It seems to me, an uninitiated one, who didn't grow up in
Ger, but did go over to
Lubavitch, that I've heard these words somewhere. Something about there being a significance to the number 7, and that the 7
Rebbeyim symbolize the שבעה רועים. But it seems like that concept was publicized some time before, and that it wasn't the
Rebbe who "came up with it."
Ger seems to maybe have taken it one step further by proclaiming
der Rebbe di Imrei Emes as
Dovid Malka Meshicheh, and use his
Yohrtzeit as proof. He says here in the name of the
Sfas Emes that the
geulah would come in the
IE's time, and that if not the complete
geulah then at least the
Aschalta. Noted
Gerrer Chossid Rav Mendel Kasher brings in his
HaTekufoh Hagedolah (thank you, Dr. Balbin) that we witnessed the
Aschalta with the creation of the State of Israel, היל"ת. I wonder if that stemmed from his
Gerrer education, where he was taught that the IE would witness the
Geulah, which he did, because he passed away one month after the creation of the State....
Chabad, however, doesn't stray from the
RaMBaM in
Hilchos Melochim, even if they use the
Dor HaShvi'i as a sign.



