I was reading the headlines a few days ago and found the following news
article.http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/10/04/in_louisiana_katrinas_final_toll_put_at_964/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News
In Louisiana, Katrina's final toll put at 964
By Associated Press | October 4, 2005
NEW ORLEANS -- The search for Hurricane Katrina victims has ended in
Louisiana with a death toll at 964, but more searches will be
conducted if someone reports seeing a body, a state official said
yesterday.
================================================The article continues, but what struck me as peculiar was the number they arrived
at. This number 964 is now associated with Katrina's death toll. Note
that this is not a total, but the number marking the end of the
house-to-house search in Louisiana where the majority of deaths
occurred. So, 964 is the number that stood out to me. I researched
this matter further using the Infinity code. The Infinity Code,
revealed to Al Neal, has various applications that generally relate to
the numbered sequence of the Bible's chapters. I found that the 964th
chapter of the Bible is Mark 7, so I read it through, keeping in mind
that the name of the hurricane Katrina means "pure" and that most of
the focus of attention was on what happened in New Orleans. What I
found was interesting!Let's begin by considering what Katrina will be remembered for -
destroying New Orleans by water. Sure, Florida and Mississippi were
deeply affected, as well as other towns in Louisiana, but the big
story is New Orleans. Katrina brought a deluge of water that brought
devastation to much of New Orleans, her people, economy and
infrastructure. The wind, biblically symbolic of spirit, was damaging,
but it was surely the water that brought the worst damage. Floods of
water are biblically symbolic of washing and baptism, cleansing and
purifying. The name Katrina is derived from the Greek. Strongs
Dictionary #G2513 is "katharos; a prim. word; clean (adj.):-clean
(12), clear (3), innocent (1), pure (10).1" The hurricane Katrina/PURE
was as a cleansing flood.So, does Mark 7 have anything to say about washing by water or
purification? YES! The first 23 verses pivot around something Jesus'
disciples did that disturbed the Pharisees, that they "were eating
their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed." Here's verses 1-51 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they
had come from Jerusalem,
2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with
impure hands, that is, unwashed.
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully
wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;
4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless
they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they
have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and
pitchers and copper pots.)
5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked* Him, "Why do Your
disciples not
walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread
with impure hands?"What does this mean to us, that we should find such harmony? The
Infinity code principle is further validated as a useful tool for
gleaning insight. God still intervenes in the affairs of this world.
He still speaks to His people through signs in the earth, and for such
things Jesus said to watch.The Greek word from which Katrina is derived does not occur in Mark 7
but is found in a related passage (Matthew 23:26) that elaborates on
the practice washing of the cup mentioned in verse 4 above.Read the balance through verse 23 yourselves. In the latter verses the
Lord addresses the heard of the matter of purity vs defilement.
Verse 15: "there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it
goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what
defile the man."Then he offers a list which pretty well sums up what New Orleans
stands for. I don't say this to offend anybody, but lest I offend the
Lord let me call it like it is. Do your homework and be honest in what
you find.
Verses 21-23: 21 "For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed
the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality,
envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."Katrina came as a physical reality, but the greater testimony is the
symbolic message. Sin is being judged and this comes as a stern
warning to the wise. Yes, He still speaks to His people through signs
in the earth.It is interesting to note that the person most directly blamed for the
extent of the damage is Michael Chertoff, who directed the FEMA
response to Hurricane Katrina. The Russian name "Chertoff" translates:
Devil, or Devil's own.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Michael_Chertoff
http://www.rense.com/general61/chert2.htmThe balance of the chapter consists of two accounts of deliverance. In
each I see something of Katrina and New Orleans. Here is the first
account. Verses 24-30:24 Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And
when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He
could not escape notice.
25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an
unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she
kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied
first, for
it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the
dogs."
28 But she answered and said* to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the
dogs
under the table feed on the children's crumbs."
29 And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has
gone
out of your daughter."
30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed,
the demon having left.Before Y'shua came the child had an unclean spirit, a picture of New
Orleans. This Gentile woman in the house pleads to the Lord on her
daughter's behalf, which is a picture of the church praying for New
Orleans to be spared. This was in the news, and you yourself may have
participated. The Lord granted deliverance to this girl from the
unclean spirit, washed pure by Katrina in a figure. It is worthy of
note that the unclean spirits of New Orleans have been and continue to
be prominent, where Haitian Voodoo and Catholacism dominated the
culture. Have you seen this news - Soldiers Spooked by New Orleans
Spirits, a CBC News story from 9/16/05?
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=6789@kpix.dayport.com
On a closing note, this happened in Tyre, a coastal city of great
commercial importance that thus parallels New Orleans, home of the
fourth largest port in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre
Here is the final passage from Mark 7, the 964th chapter of the
Bible.31 Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon
to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis.
32 They brought* to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty,
and they implored* Him to lay His hand on him.
33 Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His
fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with
the saliva;
34 and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said* to him,
"Ephphatha Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"
35 And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was
removed, and he began speaking plainly.
36 And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered
them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
37 They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things
well;
He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."Sidon is mentioned, which is like Tyre a great coastal port city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidon The narrative literally says Y'shua
came to the Sea of Galilee. When it says "the Sea of Galilee, within
the region of Decapolis," you might be surprised that the more
specific location reference is the Sea. The region of Decapolis (which
means ten cities) is vastly larger than the Sea of Galilee. So, it
really is saying He came to the Sea. The action that occurs in the
scenario clearly doesn't take place on the Sea because there is a
crowd of people. Here's the symbolic meaning I find in it. If you saw
video or pictures of New Orleans after Katrina, it looked like the
sea, and to a large degree was an extension of the sea for a season
because of the storm surge and the infusion from Lake Pontchartrain.Now, what takes place is another deliverance, this time from infirmity
because the man was deaf and spoke with difficulty. The symbols are
like as in verses 24-30. The man symbolizes New Orleans and Y'shua,
Katrina. A hurricane is a lot of wind and water, which is kind of what
spitting is. I remember watching cartoons when I was a kid and seeing
a god-like north wind figure with a beard blowing up a storm - imagine
God spitting - a hurricane! What an image! The noise a hurricane makes
is something I have heard people who have waited one out describe as
being very memorable. After spitting, Y'shua looked up to heaven with
a deep sigh! Hurricane Katrina! Until recently, hurricanes and such
were referred to as "acts of God." Some people thought "natural
disasters" was a preferable term. However, whether we call them
natural disasters or anything else less like to offend the godless
doesn't really make them any less "acts of God" does it? (Article of
interest: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1174220&page=1)
Since Katrina, we have had Rita, (New Orleans again, with a primary
focus on Houston) and the warnings to flee from her path were heard
everywhere to a degree far greater than was observed prior to Katrina.
After Katrina, New Orleans spoke and was heard clearly. Amen?This is a great close to the 964th chapter marking the death toll of
Katrina in Louisiana. Verse 37: "They were utterly astonished, saying,
"He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and
the
mute to speak."" Are you listening?Bob Schlenker
TheOpenScroll.com