period began when Egyptian troops crossed the Sinai and concluded three weeks later with the outbreak of the Six-Day War. On what day did that period begin? On May 15, 1967, the day that marked Israel’s nineteenth year. And when was the prophetic song ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ first sung to the nation? On the day that marked Israel’s nineteenth year. It all began as Israel completed its nineteenth year.
“In the ancient cycle the nineteen years concerned the loss and destruction of Jerusalem and Israel. In the modern cycle the nineteen years likewise concerned Jerusalem and Israel. The ancient nineteen-year cycle concerned the loss of sovereignty and existence. The modern nineteen-year cycle concerned the exact opposite, the exact reversal, the regaining of sovereignty, the undoing of loss, and the nation’s rebirth. So in the year of Jubilee the nineteen years of loss and destruction become the nineteen years of restoration and rebirth.
“And since the Jubilee is about reversal, what happens,” said the Oracle, “if we reverse the nineteen years of destruction? If the ancient nineteen-year cycle begins with the soldiers of a Gentile kingdom entering the gates of Jerusalem . . . then the modern nineteen-year cycle will end with the soldiers of a Gentile kingdom departing Jerusalem and with Israeli soldiers entering in its gates. And so it did in 1967.
“And if the ancient nineteen-year period begins with the Jewish nation losing its sovereignty over Jerusalem . . . then the modern nineteen-year period will end with the Jewish nation regaining its sovereignty over Jerusalem in 1967. And so it did.
“If the ancient nineteen-year period ends with the mass departure of the Jewish people from the land . . . then the modern nineteen-year period must begin with the mass return of the Jewish people from exile to the land in 1948. And so it would.”
“And,” I said, “if the ancient nineteen-year period ends with the Jewish nation disappearing from the earth . . . then the modern nineteen-year period must begin with the Jewish nation reappearing on the earth.”
“And so it did,” said the Oracle, “in 1948. And remember what I told you about the times of the Gentiles, which many have seen as beginning in 605 BC when the Babylonians first invaded. So then what about that which took place in the corresponding year, 1967, the regaining of Jerusalem? Is it possible that it then could be seen as the beginning of the end of the times of the Gentiles?”
“Is it?”
“Perhaps,” he said. “It could be seen as such. And so it was prophesied in ancient times by the rabbi from Nazareth, ‘Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.’” 2
“The next time I saw the Oracle, he would open up another revelation of the secret things from ancient times that play a part behind the world events of modern times.”
“What secret things?”
“A mysterious person I had never heard of before.”
“What mysterious person?”
“The man called the Nazir.”
“And how would it be revealed to you?”
“Through a man in a black robe.”
Chapter 39
THE NAZIR
I FOUND THE Oracle sitting under a tree filled with fruit, each one red, round, and with what looked like a crown at its bottom.”
“It’s a pomegranate tree,” he said. “Images of pomegranates adorned the Temple of King Solomon.”
So I joined him under the pomegranate tree.
“The man in the black hooded robe, whose name was Separation . . . what was that about?”
“There was an ancient ordinance,” he said, “concerning a vow. If an Israelite desired to consecrate himself for the Lord’s purposes, he would take a vow of separation. The vow would involve abstaining from wine, from cutting his hair, and from defilement. The vow could be taken for a specific period of time or for life. The one who took the vow was called the Nazir. Nazir comes from a Hebrew root word meaning to separate. So the Nazir was the separated one, and the time of his vow was known as his days of separation. The root word from which nazir comes can speak of both separation to the Lord or from the Lord.”
“So the man in the black robe whose name was Separation was the Nazir?”
“A form of the Nazir,” he replied. “And when did you see him?”
“At times of calamity, loss, and exile.”
“In the days of their separation,” he said. “What you saw was the embodiment of Israel’s exile, their days of their separation. Now, according to the ancient ordinance, the Nazir could only begin his