THE NETHERLANDS….Zebulun of Israel
CHAPTER 11
DEBORAH'S BLESSING TO ZEBULUN: WIELDING THE PEN OFTHE WRITER
This time a woman, being a judge in Israel, is singing her prophecy regarding the children of Zebulun, now being free and at home in: their Promised Land. The Zebulunites had received a portion of the land by lot and they had taken an active part in the fight to sweep the country and to throw off the tyranny of Jabin the Canaanite, for which battle Deborah, the woman judge, had summoned 10,000 Zebulunites of whom she now says:
"Zebulun's men risked their lives to death" (Judges 5:18) and "Come to me with Zebulun wielding the writer "pen" (Judges 5:14).
This means handling the pen of the writer, or skilled in writing. It sometimes has been translated as "the recruitersstaff" which means a military call. On this different level it has the same function: by writing or by recruiting one is calling others to mental or physical action and jointly to enlist or to enroll into something. That is the function of this present book as well!: recruiting a small Gideon's band of people who will stand for real Israel.
However these Hebrew words still have another meaning. The "pen" is here literally "branched off stick or scion for punishing," (Strong Concordance) for writing, for fighting, for ruling.
It was especially used in this sense to inscribe, to recount, to number. The word used here is "sepher," which is known in the Bible as the word for a book or a roll.
It is therefore not out of place to associate it with the means for producing books and printing letters.
THE DUTCH CLAIM THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTED WORD
Prior to the Middle Ages the Lowlands were already renowned for their beautifully calligraphed breviaries on parchment.
What became the means for producing books since the 14th century? Small "branched off" sticks of lead and molds of letters! Movable letters of tin and lead, still used by printer nowadays. [Well of course not so now in 2014, this book was first written in 1971 and reprinted in 1982 - Keith Hunt]. Do you realize what a far reaching and revolutionary invention it has been to obtain the means for duplicating books ?!
Who would be the first to get this brilliant idea which was going to revolutionize the intellectual mind? It would lead up the freedom of the printed word and availability of the Bible to the average citizen.
Zebulun was to be blessed with the skill of numbering "branch-ed off'' sticks or letters. Here is the strange parallel:
The Dutch claim to have invented this!
For ages this has been a hot historical question, and it is still generally accepted in the Anglo-Saxon world that it was a German, Gutenberg, who invented the printing press. The Dutch have always disputed this on good grounds, and recent discoveries in Germany give even more credit to the Dutch claim!
LAURENS JANSZOON COSTER OF HAARLEM
Here is the Dutch story behind it, which by the way, millions of Dutch have been taught at school to be the truth!
In the city of Haarlem there is a statue in the market-place of a man with a letterblock in his hand. On the stone is inscribed: 1440 A.D. "Typographiae letteris mobilibus a metallo fusis inventor," or the inventor of the art of printing with movable letters, of cast metal.
Coster having invented this primitive way of printing with lead types was robbed of his invention on Christmas night of 1440 A.D. by his servant Jan, who fled with it to Mainz in Germany, where it eventually came into the hands of Gutenberg, who seems to have refined the method and produced the famous Gutenberg-Bible in 1448. After a centuries old tug of war between the Dutch and Germans (there is a vast literature pro and contra) a conclusion seems to have been reached recently, since a 15th century Chronicle has been rediscovered in Cologne (Germany) mentioning that before Gutenberg, prints were already made in Holland. Moreover as a result of research there is evidence that astronomical calenders in Mainz exist, printed in a more primitive style than Gutenberg's. Are these examples servant Jan brought with him? Anyhow Coster printed such astronomical calenders in Haarlem in Gutenberg's time.
See in Dutch (Modern Encyclopedia of World Literature, Seven Volumes in Dutch) under Coster. In English the Encyclopaedia Britannica (vol. II and vol. 18, 1961 edition) under the heading "printing" still names Gutenberg "the strongest claimant to the honor of the invention of printing" and "because Laurens Coster of Haarlem (Holland) is the only man whose name can be connected with these prints, (whose work is much more primitive than that of Gutenburg and therefore assumedly preceded this) he is considered by some scholars the first inventor of printing.''
DUTCH PRINTING AND CALLIGRAPHY OUTSTANDING
Whatever is the historical truth about this invention, it remains a fact that the Dutch were and still are world-famous for "handling the pen of the writer" as calligraphers, often drawing in one line.
The illustrations show two examples by Jan van de Velde St., a 17th century Dutch painter, famous for his painting of ships. Two of his best calligraphed drawings are by chance (!) showing us the strange Parallel between Zebulun and the Dutch:
A hand, wielding the writers pen, Deborah's blessing; and the symbol of the ship, which is Zebulun's banner. The present Dutch calligraphers still enjoy international fame for their drawing of charters.
In the international printers-language many words and names of letters are of Dutch origin. Many a printer outside the Netherlands will hardly know nowadays that he is daily using a Lowlanders name Christoffel Plantin, (letter type) the great industrial printer of the Netherlands (Leyden and Antwerp) in the 16th century, the printer to Royalty, politicians and scientists of those days.
Dutch printing and bookbinding is a most interesting and important subject, but as it is too vast in itself, I have to suffice here with mentioning a few examples to demonstrate that especially the Netherlands have always been advanced and blessed in the arts of writing and printing. If anywhere in the western world, the "epitheton ornans," given by the prophetess to Zebulun, became true, it would be in the Lowlands: They deserve the honored title of' "recruiters by means of the pen.''
HOLLAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HAVEN
FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE PRINTED WORD
Where refugees in the 16th-17th century could freely print their religious ideas? Don't we have a remarkable combination here of Jacob's blessing to Zebulun, of being a haven, and Moses' words of "being blessed in thy going out with joy" (think of all the Dutch books having gone the world over!) and Deborah's prophecy that Zebulun's talent for the "sepher,'' the book, will be blessed?
The Dutch have been and still are greatly blessed in finding new methods of printing. From the 15th-18th centuries they were the leading nation. From the Encyclopaedia Britannica I quote, (vol 18, 1960 Edition) "Even England was completely dependant for type on the Dutch.''
Recently Dutch color-printing and the latest methods of phototype have been developed in the Netherlands. Orders for the highest quality of art-printing from all over the world are being placed by the United States and Great Britain as well. This again is drawing a far-sighted parallel with the light-prophecy for Zebulun mentioned in Chapter twelve.
(Remember this book was first published in 1971 and again in 1982 - Keith Hunt)
DUTCH EXCELL IN CARTOGRAPHY,
A REMINISCENCE OF ZEBULUN?
The Dutch have always excelled in cartography and making maps for navigation-purposes. "In the following (17th) century in the production of high-grade maps the Dutch were supreme, as is illustrated by classic atlases of Mercator, W.J. and J. Blaeu, H. Hondius, J. Janssen and N. Visscher," writes Encyclopaedia Britannica, (vol. 2, 1960 Edition under "atlas") and, by 1600 Amsterdam had succeeded Antwerp as the center of cartographic industry in the Netherlands, and the 17th century was the great age of Dutch map production, "(idem mr. 14, under map) Flemish cartographers gave the first impetus to the art of map engraving in England.
The very first sea atlas, Spieghel der Zeevaerdt (Mirror of Navigation) was both made and printed in the Netherlands in 1584, followed by many more by means of which the sailors of those days could beat the Spaniards and were better equipped to sail the seven seas.
THIS BOOK GIVES A DRAWING/S (Keith Hunt): THE DUTCH EXCELL IN CARTOGRAPHY EVEN IN THE HEAVENS
(MIDDLEBURG 17TH CENTURY)
Do you now realize that Dutch history is plainly showing us our strange parallel with Zebulun? It is so simple that I greatly wonder why nobody saw it before. Do we have to be blind?!
Here again three words by Zebulun have been combined: The old dying man said to his sons "observe the waters and know when they flow together." What else is cartography of the sea than doing it by "handling the pen of the writer," this being Zebulun's future? Combine this again with Moses' words of "rejoicing in thy going out." Isn't it strange that especially the Dutch have been greatly blessed by printing navigation maps for those who rejoice going out to sea?
Not only maps, but also the sea laws concerning the boundaries of the seas apportioned to the nations have been "invented" by Hugo Grotius in the beginning of the 17th century. This Dutch lawyer and his books printed three centuries ago are still the basis of the rules of international territorial waters.
(I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS STILL TRUE IN 2014 AS I ENTER THIS BOOK ON MY WEBSITE - Keith Hunt)
DUTCH EXCELL IN HYDROGRAPHY, THE PATRIARCH ZEBULUN'S VISION
Nowhere in the world the currents and streams and sandbanks are apt to change due to the tides so much so as in the Netherlands. The Dutch always excelled in hydrography, which means description of the waters of the earth. In our days there is a Dutch export of brains in the form of Delft's hydrographical and hydro-olgical engineers who are the world's best.
(MAYBE NOT SO TODAY IN 2014 - Keith Hunt)
CENTRAL POSITION OF THE BOOK IN DUTCH HOMES
Books and the printed word in general are a living reality for the average Dutchman. Almost in every Dutch home one may find at least a few books on a shelf, which are really read (apart from having books as token to keep up with the "Jansens!") and indeed a recent survey of rough statistics gives the Netherlands by far the highest quota of readers: 60% against for instance 20% in the United States. These figures don't say too much as they do not reveal the quality of the reading. However it is true to say that the Dutch share with the Swiss the ability to read in four languages. (Dutch, English, French, German are taught in all secondary schools) Not only reading, but also writing is a part-time hobby. The quality and quantity of writers in Dutch (embracing Flanders, Belgium and South Africa, as well as the Dutch emigrants all over the world, being all together about 20 million) is extremely high, but very underestimated in other countries because of the language-barrier.
(AGAIN TRUE WHEN THIS BOOK WAS FIRST PUBLISHED. MAY NOT BE TODAY IN 2014 - Keith Hunt)
HANDLING THE PEN OF THE WRITER FOR SAINT NICOLAAS
This is just a joke. However, where in the world can such a crazy old popular custom be found as in the Netherlands on the 5th of December, when suddenly every Dutchman becomes a poet and is giving presents accompanied by humorous or satyrical nonsense in verse or by a long poem making fun of the one who is at the receiving end? All this anonymous writing by millions and treated as coming from the Saint (no Santa Claus!) is a very broad "handling the pen of the writer!''
Things can be expressed very accurately in Holland and one of our 17th century Dutch classic writers (Vondel) is still cited: "Het gouden puntje van de pen is 't felste wapen dat ik ken." The golden point of the pen is the fiercest weapon I know.
(NO IDEA IF THE CUSTOM OF 5TH OF DECEMBER IS STILL PRACTICED TODAY IN 2014, AS I ENTER THIS BOOK - Keith Hunt)
THE WRITERS' PEN A BLESSING, A CURSE WHEN MIS—RECRUITED
As with the other blessings, the people can turn them into a self-willed curse if they shy away from the cosmic laws of God laid down for Israel. Recruiting and punishing with the pen was a blessing for Zebulun within the Promised Land.
What do we see nowadays especially in Holland? The Netherlands, always having been a buffer-state, now seems to become an ideological battlefield of the freedom of the printed word. They seem to become a melting pot of international filth. What can't be done yet in other countries, is floating freely towards the Netherlands as the psychic and symbolic counterpart of the polluted waters of the river Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt, where as streams they come to a halt. Officially it is called "the psychic growing filth of the Dutch milieu.'' ''Psychic sewer" of Europe is still only an underestimation for what is penetrating into schools, hospitals, churches and homes. Do you know that for instance the "Red book for pupils" has been written by teachers in Amsterdam of all places in the world? I shall not waste your time with more examples. The general idea why I mention this, is again the idea behind this book: a people, like the Dutch, showing a strange resemblance with a tribe of Israel, Zebulun, when falling away from their Creator and from their true destiny, shown in the blessing, can turn such a blessing into a curse:
Holland is nowadays flooded with rubbishy books in different "tongues" and here again we can point to some connections: it is becoming a filthy haven and refuge (reverse of Jacob) for suckers and milkers on psychic quicksand making big money, (reverse of Moses' sayings) grinning (instead of the beautiful word rejoicing!) when going out and calling the people towards Babel's tower, (instead of the Mountain Jerusalem) recruiting the younger generation by misusing their pen and the press, for a double-hearted insipid morality, which is the counterfeit of Zebulun's courageous men, who were "not of double heart.''
As the counterpart of the extreme need for cleansing the polluted waters of Holland's haven, it is necessary to recruit forthwith a band of psychically cleansed Dutch Israelites, clean and clear of mind to excise the unclean spirits of Beelzebul from the House of Zebulun. You know who did it, the One who said: ''I am the Light.'' Let in the inside of the houses and the souls of the people in Holland, the Light be lit again. Then they will be the first to set this example, as prophesied by Isaiah: In the land of Zebulun light will spring up" (Matthew 4:16).
………………..
WELL ALL ISRAEL NATIONS TODAY AS I WRITE IN 2014 HAVE POLLUTED BOOKS. WE ARE AS NATIONS POLLUTED IN MANY MANY WAYS, NOT THE LEAST IN MORALITY. WE HAVE INDEED BECOME NATIONS WHERE EVIL IS CALLED GOOD [example…. practicing homosexuality/lesbianism and same sex marriage is counted as "good"] AND GOOD IS CALLED EVIL [example….those who like me that tell the truth of the Bible about homosexuality/lesbianism and same sex marriage, are called evil, bigoted, intolerant, even hate mongers].
ALL ISRAEL NATIONS TODAY HAVE THROWN GOD AND THE BIBLE OUT THE WINDOW; WE ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE SECULARIZED EVERY MONTH AND YEAR.
MOST OF OUR CHURCHES PREACH SMOOTH THINGS, DON'T ROCK THE BOAT MENTALITY, AND/OR ONLY ENTERTAIN THE AUDIENCE WITH STAGE ENTERTAINMENT WHICH INCLUDE HEAVY METAL "CHRISTIAN" ROCK BANDS.
WE HAVE THROWN OUT THE SABBATH COMMANDMENT AS OLD AND USELESS; WE DO OUR OWN THING ON ALL DAYS OF THE WEEK.
OUR PRIME TIME TV AND MANY MOVIES HAVE BECOME GRAPHICALLY VIOLENT AND GRAPHICALLY SEXUAL.
MANY OF OUR SPORTS HAVE BECOME VIOLENT, FILLED WITH FOULS, UN-SPORTSMANSHIP AND WIN AT ALL COSTS MENTALITY.
OUR NATIONS ARE OVER-FED BUT UNDER-NOURISHED; WE HAVE PRODUCED OVER-WEIGHT AND OBESE CHILDREN AND ADULTS, LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
GOD SAYS TO OUR NATIONS IN HIS PROPHETIC BOOKS OF THE BIBLE, THAT OUR LEADERS ARE MAD, AND OUR PROPHETS PROFANE !!
WE ARE ALL NATIONS OF WICKEDNESS AND SIN LIKE AS NEVER BEFORE.
WE HAVE TURNED OUR PHYSICAL BLESSINGS INTO A CURSE UPON US, WHICH WILL ONLY BE REVERSED BY OUR DESTRUCTION IN THE END TIMES; WHICH IS NOW THE ONLY WAY THAT WILL BRING ABOUT NATIONAL REPENTANCE AND A RETURNING TO OUR GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
Keith Hunt