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Cush, Tallest people on earth
Isaiah 18:2 “Go, swift messengers, to a tall and smooth-skinned people“, and from verse 1 we read, “Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia“. Some translations say Ethiopia, others say Sudan – which today is the country just below Egypt and just above Ethiopia. However in those years, Sudan and Ethiopia were known as the ancient kingdom of Cush.
If you look at the Hebrew word in the Scriptures that says Ethiopia or Sudan, the word is actually Cush H3568 – kûš, which means “black”. The first time we read about Cush is from the garden of Eden, in Genesis 2:10-14 “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush“. From Genesis 10:1-8 we learn that Cush was also the grandson of Noah, the son of Ham, but also the father of Nimrod! “And Cush H3568 begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.” Nimrod is the founder of Babylon and the Tower of Babel.
In Isaiah 18:7, it says something very interesting though.. “In that time a present will be brought to YHWH of hosts, From a people tall and smooth of skin, And from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide — To the place of the name of YHWH of hosts, To Mount Zion.” Isaiah prophecies that in the end, these people will worship YHWH. In Acts 8 the apostle Philip teaches and baptizes a man from Cush, “And behold, a man of Cush (Ethiopia), a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.” Even back in 2 Kings 19 we read about a certain Pharaoh from Cush (a king who conquered Egypt), helped King Hezekiah of Judah against the Assyrians.
Today, Ethiopia (which were part of Cush) has a very interesting fact with regard to the Scriptures. Their major religion is “Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity” and dates back to the 4th century – which is just after the time when Philip baptized the man from Cush. This religion also have the most comprehensive Canon (Scriptures or Bible), with 81 books in the old testament which includes the book of Enoch, Jubilees and Esdras. The Catholics have 73 canons/books in their old testament Bible, where the Protestant (most bibles read and available today, like yours probably) – only have 66 canons/books in the old testament. This Ethopian Orthodox Church also still keeps the Sabbath and holds to the Torah of YHWH.
Here is another interesting fact.. the people from Cush were known as the tallest people on earth! Even today, it is know that people from South-Sudan (Cush) are home to some of the tallest people.. see some photos here below.. a screenshot when you google “sudan and ethiopia tall people“
Valley of Vision
Isaiah 22:1 “This is the divine revelation about the valley of Vision“. Another translation says, “The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?” Verse 5 continues with “For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by YHWH Elohim of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.”
Here we find a lot of irony in these passages. From the valley down below, where the visions come from – which should actually be from above and not below. They cry to the mountains, but the visions are from the valley. They were having parties and enjoying life, when suddenly chaos breaks out and everyone have nowhere to go, except try to escape on the roof, and also perhaps have a view (vision) of what is going on.
Yeshua warned about the complacency and living carelessly. Luke 21:34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24 is the famous chapter where Yeshua explains the end of days as well, verse 20-22 “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
Remember in the days of Noah, it was the same, people laughed and joked, they didn’t want to hear the warnings or prophecies. Matthew 24:37-43 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour YHWH is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”
