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— the Davidic Messiah, suddenly. If Messiah son of Joseph has preceded him, he will have served as his herald, the one who sets the nation aright and clears the way — as it says: "Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me."
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He will be like fire for those burdened with great sins, and like a cleanser for those with lesser ones — as it continues: "For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap."
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And if son of Joseph does not come — Messiah son of David will arrive suddenly, as it says: "And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to His temple" — and he will lead a people with him until he reaches Jerusalem.
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If Armilus holds Jerusalem — he will kill him and take it from him, which is what is meant by: "And I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel." And if it is in another's hand — that too is from Edom.
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And if son of Joseph does not come — what the nation receives from son of David will strengthen their hearts, heal their brokenness, and comfort their souls: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives… to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
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He then opens to the various forms of compensation — honor, might, and glory — as it continues: "To bestow on the mourners of Zion, to give them a garland instead of ashes." And they will build the city and inhabit it — as it says: "And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins."
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Then Gog and Magog will hear reports of the Davidic Messiah — his leadership, people, city, abundant wealth, and their dwelling without locks, walls, or anything of the sort — and he will covet them.
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As his passage says: "I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely — all of them dwelling without walls, bars, or gates" — and he will gather peoples from many nations, journeying through country after country, until he reaches them — as it says: "And you will come from your place, from the far north."
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The peoples gathered with him fall into two kinds: one, known to be destined for destruction; the other, those who are to be saved by entering the faith. As for those destined for destruction, He says of them: "And I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat."
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Also: "Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war, arouse the warriors… beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weakling say, I am a warrior. Hasten and come, all you nations from round about… let the nations stir up and go up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat… put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe… Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision."
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As for those who are saved — they are the ones of whom it is said: "For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call on the name of the Lord."
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Then on that day there will befall those who committed excess three types of destruction. Some will perish by fire, sulfur, and stones of hail — as it says: "Torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur I will rain upon him."
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Some will perish by sword — each by his fellow's hand — as it says: "I will call for the sword against him throughout all My mountains… each man's sword will be against his brother."
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And some — their flesh will melt and their bones will decay — as it says: "This will be the plague… their flesh will dissolve while they stand on their feet" — until one of them reaches out to take another's hand and it comes away in his hand.
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And the survivors will bear marks upon them from what struck them — a gouged eye, a cut-off nose, or a severed finger — and they will go out to distant places and report what they witnessed: "And I will set a sign among them, and will send survivors from them to the nations, to Tarshish…"
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The saved also come in four kinds. Some will serve Israel in their homes as the greatest — as it says: "And kings will be your foster-fathers…"
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Some will serve in city and town service — about them it says: "And the house of Israel will possess them in the land of the Lord as male and female servants, and they will be captor over their captors and will rule over their oppressors." Some will serve in orchards and fields — as it says: "And foreigners will stand and tend your flocks, and the sons of the stranger will be your farmers…"
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And some will return to their lands while remaining in obedience — as it says: "And it shall come to pass that all who remain of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts…"
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Any nation that does not make the pilgrimage — no rain will fall on it: "And it will be that whoever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts — upon them there will be no rain."
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Then the nations will understand that the best way to draw near to the Messiah is to bring him, as a gift, any of his scattered ones in their hands — as it says: "And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place" and: "And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord."
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Each nation will do its part according to its capacity. The wealthy among them will carry Israel on horses, mules, covered carriages, and litters in the finest manner — as it says: "They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and in palanquins."
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And the poorer among them will carry the Israelites on their shoulders and the children in their arms — as it says: "Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and raise My signal to the peoples, and they will bring your sons in their arms."
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Those at sea will be brought in ships together with silver and gold — as it says: "For the coastlands wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first."
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And those in the lands of Ethiopia will be brought in papyrus boats until they reach Egypt — for in the upper Nile there are rocky formations rising from the water, and wooden boats cannot pass without breaking, but papyrus boats coated with pitch can fold and not break — as it says: "Ho, land of buzzing wings, which is beyond the rivers of Cush, that sends ambassadors by sea and in papyrus vessels upon the waters."
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"— they will bring My offering." And any of Israel remaining in the wilderness with no nation to bring them — our Lord will quickly bring them Himself: perhaps the clouds will carry them — as it says: "Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their dovecotes?" — or the winds will carry them — as it says: "Say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Do not withhold! Bring My sons from afar…"
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When the living are gathered with the living believers as I described — then the resurrection of the dead occurs, as I explained in the preceding maamar. And Messiah son of Joseph will be in the forefront of their advance, for he is a righteous servant who was greatly tried and greatly compensated.
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Then our Lord, mighty and exalted, will sanctify His holy city as we described — "For the Lord has built Zion; He has appeared in His glory." The city plan and the Temple as Ezekiel described — "In the twenty-fifth year of our exile" — adorned with rubies and sapphires as Isaiah said: "I will make your pinnacles of rubies and your gates of crystal stones."
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And all the land will be inhabited so that no desolate or barren place remains in it — as it says: "And the parched land will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water."
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Then the light of the Divine Presence will shine blazing upon the Temple, making all other lights appear dim or extinguished by comparison — for I have explained in the Second Maamar that it is brighter than any light: "Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you — for behold, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples, but upon you the Lord will shine…"
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— so that one who does not know the way to Jerusalem will find it by the light of that radiance, for it stretches from heaven to earth: "And nations will walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your rising."
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Then prophecy will be abundant among our nation — even our children and servants — as it says: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy… even upon the male and female servants."
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— and if one from the nations says "I am a believer," they will say to him: tell us who someone was yesterday and what will happen tomorrow — in matters secret to them — and if he tells them correctly, they know he is truly from among them: "And their seed will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples."
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And the believers will persist in this state as long as the world exists — their situation will not change: "Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you will not be ashamed or humiliated to all eternity."
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And we know that the people will choose obedience and not transgression — as is explained in the passage: "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart," and in the passage: "And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit…"
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Their choosing this will be for many reasons: their witnessing the light of the Divine Presence, the arrival of prophecy upon them, their dwelling in power and blessing, no hand threatening to scatter them, no poverty pressing upon them — and all their affairs encompassed in happiness.
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And we know that plague, illness, and pestilence will all cease — and so will grief and sorrow. Rather, theirs will be a world entirely of joy and delight — so that they will feel as though heaven and earth have been renewed for them, as is described in the passage: "For behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth… but rejoice and exult forever in what I am creating; for I will create Jerusalem as a joy and her people as a delight, and the sound of weeping will no longer be heard in her, nor the sound of crying."
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What an age that will be — entirely joy and delight, entirely obedience and worship, entirely reward and remembrance! And of that time it says: "Our sons are like plants grown large, our daughters like corner pillars cut for a palace structure; our barns are full, overflowing with produce of every kind; our flocks are in the thousands — there is no breach, and no going out in alarm."
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Chapter 7. After these explanations I will address what has been reported to me — that a group who call themselves Jews claim