ALAS! NO MORE Z'S

A DECIMAL POINT: When you rearrange the
letters: I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES: When you rearrange the
letters: THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO: When you rearrange the
letters: TWELVE PLUS ONE

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