To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Re: Russian children to train for war
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Cleophus")
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2000 00:30:19 -0500

Hank's description of the re-instituted Young Pioneers is very close to how
I would describe some phases of my military school ROTC program at Columbia
Military Academy in Columbia, Tennessee, in the early 1960s. With the social
breakdowns in Russia, or so we have heard, I would say that exposing Russian
youth to military discipline is a positive step to building their pride,
self-awareness, and individual ability to work in a team environment.
At Columbia, my cadet corps entertained delusions of being called up for
Vietnam, but that was absurd, and we had to go on and enlist to find out how
ill-prepared we were, even though we had attended a premiere US Army ROTC
program at the academy. We handled M1 Garands and 30-cal. machine-guns and
the old pineapple grenades (dummies but real), but we weren't fit to go into
combat by any means. It was a discipline and citizenship training, and I'm
proud to have been a part of it. The Russian youth will not be equipped for
acts of war, but they will be better Russian citizens because of the
discipline and teamwork. - Bob Rainer

----- Original Message -----
From: ""Hank"" <bpr-list@philologos.org>
To: "BPR Mailing List" <bpr-list@philologos.org>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 12:34 PM
Subject: [BPR] - Re: Russian children to train for war

> Apples and oranges. You can't begin to compare the ROTC programs with what
> they're doing in Russia. The youth organization in the old Soviet Union was
> called "The Young Pioneers" and the age range of the members was roughly
> equivalent to that of the Cub Scouts. The group has recently been
> re-instituted as part of the Russian civil preparedness program. In
> addition to normal youth-centered activities, they practice close-order
> drilling with mock rifles, throwing objects having the same weight and feel
> as hand grenades, and learning to field strip automatic weapons. In the
> past, the youth group would participate in the annual "Tsarnitza" (sp?) a
> massive excercise conducted using civilian and paramilitary units of the
> home forces (equivalent of the National Guard).

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - "I call heaven and earth..."
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2000 12:05:44 -0500

"I call heaven and earth..."

In Deut 28, God tells the Israelites that if they "observe and do"
all of the commandments that He has given them at Sinai that they
will be blessed. On the other hand, He warns that if they do not
observe and obey all of the commandments of God that they will be
cursed (28:15). Then in Deut 30:19, Moses calls heaven and earth as
witnesses against Israel:

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose
life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"

There is a midrash on The Song of Songs (3:5) that connects the
phrase "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem" with that of "I
call heaven and earth" in Deut. 30:19. It was the belief of the Sages
that if Israel would remain faithful to God that "heaven and earth
would yield their fruits and even the wild beasts would not attack
them. But if not, heaven would withhold its rain, the earth its
fruit, and the ensuing famine would drive the wild beastsī desperate
with hunger, to attack them." (The Song of Songs, Soncino Midrash
Rabbah)

This language and the commentary that develops is very similar to the
events described in the Seals of Revelation that speak of famine and
wild beasts (Rev 6).

Also in the Torah, there are instructions that witnesses of a capital
offense (and there must be at least two witnesses) would be the first
to initiate the judgment of death:

(Deu 17:6-7) At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall
he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one
witness he shall not be put to death. {7} The hands of the witnesses
shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands
of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

In the Book of Revelation, we see Moses' witnesses -- heaven and
earth -- doing just that. Notice that in the judgments of the Seven
Trumpets, the heavens are mostly involved: hail and fire, meteorites,
stars falling from heaven, the sun, moon, and stars go dark, etc. In
the judgments of the Seven Vials, the earth seems to be the focus:
sores coming upon man (skin diseases, bacterial infections?), waters
turning to blood, unexplainable darkness upon the earth, scorching
heat, a great earthquake, the Euphrates drying up, etc.

The Seven Trumpets

1. (Rev 8:7) The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and
fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the
third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

2. (Rev 8:8-9) And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great
mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part
of the sea became blood; {9} And the third part of the creatures
which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the
ships were destroyed.

3. (Rev 8:10-11) And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great
star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the
third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; {11} And
the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the
waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they
were made bitter.

4. (Rev 8:12) And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the
sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part
of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day
shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

5. (Rev 9:1-3) And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall
from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the
bottomless pit. {2} And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose
a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun
and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. {3} And
there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was
given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

6. (Rev 9:13-15) And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice
from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, {14}
Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four
angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. {15} And the
four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day,
and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

7. (Rev 11:15,19) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever
and ever. {19} And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there
was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were
lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great
hail.

The Seven Vials

1. (Rev 16:2) And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the
earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which
had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

2. (Rev 16:3) And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea;
and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died
in the sea.

3. (Rev 16:4) And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers
and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

4. (Rev 16:8) And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun;
and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

5. (Rev 16:10-11) And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the
seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they
gnawed their tongues for pain, {11} And blasphemed the God of heaven
because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their
deeds.

6. (Rev 16:12) And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great
river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of
the kings of the east might be prepared.

7. (Rev 16:17-18) And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the
air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from
the throne, saying, It is done. {18} And there were voices, and
thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as
was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and
so great.

--------

References:

The Soncino Rabbah

Study on Revelation by YashaNet; http://yashanet.com

(owner-bpr@philologos.org)

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