Critical Exegesis of the Book of EZRA 1-6

Ezra 1: 1-2
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled (Cp. Jeremiah 29: 10), the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, and put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD has given me. And He commanded me to build Him a house (Temple) in Jerusalem which is in Judah.

NOTE: Jeremiah’s prophesy does not say that King Cyrus would be the one to issue the decree that the LORD’S house (Temple) would be rebuilt, but rather that the Babylonian captivity would end after seventy years (Cp. 2 Chronicles 36: 20-21; Jeremiah 29: 10). Again in 2 Chronicles 36: 22-23 and Isaiah 44: 28; 45: 1a does it specifically mention that the LORD would use Cyrus king of Persia to issue forth the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.

Daniel 9: 1-2, 16a, 17, 25
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the Realm of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I, Daniel understood by the books the number of years specified by the Word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. O LORD, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplication, and for the LORD’S sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

NOTE: Daniel mentions about the prophesying of Jeremiah and the restoration of the Temple during the first year of Darius’ reign and not king Cyrus. In fact, the only mention about Cyrus king of Persia was in a relatively short Chapter 10, but he wrote a lot more about Darius, with whom it seems, he had a personal relationship as one of his appointed Governors of the 120 satraps throughout his entire kingdom (Cp. Daniel 6: 1-2, 13-14, 18-23).

Ezra 2: 1, 64-65
Now these are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city. The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, besides their male and female servants of whom were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred men and women singers.

2 Kings 24: 14, 16; 25: 11-12
And he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained but the poorest people of the land. All the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for war, these, the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. Then Nebuzzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who deserted to the king of Babylon with the rest of the multitude; But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.

NOTE: There were in excess of 18, 000 people of Jerusalem and Judah who were carried to Babylon, which consisted of the Academia, Military, royalty, skilled tradesmen, religious leaders (priests, Levites), lawyers (scribes), socially prominent families and the most physically fit. After seventy years of captivity, doubtless some of these crème of the crop Jews managed to have good lives in this foreign land and prospered, even having offspring from pagan wives as their numbers now swelled to 42, 360; not counting having acquired 7,337 male and female servants (slaves) during this period from a land where they were taken as prisoners and as booty from the spoils of war, initially.

Ezra 3: 10, 12
When the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first Temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy.

Ezra 4: 1, 2b, 3-5
Now when the adversaries (enemies) of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the Temple of the LORD God of Israel, they said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel and Jeshua [Yeshua??] and the rest of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house (Temple) for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NOTE: According to this account, Cyrus ruled Persia before Darius but in the Book of Daniel, he mentions that Darius the Mede replaced Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans (Cp. Daniel 5: 30; 6: 1), and he is later referred to as Belshazzar king of Babylon (Cp. Daniel 7: 1). It is possible that Chaldea was a territory within Babylon which Belshazzar ruled as sort of a Regent or Governor and later consolidated his power and became king of the Babylonian Empire after Nebuchadnezzar’s death. Also, Assyrian resettlement back into the region occurred on more than one occasion (Cp. Ezra 4: 9b-10; 2 Kings 17: 6, 24-41).

Ezra 4: 6-7a, 8
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. In the days of Artaxerxes also, Bishlam, Mithredath, table and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes.

Ezra 4: 23-24
Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and all their companions, they went up with haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease. Thus the work of the house (Temple) of God ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NOTE: This is only the second time the word “Jew” is used in the Scriptures. Before that, it has been ‘Hebrews’ or children of Israel (Israelites).

Ezra 5: 1-2, 5
Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesized to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua [Yeshua??] the son of Jehozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them. But the eye of their god was upon the elders of the “Jews,” so that they could not make them cease until a report could go to [King] Darius. Then a written answer was returned concerning this matter.

NOTE: Haggai and Zechariah are two of the post-exilic prophets and their writings have to be considered in this context; albeit they were undoubtedly among the captives taken during Babylon or perhaps they might have actually been born in Babylon during those seventy years. Although Jeshua [Yeshua??] the son of Jehozadak is credited with beginning building the house [Temple] of God, and Zechariah 4: 9 states that Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the Temple, it was Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah who actually first laid the foundation of the Temple (Cp. Ezra 1: 8; 5: 16)

Ezra 6: 1-3, 7, 10-12
Then king Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives [house of scrolls], where the treasures were stored in Babylon. And at Achmetha [Ecbatana the ancient capital of Media], a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus: In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house (Temple) of God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid. . . Let the work of this house of God alone; let the Governor of the “Jews” and the elders of the “Jews” build this house of God on its site. And I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. And may the God who causes His Name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house (Temple) of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently.

NOTE: When King Artaxerxes made a search in the records of his fathers [presumably the ancient archives or scrolls in the capital of Media], he had a different reaction towards the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem, and ordered the work to cease (Cp. 4: 11-24). Did King Artaxerxes fail to notice the edict issued by his predecessor King Cyrus of Persia, and if he read it, why did he disregard it and not honor it like King Darius?

Ezra 6: 14-18
So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the Temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house (Temple) of God with joy. And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house (Temple) of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

COMMENTARY: It is curious that King Artaxerxes is mentioned among the kings who supported rebuilding the Temple because he is the one who had the work stopped by force of arms (Cp. Ezra 4: 23-24). Also, according to a quote from Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in his book, Antiq. 4: 7-11 and in 1 Erdras, the Dedication of the Second Temple took place on the 23rd of Adar [Month twelve of the sacred Jewish calendar, or “February” of the secular calendar].

The Temple was built in the 6th year of King Darius' reign, but which King Darius? Acording to the "Bible Dictionary' by Smith and Peloubet, Zondervan Publishing House, there are possibly four King Darius's. King Darius the Mede (538 BC); King Darius Hystaspes (521 BC); King Darius the Persian [II] Nothus Ochus (424-404 BC); or King Darius III Codomannus (336-330 BC), foe of Alexander the Great. The decree from King Cyrus of Persia to rebuild the Temple was around 539 BC, the first year of his reign over Babylon. Using the secular historical record this means the Temple could have been completed in 533 BC at the earliest and 515 BC at the latest [in the sixth year of King Darius' reign], by either of the two king Daruis's who were more kindly disposed toward the Jews.

The offering of 100 bulls + 200 rams + 400 lambs=700 ["7" the sacred number of completion], but the additional 12 male goats as a sin offering is curious. In 1 Kings 8: 62, King Solomon offers 22,000 bulls + 120,000 sheep=142,000 ["7" the sacred number of completion] for the dedication for the First Temple. The LORD'S response is recorded in 1 Kings 9: 3, which goes as follows: And the LORD said to him: "I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house [Temple] which you have built to put My Name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." But pertaining to the narrative in the Book of Ezra, there appears to be no recorded Divine acknowledgement of the dedication of the Second Temple by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Sheshbazzar and company.

Also, The Jewish study Biible has an interesting interpretation pertaining to the rebuilding of the Temple and the appearance of "mashiah" (Messiah), which in this case is another name for an anointed religious leader, and not the expected LORD and Redeemer of Israel.

Daniel 9: 25-27
You must know and understand: From the issuance of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time [time of the] anointed leader is seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it will be rebuilt, square and moat ["the streets and the wall"-NKJV], but in a time of distress. And after those sixty-two weeks, the anointed one will disappear and vanish ["be cut off"-NKJV]. The army of a leader who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary [Temple], but its end will come through a flood. Desolation is decreed until the end of war. During one week he will make a firm covenant with many. For half a week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and meal offering. At the corner of the altar will be an apalling abomination until the decreed destruction will be poured down upon the apalling thing (JSB). There are two words in Hebrew which are translated as 'weeks'; one is "shav'uim" (weeks) and the other is "shiv'im" (seventy).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 24, 2010
pbks@hotmail.com

From Adam until the rebuilding of the Second Jewish Temple

Although Cultural Anthropologists and Archaeologists maintain that humans have been on the Earth around one million years, the Jewish calendar points to around 5770 years; which is very close to that of the Mayan calendar. In this particular timeline, I have traced the time of Adam until the rebuilding of the Second Jewish Temple to be roughly 4188 years; more or less.

BEGINNING DATE: 4188 BC.

ADAM- Begot Seth after 130 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 3); lived a total of 930 years which places him until the time of Lamech (the father of Noah), on his 56th birthday.
DATE: 4058 BC year of Humanity.

SETH- Begot Enosh after 105 years, and he lived a total of 912 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 6, 12). He died 14 years before Noah was born when Lamech was 168 years old.
DATE: 3953 BC year of Humanity.

ENOSH- Begot Cainan after 90 years, and he lived a total of 905 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 9-11). He died when Noah was 84 years old.
DATE: 3863 BC year of Humanity.

CAINAN- Begot Mahalalel after 70 years, and he lived a total of 910 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 12-14). He died when Noah was 179 years old.
DATE: 3793 BC year of Humanity.

MAHALALEL- Begot Jared after 65 years, and he lived a total of 895 years. He died when Noah was 234 years old (Cp. Genesis 5: 15-17).
DATE: 3728 BC year of Humanity.

JARED- Begot Enoch after 162 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 18); lived a total of 962 years which places him until the time of Noah’s 366th birthday (Cp. Genesis 5: 20).
DATE: 3566 BC year of Humanity.

ENOCH- Begot Methuselah after 65 years, and he lived a total of 365 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 21-24). He lived until God took him around the time when Lamech was 113 years old.
DATE: 3501 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: Enoch “walked with God” for 300 years and this is the first record in Scripture of anyone walking with God, and of God translating the person so that they would not taste death (Cp. Hebrews 11: 5)

METHUSELAH- Begot Lamech after 187 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 25); lived a total of 969 years which means he died the same year as the “Flood and Noah’s Ark.” (Cp. Genesis 5: 27; 7: 11)
DATE: 3314 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: Methuselah’s name means, “With his end it will come.”

LAMECH- Begot Noah after 182 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 28); lived a total of 777 years which places his death at 5 years before the “Flood and Noah’s Ark.” (Cp. Genesis 5: 31; 7: 11)
DATE: 3132 BC year of Humanity.

NOAH- Begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth when he was 500 years old (Cp. Genesis 5: 32).
DATE: 2632 BC year of Humanity.

The Flood was in the 600th year of Noah, the second month and the seventeenth day (Cp. Genesis 7: 11).
DATE: 2/17/2532 BC year of Humanity.

The rain was 40 days and nights (Cp. Genesis 7: 12, 17).

The waters prevailed on the Earth 150 days (Cp. Genesis 7: 24; 8: 3).

NOTE: This includes the rain of forty days and nights (Cp. Genesis 7: 12, 17).

The Ark rested in the seventh month, seventeenth day of the month on the mountains of Ararat (Cp. Genesis 8: 4).

NOTE: This is exactly 5 months of 30 days (Cp. Genesis 7: 24; 8: 3).
DATE: 09/17/2532 BC year of Humanity.

The tops of the mountains were seen in the tenth month, the first day (Cp. Genesis 8: 5).
DATE: 10/1/2532 BC year of Humanity.

Noah opened the window of the Ark after 40 more days (Cp. Genesis 8: 6).
DATE: 11/11/2532 BC year of Humanity.

Noah waited another 7 days and sent the dove out again (Cp. Genesis 8: 10).
DATE: 11/18/2532 BC year of Humanity.

Noah waited yet another 7 days before sending out the dove, who did not return (Cp. Genesis 8: 12)
DATE: 11/25/2532 BC year of Humanity.

In the 601st year [of Noah], the first month, the first day, the waters were dried up from the Earth/Land (Cp. Genesis 8: 13).
DATE: 01/01/2531 BC year of Humanity.

In the second month, the 27th day of the month, the Earth was finally ‘all’ dried up (Cp. Genesis 8: 14).
DATE: 02/27/2531 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: From the “Flood of Noah” to dry Earth took 370 days.

Noah died 350 years after the “Flood” [ended] (Cp. Genesis 9: 28), *up until the year 2181 BC of Humanity.*

NOTE: Noah lived until Abraham’s 53rd birthday.

*SHEM* now 103 years old, begot Arphaxad 2 years after the “Flood.” He lived 500 more years for a total of 603 more years. He lived past the time of Abraham’s death until Jacob and Esau were 45 years old. (Cp. Genesis 11: 10-11)
DATE: 02/27/2529 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: He is the last anteleuvial and the only son of Noah whose age is recorded, and who lived a very long time.

ARPHAXAD begot Salah after 35 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 2).
DATE: 02/27/2494 BC year of Humanity.

SALAH begot Eber after 35 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 14).
DATE: 02/27/2459 BC year of Humanity.

EBER begot Peleg after 34 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 16).
DATE: 02/27/2425 BC year of Humanity.

PELEG begot Reu after 30 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 18).
DATE: 02/27/2395 BC year of Humanity.

REU begot Serug after 32 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 20).
DATE: 02/27/2363 BC year of Humanity.

SERUG Begot Nahor after 30 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 22).
DATE: 02/27/2333 BC year of Humanity.

NAHOR begot Terah after 29 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 24).
DATE: 02/27/2304 BC year of Humanity.

TERAH begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran after 70 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 26).
DATE: 02/27/2234 BC year of Humanity.

ABRAM was 75 years old when he departed Haran (Cp. Genesis 12: 4)
DATE: 02/27/2159 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: Noah lived until Abram was 53.

ABRAM was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael (Cp. Genesis 16: 16).
DATE: 02/27/2073 BC year of Humanity.

ABRAM was 99 years old when God established His covenant with him (Cp. Genesis 17: 1-2)
DATE: 02/27/2060 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: Ishmael was 13 years old at this time (Cp. Genesis 17: 25).

ABRAHAM was 100 years old when Sarah gave birth to Isaac (Cp. Genesis 21: 5).
DATE: 02/27/2059 BC year of Humanity.

ABRAHAM lived 175 years (Cp. Genesis 25: 7).
DATE: 02/27/1984 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: Abraham was alive until Jacob and Esau were about 15 years old.

ESAU was forty years old (Cp. Genesis 26: 34a); [and so was Jacob; Cp. 25: 26]
DATE: 02/27/1959 BC year of Humanity.

ISAAC lived 60 years before Rebekah gave birth to Jacob and Esau (Cp. Genesis 25: 26)
DATE: 02/27/1999 BC year of Humanity.

ISAAC was old [around 140 years] and his eyes were dim (Cp. Genesis 27: 1).
*DATE: 02/27/1919 BC year of Humanity.*

JACOB served Laban 7 years for Rachel (Cp. Genesis 29: 20).
DATE: 02/27/1952 BC year of Humanity.

JACOB served with Laban still another 7 years (Cp. Genesis 29: 30b).
DATE: 02/27/1945 BC year of Humanity.

LEAH conceived 4 times [Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah] for Jacob (Cp. Genesis 29: 31-35).
DATE: 02/27/1941 BC year of Humanity.

RACHEL’S maid Bilhah bore Jacob son’s twice [Dan, Naphtali] (Cp. Genesis 30: 5-8).
DATE: 02/27/1939 BC year of Humanity.

LEAH’S maid Zilpah bore Jacob son’s twice [Gad, Asher] (Cp. Genesis 30: 9-13).
DATE: 02/27/1937 BC year of Humanity.

LEAH conceived and bore Jacob children 3 more times [Issachar, Zebulun, and “Dinah”] (Cp. Genesis 30: 17-21).
DATE: 02/27/1934 BC year of Humanity.

RACHEL conceived and bore him Joseph (Cp. Genesis 30: 22-24).
DATE: 02/27/1933 BC year of Humanity.

Rachel bore a son for Jacob whom she named Ben-Oni, but Jacob named him Benjamin (Cp. Genesis 35: 16-20)

JOSEPH was 17 years old when his brothers sold him to Midianite traders or Ishmaelites who brought him down to Egypt (Cp. Genesis 37: 2, 23-25, 28)
DATE: 02/27/1916 BC year of Humanity.

Joseph was about 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh (Cp. Genesis 41: 46)
DATE: 02/27/1903 BC year of Humanity.

Joseph predicts the 7 years of plenty followed by the 7 years of famine (Cp. Genesis 41: 47, 54).

ISAAC lived a total of 180 years (Cp. Genesis 35: 28-29a), all the way up until Joseph’s 54th birthday.
DATE: 02/27/1879 BC year of Humanity.

JACOB tells Pharaoh that he was 130 years old and Pharaoh bequeathed to Joseph and his father, brothers and their families the best of the land of Egypt, which was in Goshen (Cp. Genesis 47: 5, 6a, 9, 11).
DATE: 02/27/1869 BC year of Humanity.

Jacob lived 147 years (Cp. Genesis 47: 28; 49: 33)
DATE: 02/27/1852 BC year of Humanity.

Joseph lived 110 years (Cp. Genesis 50: 22b, 26).
DATE: 02/27/1823 BC year of Humanity.

Joseph's descendants lived in Egypt (the Land of Goshen) thirty years, and afterwards, they became slaves.
DATE: 02/27/1839 BC year of Humanity

Now there arose a new King in Egypt who knew not Joseph and enslaved the children of Israel (Cp. Exodus 1: 8-14), and they were freed after 400 years in the first month (Abib) of the first year [for them] (Cp. Genesis 15: 13b, 16; Exodus 12; 2, 40-41; 13: 3-4).
*DATE: 02/27/1439 BC year of Humanity.*

NOTE: Moses was 80 years old when the children of Israel were freed from Egyptian slavery, making his birth and adoption by Pharaoh's daughter.
DATE: 02/27/1519 BC year of Humanity.

The children of Israel wander in the wilderness forty years (Cp. Joshua 5: 6a)
Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month ('Abib' {March 10}), and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho (Cp. Joshua 4: 19).
DATE: 02/27/1399 BC year of Humanity.

So the land had rest for forty years (Cp. Judges 3: 11a).
DATE: 02/27/1359 BC year of Humanity.

So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years (Cp. Judges 3: 14).
DATE: 02/27/1341 BC year of Humanity.

So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years (Cp. Judges 3: 30).
DATE: 02/27/1261 BC year of Humanity.

And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel (Cp. Judges 4: 3).
DATE: 02/27/1241 BC year of Humanity.

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years (Cp. Judges 6: 1).
DATE: 02/27/1234 BC year of Humanity.

And the country was quiet forty years in the days of Gideon (Cp. Judges 8: 28b).
DATE: 02/27/1194 BC year of Humanity.

After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years (Cp. Judges 9: 22).
DATE: 02/27/1191 BC year of Humanity.

Tola judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir (Cp. Judges 10: 2)
DATE: 02/27/1168 BC year of Humanity.

After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years (Cp. Judges 10: 3).
DATE: 02/27/1146 BC year of Humanity.

From that year they [Philistines, Amonites] harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years (Cp. Judges 10: 8a).
DATE: 02/27/1128 BC year of Humanity.

And Jephthah judged Israel six years (Cp. Judges 12: 7a).
DATE: 02/27/1122 BC year of Humanity.

Ibzan judged Israel seven years (Cp. Judges 8, 9b).
DATE: 02/27/1115 BC year of Humanity.

Elun the Zebulunite judged Israel ten years (Cp. Judges 12: 11).
DATE: 02/27/1105 BC year of Humanity.

Abdon judged Israel eight years (Cp. Judges 12: 13a, 14b).
DATE: 02/27/1097 BC year of Humanity.

The LORD delivered the children into the hand of the Philistines forty years (Cp. Judges 13: 1)
DATE: 02/27/1057 BC year of Humanity.

Samson judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines (Cp. Judges 15: 20; 16: 31).
DATE: 02/27/1037 BC year of Humanity.

Eli judged Israel forty years (Cp. I Samuel 4: 15a, 18b).
DATE: 02/27/0997 BC year of Humanity.

The ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years (Cp. I Samuel 7: 2a)
DATE: 02/27/0977 BC year of Humanity.

Saul reigned two years over Israel [at this time] (Cp. I Samuel 13: 1).
DATE: 02/27/0975 BC year of Humanity.

Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David (Cp. II Samuel 2: 10).
DATE: 02/27/0973 BC year of Humanity.

In Hebron he [King David] reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah (Cp. II Samuel 5: 5).
DATE: 08/27/0933 BC year of Humanity.

In the fourth year [of King Solomon's reign] the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of ‘Ziv’ {“Ayyar;” which is the second month} (Cp. I Kings 6: 37).
DATE: 08/27/0929 BC year of Humanity.

*[It came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of ‘Ziv’ [“Ayyar”], which is the second month that he began to build the house of the LORD (Cp. I Kings 6: 1).
DATE: 08/27/0929 [or 0959] BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: There could be as much as a 30 year difference between the dates starting around the time the children came out of Egypt and the First Temple to the LORD built by King Solomon.]*

And in the eleventh year [of King Solomon's reign], in the month of ‘Bul,’ [“Heshvan”] which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it (Cp. I Kings 6: 38).
DATE: 08/27/0922 BC year of Humanity.

Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of ‘Ethanim’ [“Tishri”], which is the seventh month.

Now it happened at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and king’s house
(Cp. I Kings 9: 10; 7: 1)
DATE: 08/27/0913 BC year of Humanity.

And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over Israel was forty years (Cp. I Kings 11: 42)
DATE: 08/27/0893 BC year of Humanity.

And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem (Cp. I Kings 14: 21a).
DATE: 08/27/0876 BC year of Humanity.

So Rehoboam rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then Abijah (Abijam) his son reigned in his place. He reigned three years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 12: 16; 13; 2a).
DATE: 08/27/0873 BC year of Humanity.

So Abijam rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa (Cp. II Chronicles 14: 1a, 10).
DATE: 08/27/0858 BC year of Humanity.

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah . . . So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign (Cp. II Chronicles 16: 1a, 13).
DATE: 08/27/0832 BC year of Humanity.

Then Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthed himself against Israel. So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 17: 1; 20: 31a).
DATE: 08/27/0807 BC year of Humanity.

And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place (Cp. II Chronicles 21: 1, 5, 20) Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He was thirty-two years when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed. However, they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
DATE: 08/27/0799 BC year of Humanity.

So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 22: 1b, 2a).
DATE: 08/27/0798 BC year of Humanity.

And it happened when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers who served Ahaziah, then he killed them. Then he searched for Ahaziah; and they caught him (he was hiding in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. When they had killed him, they buried him, "because," they said, "he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume power over the kingdom. Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeth, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being murdered. . . And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land (Cp. II Chronicles 22: 8-11a, 12).
DATE: 08/27/0792 BC year of Humanity.

Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place. (Cp. II Chronicles 23: 21a; 24: 25b, 27b).
DATE: 08/27/0752 BC year of Humanity.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 25: 1a).
DATE: 08/27/0723 BC year of Humanity.

Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah (Azariah), who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 26: 1; II Kings 15: 2a).
DATE: 08/27/0671 BC year of Humanity.

Then Jotham his son reigned in his place. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place (Cp. II Chronicles 27: 1a, 8-9).
DATE: 08/27/0655 BC year of Humanity.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place (Cp. II Chronicles 28: 1a, 27).
DATE: 08/27/0639 BC year of Humanity.

Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 29: 1a).
DATE: 08/27/0610 BC year of Humanity.

So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 32: 33b; 33: 1).
DATE: 08/27/0555 BC year of Humanity.

So Manasseh rested with his fathers and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place. Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place (Cp. II Chronicles 33: 20-21, 25b).
DATE: 08/27/0553 BC year of Humanity.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem (Cp. II Chronicles 34: 1).
DATE: 08/27/0522 BC year of Humanity.

Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem. . . Then the king of Egypt made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 1-3a, 4).
DATE: 11/27/0522 BC year of Humanity.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. Then Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) his son reigned in his place (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 5a, 8b).
DATE: 11/27/0511 BC year of Humanity.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah (Mattaniah) Jehoiachin's uncle [brother??], king over Judah and Jerusalem (Cp. II Kings 24: 8-16; II Chronicles 36: 9a, 10).
DATE: 02/17/0510 BC year of Humanity.

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon (Cp. II Kings 25: 7; II Chronicles 36: 11).
DATE: 02/17/0499 BC year of Humanity.

Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin from prison (Cp. II KIngs 25: 27).
DATE: 12/27/0473 BC year of Humanity.

And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a House [Temple] in Jerusalem which is in Judah (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 20-22a, 23).
DATE: 12/27/0440 BC year of Humanity.

NOTE: There could be as much as a 30 year difference between the dates starting around the time the children came out of Egypt and the First Temple to the LORD built by King Solomon.

NOTE: Now the Temple was finished on the third day of the month ‘Adar,’ which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius (Cp. Ezra 6: 14b-15). The command to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple issued by King Cyrus possibly occurred between 440 and 470 BC.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 22, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Moses' three ‘Signs’ to the children of Israel

Most readers of the Old Testament book of EXODUS are familiar with the ten plagues or signs which the LORD wrought before Pharaoh and the his court (priests, magicians, wise men, astrologers, etc.) as well as among the Egyptian people to free the Israelites from 400 years of slavery, but little attention is paid to the “signs” that Moses had to perform among his own people to prove that he was the Deliverer that the LORD God sent to free them.

Exodus 3-14
Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you, ‘and they say to me, ‘What is His Name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh).” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM (Ehyeh) has sent me to you.’ ”

Exodus 3: 15a-16a
Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you will say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. “Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The LORD God [YHVH (Yod-He-Vav-He) Elohim] of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me.

Exodus 4: 1-5
Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD (YHVH) has not appeared to you.’ ” So the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” (1) So he cast it (the rod) on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you.

Exodus 4: 6-7
Furthermore the LORD said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” (2) And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous [white], like snow. And He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh.

Exodus 4: 8-9
“Then it will be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, then you shall take water from the Nile River and pour it on the dry land. (3) The water which you take from the Nile River will become blood on the dry land.

COMMENT: The part about the water becoming blood on the dry ground is reminiscent of Luke 22: 41-42, 44, which says:

And He [Jesus-Yeshua] was withdrawn from them [the disciples] about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” And being in [great] agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat [water] became like great drops of blood falling down to the [dry] ground.

Exodus 4: 28-31
So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he (Moses) did the signs [at least the first two if not all three of them] in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 9, 2010
pbks@hotmail.com

Shechem and Hebron: Famous and often overlooked cities of Bible Times

For many students of the Bible as well as believing Christians and Jews, cities such as Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jericho, Capernaum, Shiloh and a few others carry a certain importance or intrigue. Yet, the cities of Shechem and Hebron add quite a historical perspective on the lives of a few of the more well-known personages of antiquity.

Genesis 12: 6
Abram passed through the land [Canaan] to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

Genesis 13: 18a
Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron.

Genesis 14: 13
Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eschol and brother of Aner, and they were allies with Abram.

Genesis 23: 2-3
Kirjath Arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan, the sons of Heth.

Genesis 23: 7-10
Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land [Hebron], the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead [Sarah; Cp. 23: 2] out of my sight, hear me, and entreat with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, “that he may give me the cave of Macpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

Genesis 23: 16-20
Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. So the field of Ephron which was in Macpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Macpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

Genesis 33: 18-19
Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. And he bought the parcel of land [the field] where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of silver.

Genesis 35: 27, 29
Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him [in Hebron].

NOTE: Sarah, Abraham, and now Isaac are buried at the same burial place; the cave of Macpelah in Hebron.

Genesis 37: 1, 13b, 14b
Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father [Isaac] was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

Genesis 50: 13-14a
For his [Jacob’s] sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of Macpelah, before Mamre [Hebron], which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt.

NOTE: Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob are buried at the same burial place; the cave of Macpelah in Hebron.

Joshua 24: 1, 25
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads [leaders], for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

NOTE: Joshua consecrated the people to the LORD at Shechem.

Joshua 24: 32
The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had brought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem (Cp. Genesis 33: 18-19; 34: 2a) for one hundred pieces of money [silver or an unknown currency-‘quesitah’], which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.

NOTE: The great patriarch and former Governor of the whole land of Egypt was buried [and probably his sons Manasseh and Ephraim] in the land of Shechem.

2 Samuel 2: 11
And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months (Cp. 2 Samuel 5: 3, 5).

NOTE: This was the capitol until moved to Jerusalem under a united Monarchy or Confederation of the twelve tribes [10 tribes of Israel along with Judah and Benjamin].

1 Kings 12: 20, 25
Jeroboam was made king over Israel and fortified Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there.

NOTE: In all likelihood Jeroboam made it his capitol and probably died in Shechem also.

Last, but not least:

Luke 1: 5, 7, 13, 57
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. But the angel said to him, “”Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.

NOTE: The city where Elizabeth lived, as a descendant of Aaron, was most probably Hebron (Cp. Joshua 21: 13).

Mark 6: 21-29 refers to King Herod beheading John the Baptizer and apparently the author didn't know the difference between someone being a King and a tetrarch; whom, although a ruler, still the person is not as powerful nor has the same authority as that of a King. Since John the Baptizer ministered in Bethany beyond the Jordan, which was in the region of Judea where Herod Archelaus ruled [according to ‘Wikipedia’]; he would have been the Herodian ruler to have executed John. His disciples buried him in a tomb; it was most likely in an ossurary located among John’s ancestral family cave in Hebron.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 5, 2010
pbks@hotmail.com

The birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth

The day celebrated on December 25th as the time when the Savior of the world, the Holy Babe from the womb of Mary, the betrothed wife of Joseph, descendant of David from Nazareth of Galilee is one of the greatest events in all Christendom; but is affixed point in historical time really true, or even likely? There is a lot of debate on when this celestial and supernatural event occurred and even if it happened at all as reported in the Gospels, and numerous writings of the early Church Fathers and theologians vary as to chronology, so it is imperative that one diligently search the Scriptures to find as much information as possible and then like pieces of a puzzle, put each little bit together to see what the whole picture reveals.

PART I
Luke 1: 26-28, 30-33, 35-36, 38
Now in the sixth month [Elul; August-September] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth (“the guarded one”), to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the LORD (Mar YAH) is with you; [Blessed are you among women]!” Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus (Yeshua). “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Cp. II Samuel 7: 12-17; Isaiah 9: 6-7; Daniel 7: 13-14).” Then the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit (Ruach ha Kodesh) will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has “also” conceived a son in her old age; this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

NOTE: Elizabeth must have conceived around the twelfth month [Adar; February-March]. Also, the angel Gabriel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth is “also” pregnant [just like you now are]. SEE also verses. 41-43. The city where Elizabeth lived, as a descendant of Aaron, was most probably Hebron (Cp. Joshua 21: 13).

Luke 1: 56-57
And Mary remained with her (Elizabeth) about three months, and returned to her house [in Nazareth]. Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.

NOTE: Mary probably stayed with her cousin Elizabeth until she delivered and then returned back to Nazareth in Galilee. However, the virgin who is espoused to the devoutly religious Joseph is showing signs of a three month pregnancy after supposedly visiting her cousin; and what a dilemma for both of them now.

Matthew 1: 18-23
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Ruach ha Kodesh). And you shall bring forth a Son and call His name “JESUS” [Yeshua] and He shall save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, bear a Son, and they shall call His name “IMMANUEL,” meaning, ‘GOD WITH US.’ (Cp. Isaiah 7: 14 )

Luke 2: 1-2, 4-7
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire world should be registered [for taxation]. This census first took place while Quirinus was governing Syria. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (“house of bread”), because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes [a blanket used to put upon sick animals] and laid Him in a manger [a feeding trough for animals], because there was no room for them in the inn.

NOTE: It is curious why a descendant of King David, Jewish royalty in fact, would live such a meager life of deprivation, squalor, poverty and obscurity.

LUKE 2: 8-12, 15-18
Now there were in the same country [Judea] shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And behold, an angel of the LORD stood before them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings [‘Evangelion’- “Good News”] of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ [Meshiyach] the LORD. “And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this [wondrous] thing that has come to pass, which the LORD has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made known [spread the word] the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

NOTE: Mary most likely gave birth to Jesus in the third month [Sivan; May-June] which coincidentally is near the same time as the Feast of Firstfruits and the Barley/Wheat Harvest on the 6th day of the third month [Sivan; May-June]. Interestingly, Jesus said in John 12: 24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

PART II
Matthew 2: 1-7, 9, 11a, 12, 16
Now after Jesus [Yeshua] was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [Magi or Astrologers] from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His Star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ [Meshiyach] was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” [COMMENT: Curiously, Matthew doesn't include the part in Micah that mentions "Whose goings forth are from of old, from Everlasting," and in Matthew 2: 6b, "Who will shepherd My people Israel" is found in II Samuel 5: 2??]. Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the Star appeared. When they heard the heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the young Child was. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother and fell down and worshipped Him. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not depart to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry [maddeningly insane or a psychopath]; and he sent forth and put to death the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the districts; from two years old and under, according to the time which had been determined by the wise men.

NOTE: At Jesus’ birth, recorded in LUKE’S Gospel, the living arrangement for the family was outside at a place for lodging the animals but now they are in a house; which is at least two years later in Bethlehem. It is puzzling that king Herod and the religious leaders were kept in the dark about the greatest event in human history because the shepherds certainly told everybody they could in Bethlehem and the surrounding area what they witnessed, and not only that, but Mary, after the days of her [ritual] purification, she and Joseph brought Jesus [Yeshua] to the Temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated to the LORD (Cp. Luke 2: 22-24; Exodus 13: 2).

Also, at the Temple were the devout Simeon and Anna, a prophetess and the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who upon seeing Jesus [Yeshua], recognized and blessed Him through the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh] as the Redeemer of Israel. It is unlikely that all of this attention plus what the shepherds said would not have caused quite some excitement and doubtless people would have carefully investigated these things and continually visited where the holy family stayed until they fled to Egypt; and after some time left that country and settled in Nazareth of Galilee way up in the North.

Now, regarding the Nativity Star:

Genesis 49: 10
The Scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs.

Numbers 22: 2, 5
Now Balak the son of Nippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River [Euphrates] in the land of his people [Amau or the city of Mari in the Euphrates Valley].

Numbers 24: 17
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And shatter the forehead of Moab, and destroy all the sons of the “people in an uproar” [Moab].

NOTE: Moab is the place name of modern-day ‘Kerak’ when Yemeni tribes entered the lower Eastern district of Jordan around AD 200 [Referenced in Bible Dictionary, Smith and Peloubet, 1948, The John C. Winston Company, Moab, pgs. 411-412].

Although there have been noted cosmic phenomenon associated with the births of certain great historic rulers in the kingdom of men that have their destiny revealed among the heavenly bodies such as with the star Regulus, the planet Jupiter, the constellations and all of that; but Jesus is the King of kings and the LORD of Lord’s, so the annunciation and heralding of His birth [into and among humanity] had to be undertaken by the very holy and celestial angels of Heaven themselves. Now, the narrative in Matthew talks about stargazers from the “East” but little else is mentioned. The one clue is that Balaam was from the region around the Euphrates River, which is coincidentally, ‘East’ of Judah and Israel.

Astronomy was first cultivated by the Chaldeans of Mesopotamia, along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates. The question which many have not sought to answer is why would these men come from another country [if they are not Jews] searching for the King of the Jews that they might come and worship Him? Of course, the Babylonians/Persians [modern-day Iraqis] could be good candidates as 'Magi,' as found in Isaiah 46: 13, which says: You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Let now the astrologers and stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up and save you from these things that shall come upon you.

Some of these ancient Babylonian astronomers might have come to believe in the God of Israel, like their king, according to Daniel 4: 36-37: And at the end of days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. At the same time that my reason returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness [intelligence] returned to me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those who work in pride he is able to abase.

Let's not forget that of the thousands of captives taken to Babylon during the "Seventy" years, many of them remained. Over the intervening centuries these families, although ethnically, racially, and culturally are more Babylonian/Persian than Hebrew, doubtless they still retained some of the Jewish religious practices as well as studying the 'Tanakh' (Jewish Old Testament). It is plausible that some of these learned men are the "Magi" or wise men (Cp. Daniel 2: 2, 10, 13, 27; 4: 6-7; 5: 11) are referred to in MATTHEW'S Gospel.

Additionally, it is a little known fact that the ancient Persians [Iranians] were most like the Jews in religion of all nations in the Middle East or world at a particular time period. They believed in One God and did not worship idols, and “light” was represented in their worship as the symbol of deity; much like “fire” was represented among Ur of the Chaldeans. Ellicott, quoting the works of Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius, tells us that everywhere throughout the East [Middle East??] men were looking for the ‘Advent’ of a King who would arise from among the Jews; and this thought was fermented among Jews and pagans alike. Virgil the poet, writing earlier, says that a child from heaven was looked for who would one day restore the ‘Golden Age’ and take away sin [Referenced in Bible Dictionary, Smith and Peloubet, 1948, The John C. Winston Company, Magi, pg. 374].


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
December 19, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

A perspective about the meaning of the word “Hebrew”

It seems that the traditional origin of the word “Hebrew” is derived from ‘Eber,’ which means beyond the other side. Abram is first called ‘Hebrew’ by the Canaanites in whose land he dwelt (Cp. Genesis 14: 13a), who at that time the Amorites must have been living in the region. Another point-of-view is that some believe the term refers to Abram crossing over to the West side of The Euphrates River, but the Scriptures do not mention anything about his crossing that body of water during his wanderings, so lacking any credible Biblical evidence to the contrary, such opinions are just pious conjecture and speculation. Since Abram pitched his tent by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which is in Hebron (Cp. Genesis 13: 18b), it is reasonable that he could be called a Hebrew as a result of living in Hebron, but only as a foreigner who perhaps spoke the language, and not as a native-born citizen of the land.

35: 27
Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at (31c) Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt.

Since Abraham and Isaac spent some time in Hebron, Jacob probably lived there awhile, too (Cp. Genesis 35: 27; 37: 1). Remember how Joseph was looking for his brothers who were tending their father’s flock in Shechem, out of the Valley of Hebron, and found them in Dothan (Cp. Genesis 37: 1, 12-17). Joseph was called a “Hebrew” (Cp. Genesis 39: 1, 14; 41: 12, 17) and the descendants of Jacob [Israel] were called ‘Hebrews’ by Moses in Exodus 7: 16a. Joseph even stated at one point that he was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews (Cp. Genesis 40: 15a), and so where else would that be except in Hebron? To sum it all up then, Hebrew is probably an ethnic designation as well as a Semitic dialect spoken by the inhabitants living around Hebron in the land of Canaan after the times of the Amorites.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
December 16, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Shemite Family, Jewish and Arab ancestry in the Book of GENESIS

Genesis 2: 8a
The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the East.

Genesis 11: 1-2, 4
Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words. And as they migrated from the East, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar [Chaldea/Babylonia] and settled there. And they said, “Come, let us build us a (1) city, and a (2) tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; lest we shall be scattered all over the world (earth).

NOTE: Are ‘they’ all mankind or just the descendants of Shem; specifically the descendants through Arphaxad (Cp. 11: 10-19).

NOTE: Chapter 11 should precede 10 when it comes to making sense of the Nations of the Earth and their habitations, geographical boundaries, tribes, clans, and ethnicities.

Genesis 11: 5-9
Then the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower that man had built [or were building??], and the LORD said, “Indeed, the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they purpose to do will be out of their reach. “Come, Let Us go down and there confuse [‘bālall’] their language, that they might not understand one another’s speech.” And the LORD scattered them from there over the face of the entire earth; and they stopped building the (2) city. Therefore its name is called Babel [‘bālall’ not Babylon], because there the LORD confused the speech [language] of the entire earth; and from there the LORD scattered them over the face of the entire earth.

NOTE: The tower [‘ziggurat’ or Jacob’s ladder; Cp. 28: 10-13] must have already been built.

Genesis 11: 10-19
This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. Peleg lived thirty years, and he begot Reu. After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

NOTE: Somewhere between 137 and 346 years after the “Flood,” in the time of Peleg, the Earth became divided, perhaps because the LORD confounded the speech of mankind and scattered them over the face of the Earth (??). GENESIS chapter 10 should commence after this. Interestingly, the Biblical narrative doesn’t mention anything about at what age did Shem’s younger brothers begot their families or even what was going on with Noah because he was alive up until Abraham’s 53rd birthday.

Genesis 10: 22-30
The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided [‘pālag’ into languages]; and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazar-maveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountains of the East.

Genesis 10: 8, 10-11
Cush also begot Nimrod, who was the first man of might on earth. The beginnings of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar [Chaldea/Babylonia]. From that land Nimrod [Asshur??] went forth and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah that is the great city.

It is interesting that the Super Families, of whom Shem is their ancestor (Cp. 10: 22; Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram) are respectively: The highlands East of Babylonia-Persia or Southern Iran; Asshur or Assyria; Arphaxad-Northeast of Nineveh or Iraq; Lud-Lydia of the Greeks (Hittites), Ludbu of the Assyrians or Ludda (Lydia) in Western Turkey?; and Aram-Ancestor of the Aramean tribes in the steepes of Mesopotamia, or more specifically, Syria. The people of the East are the people of Bethuel the Syrian (Aramean), Abraham’s great nephew (Cp. 22: 20-23; 24: 15, 24, 29; 28: 2), living in Paddan Aram. In chapter 28: 5, Laban is mentioned as the son of Bethuel, but in chapter 29: 5, Laban is called the son of Nahor, but he is in reality, Nahor’s grandson.

Last, but not least, is the city of Mesopotamia or Paddan Aram (where Abraham’s relatives are living), which is Haran (Cp. Genesis 22: 20; 24: 10b, 15, 24; 27: 42-43). And thus, it seems the people of the East are Arameans or Syrians who are from the region of Mesopotamia; originally or from ancient times, Ur of the Chaldeans. The great ancestor and father of the Jewish and Arab people, Abraham or Ibrahim was born in this area, which is probably close to modern-day Kuwait in the region of Iraq. Also, as pertaining to the Arabs, their ancestress, in the person of Hagar, is Egyptian (Cp. Genesis 16: 1, 15). Not only that, but her son Ishmael marries an Egyptian (Cp. Genesis 21: 21). Even Esau married one of the daughters of Ishmael named Mahalath (Cp. Genesis 28: 9), Abraham's son, who would also be his half-uncle. It seems that Esau lived in the land of Seir, the country of Edom (the land of present day Southern part of Jordan).

Now, let's look some more at Ishmael:
Genesis 17: 18, 20
And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" [Then God said], "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

NOTE: Did this blessing from God mean the establishment and continuity of a great Arab nation or Ottoman Empire?

Genesis 25: 12, 13b-16
Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maidservant, bore Abraham. The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth [Heights]; then Kedar [Dark-skinned], Adbeel [Offering of God], Mibsam [Sweet odor], Mishma [Hearing], Dumah [Silence], Massa [Burden], Hadad/Hadar [Mighty], Tema [Desert], Jetur/Iturea [Enclosure; land of Jether], Naphish [Refreshment], and Kedemah [Eastward]. These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements (encampments), twelve princes according to their nations.

Ishmaelite/Arab History:
Nebaioth's descendants first settled in SE Palestine until they came to Kedar looking for pasturage (Cp. Isaiah 60: 7). They may be the same as the Nebaioth of Arabia Petrea or the same people as the Nebat of Chaldea.

Kedar's descendants are the name of a great tribe of Arabs who settled on the NW peninsula of the confines of Palestine. They are the most conspicuous of all the Ishmaelite tribes and are called Arabians universally by this name. They are referred to in numerous prophetical utterances (Cp. Isaiah 21: 13-17; Ezekiel 27: 21; Psalms 120: 5; and Isaiah 42: 11).

Adbeel's descendants are thought to be a progenitor of an Arab tribe but nothing else is known about them.

Mibsam's descendants don't leave a traceable genealogy.

Mishma's descendants don't leave a traceable genealogy, either.

Dumah's descendants are the most probable founder of the Ishmaelite tribe of Arabia, and hence the principal name of that tribe in Isaiah's prophesy against Edom [Jordan] in Isaiah 21: 11.

Massa's descendants might be the Masani, placed there by Ptolemy in the East of Arabia near the borders of Babylonia.

Hadad's descendants don't leave a traceable genealogy.

Tema's descendants are identified with a small town on the confines of Syria. The name is mentioned in Job 6: 19; Jeremiah 25: 23; and Isaiah 21: 13-14.

Jetur's descendants colonized the small province of the NW border of Palestine, lying along the base of Mount Hermon, adjoining Trachonitis, and lying along the base of Libanus between Tiberias and Damascus [Syria]. It is situated in the modern province of Jedur, which is the Arabic form for the word Jetur.

Naphish's descendants don't leave a traceable genealogy.

Kedemah's descendants don't leave a traceable genealogy.

NOTE: Historical information referenced from BIBLE DICTIONARY, by Smith and Peloubet, Zondervan, 1948.

Genesis 25: 18a
They [Ishmael’s descendants] dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is East of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.

Genesis 3: 11
The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

NOTE: The Amalekites also occupied this region in the peninsula of Sinai, intervening between the southern hill ranges and the border of Egypt (Cp. 1 Samuel 15: 7). Havilah is thought to be around north central Arabia or in Yemen. Shur [between Beersheba and Egypt] may have been a fortified town East of the ancient head of the Red Sea [Yam Adam], and probably the last Arabian town before entering Egypt. Again, references obtained from BIBLE DICTIONARY, by Smith and Peloubet, Zondervan, 1948.

Ethnically and racially speaking then, the Arabs are quite diverse and some of them are part of the stock of Arameans/Syrians, Israelis/Jews, Chaldeans [Ur of the Chaldeans/Iraqis or Kuwaitis], Egyptians and Edomites/Jordanians. As far as those who pray for peace in the Middle East, pertaining to an offering of the olive branch between Jews and their Arab cousins, although a beautiful goal, Genesis 16: 12 says: He [Ishmael] shall be a wild one-free and untamed as a wild ass. His hand will be against every man [non Arabs or Muslims], and every man’s hand [non Arabs or Muslims] will be against him. But he will live near [in the vicinity of] the rest of his brethren [Jews/Israelis].


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 18, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Baptism in the Name of Jesus [Yeshua]

One of the most widely practiced liturgical rites of the Christian Church is baptism by immersion in water. In almost all cases the candidate has these words spoken to them before they go under the water, namely, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." While this 'Trinitarian' formula is widespread, there is another group of believers who baptize in the name of "Jesus [Yeshua]" only.

Matthew 28: 19
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

NOTE: this statement has been used to support the doctrine of the “Trinity,” but is this true? The passage does ‘NOT’ say baptizing in the Name of the Father, in the Name of the Son, and in the Name of the Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 6: 4 says, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD [YHVH] our God, the LORD is One.” Jesus [Yeshua] says in John 10: 30, “I and My Father are One.”

John 17: 6a
I have manifested [made known] Your Name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.

In order to better understand this statement in Matthew 19, it is prudent to look at Matthew 1: 20b-21, which says: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh]. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus [Yeshua], for He shall save [shua] His [YAH’s] people from their sins.” So, the Name Yeshua honors the LORD’s Name, ‘YAH’ (Cp. Isaiah 12: 2; 26: 4; 38: 11; Psalms 83: 18a). Now the question is, how was this statement understood by the disciples of the early Church?

Luke 24: 47
Repentance and remission of sins preached in His Name [Jesus-Yeshua] to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 2: 38
Repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mashiyach] for the remission of sins.

8: 16b
They had been baptized in the Name of the LORD Jesus [Yeshua].

10: 48
And he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the LORD {YHVH}/[Yeshua].

19: 5b
They were baptized in the Name of the LORD Jesus [YHVH Yeshua].

In conclusion, either Matthew’s narrative about “The Great Commission” in chapter 28 was understood by Jesus’ earliest followers to baptize candidates in the “Name of Yeshua (Jesus)” and as such, invalidates the modern ‘Trinitarian’ baptismal rite which is not according to this practice. Many will argue that it doesn’t really matter and that either method is just as efficacious as the other, but it would seem to run counter to the several examples found in the Book of ACTS. When prayers are offered to God in the Name of Jesus [Yeshua], is it to be thought of as the same as in the Name of the Father, in the Name of the Son, and in the Name of the Holy Spirit, which are titles or descriptions; if not, then why not?


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 9, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Mark of the Beast

Nothing strikes more fear in the hearts of Bible-believing Christians than the chilling “mark” of the beast. Along with all the apprehension, panic, and hysteria are numerous convincing theories that range anywhere from the Roman Emperors Nero or Domitian to an infamous Roman Catholic Pope around the same generation or two from the Church’s infancy. Using Greek, Latin, or Hebrew ‘Gematria’ can lead to a seeming unending arrangement of numerical valuations in the letters of a person’s name or title to produce the dreaded “666,” but is this the methodology and determination of chance that this solemn revelation would be dependant upon to make known one of the most significant and ominous symbols contained within the Holy Scriptures?

Revelation 13: 11-18
Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those [my own people] who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the [first] beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the [first] beast who was wounded by the sword and lived (Cp. 13: 1-3). He [the “second” beast] was granted power to give breath (life??) to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the (1) mark or the (2) name of the beast, or the (3) number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

NOTE: Several things need to be mentioned, namely: The Lord Jesus [Yeshua] was asked about whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, and He said in Matthew 22: 19-21a: “Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose ‘image’ and ‘inscription’ is this?” They said unto Him, “Caesars.” The second beast with the horns (strength) of a lamb spoke as a dragon. This particular governmental entity (religious, secular)through the working of a super being (false prophet) performs apparently miraculous-looking signs (fire coming down from heaven or the sky) to deceive those who live on the earth; all in the sight of the ‘first’ beast which recovered from a near-fatal wound (physical, spiritual??). The second beast convinces the other nations or governments to make an “image” to the [first] beast which receiving power from the ‘dragon,’ not only gives breath [life??] to the image and but causes those who refuse to worship the ‘beast’ to be killed [not tormented or put into prison]. No one can engage in commerce or trade without having the sign or seal from the ‘first’ beast in the form of its mark, name, or number; of which a significant clue is given as 666.

14: 9, 10b-12
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the (1) mark of his name.” Here is the patience of the saints; [here are those] who keep the commandments of God and the faith ‘of’ Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mashiyach].

17: 3, 5-6
So he carried me away in the Spirit unto the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast [ the first one] which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And on her forehead a name written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus [Yeshua]. And when I saw her I marveled with great amazement.

NOTE: Unless the last part of verse 6 is redundant repetition, who are the “saints” and secondly, the “martyrs” of Jesus [Yeshua]? Is the color of 'scarlet' associated with the army of Imperial Rome? Lest one also forget, Rome was the presecutor of the Church, and then the Emperor Constantine makes Christianity the official religion throughout the Roman Empire.

17: 10-11, 13
There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is [at present], and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue for a short time. The [first] beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition [destruction].

19: 20
Then the [second] beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image (Cp. 13: 11-14). These were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

NOTE: There seems to be inconsistency with the popular viewpoint regarding the interpretation of symbols. For one thing, if the "Woman” is Papal Rome or Babylon [modern country of Iran], then who is this ‘second’ beast? Some conclude that the United States is this beast, but is that so? Does America fit the description of exercising the authority (ecclesiastical, economic, military) of the ‘first’ beast and forces or deceives the other countries of the world to worship the ‘first’ beast’s image and receive its mark, name, and number? Also, the second beast reintroduces some kind of an International geopolitical governmental, socioeconomic or religious system on a worldwide basis that perhaps in some way resembles the earlier one of the first beast and the 'Woman.'

15: 2
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his (1) mark and over the (3) number (666) of his (2) name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

20: 4a
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God (Cp. 17: 5), who had not “worshipped” the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

7: 2-3
Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

NOTE: the earth and the sea is where the first and second “beasts” came out of (Cp. 13: 1a, 11a).

Referring back to another aspect regarding the “beast,” is the more important and often ignored one of spiritual or religious ‘worship’ (Cp. 14: 9; 19: 20; 20: 4a). In fact, this is what causes one to receive and to accept the mark, name, and number of the beast. This is in contrast to those who receive the seal of God by keeping His commandments (Cp. 14: 12). But in what sense is this to be understood? Remember the chilling words spoken to Jesus [Yeshua] by satan in Luke 4: 5-7: Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment [throughout all] of time. And the devil said to Him, All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish (Cp. Revelation 13: 1-2b, 4). "Therefore, If you shall worship before me, all will be yours." And Jesus [Yeshua] answered and said to him, "For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you shall serve.' " (Cp. Deuteronomy 6: 13; 10: 20)

Isaiah 8: 16
Bind up the testimony, Seal up the Law [“Torah”] among My disciples.

Matthew 5: 17
“Do not think that I came to destroy [annul] the Law [“Torah”] and the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Romans 3: 31
Do we then make void [annul] the Law [“Torah”] through ‘faith’? Certainly not [God forbid]! On the contrary we establish the Law [“Torah”].

7: 12, 14
Therefore the Law [“Torah”] is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. For we know that the Law [“Torah”] is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

James 1: 25
But he who looks into the perfect Law [“Torah”] of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Besides keeping God’s commandments or Law [“Torah”], the final part is the mysterious number, triple six (666), which has intrigued Christian believers, Gnostics, Occultists, Cabalists, Sufis, etc. for millennia. It must be kept in mind that the author of “REVELATION” was most likely Jewish, considering all the symbolism and allusions in the prophesies (Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, etc.) contained in the Jewish Bible [“Tanakh”]. It is also reasonable to conclude that he wrote in Hebrew, if not Aramaic and therefore used “Gematria” based on the numerical values of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This being the case, a possible combination for six-hundred sixty six could be: final ‘Mem’ (600), ‘Samekh’ (60), ‘Vav (6) or ‘Tav’ (400), ‘Resh’ (200), ‘Samekh’ (60), ‘Vav (6).

Be that as it may, those to whom this letter was penned undoubtedly were taught and understood what this coded acronym was as opposed to the mostly commendable scholarly guesswork of modern-day Bible theologians, the “Last Days” or “End Times” proponents, Seventh-day Adventists, and a host of others.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 1, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Could the Advent of the LORD Jesus [Yeshua] occur in this Generation?

There have been many attempts to predict when the Savior Jesus Christ [Yeshua Meshiyach] will return back on Earth to judge the good and bad. Perhaps the most noted person in modern times is the chronologer and Seventh-Day Adventist, William Miller, who predicted that ‘Great Day’ would occur in 1843; and then recalculated the day the world would end to be 1844. While not wanting to fall into the same trap of pinpointing a definite calendar date or time because Jesus [Yeshua] said: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Cp. Matthew 24: 36).

But He also said: “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky; but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Cp. Matthew 16: 3b). These ‘signs’ might be those in the starry heavens as in “Astrology” but it could also mean something else; such as sacred numbers or Feast Days. Aramaic scholar Andrew Gabriel Roth sees a pattern in the Year of Jubilee (Cp. Leviticus 25: 8-17), of which the children of Israel celebrated the first one in the land of Canaan after their liberation from Egyptian slavery. If say, this was in 1435 BCE, then accounting for two ‘Jubilees’ every century, then the ADVENT CLOCK might look like this:

(1) 1435 BCE; (3) 1335 BCE; (5) 1235 BCE; (7) 1135 BCE; (9) 1035 BCE; (11) 935 BCE; (13) 835 BCE; (15) 735 BCE; (17) 635 BCE; (19) 535 BCE; (21) 435 BCE; (23) 335 BCE; (25) 235 BCE; (27) 135 BCE; (29) 35 BCE; (31) 67 CE; (33) 167 CE; (35) 267 CE; (37) 367; (39) 467 CE; (41) 567 CE; (43) 667 CE; (45) 767 CE; (47) 867 CE; (49) 967 CE: (51) 1067 CE; (53) 1167 CE; (55) 1267 CE; (57) 1367 CE; (59) 1467 CE; (61) 1567 CE; (63) 1667 CE; (65) 1767 CE; (67) 1867 CE; (69) 1967 CE; (70) 2017 CE.

NOTE: As any student of Scripture knows, the numbers 7 or 70 refer to cycles of completion and it must be remembered that Jesus [Yeshua] did not mention anything about not knowing the season, cycle, or month; only the day and hour. According to Leviticus 25: 8-9, the Year of Jubilee starts around the Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”), which is in the seventh month (‘Tishri’) and tenth day on the sacred Jewish calendar or between September and October of the secular calendar. It could very well be that we are indeed living in the LAST DAYS as well as the 70th Jubilee Year timeline.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 18, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Was the Pharaoh during the Israelite Enslavement and Deliverance a Native Egyptian?

Exodus 1: 5-10
All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy-five persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died; all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and became very numerous; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children are more mightier than we; “come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemy and fight against us, and go up out of the land.”

NOTE: There are several things worth consideration in this early narrative, namely the placement of this part. Of the 75 people among Israel’s descendants who settled down in Egypt, Joseph, his brothers and all that generation died, so how could the remaining number become so abundant in such a short period of time where the land was filled with them? Also, why is it that this new king did not know about Joseph, who was a Governor over Egypt under the previous Pharaoh and there were doubtless archival records of his accomplishments as well as among the memories of the people. It is interesting that the new ruler mentioned that these descendants of Israel (“Hebrews”) are mightier than he and his people and yet they were able to be made subservient slaves; so the question is again, how could this be? Is it possible that this is an invading army from a foreign nation who came into the country [Upper or Lower Egypt] whose leader became the king of Egypt in this region? Did the numbers of Israelites pose a national security risk by possibly siding with an enemy and tipping the balance-of-power in another direction and to then depart from the land? This new king of Egypt was concerned about the children of Israel multiplying but it seems that they were already experiencing an unnatural exponential growth that cannot be explained outside of divine intervention.

1: 11-14
Therefore they [who are they?] set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Ramses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread (fear) of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage- in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

NOTE: How could the Israelites have built the storage city of Rameses when it says in Genesis 47: 5-6a, 11: Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. “The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen.” And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

2: 15b-19; 3: 1
But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh (Cp. 2; 23A; 4: 19) and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by the well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filling the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?” And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.” Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

NOTE: Why is it that Moses was called an Egyptian? The seven daughters of Reuel/Jethro came to ‘draw water’ and Moses’ name means “drawn out of the water.” Reu[El] was most likely a worshipper of the True God by virtue of his name and lived in the vicinity of the Mountain of God (Horeb). This does not mean that he was necessarily a monotheist.

2: 23a, 24a
Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of their bondage. So God heard their groaning. . .

NOTE: Since the ruler of Egypt who did not know about the deeds of Joseph and through cunning, enslaved the children of Israel; now that he is dead, why are the Israelites still oppressed. Did his heir or successor continue his policy of oppression and subjugation of the Hebrews?

The Angel of the LORD says to Moses in 3: 7, 9-10
And the LORD said, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrow (pain).” “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.”

3: 13-14; 5: 1-2
Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His Name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may keep a pilgrim-feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ” And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”

NOTE: One of the things that might have gone unnoticed, and which is quite significant in the entire history of the children of Israel’s 400 years of Egyptian servitude is whether this King/Pharaoh of Egypt was a “foreigner” and therefore, it is understandable that God’s Name was unknown to him. Also, unless the pharaoh live a long time, the 400 year span would have included several kings or Pharaoh's of Egypt [the Land].

According to James Bonwick, in his book “Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought,” (p. 395) as well as Godfrey Higgins in his monumental work, “Anacalypsis, vol. II p. 17,” state that the ancient Egyptians had a Name for God which was ‘Nuk-Pa-Nuk’ [translated as, “I AM WHO I AM”]. Among those supporting this position are Clement of Alexandria in his work called “Stromatis,” T.W. Doane in his book “Bible Myths and Parallels in Other Religions,” and Professor Renouf in “Religion of Ancient Egypt,” (p. 99). It seems after the abundance of research that the sacred acronym or ‘Tetragrammaton (YHWH, JHVH) are borrowed from the Egyptian “I-ha-h” or “I-ha-hou” or “Y-ha-Ho” where the transliterated Divine Names Yahweh [Egyptian “Ioa”] and Jehovah are formulated. Not only that, but the divine Name or title Jehovah is the Egyptian “Huhi” from which comes the name “Ihuh.” Since the latter ‘J’ was not added to the English alphabet [there is no equivalent in Hebrew] until the 17th century, the Hebrew consonants representing the ‘Tetragrammaton’ was originally, at least, corresponded to IHUH; and then later JHUH, from which we get JEHOVAH. It is strange that the word used as a substitute for the ineffable and unpronounceable sacred Name is “Adonai” (Lord), which is taken from the Phoenician or Greek god “Adonis.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 15, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Textual Criticism of the book of JONAH

Jonah 1: 1-2
Now the Word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it: for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

NOTE: This is very interesting because nowhere else in O.T. Scripture does the LORD send a prophet to a foreign nation to offer them a message to repent or perish. The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah came up before God also, and if only ten righteous persons could have been found within them, destruction could have been averted but there was no Missionary outreach available to them (Cp. Genesis 18: 20-21, 23, 32).

1: 3
But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish [“Tyre”] from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going for Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

NOTE: The geography is right on the money in this one because Jonah was from Gath Hepher in the territory of Issachar (Cp. II Kings 14: 25b; Joshua 19: 13), and Joppa was to the South in the territory of Dan (Cp. Joshua 19: 46). Tarshish is along the Mediterranean Coast toward the far North in Tyre (Cp. Isaiah 23: 1). Jonah sought to flee from the LORD’S presence, just like Adam and Eve (Cp. Genesis 3: 7-10) but he should have read Psalms 139: 7, which states: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence (Cp. verses 8-12)?

1: 4-5
But the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners [seamen] were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

NOTE: This is very similar to the tempest and waves that tossed the boat where Jesus (Yeshua) was asleep in (Cp. Matthew 8: 23-27).

1: 8-9
Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? (1) What is your occupation? (2) Where do you come from? (3) What is your country? (4) And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “(4) I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD (YHVH), the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

NOTE: The sailors asked Jonah four questions but he only answered the last one.

1: 11a, 12a
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?” And he said to him, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will be calm for you.”

1: 14-16
Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.

NOTE: These pagan mariners from Tarshish [Tyre] had some sense of a moral or spiritual compass because they were hesitant to throw Jonah overboard and tried to row past the storm. They finally acquiesced to Jonah’s request and like the cargo that went “deep six,” lifted him up and tossed him over the side of the boat. Before that, however, they prayed to the LORD not to charge them with shedding innocent blood in Jonah’s apparently certain death.

1: 17
Now the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2: 1, 2b
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. “Out of the belly of Sheol [the Land of the Dead], and LORD You heard me.”

NOTE: Perhaps the belly of the great fish is just an allegory for “Sheol” and Jesus [Yeshua] said in Matthew 12: 40: “For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The ‘great fish’ that swallowed Jonah could be DEATH just as the Son of Man tasted this for every man (Cp. Hebrews 2: 9).

2: 3, 5-6
You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me. I was buried beneath Your wild and billowy waves. I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But You, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!

NOTE: These would hardly be the words of a man who was enclosed within the body of a great fish; if taken literally, that is. It is however plausible that the LORD sent the great fish to preserve Jonah’s ebbing life as he was about to die from drowning, and given another opportunity to carry out God’s mission to the Ninevites while recuperating in the insides of a divinely prepared ‘great’ fish; as verse 7 indicates below:

2: 7, 10
As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to You into Your holy Temple. So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

NOTE: The fish carried Jonah all the way to land and expelled him from its insides [along with other undigested matter] in perhaps a not so pleasant environment.

3: 1-2
Now the Word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”

3: 3-4
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the Word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, so large a city that it takes three days to see it all. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

NOTE: Noah was called a preacher of righteousness (Cp. II Peter 2: 5), and if that was the case he probably warned the ‘Antediluvian’ people about the upcoming Flood. Since Noah “walked with God” probably at age 500 after the birth of his sons, he doubtless preached 100 years until the rain came and the floodgates of the deep burst open (Cp. Genesis 5: 32; 6: 5-13; 7: 6, 11). Conversely, the people of Nineveh had only forty days to repent and thus avert God’s wrath.

3: 5-10 “The people and king of Nineveh repent at the preaching of Jonah”

NOTE: Why was this message so disturbing to the Ninevites from a foreigner that they would repent before the God of the Hebrews when they worshipped, like Sennacherib king of Assyria [capitol of Nineveh] Nisroch his god (Cp. II Kings 19: 36-37a). Perhaps the Ninevites have had some contact with God as a result of prophesies found in Nahum 3: 1-19 and Zephaniah 2: 13-15. There is a universal principle found in Jeremiah 18: 7-8, which says, “The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, “if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring against it.”

4: 1-2
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, One who relents from doing harm (Cp. Exodus 34: 6; Numbers 14: 18a; Psalms 86: 5, 15; Joel 2: 13b).

4: 3-4
“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” Then the LORD said [asked], “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah is a very interesting psychological and spiritual study as he voices anger to God because He doesn’t destroy the Ninevites as well as God causing a plant to grow providing shade for Jonah from the heat of the day. He then prepares a worm which damages and causes the plant to wither the next day. It seems Jonah cared more for the gourd than for human lives of people from another land. Jonah mentioned about it being better for him to die which he repeats three times (Cp. verses 3b, 8b, 9b), but he must have so soon forgotten about his previous “Near Death Experience” of being in the “belly of the great fish.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 10, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Feasts celebrated by the Jews since the Wilderness of Mt. Sinai

In Exodus 23: 14-17 the LORD God commands three annual mandatory Feasts [(1) Unleavened Bread {“Passover”}, (2) Feast of Harvest [“Pentecost”}, (3) Feast of Ingathering at year’s end], and that all Jewish males are to appear before Him to offer sacrifices. Since that time of the Wilderness of Mount Sinai when Moses received these statutes from the LORD, it is interesting to see how these specific solemn feasts were kept since that time onward.

NOTE: Exodus 34: 22-23 includes the ‘firstfruits’ as part of the Feast of [Wheat] Harvest.

Joshua 5: 10-11
Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits [when the Children first enter and settle in the land of Canaan].

2 Kings 23: 21
Passover [and Unleavened Bread]

2 Chronicles 2: 4b
Sabbaths, New Moons (Cp. Numbers 28: 11-15; Psalms 81: 3), appointed Feasts (Cp. 2 Chronicles 8: 13; Exodus 23: 14-19; Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Ingathering).

2 Chronicles 30: 1, 5, 13-23 (esp. 26).
Passover, Unleavened Bread.

2 Chronicles 31: 3-4
Sabbaths, appointed Feasts (Cp. 2 Chronicles 8: 13; Exodus 23: 14-19; Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Ingathering), New Moons (Cp. Numbers 28: 11-15; Psalms 81: 3).

2 Chronicles 35: 1 (esp. 18).
Passover [Unleavened Bread].

2 Chronicles 36: 21
Sabbaths

Ezra 3: 4-5
Feast of Tabernacles (Cp. Leviticus 23: 34, 40, 42; Deuteronomy 16: 13), New Moons (Cp. Numbers 28: 11-15; Psalms 81: 3).

Ezra 5: 16, 19-22
The Dedication of the Temple (Cp. 1 Kings 8: 63; 2 Chronicles 7: 5), Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Nehemiah 8: 13-18
Feast of Tabernacles (Cp. Leviticus 23: 34, 40, 42; Deuteronomy 16: 13; “Booths”).

Nehemiah 10: 33
Sabbaths, New Moons (Cp. Numbers 28: 11-15; Psalms 81: 3), appointed Feasts (Cp. 2 Chronicles 8: 13; Exodus 23: 14-19; Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Ingathering).

Esther 8: 17-19, 26-28, 31-33
Feast of Purim

Ezekiel 45: 17-25; 46: 1, 3, 6, 11
Sabbaths, New Moons (Cp. Numbers 28: 11-15; Psalms 81: 3), Feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread.

Isaiah 1: 13-15
Sabbaths, New Moons (Cp. Numbers 28: 11-15; Psalms 81: 3).

Matthew 26: 17
Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover.

Mark 14: 1, 12
Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover.

Luke 22: 1, 7
Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover.

John 2: 13
Passover [and Unleavened Bread] of the Jews.

John 3:23
A dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification (??).

John 7: 2
The Jew’s Feast of Tabernacles (Cp. Leviticus 23: 33-36; Numbers 29: 12-38; Deuteronomy 16: 13-15).

John 10: 22
Feast of Dedication (Cp. 1 Kings 8: 63; 2 Chronicles 7: 5).

John 11: 55
The Passover [and Unleavened Bread] of the Jews and purification (Cp. 3: 23??).

John 12: 20
Greeks coming to the Passover Feast [and Unleavened Bread].

John 13: 1, 29
Feast of the Passover [and Unleavened Bread].

Acts 2: 1
Day of Pentecost (Cp. Exodus 23: 16; 34: 22-23; Leviticus 23: 15-21; Numbers 28: 26-31; Deuteronomy 16: 9-12).

Acts 12: 3
Days of Unleavened Bread, [and Passover??].

Acts 18: 21
The Apostle Paul wanted to keep the coming Feast (Day of Pentecost; 20: 16??) in Jerusalem.

Acts 20: 6
The Days of Unleavened Bread [and Passover??].

Acts 20: 16
The Apostle Paul was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost (Cp. Acts 2: 1; 18: 21; Exodus 23: 16; 34: 22-23; Leviticus 23: 15-21; Numbers 28: 26-31; Deuteronomy 16: 9-12).

I Corinthians 5: 8
Therefore let us keep the ‘Feast,’ [“Unleavened Bread/Passover;” Cp. Exodus 12: 15-20; 13: 3-10; Leviticus 23: 5; Numbers 9: 1-14; 28: 16; Deuteronomy 16: 1-7] not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I Corinthians 16: 8
But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost (Cp. Acts 18: 21; 19: 21a, 22b; 20: 1-2??).

Colossians 2: 16
So let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival [Feast??], or a New Moon or Sabbaths. . .

It seems that from the times of Jewish antiquity (the Wilderness of Sinai), the Feasts of Unleavened Bread/Passover was observed up until Jesus’ Day and beyond. The Sabbaths and New Moons were kept during the Babylonian Captivity (Cp. Isaiah 1: 13-15) and after the seventy years prophesized by Jeremiah, the returning exiles settling back again to Judea/Jerusalem observed the Feast of Tabernacles. After the Second Temple was built, it was dedicated like in the Days of Solomon, along with celebrating again, New Moons and the appointed feasts [probably Unleavened Bread/Passover, Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering.

Curiously, the ‘Synoptic Gospels’ (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) only mention the Feast of Unleavened Bread/Passover. The Gospel of John mentions these in addition to the Feast of Tabernacles (“Booths”) and the Feast of Dedication (Second Temple). In the book of Acts, the author includes the Day of Pentecost (Harvest/Weeks: Cp. Exodus 23: 16; 34: 22-23; Leviticus 23: 15-21; Numbers 28: 26-31; Deuteronomy 16: 9-12) several times.

NOTE: Again to reiterate from the beginning of the article, Exodus 34: 22-23 includes the ‘firstfruits’ as part of the Feast of [Wheat] Harvest.

In the book of I Corinthians the Apostle Paul alludes to Passover/Unleavened Bread as well as mentioning again about [the Day of] Pentecost. Since Pentecost/Weeks is included along with the Feast of Harvest/Ingathering and Passover from ancient times, its importance could very well have Eschatological significance as symbolizing the gathering up of the 'firstfruits' or saints at the "End of the World." Finally, one of the last Feasts to be mentioned in the New Testament are Sabbaths and the New Moons in the book of Colossians (Cp. 2: 16).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 13, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Gospel message to convert the Jews

There are those among the clergy and leadership in the Christian Church, especially among the Gentile believers who neglect ministering the Word to those unbelieving Jews. It has even been said that is a waste of time and that no Jewish person would ever accept that Jesus [Yeshua] is the Christ [Mesiyach], in fulfillment of the Old Testament Law [“Torah”], Psalms, and Prophets; but is that necessarily the case? The Apostle’s Peter and Paul seem to have had some success as recorded in the book of ACTS, and if human nature is basically the same, then the same method of preaching or teaching using the same Scriptural references should net the same results; if not, then why not? Not only that, but many believers tend to forget the Apostle Paul’s example, if not outright injunction to offer the message of salvation to the Jews first, and then the Gentiles (Cp. Romans 1: 16).

In the references below are sermons that touched the hearts of those Jews who received the Word and after believing and repenting of their sins, obtained forgiveness of their sins by obedience to what they were taught.

Acts 2: 14, 16
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel (Cp. Joel 2: 28-32).”

NOTE: Peter’s sermon leaves out: For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

22-25
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus [Yeshua] of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know-Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. “For David said concerning Him: (Cp. Psalms 16: 8-11).”

29-34
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. “Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ [“Mesiyach”] to sit on his throne, “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ [“Mesiyach”], that His [not David’s] soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. “This Jesus God has raised up [from the dead] of which we are witnesses. “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: (Cp. Psalms 110: 1).”

36-39, 41
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus [Yeshua], whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ [“Mesiyach”].” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mesiyach] for the remission (forgiveness) of sins; and you shall (1) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh]. For (2) the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off (Cp. Romans 4: 1-3, 9 {Psalms 32: 1-2}, 10-14, 16-17a; 9: 6b-8, 24-25 {Hosea 2: 23; 1: 10} as many as the LORD our God will call.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

NOTE: The (1) Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh] is given to those who obey God (Cp. Acts 4: 31; 8: 15, 17; 10: 44-45; 11: 15-16; 19: 1-2, 4-6; II Corinthians 1: 22; 5: 5; Ephesians 1: 13b-14a). (2) The promise is first mentioned in Genesis 22: 18: “In your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice (Cp. Genesis 26: 4b).

Acts 3: 12-15
So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus [Yeshua], whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murdered to be granted to you, “and killed the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

17-23
“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ [Mesiyach] would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the LORD, “and that He may send Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mesiyach], who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. “For Moses truly said to the fathers (Cp. Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18-19).”

24-26
“Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold of these days. “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham (Cp. Genesis 12: 3b; 18: 18b; 22: 18; 26: 4; 28:14). “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”

13: 14-25
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law [“Torah”] and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with Mighty power He brought them out of it. “Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. “And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment. “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. “And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, “(Cp. Psalms 89: 20a; I Samuel 13: 14b).” From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior [“Messiah”]-Jesus [Yeshua] - “after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. “And John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’ ”

26-33
“Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the message of this salvation has been sent. “For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. “And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. “Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. “But God raised Him from the dead. “He was seen for many days by those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are witnesses to the people. “And we declare to you glad tidings [“Evangelion”- The Gospel or Good News], that promise which was made to the fathers. “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus [Yeshua]. As it is written in the second Psalm ‘(Cp. Psalms 2: 7)’:

34-40, 43
“And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption (decay), He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David’ (Cp. Isaiah 55: 3)

NOTE: This passage from Isaiah is out of place and doesn’t belong here.

“Therefore He also says in another Psalm ‘(Cp. Psalm 16: 10)’: “For David, after he served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption [his body underwent decay]; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law [“Torah”] of Moses. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

If bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mesiyach] to the Jews is futile, then why does Paul feel like this: “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh], that I have a great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I wish that I myself were accursed from Christ [Mesiyach] for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law ["Torah”], the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ [Mesiyach] came, who is over all; the eternally blessed God. Amen. Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ [Mesiyach] is the end of the Law [“Torah”] for righteousness to everyone who believes (Cp. Romans 9: 1-5; 10: 1-4).

Following the Missionary activities of the Apostle Paul in the Church history book of ACTS, whether he traveled through GALATIA [Turkey in Asia Minor: These assemblies were in Pisidian Antioch (Cp. Acts 13: 14); Iconium (Cp. Acts 14: 1); Lystra & Derbe (Acts 14: 6-7, 20); Perga {in Pamphylia} (Cp. Acts 14: 25)]. Europe: MACEDONIA [Philippi (Cp. Acts 16: 12); Thessalonica (Cp. Acts 17: 1); Berea (Cp. Acts 17: 10)]; and even the Churches in GREECE (Corinth, Athens), or Rome Italy, he always sought out the synagogues where his Jewish brethren would be conducting Sabbath services first; and of which in many instances there were also in attendance God-fearing Gentile/Greek-speaking proselytes.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Should Christian clergy be armed during Worship or any other sacred Assemblies?

There has been an increasing escalation of violent acts, including murder, happening in Christian Churches, as well as in Jewish Temples and daycare centers in the news such that the worshipper’s safety is potentially at risk. There was a time when any house of worship was the last place where such disregard for the sacred would take place; that was then, but this is now. There are some members of the clergy who have a gun concealed underneath their Ecclesiastical vestments (robes) or have off-duty law enforcement officials who are members of their congregations, who as a general rule, always carry a firearm. Besides asking the overly simplified question of “What would Jesus [Yeshua] do, is there any references in the Scriptures that can aid us in this disturbing modern dilemma?

Matthew 28: 47, 55
And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber [criminal, insurrectionist, murderer], with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.” (Cp. Mark 14: 43, 48-49)

28: 62-66
On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure [by posting one of the soldiers to stand guard] until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception is worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the tomb and posting a guard.

Luke 22: 52
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the Temple [Temple police or security force], and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber [criminal, insurrectionist, murderer], with swords and clubs?”

John 18: 3
Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

There are several things to consider, namely, whether “PASSIVE RESISTANCE” in all circumstances is at all in accord with true spiritual principles and the Word of God. Consider the Ten Commandments or the Law [“Torah”] of Moses which was written by the finger of God, but nowhere does it say, “Thou shall not Fight (Cp. Exodus 21: 12-26).” Now the next thing is the passage in Matthew 5: 39 & Luke 6: 29, but in order to understand the context, it is prudent to read Matthew 6: 38-39, which reads:

“You have heard it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Jesus was teaching against retaliation or vengeance and not necessarily about taking action to protect yourself or a loved one from harm or even allowing yourself to be robbed. This last part is a sort of implied meaning that is found in Luke 11: 21-22, which states: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own place, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.

Even reading all the Gospel narratives it appears that there was some kind of Temple police or security officials, including the rank of Captain and a guard that was dispatched to watch the tomb where Jesus was laid. It would suggest that such a force might be used on other occasions, perhaps to keep peace and order during Feast days, protect the temple precincts from vandalism, or to separate adversaries during heated discussions by rabbis about the Mishnah or Talmud, or to protect against robbers looting the temple treasury as well as the offerer.

To reiterate this point on using violence, the Apostle Paul wrote: Repay no one evil for evil (Cp. Romans 12: 17a), and while it is certainly prudent to be concerned about having a gun-totin,’ First Amendment zealous pulpit or trigger-happy undercover law enforcement sitting in the pew, it is, at least from what has been reviewed thus far, reasonable to have some type of officially trained security force or guard to watch for any unusual circumstance or behavior of any person which could place the safety of worshippers in harm’s way. Last, but not least, Psalms 71: 1-3a, 4 says: "In You, O LORD, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Jesus’ last Passover Feast with the Disciples before His Crucifixion

The memorable and heartbreaking scene forever etched in our minds by the ominous depiction as the “Last Supper” is one of the most familiar, being depicted in works of art and in motion pictures by actor/director Mel Gibson. The New Testament Gospels portray an emotionally-tinged narrative that is compelling as well as revealing in the various nuances and shades of meaning behind what each writer presented and what was intentionally omitted. The scene is set in the following:

Matthew 26: 17, 19
Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20-23, 25
When evening had come, He sat down with the “Twelve.” Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them [including Judas Iscariot] began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”

26-29 “The LORD’S Supper”

30, 36
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olivet. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane.

Mark 14: 1, 3-6, 10-11
After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery (deception) and put Him to death. And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper [NOT!!- Aramaic. “Simon the Jar maker or Potter”], as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly perfume of nard and spikenard. Then she broke [Aramaic. “opened”] the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? “For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.” Then Judas Iscariot, one of the “Twelve,” went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

12, 16-20
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed (sacrificed) the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go prepare, that You may eat the Passover?” So His disciples went out, and came to the city, and found it just as He had said to them: and they prepared the Passover. In the evening He came with the Twelve. Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.” And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one [including Judas Iscariot], “Is it I?” He answered and said to them, “It is one of the “Twelve,” who dips with Me in the dish.

22-25 “The LORD’S Supper”

26, 32a
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olivet. Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane.

Luke 22: 1-6
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the “Twelve.” So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.

7-9, 13
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover [lamb] must be killed (sacrificed). And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?” So they went out and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

14-20
“The LORD’S Supper”

21, 23
[Jesus said], “But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.” “Then they began questioning among themselves [Judas Iscariot included], which one of them it was who would do such a thing.

24-27
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I AM among you as the One who serves.”

NOTE: This is undoubtedly the backdrop for the “Foot washing” example found in John 13: 3-10.

Luke 22: 39-40a
Coming out [of Bethany??], He went to the Mount of Olivet, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place [Gethsemane], He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation (Cp. 22: 46b).”

John 13: 1-2, 4-8
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come and that He should depart from this world to the father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ [including Judas Iscariot who was to betray Him] feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I AM doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

12-16
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? “You call Me Teacher and LORD, and you say well, for so I AM. “If I then, your LORD and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. “Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

21-30
When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” The disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “LORD, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For some thought, Judas had the money box that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

18: 1
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook of Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.

It can be seen that all of the Gospel narratives identify Judas Iscariot as Jesus’ betrayer but only John’s version introduces “Foot-washing” while at the same time leaves out one of the centerpieces in the faith practices of Christendom, namely, the “LORD’S Supper” or ‘Eucharist.’ There are of course a few denominations who practice this rite, such as Seventh-Day Adventists and Church of God in Christ, among doubtless a few others, too. The majority of believers will deem that this practice was only for the benefit of Jesus’ disciples or the “Twelve” at that time to teach them a lesson because of their pettiness, competitiveness, lack of spiritual discernment and maturity; let alone the fact that there were probably some Alpha males in the group, or at least one, in the person of Simon Peter.

While this point is valid but what the LORD Jesus [Yeshua] set forth as an example is much bigger than just those twelve or more of His earliest followers because it has implications down to modern times of today and there could be a wonderful blessing in store for those who really discern the wealth of spiritual power in this sincere, heartfelt and unconditional surrender of ‘self’ and the ‘ego.’ Remember that Jesus told Peter that if He didn’t wash him that he didn’t have any part with Him, but why did He say that over a matter which would appear on the surface to be a gracious and magnanimous display of humility?

The LORD told Peter that he didn’t understand this act then but he would later; especially when Jesus went into more detail. This was more than simple humility but a deep and enriching spiritual awakening for the disciples which led to Jesus giving the “New Commandment” to ‘Love one another’ (Cp. John 13: 35; 15: 12). Perhaps the issue of this practice requires a second look because Jesus says to His disciples in Matthew 16: 24: “If anyone desires to come after Me,(1) let him deny himself, (2) take up his cross, and (3) follow Me.

Somebody might say, “I don’t think it takes all of that just to be a Christian, or to prove that I love God,” and while one could understandably justify within themselves such a point-of-view, consider this again and to reiterate; Jesus said, “If I then, your LORD and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. “Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (Cp. John 13: 12-16)

John 15: 9-10, 13-14
“As the Father loved Me, I also loved you; abide in My love. “If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments (Cp. Mark 10: 45; I Timothy 2: 6; Hebrews 10: 5-10) and abide in His love. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

When Simon the sorcerer thought that he could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh], Peter told Him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased wit money! “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.” (Cp. Acts 8: 20-21)
Is it possible that those who resist such a practice do not have their heart right before God and are like those whom Stephen addressed in Acts 7: 51: “You stiff-necked (stubborn) and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” Jesus said in John 13: 10b, 11b: “Not all of you are clean,” but He also said, “You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you (Cp. John 15: 2).”

In Acts 5: 32 it reads: “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” It is not to be a demagogue and attempt to coerce or put a guilt trip upon someone if they do not participate in ‘Foot-washing’ because that alone won’t gain the favor of God; no matter how many people you wash their feet or any other fruit-bearing activities because without “Love” whatever you do won’t profit you a thing (Cp. I Corinthians 13: 3). Lastly, Luke 17: 10 says: “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Jesus, John the Baptizer, and the Apostle Paul encounter the Herodian Dynasty

HERODIAN FAMILY DYNASTY
(“Wikipedia”)


Herod Antipas
|
Antipater
|
Herod the Great (Judea; died in 4 BCE)
|
Archelaus (Judea)
Antipas (Galilee, Perea)
Herod Philip I (NW Judea, Edom, Samaria; died in 34 AD)
|
Agrippa I (part of Judea, Edom and Samaria)
|
Agrippa II (Northern part of Judea, Edom and Samaria)

According to Matthew 2: 1, 3, 15a, 16, 19a, 22-23; Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea [approximately two years], they fled to Egypt until Herod [the Great] or King Herod was dead and Archelaus (King Herod’s son) was reigning over Judea. An angel of the LORD told Joseph to take Mary and the Child to leave Egypt and go to the land of Israel [Galilee], to which he did and the family settled in Nazareth.

NOTE: This narrative is later than Luke’s account because it would be quite dangerous for a newborn infant and mother to make the arduous trip across the rugged terrain to Egypt (Cp. 2: 7b, 11a, 13b, 16). In Luke 2: 1-12, the scene is earlier as Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth of Galilee and go up to Bethlehem of Judea to register for the census, where she gives birth to the holy Child. Luke 2: 11-12 says: For there is born to you this day in the city of David [Bethlehem] a Savior, who is Christ [Mesiyach] the LORD. And this will be the sign to you. You shall find the “Babe” [newborn infant as opposed to young ‘Child’ in Matthew’s account] wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manager [feeding trough for animals].

Luke 3: 1 says: Herod [‘Antipas’??] being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis; Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene. Luke 23: 6-11 says that Pilate, upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee sent him to Herod, which make sense and this would place Him within the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas. John the Baptizer was beheaded by Herod, but which one? In Matthew 14: 1-12 and Luke 9: 7-9, Herod tetrarch is mentioned, however, Mark 6: 14-18 refers to King Herod beheading John the Baptizer and apparently the author didn't know the difference between someone being a King and a tetrarch; whom, although a ruler, still the person is not as powerful nor has the same authority as that of a King.

The little fly in the ointment in all of this is that John the Baptizer ministered in Bethany beyond the Jordan, which was in the region of Judea, where Herod Archelaus ruled; thereby making him the most likely to have executed John the Baptizer than his brother Antipas. Not only that, but the Gospels do not mention John the Baptizer preaching outside of Bethany beyond the Jordan in Judea. In the book of ACTS, the Apostle Paul had an audience before King Agrippa and his wife Bernice (Cp. 25: 13), but was it Agrippa I or II? Historians say that Paul appeared before Herod Agrippa II and Agrippa I was the despot who ordered the death of James, son of Zebedee and brother of John (Cp. Acts 12: 1-2).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Overview of the O.T. Messianic references in the Gospels

The book of LUKE has more events than any of the other gospels but MATTHEW appears to be the source, especially prophesies from the Old Testament, which are included in the other narratives. The book of MATTHEW will be used in this study as the basis for comparison to see which Old Testament citations taken from there are listed in the other books. The numbering system is based upon MATTHEW with 1-34 separate prophesies, and the list increases from there.

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

1: 22-23 [(1) Isaiah 7: 14]

2: 5b-6 [(2) Micah 5: 2]

2: 17 [(3) Isaiah 31: 15]

3: 3 [(4) Isaiah 40: 3]

4: 14-16 [(5) Isaiah 9: 1-2; (6) Isaiah 42: 7]

8: 17 [(7) Isaiah 53: 4]

11: 5 [(8) Isaiah 29: 18; (9) Isaiah 35: 4-6; (10) Isaiah 61: 1]

11: 10 [(11) Malachi 3: 1]

12: 17-21 [(12) Isaiah 42: 1-4]

13: 14-15 [(13) Isaiah 6: 9-10]

13: 35 [(14) Psalms 78: 2]

15: 7-9 [(15) Ezekiel 33: 31b; (16) Isaiah 29: 13]

21: 4-5 [(17) Zechariah 9: 9]

21: 9 [(18) Psalms 118: 26a]

21: 42 [(19) Psalms 118: 22-23]

26: 31, 56 [(20) Zechariah 13: 7]

26: 62-63a [(21) Isaiah 53: 7]

26: 64 [(22) Daniel 7: 13]

26: 67 [(23) Isaiah 50: 6; (24) Isaiah 53: 5]

27: 9 [(25) Zechariah 11: 12b-13] Spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet-NOT!!

27: 12-14 [(21) Isaiah 53: 7]

27: 29 [(26) Psalms 69: 19-20; (24) Isaiah 53: 5]

27: 30 [(23) Isaiah 50: 6; (27) Isaiah 52: 14; (28) Micah 5: 1]

27: 31 [(21) Isaiah 53: 7]

27: 34 [(29) Psalms 69: 21]

27: 35 [(30) Psalms 22: 18]

27: 38 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9a, 12b]

27: 43 [(32) Psalms 22: 8]

27: 46 [(33) Psalms 22: 1]

27: 48 [(29) Psalms 69: 21]

27: 55-56 [(34) Psalms 38: 11]

27: 60 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9a]

GOSPEL OF MARK

1: 2 [(11) Malachi 3: 1] (found in Matthew 11: 10).

1: 3 [(4) Isaiah 40: 3] (found in Matthew 3: 3).

4: 12 [(13) Isaiah 6: 9-10] (found in Matthew 13: 14-15); “Lest they should turn and their sins be forgiven them.”- NOT RECORDED IN ISAIAH!!

7: 6-7 [(15) Ezekiel 33: 31b; (16) Isaiah 29: 13] (found in Matthew 15: 7-9).

11: 9-10 [(18) Psalms 118: 25-26a; (35) Psalms 148: 1] (found in Matthew 21: 9).

11: 17 [(36) Isaiah 56: 7; (37) Jeremiah 7: 11]

12: 10-11 [(38) Psalms 118: 22-23]

12: 35-37a [(39) Psalms 110: 1]

14: 27 [(20) Zechariah 13: 7] (found in Matthew 26: 31).

14: 60-61 [(21) Isaiah 53: 7] (found in Matthew 26: 62-63a).

14: 62 [(22) Daniel 7: 13] (found in Matthew 26: 64).

14: 65 [(23) Isaiah 50: 6; (27) Isaiah 52: 14; (28) Micah 5: 1] (found in Matthew 27: 30).

15: 4-5 [(23) Isaiah 53: 7] (found in Matthew 26: 62-63a; Matthew 27: 12-14).

15: 19 [(23) Isaiah 50: 6; (27) Isaiah 52: 14; (24) Isaiah 53: 5] (found in Matthew 26: 67; Matthew 27: 30).

15: 23, 36 [(29) Psalms 69: 21]

15: 24 [(30) Psalms 22: 18]

15: 28 [(40) Isaiah 53: 12]

15: 29a [(41) Psalms 22: 6-7; (42) Psalms 69: 7; (43) Psalms 109: 25]

15: 34 [(33) Psalms 22: 1] (found in Matthew 27: 46).

15: 36a [(29) Psalms 69: 21] (found in Matthew 27: 48).

15: 40-41 [(44) Psalms 38: 11]

15: 46 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9a] (found in Matthew 27: 60). “And they made His grave with the rich at His death. . .

GOSPEL OF LUKE

3: 4-6 [(4) Isaiah 40: 3; (45) Isaiah 52: 10b] (found in Matthew 3: 3).

4: 17-19 [(10) Isaiah 61: 1-2] (found in Matthew 11: 5).

7: 27 [(4) Isaiah 40: 3; (11) Malachi 3: 1] (found in Matthew 3: 3; Matthew 11: 10).

8: 9-10 [(13) Isaiah 6: 9-10] (found in Matthew 13: 14-15).

13: 35 [(18) Psalms 118: 26] (found in Matthew 21: 9).

19: 38 [(18) Psalms 118: 26a]

19: 46 [(36) Isaiah 56: 7; (37 Jeremiah 7: 11] (found in Mark 11: 17).

20: 17 [(38) Psalms 118: 22] (found in Mark 12: 10).

20: 18 [(46) Isaiah 8: 14-15]

20: 41-44 [(39) Psalms 110: 1] (found in Mark 12: 35).

22: 37 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9a, 12b (found in Matthew 27: 38).

22: 63 [(47) Psalms 69: 1, 4, 7-9; (23) Isaiah 50: 6] (found in Matthew 26: 67).

22: 69 [(22) Daniel 7: 14] (found in Matthew 26: 64).

23: 32 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9a, 12] (found in Matthew 27: 38).

23: 35 [(48) Psalms 22: 17]

23: 46 [(49) Psalms 31: 5]

23: 49 [(44) Psalms 38: 11] (found in Mark 15: 40-41).

23: 53 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9a] (found in Matthew 27: 60).

GOSPEL OF JOHN

1: 23 [(4) Isaiah 40: 3] (found in Matthew 3: 3).

7: 37 [(50) Isaiah 55: 1]

7: 38 [(51) Isaiah 12: 3; (52) Isaiah 44: 3; (50) Isaiah 55: 1]

7: 39 [(52) Isaiah 44: 3]

7: 41-42 [(2) Micah 5: 2] (found in Matthew 2: 5b-6).

12: 13 [(18) Psalms 118: 25-26] (found in Matthew 21: 9).

12: 14-15 [(17) Zechariah 9: 9] (found in Matthew 21: 4-5).

12: 34 [(53) Psalms 89: 36; (54) Isaiah 9: 6-7; (55) Micah 4: 7]

12: 38 [(56) Isaiah 53: 1]

12: 39-40 [(13) Isaiah 6: 9-10] (found in Matthew 13: 14-15).

16: 32 [(20) Zechariah 13: 7b] (found in Matthew 26: 31).

19: 3 [(23) Isaiah 50: 6b] (found in Matthew 26: 67)

19: 7-9 [(21) Isaiah 53: 7] (found in Matthew 27: 31).

19: 18 [(40) Isaiah 53: 12b] (found in Mark 15: 28; Luke 22: 37).

19: 24 [(30) Psalms 22: 18] (found in Matthew 27: 35).

19: 28-30 [(57) Psalms 22: 15]

19: 36 [(58) Psalms 34: 20]

19: 37 [(59) Zechariah 12: 10b; Zechariah 13: 6]

19: 41 [(31) Isaiah 53: 9] (found in Matthew 27: 60).


SCORECARD:

MATTHEW has 34 references with 4 repeating twice (Isaiah 50: 6; 53: 5; 53: 9; Psalms 69: 21) and a single citation repeating three times (Isaiah 53: 7).

MARK has 27 references and 4 repeating twice (Isaiah 50: 6; 52: 14; 53: 7; Psalms 69: 21), with 17/27 found in MATTHEW (62.9%).

LUKE has 17 references and 2 repeating twice (Isaiah 40: 3; Psalms 118: 26) and a single citation listed three times (Isaiah 53: 9); with 9/17 found in MATTHEW (52.9%) and 3/17 included in MARK (17.6%).

JOHN has 22 references and 2 repeating twice (Isaiah 44: 3; 55: 1), with 10/22 found in MATTHEW (45.5%), 1/22 in MARK (4.5%), and another 1/22 in LUKE, making it (4.5%), too.

COMMENTARY:

Not surprisingly, the gospel of JOHN has the greatest percentage of its prophetical material (45.5%) derived from sources other than MATTHEW; with one each found in MARK, and LUKE, as well as 10 other external references outside these. LUKE has the smallest degree of independent sources because MATTHEW and MARK comprise 70.5% of his prophetical references. MARK is in second place with a 62.9% dependence upon prophesies that are contained in MATTHEW’S gospel; but like JOHN, has 10 other independent citations not included in any of the other gospels. So then, in the entire combined Gospel narratives there are roughly 59 separate citations from the Old Testament Scriptures (“Tanakh”).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 9, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

From ADAM until the Israelites liberation from Egyptian Slavery

Many Bible students, theologians, clergy and scholars have read about the Patriarchs,and some archaeologists have ascertained a chronology similar to this method in determining how long human beings have lined on planet Earth. This study places more of an emphasis on the contemporary setting and how far into the subsequent generations did each of the pre and post-anteleuvian father's live. The timeframe is a rough estimate based upon calculating as well as adding up the most significant ancestor's age and who they begot as well as any other age-related event as mentioned in the Biblical narrative.

ADAM- Begot Seth after 130 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 3); lived a total of 930 years which places him until the time of Lamech (the father of Noah), on his 56th birthday.

SETH- Begot Enosh after 105 years, and he lived a total of 912 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 6, 12). He died 14 years before Noah was born when Lamech was 168 years old.

ENOSH- Begot Cainan after 90 years, and he lived a total of 905 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 9-11). He died when Noah was 84 years old.

CAINAN- Begot Mahalalel after 70 years, and he lived a total of 910 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 12-14). He died when Noah was 179 years old.

MAHALALEL- Begot Jared after 65 years, and he lived a total of 895 years. He died when Noah was 234 years old (Cp. Genesis 5: 15-17).

JARED- Begot Enoch after 162 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 18); lived a total of 962 years which places him until the time of Noah’s 366th birthday (Cp. Genesis 5: 20).

ENOCH- Begot Methuselah after 65 years, and he lived a total of 365 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 21-24). He lived until God took him around the time when Lamech was 113 years old.

NOTE: Enoch “walked with God” for 300 years and this is the first record in Scripture of anyone walking with God, and of God translating the person so that they would not taste death (Cp. Hebrews 11: 5)

METHUSELAH- Begot Lamech after 187 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 25); lived a total of 969 years which means he died the same year as the “Flood and Noah’s Ark.” (Cp. Genesis 5: 27; 7: 11)

NOTE: Methuselah’s name means, “With his end it will come.”

LAMECH- Begot Noah after 182 years (Cp. Genesis 5: 28); lived a total of 777 years which places his death at 5 years before the “Flood and Noah’s Ark.” (Cp. Genesis 5: 31; 7: 11)

NOAH- Begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth when he was 500 years old (Cp. Genesis 5: 32).

The Flood was in the 600th year of Noah, the second month and the seventeenth day (Cp. Genesis 7: 11).
DATE: 2/17/1656 year of Humanity.

The rain was 40 days and nights (Cp. Genesis 7: 12, 17).

The waters prevailed on the Earth 150 days (Cp. Genesis 7: 24; 8: 3).

NOTE: This includes the rain of forty days and nights (Cp. Genesis 7: 12, 17).

The Ark rested in the seventh month, seventeenth day of the month on the mountains of Ararat (Cp. Genesis 8: 4).

NOTE: This is exactly 5 months of 30 days (Cp. Genesis 7: 24; 8: 3).
DATE: 07/17/1656 year of Humanity.

The tops of the mountains were seen in the tenth month, the first day (Cp. Genesis 8: 5).
DATE: 10/1/1656 year of Humanity.

Noah opened the window of the Ark after 40 more days (Cp. Genesis 8: 6).
DATE: 11/11/1656 year of Humanity.

Noah waited another 7 days and sent the dove out again (Cp. Genesis 8: 10).
DATE: 11/18/1656 year of Humanity.

Noah waited yet another 7 days before sending out the dove, who did not return (Cp. Genesis 8: 12)
DATE: 11/25/1656 year of Humanity.

In the 601st year [of Noah], the first month, the first day, the waters were dried up from the Earth/Land (Cp. Genesis 8: 13).
DATE: 01/01/1657 year of Humanity.

In the second month, the 27th day of the month, the Earth was finally ‘all’ dried up (Cp. Genesis 8: 14).
DATE: 02/27/1657 year of Humanity.

NOTE: From the “Flood of Noah” to dry Earth took 370 days.

Noah died 350 years after the “Flood” [ended] (Cp. Genesis 9: 28), up until the year of Humanity 02/27/2007.

NOTE: Noah lived until Abraham’s 53rd birthday.

SHEM, now 103 years old, begot Arphaxad 2 years after the “Flood.” (Cp. Genesis 11: 10)
DATE: 02/27/1659 year of Humanity.

ARPHAXAD begot Salah after 35 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 2).
DATE: 02/27/1694 year of Humanity.

SALAH begot Eber after 35 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 14).
DATE: 02/27/1729 year of Humanity.

EBER begot Peleg after 34 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 16).
DATE: 02/27/1763 year of Humanity.

PELEG begot Reu after 30 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 18).
DATE: 02/27/1793 year of Humanity.

REU begot Serug after 32 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 20).
DATE: 02/27/1825 year of Humanity.

SERUG Begot Nahor after 30 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 22).
DATE: 02/27/1855 year of Humanity.

NAHOR begot Terah after 29 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 24).
DATE: 02/27/1884 year of Humanity.

TERAH begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran after 70 years (Cp. Genesis 11: 26).
DATE: 02/27/1954 year of Humanity.

ABRAM was 75 years old when he departed Haran (Cp. Genesis 12: 4)
DATE: 02/27/2029 year of Humanity.

NOTE: Noah lived until Abram was 53.

ABRAM was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael (Cp. Genesis 16: 16).
DATE: 02/27/2040 year of Humanity.

ABRAM was 99 years old when God established His covenant with him (Cp. Genesis 17: 1-2)
DATE: 02/27/2053 year of Humanity.

NOTE: Ishmael was 13 years old at this time (Cp. Genesis 17: 25).

ABRAHAM was 100 years old when Sarah gave birth to Isaac (Cp. Genesis 21: 5).
DATE: 02/27/2054 year of Humanity.

ABRAHAM lived 175 years (Cp. Genesis 25: 7).
DATE: 02/27/2129 year of Humanity.

NOTE: Abraham was alive until Jacob and Esau were about 15 years old.

ISAAC lived 60 years before Rebekah gave birth to Jacob and Esau (Cp. Genesis 25: 26)
DATE: 02/27/2114 year of Humanity.

ESAU was forty years old (Cp. Genesis 26: 34a); [and so was Jacob; Cp. 25: 26]
DATE: 02/27/2154 year of Humanity.

ISAAC was old [around 140 years] and his eyes were dim (Cp. Genesis 27: 1)
DATE: 02/27/2154 year of Humanity.

JACOB served Laban 7 years for Rachel (Cp. Genesis 29: 20).
DATE: 02/27/2161 year of Humanity.

JACOB served with Laban still another 7 years (Cp. Genesis 29: 30b).
DATE: 02/27/2168 year of Humanity.

LEAH conceived 4 times [Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah] for Jacob (Cp. Genesis 29: 31-35).
DATE: 02/27/2172 year of Humanity.

RACHEL’S maid Bilhah bore Jacob son’s twice [Dan, Naphtali] (Cp. Genesis 30: 5-8).
DATE: 02/27/2174 year of Humanity.

LEAH’S maid Zilpah bore Jacob son’s twice [Gad, Asher] (Cp. Genesis 30: 9-13).
DATE: 02/27/2176 year of Humanity.

LEAH conceived and bore Jacob children 3 more times [Issachar, Zebulun, and “Dinah”] (Cp. Genesis 30: 17-21)
DATE: 02/27/2179 year of Humanity.

RACHEL conceived and bore him Joseph (Cp. Genesis 30: 22-24)
DATE: 02/27/2180 year of Humanity.

Rachel bore a son for Jacob whom she named Ben-Oni, but Jacob named him Benjamin (Cp. Genesis 35: 16-20)

JOSEPH was 17 years old when his brothers sold him to Midianite traders or Ishmaelites who brought him down to Egypt (Cp. Genesis 37: 2, 23-25, 28)
DATE: 02/27/2197 year of Humanity.

Joseph was about 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh (Cp. Genesis 41: 46)
DATE: 02/27/2210 year of Humanity.

Joseph predicts the 7 years of plenty followed by the 7 years of famine (Cp. Genesis 41: 47, 54).
DATE: 02/27/2224 year of Humanity.

ISAAC lived a total of 180 years (Cp. Genesis 35: 28-29a), all the way up until Joseph’s 54th birthday.
DATE: 02/27/2234 year of Humanity.

JACOB tells Pharaoh that he was 130 years old (Cp. Genesis 47: 9)
DATE: 02/27/2244 year of Humanity (Cp. Genesis 25: 26; 26: 34a).

Jacob lived 147 years (Cp. Genesis 47: 28; 49: 33)
DATE: 02/27/2261 year of Humanity.

Joseph lived 110 years (Cp. Genesis 50: 22b, 26).
DATE: 02/27/2290 year of Humanity.

Now there arose a new King in Egypt who knew not Joseph and enslaved the children of Israel (Cp. Exodus 1: 8-14), and they were freed after 400 years in the first month (Abib) of the first year [for them] (Cp. Exodus 12; 2, 40-41; 13: 3-4; Genesis 15: 13b, 16).
DATE: 01/01/2690 year of Humanity.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 22, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

How some believers profane the Sabbath Day

Almost anyone who has studied the Old Testament is familiar with the “Ten Commandments” and the injunction by the LORD God to ‘remember the Sabbath;’ but what exactly does that mean? There are many believing Christians (Gentiles and Netzari) as well as Jews who observe the Sabbath [“Shabbat”], but is it in the way that the LORD requires? Some prepare feasts or fellowship meals on this sacred ‘Day’ in violation of God’s command, irrespective of how religiously devoted they are. The following Scriptures are offered for consideration and reflection.

Exodus 16: 11-12, 1522-23, 24a, 25, 29-30
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I AM the LORD your God.’ ” So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.” And so it was, on the sixth day, that they had gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation [assembly] came and told Moses. Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” So they laid it up until morning, as Moses had commanded . . . Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD. . . “See! For the LORD has given you on the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day [to gather {v. 27}].” So the people rested on the seventh day.

NOTE: The regulation for Sabbath observance in antiquity is just as binding today as it was back then, which is; to prepare one’s food (bake, broil, microwave, steam, roast, barbecue, fry, boil, simmer, open flame pit, etc.) and then to store it up so that when the Sabbath arrives, all one need to is just eat your food. Even serving it [to another] would be a violation of the Sabbath, and one should expend the very minimal amount of effort in partaking of their meals.

Someone might suggest that heating up food in the oven or preparing cold drinks in a large punch bowl is such a small thing and isn’t displeasing to the LORD in the least; but think again.

Exodus 31: 14-15
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does “any” work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does “any” work on the Sabbath Day; he shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 35: 1-3
Then Moses gathered all the congregation [assembly] of the children of Israel together, and said to them, “These are the words which the LORD has commanded you to do: “Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does “any” work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath Day.”

Numbers 15: 32-36
Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath Day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to the entire congregation [assembly]. They put him under guard because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; the entire congregation [assembly] shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So, as the LORD commanded Moses, the entire congregation [assembly] brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

NOTE: It seems like such a severe judgment for a seemingly minor infraction, but the LORD must be honored and sanctified in the sight of the people, and His Word has to be taken seriously. In Ezekiel 20: 13b, 16b, 21b, and 24b, the prophet decries God’s anguish regarding the children of Israel profaning His Sabbath through their rebellion in not following His laws and statutes, but what does ‘profane’ mean? According to “WEBSTER’S” it means; 1: to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt. When someone, no matter how noble their intentions, sets aside the commandments of God, it is like Romans 10: 3, which states: For they [Israel] being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. Let us be as the psalmist who said: Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip [be in error or sin]. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart (Cp. Psalms 26: 1-20).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 19, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Church that is in their house

Acts 2: 46
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.

Acts 5: 42
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus [“Yeshua”] as the Christ [“Messiah”].

Acts 12: 5, 12
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the Church [assembly]. So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark whose surname was John, where many were gathered together praying.

Romans 16: 3, 5a
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus [Mashiyach Yeshua]; likewise greet the Church [assembly] in their house (Cp. I Corinthians 16: 19).

I Corinthians 1: 11
For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions (quarrels) among you.

NOTE: Is it possible that believers assembled at Chloe’s house, too?

I Corinthians 14: 23a
Therefore if the whole Church [assembly] comes together in one place. . .

NOTE: This would imply that there are instances when the ‘whole’ Church doesn’t meet together but rather sometimes gathered as individual household assemblies.

Colossians 4: 15
Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nympha and the Church [assembly] that is in her house.

Philemon 2
To our beloved sister Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the Church [assembly] in your house.

One of the things that have been missing in the Christian Church is the emphasis on meeting together in households. Although the New Testament does not reveal any of the specific details and activities done in this setting, it doesn’t appear these gatherings were frowned upon or seen in a negative light. Unlike modern times in America with the focus on large, magnificent edifices with stained-glass windows adorned with Celestial etchings, Cathedral roofs, steeples or spires stretching heavenward, and a membership of mostly college-educated working Middle-Class families in the thousands, drawn by the ‘Gospel of Prosperity’ rather than by the ‘Gospel of Salvation.’

This is in contrast to the smaller, intimate, fellowship meals and social as well as spiritual bonding; which doubtless contributed to the steady growth of the Christian Church in its infancy. One of the criticisms of the modern contemporary Church is the formation of cliques and a sense of aloofness by some of members and a feeling of a lack of closeness. For some, the focus is more on quantity than quality as not all the parishoners or visitors are greeted and made to feel welcome. This feeling of estrangement or lack of concern or connectedness [of one accord] would be almost non-existent in smaller, household meetings with prayer, teaching, and fellowship meals; like it was in the beginning.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 16, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Is the Sabbath Day no longer sacred to God?

Genesis 2: 2-3
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Exodus 20: 8-11
Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

NOTE: To “remember” is to bring back something that one is familiar with, and had been previously done or experienced as opposed to introducing something entirely ‘new.’ It is quite probable that the Sabbath Day was honored and passed along to subsequent generations by the patriarchs from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob onward; perhaps even Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden observed it, too.

Deuteronomy 5: 12-15
Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Isaiah 56: 6
Also the sons of the foreigner who joins themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the Name of the LORD, to be His servants-Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant. . .

Hebrews 4: 4-10
For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works (Cp. Genesis 2: 2-3);” and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua [Aramaic: “Yehoshua”] had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For He who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Mark 2: 27
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

NOTE: It must be remembered that the Sabbath did not originate with the Jews (Children of Israel) after they escaped Egyptian captivity but rather they were told to remember, observe, honor, and sanctify it. According the “Wikipedia,” the early Babylonians celebrated a “rest” every 7, 14, 21, and 28 days; the same as contained in the book of GENESIS. Coincidentally, it is believed that the Old Testament Scriptures started to be written during the Babylonian captivity. Also, some may argue that the ‘rest’ alluded to in HEBREWS doesn’t specifically command Sabbath Day observance, especially for Gentiles, but the context does refer back to the “Beginning,” which involves all humanity.

Malachi 4: 4
“Remember the Law [‘Torah’] of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.”

Matthew 5: 17
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law [“Torah”] and the Prophets. I did not come to destroy [change or annul] but to fulfill.”

Jeremiah 6: 16
Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Matthew 11: 29
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for souls.”

NOTE: It would seem that the ancient path where the good way is which leads to “rest” is somehow tied in to the commandments and statutes (including the “Ten Commandments”) which God gave Moses at Mount Horeb; and the Sabbath Day is part of that.

There are some Christians who believe that the Sabbath Day was replaced by the First Day of the week in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mashiyach] from the grave, but is this the case? This day, Sunday, in honor of the Sun god [“Sol”] is the one in which we worship the LORD and Creator who warned the Israelites about idolatry, honoring other gods and them worshipping other gods before or alongside Him. Some even refer to Sunday as the Christian Sabbath, but there is no rest [from any labor] done on this day; in fact it is treated just like any other one in the week, even though for a few hours believers attend worship services before continuing to do their own business later on. Be that as it may, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 14: 5-6a: One person esteems one day above another; esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the LORD; and he who does not observe the day, to the LORD he does not observe it.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 15, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What is the sacred Name of the Savior: Immanuel, Jesus or Yeshua?

Matthew 1: 21-23
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name (1) Jesus [“Yeshua”??], for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the LORD through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name (2) Immanuel, “which is translated, God with us.”

Isaiah 7: 14
Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and [‘they’] shall call His name (2) Immanuel (“God with us”).

NOTE: Isaiah 7: 8b; 10b use both the word “Immanuel” as well as the phrase “God is with us,” interchangeably.

Luke 1: 30-31
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus [‘Jeshua’].”

NOTE: Curiously, LUKE doesn’t choose to quote from Isaiah’s prophesy.

Isaiah 9: 6
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government [kingdom] will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful (Cp. Isaiah 28: 29), Counselor (Cp. Isaiah 28: 29; Romans 11: 33-34), Mighty God (Cp. Proverbs 11: 23a; Psalms 24: 8; Isaiah 10: 21b; Titus 2: 13), Everlasting Father (Cp. Isaiah 40: 28b; 63: 16b; Micah 5: 2b; John 10: 30; 14: 8-10a), Prince of Peace (Cp. Acts 5: 31; Ephesians 2: 14).”

COMMENTARY: There are numerous other Scriptures which could be used to verify the “Oneness” and revealed mystery of the Godhead, but the issue under consideration now is a most important one in the Christian ‘faith,’ namely, veneration for the Name “JESUS.” Of course, in the Greek and Latin translations, this is what the Name of the Savior turns out to be, but does this necessarily have to be the case? It must be kept in mind that the Jewish prophets revealed this information to the Jewish people (tribe of Judah, primarily) and preserved these oral transmissions on papyrus scrolls down throughout the centuries in what is called the “Tanakh” (Old Testament).

The contemporary Jewish family living in Israel, Galilee, Samaria, and Judea in the Middle East nearly two thousand years ago would certainly not have given any child, especially a male, a non-Jewish name. Also, the many names in the Christian Bible are translated for convenience and understanding in behalf of those English-speaking, mostly Western Europeans as well as others who would not readily grasp the meaning of Aramaic or Hebrew words and writing. Some would vigorously argue that it doesn’t make a difference and that “JESUS” is the same as or equivalent to “YESHUA,” but is that the way God might look at it?

Now, when Moses asks God what to say to the children of Israel when they inquire as to the Name of the God who sent him to deliver them from Egyptian bondage, God says, “I AM WHO I AM;” and He said, “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “(Cp. Exodus 3: 13-14). God further instructs Moses that the Lord God was the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but that this Name [previously mentioned] is His memorial Name to all generations (Cp. Exodus 3: 15). God had appeared to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai), but was unknown by the “Name” which He revealed to Moses (Cp. Exodus 6: 3).

Transliteration of the Hebrew/English Alphabet, all the equivalent English consonantal sounds from Hebrew to English exclude C, J, W, and X. Of course the inclusion of vowels sounds added by Jewish scholars to the Old Testament Scriptures is helpful, and perhaps the closest approximation to the Name of God is again found in Exodus 3: 14, which use the Hebrew verb ‘hayah’ (“to be”). This verb and its equivalent occurs approximately 5,200times in the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures (http://www.hebrew4christians.com). It is from this verb that the Tetragrammaton or 4letters (YHVH) are used as symbols of the unpronounceable Divine Name. If vowel soundings are placed between the 4 consonants, then one could conceivably come up with the name “Yahveh”; which is close to what the Psalmist and the Prophet Isaiah wrote.

Psalms 8: 1
O Lord, our God, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens.

68: 4
Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; Extol! Him who rides on the clouds; by His Name ‘Yah’, and rejoice before Him.

Isaiah 12: 2
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He has become my salvation.

Isaiah 26: 4
Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 38: 11a
I said, “I shall not see YAH, the LORD in the land of the living.”

Isaiah 42: 8
I am the LORD, that is My NAME; And My glory I will not give to another.

Isaiah 48: 11b
For how should My Name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.

Looking again at the last references in the book of Isaiah, the LORD was warning against idolatry and false gods which the Children of Israel adopted from their pagan neighbors or captors, and of which He never commanded them to worship in place of or alongside Him; so is there a lesson in this for us today? The one way to deprive God of His glory is to refer to His Holy One with a Name that He did not choose; no matter how reverentially, devoutly, and worshipfully one may call upon and invoke the Father’s blessings through this Name. In “YESHUA” is the divine Name made known and reflected as opposed to that of Greek Jesus (Iesous) or Latin Jesus (Iesvs), which apparently does not.

At the Last Supper before Jesus and His disciples entered the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “I have manifested Your Name [YAH] to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. And I have declared to them Your Name [YAH], and will declare it. . .
“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent me. “And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it. . . (Cp. John 17: 6a, 25-26a).

Philippians 2: 5-6, 9-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Aramic: ‘Yeshua Mashiyah’ {“Christ”}), Who, being in the form (likeness) of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus [“Yeshua”] every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus [“Yeshua”] is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

The Name of the LORD “YAH” is contained as derivative in the sacred letters ‘YHVH’ and is part of the single word in Revelation (Cp. 1: 1b, 3a, 6b), and according to the Aramaic, is ‘Allelu-YAH’ (meaning, “praises to YAH”); which Christians say all the time without realizing that they are actually speaking God’s Name as well as honoring the Son’s Name [Yeshua] at the same time. In praising God the traditional form of the word (Allelujah) is not correct, and instead, ‘Allelu-Yah’ is the most scripturally sensible and not the traditional “Jah” like in ‘Hallelujah.’

It is not always easy to change the way one looks at things and there is usually resistance, uncertainty, and discomfort before accepting anything new; especially if it is unpopular, controversial and uncomfortable.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 12, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Critical Exegesis of the Gospel of Mark

1: 1
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

NOTE: Just like in John 1:1 without mentioning genealogy, the Virgin birth, or the Nativity story.

2: 14a
As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.

2: 18a
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.

NOTE: John the Baptizer must have been a very pious Jew who practiced all the rigorous requirements of the Law [“Torah”] as well as the traditions of the elders [Oral Law of the Pharisees “Halakh”].

3: 18
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananite.

NOTE: Were James and Levi (Matthew) brothers (Cp. 2: 14a), and why is Simon referred to as “Zealot” in some translations rather than simply, a person from Cana [in Galilee], like Nathanael (Cp. John 21: 2a)?

3: 25-26
But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: “how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

NOTE: This incident is recorded in I Samuel 21: 1-6, but King David’s encounter was with Ahimelech, Abiathar’s father; and there is no mention of him being a high priest at that time.

4: 10
But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

NOTE: This is further evidence that the disciples of Jesus numbered more than just “the twelve.”

5: 41
Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

NOTE: The Aramaic simply has, “Little girl, arise;” and not all the additional wording.

6: 7, 13
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. And they (1) cast out many demons, and (2) anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

NOTE: Only in this narrative do we learn about the “twelve” actually casting out demons and healing people. Also, the second part accords well with James 5: 14.

7: 1, 3b, 5b, 6-9, 13 (The tradition of the elders or Pharisees)

NOTE: Is this the teaching that strict former Pharisee Saul/Paul (Cp. Acts 22: 3; 26: 5; Galatians 1: 14) said is done away with in Christ? SEE the passages in Romans 3: 20, 28; Ephesians 2: 15 and Colossians 2: 14-15.

7: 24
From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.

NOTE: This is most curious and there doesn’t seem to be an explicit reason for the secrecy.

7: 33-35
And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue [with the saliva/spittle]. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

NOTE: The Aramaic bears this out completely, although the word used is “Etpatakh.” This is a most unusual healing.

8: 23-25
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on His eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he could see anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everything clearly.

NOTE: This is the second unusual healing that involved Jesus using saliva/spittle on someone (on their eyes as opposed to on their tongue, previously). Perhaps what is odd about this cure is that it was not immediate or complete as in past times because Jesus had to touch the man’s eyes a second time.

9: 14, 17-18
And when he came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. “And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes (grinds) his teeth, and becomes rigid (stiff, paralyzed). So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

9: 28-29, 35a
And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind [of unclean spirit or demon] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. And He sat down with the twelve and said to them. . .

NOTE: This is a very interesting incident because it has many layers of meaning. At a first reading, one might think the “twelve” was included, and perhaps they were but if so, they cast out demons before, according to Mark 6: 13. It is entirely possible that the larger group of Jesus’ followers who although disciples have not been empowered as the Apostles with the authority to cast out demons and heal. This could also be a special class of ‘spirit’ which afflicted a person with being deaf, mute, and epilepsy; to which Jesus said it was going to take a certain discipline, self-denial, sacrifice and total commitment to God through fasting and prayer to be able to drive out this ‘kind’ of unclean spirit. There is also a lesson for us today, and that is, if we desire a special gift of God’s grace and power, it may need to be supplemented through prayer and fasting in ‘faith,’ too.

10: 17a, 21a, 22, 23, 25
Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and said to Him. . . Then Jesus, looking at Him, loved Him and said to Him. . .But he was sad at His word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

NOTE: There is no explanation why the narrative says that Jesus loved him and he could very well be the enigmatic “beloved disciple” [possibly Joseph of Arimathea] who outran Peter to see Jesus’ tomb after His resurrection (Cp. John 19: 38; 20: 1-10). Also, the Greek translation has mistaken ‘camel’ for ‘rope’ like it is in the Aramaic; which makes more sense. As a rope is a thick cord of strands, but if you shed enough of them into a single fiber that is thin enough, you can thread the needle (Andrew Gabriel Roth). Jesus was in essence telling the person that he has to shed a sufficient amount of his wealth or riches and trust in God, but not to such an extent where he becomes poor, destitute, needy and dependent upon others; which would be irresponsible, anyway. If it were a camel for real, then no rich person would be saved; but Jesus used the word “easier,” not impossible.

14: 3a
And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at table. . .

NOTE: This is a highly improbable scenario because a leper would not be entertaining dinner guests in the city, town or village in those or any other times. In fact, the person would be quarantined, isolated, and living in a leper colony living off the scraps of food that people would discard, and if such a one approached people the leper would have to warn anyone approaching that they were a leper and would not seek or entertain company; certainly not for a meal. The Greek mistranslation for ‘leper’ is the Aramaic word for jar maker or better still, ‘potter.’

14: 51-52
Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

NOTE: Why this mention in the narrative and it seems like just too much unnecessary information; unless there is a very good reason for leaving it in.

15: 21
Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Rufus and Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

NOTE: This is more information than contained in the other narratives; and why is this? Alexander seems to be part of the Jewish priestly caste (Cp. Acts 3: 5) and a Rufus is mentioned in Romans 16: 13.

15: 34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

NOTE: although only Matthew and MARK contain these famous last words of Jesus, is this really what He said? The Greek translation for ‘forsaken’ is just one of the various Aramaic meanings, and it is troubling to think that Jesus would be forsaken and abandoned by the Heavenly Father in His most dire need and darkest hour. Jesus said in John 16: 32: Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has already come, that you will be scattered, each to his own [home], and will leave Me alone. And yet, I am not alone, because the Father is [always] with Me. In Hebrews 13: 5b: Deuteronomy 31: 6b; and Joshua 1: 5b, God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” so it is inconceivable that Jesus would be left alone, God would turn His back on Him and Heaven’s grace would be withdrawn at the Cross of Calvary.

15: 40b
Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome (Cp. 16: 1a).

NOTE: Were these some of Jesus’ siblings (Cp. Mark 6: 3)? Interestingly, Jesus’ brother James the “Less” doesn’t seem to be as prominent as James the son of Zebedee or James the son of Alphaeus (Cp. 3: 17-18) because he was not a believer at this time but somehow inexplicably, he becomes quite prominent in the “Faith” and the leader of the Church (Cp. Acts 12: 17b; 15: 13, 19-22a; 21: 18, 23a; Galatians 1: 18-19; 2: 9a).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 10, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Critical Exegesis of the Gospel of LUKE

The book of LUKE contains more information and it contains more events which happened during Jesus’ earthly ministry than any narrative. While MATTHEW and MARK provide over 70% of the source material, still there are some noteworthy divergences found in this last book of the tripartite “Synoptic Gospels.” Although far from comprehensive, this study reveals the unique character of the author or redactor [editor] which makes it an interesting read.

Luke 1: 5-7
There was in the days of Herod [The Great], the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zecharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, Because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

8-9, 11, 13-17, 19
So it was that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zecharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink (Cp. Numbers 6: 3: was John a “Nazarite”??). He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (Cp. Malachi 4: 6),’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” [NOTE: This last part of the verse has no known Scriptural reference]. And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings {“GOOD NEWS” or Gospel}.

NOTE: The name of the angel is not mentioned in MATTHEW.

26-28, 30-33, 35-36, 38
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth [city of the “Branch”], to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [Blessed are you among women]!” Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Cp. II Samuel 7: 12-17; Isaiah 9: 6-7; Daniel 7: 13-14).” Then the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39-41
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zecharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

NOTE: The city where Elizabeth lived, as a descendant of Aaron, was most probably Hebron (Cp. Joshua 21: 13).

2: 1-2
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire world should be registered [for taxation]. This census first took place while Quirinus was governing Syria.

NOTE: Why does the narrative mention about a Governor in Syria instead of in Judea, or even Galilee?

3: 1
Now in the fifteenth year (about 26 A.D.) of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea (about 26-36 A.D.), Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.

3: 19-20
But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added to this, that he shut John up in prison.

3: 23-31
Now Jesus began His ministry at about thirty years of age (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli. . .

NOTE: If Jesus was about thirty years old during 26 A.D., then His birth must have been around at least 4-5 B.C.; and the 42 names from Joseph to King David include several repeats, namely: Matthathah/Matthathiah (3); Joseph (4); Levi (2); Matthat/Mattat (3); and Melchi (2). In the genealogical list, included are some prophets: Naggai [Haggai??], Nahum, and Amos; while some names are not found anywhere else in Scripture, besides here, such as: Menan, Melea, Jonan, Jorim, Eliezer, Jose, Elmodam, Cosam, Addi, Neri, Rhesa, Joannas, Semei, Maath, Janna, and Heli.

5: 27
After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”

6: 13-15
And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became traitor.

NOTE: Why does the narrator revert back from using Levi earlier to Matthew? Additionally, this account as well as the gospel of JOHN and ACTS, is proof that there were more disciples than just the twelve.

“The Beatitudes”

Matthew 5: 3-12
(1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (2) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (3) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (6) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (7) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. (8) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. (9) Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely (9a) for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

NOTE: Notice the use of ‘they’ and ‘you’ during Jesus’ discourse.

Luke 6: 20-23
(1) Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (4) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. (2) Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. (9) Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, (9a) for the Son of Man’s sake; Rejoice in that day and be leap for joy! For indeed; your reward is great in heaven for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

NOTE: Luke’s version omits #’s 3-5 of Matthew’s account and the order is not sequential; but it does use ‘you/your’ exclusively as opposed to theirs.

“The Law of Love Your Enemies”

Matthew 5: 43-48
You have heard that it has been said; You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies. But I say to you, (1) love your enemies and bless those who curse you; (2) do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. (3) For if you love those who love you, what rewards have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (4) And if you greet your brethren [‘friends’] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors [‘Gentiles’??] do so? (5) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Luke 6: 27-35
But I say to you who hear: (1) Love your enemies; (2) do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. [To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him, who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him, who takes away your goods, do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise]. (3) But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. (4) And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. [And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive back as much.] (1) But love your enemies, do good and lend (??), hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For, He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. (5) Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is also merciful (??).

NOTE: There are several points here which are radically different from Matthew’s narrative, namely: ‘turning the other cheek’ {‘passive resistance’}, ‘giving away or allowing your goods to be plundered,’ and ‘lending without expectation of repayment’ or even to hold some sort of asset in the form of collateral/equity as security against the borrower.’ Also, instead of using ‘tax collector’ Luke uses ‘sinners,’ repeats #’s 1&2, and uses phrases in [ ]’s that are not in Matthew at all. Lastly, Matthew ends with the term ‘perfect’ as your Father in heaven is perfect and Luke uses the term ‘merciful’ as your Father is merciful.

“The Law of Do Not Judge”

Matthew 7: 1-6
(1)Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For what judgment you judge, you will be judged; (3) and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (4) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank (‘beam’) in your own eye? (5) Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” You hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. [(6) Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine {‘wild hogs/boars’??}, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces].

Luke 6: 37-38
(1) Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [Give; and it will be given you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.] (2) For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

NOTE: Notwithstanding the comments on Matthew’s narrative, Luke is consistent with #’s 1&2, and although not part of the original (??) found in Matthew, (‘condemning’), the concept of ‘forgiving’ is consistent with the essence of Jesus’ teaching on this point. There is again, the part contained in the [ ] that just doesn’t seem to fit comfortably at this placing.

“A Tree is known by Its Fruit”

Matthew 7: 16-19
(1) You will know them by their fruits. (2) Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? (3) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (4) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

NOTE: In this account, there is no pruning, replanting in different soil, or a determination made to see if the tree is taking up an adequate supply of nutrients (sunlight, water, nitrogen, etc.) and if ‘photosynthesis’ is taking place; It is just the end results that matter, not the process.

Luke 6: 43-45
(4) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit; nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. (1) For every tree is known by its own fruit. (2) For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. [ A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks].

NOTE: The order is a little mixed up here in Luke as compared to Matthew. Item #4 in Luke seems to be an expanded version or a somewhat explanation for Matthew 7: 19. Again, the words enclosed with the [ ] seem to be a little out of place here, too.

7: 1-10 (Healing of the Centurion’s servant)

NOTE: According to an Aramaic version, it should be the Centurion’s son; which would make more sense. Also, is this possibly the Centurion Cornelius mentioned in Acts 10: 1-47; esp. verses 2, 4, and 22?

7: 18
And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

NOTE: John was puzzled as to circumstances mentioned by the Prophets (Cp. Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9: 9; Malachi 3: 1-3) about the Coming King and Redeemer who would liberate them from their enemies and usher in the final Apocalyptic battle between the “Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light” as taught by the Essenes in the Qumran community near Bethany (Bethabara) of the Jordan.

9: 1
Then He called His twelve disciples [apostles] and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

10: 1, 17
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He himself was about to go. Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”

NOTE: Only the “seventy” are mentioned here and not even the “twelve” claimed the demons were subject to them in Jesus’ Name.

11: 1-4 (“The Lord’s Prayer”)

NOTE: “Do not lead us into temptation” is a mistranslation because God does not tempt anyone (Cp. James 1: 13), so it should read, according to the Aramaic, “And do not let us enter temptation.” Luke also leaves out, “For Yours [Thine] is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory [similar to I Chronicles 29: 11 and Revelation 5: 13] forever. Amen

11: 15
But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

NOTE: If this being is the ruler of the demons, where does this leave Satan?

11: 27-28
And it happened, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!”

NOTE: Only here and not in the other Gospels.

17: 20-21
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For the kingdom of God is within you.” (Cp. Matthew 8: 11; Luke 13: 28??)

19: 11
Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear suddenly.

22: 24
Now there was a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest (Cp. 9: 46)

NOTE: How vain and petty were the disciples on the eve of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.

22: 31-32
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. “But I have prayed for you; that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

NOTE: What did the Lord mean by “returning back to Him?”

22: 40
When He came to the place, He Said to them, “Pray that you may not enter temptation.”

NOTE: See comments at 11: 1-4 (“The Lord’s Prayer”), which is consistent and confirms the Aramaic translation.

23: 6-12 (Jesus on trial before Herod tetrarch)

NOTE: Only here and not in the other Gospels; and why does it mention that seemingly insignificant part about the relationship between Pilate and Herod?

23: 27
And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.

NOTE: Why didn’t this great number of His followers intervene, help Jesus escape or fight to prevent Him being delivered up for crucifixion?

23: 44-56 “The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ”

23: 34a, 46
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands do I commit My spirit. ‘ “Having said this, He breathed His last.

NOTE: This is quite different from ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’ (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”) recorded in MATTHEW and MARK.

24: 9
Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest (Cp. verse 33).

24: 50-51
And He led them out as far as Bethany [in Judea], and he lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while he blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up to heaven.

NOTE: The other Gospel books mention Galilee (Cp. Matthew 28: 16; Mark 16: 7, 19; John 21: 1) as the last place Jesus met with His disciples (“The Twelve”) before His ascension back to heaven.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 8, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Christianity is just another branch on the ancient tree of Judaism

What is not as well known about ‘authentic’ Christianity, or perhaps it would be better to say that it has been conveniently ignored throughout the nearly 1700 years of Western Ecclesiastical religious tradition, history, and intrigue; not to mention receiving the official imperial stamp-of-approval by the Roman rulers of old times, is it’s true nature. Now what emerges from the shadows, so long being suppressed but never truly extinguished, is the ‘Faith’ of nearly one and a half billion believers is originally Middle Eastern, and more specifically, “Jewish.”

In a careful study of the New Testament Scriptures, starting with the Gospels and from ACTS to REVELATION, it is obvious that a Jewish theme flows throughout its pages. The birthplace of Christianity starts in Jerusalem of Judea and even the Apostle Paul commences his First Missionary journey from Antioch in Syria into Asia Minor [Turkey]. The Gospel is carried into Europe, in as far away places as the Balkans, Albania, and Croatia, but even including Macedonia [Greece], only accounts for roughly 24.1% of the time.

The time spent in Turkey alone by the Apostle Paul’s ministry and his fellow laborers, directly or indirectly, amounts to 46.3%; the remaining 29.6% involves spreading the Word of God and making disciples in the Middle East region (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, Judea, Galilee, Libya, etc.), by the Apostle Peter and Philip the Evangelist as well as others. The thing is, given the fact that HEBREWS and REVELATION are some of the most Jewish books in the New Testament, ACTS mentions the Apostle Paul spreading the Word of God starting among Jewish synagogues. Some of the more well known New Testament books with a brief synopsis of their content are as follows:

ROMANS- Located in Italy. Mentions about the Law [“Torah”], and the Law [“Torah”] is holy, just, good, and spiritual.

I CORINTHIANS- Started at a Jewish synagogue in Greece; circumcision, feast [unleavened], tablets of stone, handwriting of ordinances [the Oral Law “Halakh” of the Pharisees??].

GALATIANS- Churches [assemblies] in: Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Perga in Pamphylia, which all are in Turkey. Works of the Law [“Torah”], the Law [“Torah”] is spiritual, The Law [“Torah”] becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish [when Jesus returns].

NOTE: If the Law [“Torah”] were annulled or destroyed, that would make this aforementioned statement redundant and unnecessary.

EPHESIANS- Circumcision, commandments contained in ordinances [the Oral Law “Halakh” of the Pharisees??], 4: 26 (quote from Psalms 4: 4a; 37: 8), 5: 31 (quote from Genesis 2: 24), 6: 2-3 (quote from Exodus 20: 12; Deuteronomy 5: 16).

PHILIPPIANS- Located in Eastern Macedonia around Northern Greece. Beware of the Mutilation (Circumcision), sweet smelling aroma and an acceptable sacrifice.

COLOSSIANS- Located in Turkey. The handwriting of ordinances [the Oral Law “Halakh” of the Pharisees??], festival [Feast Day??], New Moons, Sabbaths.

I THESSALONIANS- Located in Greece around the Macedonian region. The command to love one another (Cp. John 13: 34; 15: 12).

I TIMOTHY- [Jewish??] fables and endless genealogies.

II TIMOTHY- I am being poured out as a drink offering.

TITUS- Jewish fables and commandments of men (Cp. Matthew 15: 9; the Oral Law “Halakh” of the Pharisees??).

JAMES- The perfect Law [“Torah”] of liberty, the royal Law [“Torah”] {2: 18; Cp.
Leviticus 19: 18b}, blaspheme that noble name (Christian, Nazarene/Netzari, ha-Derekh??), Abraham (Cp. Genesis 15: 6), Elijah, One Lawgiver (Cp. Isaiah 33: 22), the prophets.

I PETER- The pilgrims of the [“Jewish”] Dispersion (Cp. John 7: 35), [Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,, and Bithynia] all in Turkey, and Asia {Minor}; spiritual sacrifices, holy priesthood, Zion, a holy nation, His own special people, sojourners and pilgrims, daughters of Sarah, Noah and the Ark, Babylon [Iraq].

II PETER- I must put off my tent (tabernacle), Sodom and Gomorrah, righteous Lot, Balaam son of Beor, 2: 22 (quote from Proverbs 26: 11), words spoken by the holy prophets, the “Flood” [Noah and the Ark]

JUDE- Sodom and Gomorrah, Michael the Archangel, Cain, Balak, the rebellion of Korah, Moses, love feasts, Enoch the seventh from Adam

NOTE: Aprcryphal Book of Enoch (I Enoch 1: 9)

What is demonstrated here, the writings by the Apostle Paul to the Churches, the letters of the Apostle Peter, and even the REVELATION of John, were written to believers who attended the various synagogues; among whom also some were God-fearing Gentiles as well. From ACTS to the last book in the New Testament, starting in Jerusalem [Judea], the Gospel message spread to Galilee, Samaria, Israel, Syria, and Phoenicia. The Missionary journey of the Apostle Paul started in Turkey ["Galatia" in Asia Minor], and the last one, essentially concluded with passing through the region ["Galatia"] on the way back to Jerusalem.

The Apostle Peter wrote to the "Dispersion" in Turkey ["Galatia" in Asia Minor], and John addressed the Seven Churches of Asia (Revelation 1: 4), which are still geographically, at least, in the far Western part of Asia Minor, still within the region of Turkey. While it is true that the Apostle Paul did visit some places in Europe [MACEDONIA: Greece {Achaia}] and Rome, the overwhelming evidence favors Turkey as a particular concern; not only that, but the Apostle Paul was from Tarsus, which is located in Cilicia, Turkey.

Why this is so important is because it shifts the attention and focus away from Europe as being the cradle of Christianity with its translation of the Holy Scriptures in Greek instead of Aramaic or Hebrew, and puts it squarely back in the Middle East; or more specifically, Asia and Asia Minor where it belongs. What has tended to legitimize Rome as center-of-the-universe for Christendom is the tradition that the Apostles Paul and Peter, the two great saints of God, both met martyrdom in this city and their tombs or sepulchers are located there. Peter is even credited with being the first "Pope" of Rome but there is no evidence to support the fact that he even visited there, and the letter he wrote was from Babylon and it is very likely that he died there as a martyr. The Apostle Paul seems to have written one of his last letters to Titus from Nicopolis, and the Apostle Peter wrote his letters from Babylon [not “spiritual” Rome].

Nicopolis- Ancient city of Epirus, a periphery in NW Greece; which is a region of SE Europe, spanning Greece and Albania. It borders West Macedonia and Thessaly to the East, West Greece to the South, the Ionian Sea to the West, and Albania to the North.

Babylon- Formerly located in Central Iraq at the site of what is now called “Al-Hillah.”

So, instead of approaching the Word of God from a Western perspective, try thinking of receiving the Word of God as if a Middle Easterner, or more specifically, as a Messianic Jew or someone who was taught the 'Tanakh' (Old Testament) including the Law ["Torah"] of Moses. In conclusion, then, it is therefore, highly unlikely that what has been the focus in nearly two-thousand years of the “Faith” has been misplaced by Western European theological tradition, cultural models and ethnocentric behavior. The recipients of these epistles were undoubtedly very familiar with the Jewish Scriptures (“Tanakh”) and Oral Traditions (“Halakh”) whether Native or Greek-speaking Jews, God-fearing Gentile friends or proselytes. The challenge is to strip away the religious blinders and layers of misconceptions to let the glorious light of Truth to shine through. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8: 32).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 1, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What are you claiming in your Ministry?

In the follow-up of an earlier work titled “The Calling to Christian Ministry is not an Occupation,” there arose a need to expand more upon and go deeper into contrasting current trends and tradition to what the examples or inferences for this important work are, drawn from the pages of Scripture. There is a popular teaching among Evangelical Christians that all you have to do to accept Jesus and receive forgiveness of sins is to recite “The Sinner’s Prayer.” This religiously sincere fast-food entrée to “salvation” is quicker than a marriage annulment in ‘Vegas,’ but is this really what the man of God should teach?

Isaiah 59: 1-2
Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear you.

John 9: 31
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of Him and does His will, He hears him.

How many Churches today and their teachers promote the theology of all you have to do is just “believe and confess Jesus as Lord?” Even if someone did confess Jesus as the Son of God and believe the same, that doesn’t mean the person is saved. Demons/unclean spirits confessed that Jesus was the Son of God or the Holy One of God (Matthew 8: 29a; Mark 1: 24b, 34; Luke 4: 34) and James 2: 19b says: “Even the demons believe- and tremble; yet, no one in their right mind would accept that these beings met the prerequisites for salvation.

Another teaching is called the ‘Prosperity Gospel/Prosperity and adding to that, believers were introduced to “prayer cloths” and anointing with “Holy [‘olive’??] Oil;” to receive divine blessings for material things such as cars, houses, money, jobs, etc. The Word of God says:

Jesus says in Matthew 6: 31: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

I Timothy 6: 9-10
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money [not necessarily ‘riches/wealth’ per se] is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the ‘Faith’ in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows [‘regrets’].

Hebrews 13: 5a
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.

I Timothy 6: 6-8
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; and having food and clothing [‘shelter’/other basic ‘necessities’??], with these we shall be content.

Perhaps one of the most pervasive, easily misunderstood, and over used teaching of all is “Tithing.” Many preachers will readily quote Malachi 3: 8-11, but they conveniently forget the all important context [V. 4; Judah and Jerusalem]. Since a few astute clergy are aware of this, a lot of them will use the New Testament to authenticate this faith practice, such as in the Corinthian letters. I will cover this matter in very great detail in the following:

I Corinthians 16: 1-3, 5, 8
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the Churches [assemblies] of Galatia, so you must do also (Cp. II Corinthians 9: 7??): On the “first day” of the week [NOTE: makes sense because of Sabbath Day worship and also this was not a ‘Tithe’ or offering] let each one of you (1) lay something aside, (2) storing up as he may prosper, that there be (3) no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your “gift” to Jerusalem. Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost (Cp. Acts 18: 21; 19: 21a, 22b; 20: 1-2??)

NOTE: The Apostle Paul brought the Word of the Lord to the Galatians during his First Missionary trip to Asia Minor. These assemblies were in Pisidian Antioch (Cp. Acts 13: 14); Iconium (Cp. Acts 14: 1); Lystra & Derbe (Acts 14: 6-7, 20); Perga [in Pamphylia] (Cp. Acts 14: 25). Also, this contribution is mentioned here and II Corinthians 8 thru 10, but keep in mind the word “gift;” which is something that is voluntary, non-compulsory, and unconditional; if it were not, it would be a command about ‘tithing.’

Not only that, but the impetus for this event was based upon the dire prophesy of Agabus in Acts 11: 27-30; which Paul and Barnabas sent relief to the elders at the Church [assembly] and temple in Jerusalem the first time. This famine must have been quite severe to have the plea for this outreach to extend so far outside of Judea, of which the Apostle Paul was glad to make the proclamation before Felix the Governor of Caesarea in Acts 24: 17, where he says: “Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation.” Also, not to be overlooked, the Corinthians believers were composed of synagogue attendees [Jews] and perhaps God-fearing Gentile proselytes, too.

II Corinthians 8: 1-5
Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the Churches [assemblies] in Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints (Cp. Acts 11: 27-29; 24: 17).
And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

NOTE: The “Macedonian” Churches [assemblies] include: Philippi (Cp. Acts 16: 12); Thessalonica (Cp. Acts 17: 1); Berea (Cp. Acts 17: 10).

8: 8-14
I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. And in this I give my advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and desired a year ago (Cp. I Corinthians 16: 1-5); but now you must complete the act of doing it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there must be a completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack- that there may be equality.

9: 1-2, 4-5
Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous (necessary, expedient) for me to write to you; for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia [namely, the Corinthians] was ready a year ago; and that your zeal has stirred up the majority. Lest if some Macedonians come with me [like Gaius and Aristarchus; Cp. Acts 19: 26b] and find you unprepared, we (not to mention) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised (pledged) that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

NOTE: It would seem that the appearance of brethren from the Apostle Paul beforehand is some type of psychological coercion, intimidation, or compulsion; even if his concern was just encouragement and a reminder to not procrastinate and finish what you start. It could be a way for Paul to save “face” and not be embarrassed for all his bragging.

9: 6-8, 11-15
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work. While you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgiving to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

NOTE: Here in a nutshell is what the traditional Christian offering or collection pertains to. Most of the time, only a few select verses in the Corinthian letters are used, accompanied by wonderfully uplifting songs or stern admonitions from the pulpit or altar, but rarely has anyone read the entire narrative in context.

So, what does the New Testament teach regarding supporting the Gospel or those who minister in the Word of God?

I Corinthians 9: 7-15a, 17a-18
Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink the milk of the flock? Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the Law ["Torah"] say the same also? For it is written in the Law ["Torah"] of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain (Cp. Deuteronomy 25: 4).” Is it oxen that God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so for me. For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

II Corinthians 11: 7-9
Did I commit sin humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one; for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

NOTE: This is a far cry from those members of the clergy and Church leadership today who use the Scriptures to psychologically coerce the believers into 'tithing' or put a "guilt trip" and fear of condemnation on the flock if they do not participate in this offering. Are they like those in Micah 3: 11a, which reads, Her priests teach for pay and her prophets’ divine for money?

There is one other reference in the New Testament on this matter of support [financial??], and that pertains to the office of a "special" class of Elder, as in I Timothy 5: 17-18, which says: Let the Elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor [just what is this?], especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain (Cp. Deuteronomy 25: 4)," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Matthew 10: 10b, which says: “For a worker is worthy of his food.” So, just as those who preach the gospel of God have the right to be supported, the Elder who among his other responsibilities, proclaims the Gospel and teaches [instructs in doctrine] is to receive the material things they need just as the Apostles, ministers, evangelists, and missionaries who spread the "Good News." (Cp. I Timothy 3: 1-7; Titus 1: 5-9)

What is the responsibility of the believer? Among the other things which bear fruit, which pertaining to benevolence, hospitality or supporting preaching the Word, are:

SCRIPTURE:
Romans 12: 13
Distributing to the needs of the saints.

Galatians 6: 6
Let him who is taught in the Word share in all good things with him who teaches.

What is the responsibility of the preacher, teacher or minister of the Lord, and what does this involve?

SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 28: 18-20; Mark 16: 15-16; Luke 24: 47

And what is the Gospel [Evangelion- “Good News”]?

SCRIPTURE:
Acts 10: 36-43; I Corinthians 15: 1-4

Notice the first time in Scripture that ‘Evangelist’ is used. In II Timothy 4: 5b, Paul says: Do the work of an Evangelist, fulfill your ministry. And pertaining to spiritual gifts for the work of ministry and to edify the body of believers, Ephesians 4: 11, states: And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Looking at the background of Philip for guidance, it seems that an Evangelist is someone who goes from place to place spreading the Word of God; much like a Missionary does.

Today, those many among the clergy want a stationary or home Church where they are get paid a generous, above-average livable wage, have office-hours for relationship or marital counseling sessions, give motivational talks and seminars, do song rehearsal, practicing for the next sermon or teaching Bible classes; instead of taking a Sabbatical from all of this and go out in the field and preach the Gospel to the lost; trusting in God to provide for their needs (Cp. Acts 20: 34-35a; II Corinthians 11: 7).

The clergy (Preacher, Evangelist, Pastor, Bishop, Priest or Elder) does not have to be involved in the daily activities of the Church, as evidenced in Acts 6: 3-4: Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of (1) good reputation, full of (2) the Holy Spirit and (3) wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and ministry of the Word. The Apostle Paul’s charge to Timothy is recorded in II Timothy 4: 2: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season [even if it’s not politically-correct and quite unpopular]. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching [doctrine].

And lastly, Luke 17: 10: “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 30, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Does God accept your worship?

There is doubtless unanimous agreement among believers in the Christian Church about the importance of assembling together to worship our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The services of devotion with fervent prayers, songs of thanksgiving and praises, as well as hearing the Word of God taught to us seem to permeate the very core of our being. The Holy Spirit bearing witness with our ‘spirit’ confirms and authenticates our spiritual adoption as children of God, but does even this heavenly gift substitute for our giving to God in everything we do the kind of worship that He regards as pleasing to Him? It isn’t enough just to be religious and sincere but the bigger question is whether the sacrifice that is being offered to the Creator is of “Faith.” Some examples and additional commentary in the following are offered for consideration.

Genesis 4: 3-5a
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. And Abel also brought the firstborn of the flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected (accepted) Abel and his offering, but He did not respect (accept) Cain and his offering.

NOTE: Many Sunday school teachers, preachers, Bible scholars or theologians have tried to explain why God accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s. Some have surmised that it was because of the type of offering that the LORD rejected, and while that might be partly true, but the narrative in GENESIS does not say; so what was the reason? There are 3 references that might give a clue, which are found in Hebrews 11: 4; Jude 11; I John 3: 12. In a nutshell then, it wasn’t the type of offering that God rejected so much as it was Cain’s character; which is borne out not only in I John 3: 2 but way back in Genesis 4: 7, where the LORD says, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should [must??] rule over it.” This is all the more interesting because the LORD does not mention anything about ‘sin’ pertaining to Adam and Eve’s conduct.

The Old Testament is replete with examples of individuals as well as the Children of Israel offering sacrifices to the LORD God as a sweet aroma, starting as far back as Noah in Genesis 8: 20-21a, but are there instances where God rejected this or any other display of worship, too? Well, one person comes to mind is Saul, the first King of Israel as someone who bears looking at for a starting point. Besides details of the beginning incident which ultimately leads to his down fall in I Samuel 13: 1, 8-14a, King Saul takes it upon himself to build an altar to the LORD in I Samuel 14: 35; this is even after the prophet Samuel told him that God has rejected him being King. The point to notice is this, first, continuing in verse 37, where it says, “So Saul asked counsel of God. . . But He (God) did not answer him that day.” In I Samuel 28: 6, again it reads, “And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by the Urim or by the prophets. So, what does this have to do with someone worshipping God and being heard by Him, everything!

Isaiah 59: 1-2
Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear you.

NOTE: Although sin is readily obvious as well as the usual rendering of iniquity as wickedness, but according to WEBSTER’S Dictionary, “Iniquity” has another meaning: 1 fr. iniquus – uneven, [like the balances of a scale]. I: gross injustice.

John 9: 31
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of Him and does His will, He hears him.

NOTE: This Scripture really gets to the heart of the matter because it not only mentions the all-important ‘worship,’ but includes the person performing God’s will. Let’s just see how this works in reality.

Matthew 15: 8-9
These people draw near to Me with their (1) mouth, And honor Me with their (2) lips, But their (3) heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Cp. Isaiah 29: 13).

NOTE: In Matthew 22: 34-38, the Pharisees asked Jesus what was the great commandment in the Law [“Torah”], and the first aspect within man was to love God with one’s heart; now why mention this area first? Why is the “Heart” important? According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, The heart is the "home of the personal life," and hence a man is designated, according to his heart. The heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. Hardness of heart evidences itself by light views of sin; partial acknowledgment and confession of it; pride and conceit; ingratitude; unconcern about the word and ordinances of God; inattention to divine providences; stifling convictions of conscience; shunning reproof; presumption, and general ignorance of divine things.

There are numerous passages in the Bible that mentions God trying or searching the ‘heart” (Cp. II Chronicles 28: 9b; I Samuel 16: 7b; I Kings 8: 39b; Jeremiah 17: 10a; 20: 12a; Revelation 2: 23), and Jeremiah 17: 9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can ‘know’ it?” The thing is, a person can be deceived, fooled or self-deluded and not even ‘know’ it. As a result, perhaps the psalmist had this thought in mind in Psalms 78: 36-37, which reads: Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue [perhaps thinking they were doing the ‘truth’??]; For their “heart” was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

Are there examples where God was not pleased and rejected the sacrifices of worshippers who offered these things up to Him; As former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin would say, you betcha!

Isaiah 1: 13-15
Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of hearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. . .

Ezekiel 20: 39
“As for you, O house of Israel, “Thus says the LORD GOD: “Go, serve every one of your idols- and hereafter- if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name [and assembly??] no more with your gifts and your idols.”

Profane 1: to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence [treat lightly or set aside the seriousness of], disrespect or contempt.

NOTE: Basically, what God is saying to the Children of Israel in contemporary modern vernacular, “Don’t waste My time, as well as yours with faking it or pretentiousness!”

There are those in the body of Christ who habitually come late to the appointed place and time set aside to honor the King of the Universe; they start visiting and socializing with friends and acquaintances during this sacred time; they become distracted and loose their focus and concentration [daydreaming; “spiritually gone fishing”], still others are pacing back and forth [presumably taking bathroom breaks], or some parents are publicly trying to discipline unruly children, not to mention interruptions of another sort, even some shenanigans from the pulpit, too. It is almost as though some Christians subconsciously think they are doing God a favor by just showing up. The saints need to be reminded of Matthew 18: 20, where Jesus says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I AM there in the midst of them.” In the book of REVELATION, the Lord Jesus Christ says to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor (Turkey), “I Know Your Works” (Cp. 2: 2 – 3: 15); which includes individuals as well as the collective assembly.

Also, there is the very good passage that seems to mirror the current attitudes among some of the believers today in Ezekiel 33: 30-32, which reads: “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the door of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the Word is that comes from the LORD.’ “So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their ‘hearts’ pursue their own gain. ‘Indeed you are to them a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument, for they hear your words but do not do them.

Additionally, when was the last time anyone made a connection between contrition, repentance and restoration; leading sinners to the Lord as in Psalms 51: 10-13?
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to you.

Matthew 7: 21
“Not everyone who says to Me,’ Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

John 14: 15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

John 15: 10, 14
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

Lastly, to sum it all up:
II Corinthians 13: 5a
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the ‘Faith.’ Test yourselves.

Hebrews 13: 15-16
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with sacrifices God is well pleased.

I Peter 2: 5
You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5: 1-2
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.

Romans 12: 1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice to God, which is your reasonable [‘spiritual’??] service.

Of course, the opposite of this is found in the following:

Titus 1: 16
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being reprobates, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Matthew 7: 19-20, 22-23
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire; Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness [“iniquity”]!’

NOTE: In conclusion, it behooves every believer to be like it says in Psalms 26: 1-2:
Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD, I shall not slip [sin or be in error??]. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 24, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Textual Criticism and Exegesis of the Gospel of Matthew

Many of us are familiar with the miracles, sermons, parables, and prophetical utterances, but what about a simple narrative study and comparison of a few selected citations which might cause you to ask a few questions; thereby doing some follow-up research.

1: 1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

NOTE: Who would be the most interested in a genealogical introduction?

Matthew 1: 12-16
And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel; and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel; and to Zerubbabel was born Abiud; and to Abiud, Eliakim; and to Eliakim, Azor; and to Azor was born Zadok; and to Zadok, Achim; and to Achim, Eliud; and to Eliud was born Eleazar; and to Eleazar, Matthan; and to Matthan, Jacob; and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called the “Christ.”

COMMENTARY:

"JECONIAH"
I Chronicles 3: 16-20
And the sons of Jehoiakim [“Eliakim”] were Jeconiah his son, and the sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner [during the “Babylonian captivity”], were Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. And the sons of Pedadiah [“Shealtiel”; Matthew 1: 12??] were Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shemolith was their sister; and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushabhesed, five (??)[by “Shimei”, verse 19??].

Matthew’s account has some significant inconsistencies which have been previously noted, but in addition to those listed above, there are others: Abiud, Azor, Achim, Matthan, Jacob son of Mattan, and Joseph son of Jacob are not mentioned in any genealogical record or Scriptural reference; except here in this account.

"ELIAKIM"
There are 2 Eliakim’s; one is a son of Hilkiah (Cp. II Kings 18: 18) and the other Eliakim is the king of Judah, whose name was changed to “Jehoiakim” by Necho king of Egypt (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 4).

"ZADOK"
As for Zadok, it is a little difficult to pinpoint his ancestry because it is so varied. He is the son of Ahitub (Cp. I Chronicles 6: 6-9, 11-15; Ezra 7: 1-5), the son of Meraioth (Cp. Ezra 9: 11), the son of Baana (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 4, 6), and the son of Immer (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 29)

"ELEAZAR"
Eleazar is interesting because according to I Chronicles 6: 4, he begat Phinehas, but I Chronicles 23: 22a; 24: 28 states that he died having no sons but only daughters. Ezra 7: 5 and I Chronicles 9: 20 mentions that Phinehas is the son of Eleazar. He is also mentioned as the son of Dodo the Ahohite in I Chronicles 11: 12, and as the son of Mahli (Cp. I Chronicles 23: 21; 24: 28).

"MATTAN"
Mattan is mentioned as a priest of Baal who was killed during the purge of Jehoiada (Cp. II Chronicles 23: 17; II Kings 11: 18) or the father of Shepthatiah (Cp. Jeremiah 38: 1).

NOTE: Presumably this Mattan is Matthan??

"JOSEPH"
Joseph is the son of Bani (I Chronicles 25: 2; Ezra 10: 42) or the son of Shebaniah (Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14).

1: 18-23
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And you shall bring forth a Son and call His name “JESUS” and He shall save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, bear a Son, and they shall call His name “IMMANUEL,” meaning, ‘GOD WITH US.’ (Cp. Isaiah 7: 14 )

NOTE: Read Isaiah 7: 1 through 8: 10; esp. 10-11, 14-15; 8: 8b, 10b??). Also, this prophesy doesn't mention the name "JESUS." Also, why didn't Mary tell Joseph that she was carrying the Holy Seed inside of her?

2: 1-2, 7
Wise men [“Magi, Astrologers’] from the East inquired of Herod the King after following His “Star” about the birth of One King of the Jews.

NOTE: Was it a brilliant star in the heavens, the Planet Jupiter, a unique constellation configuration, cosmic phenomenon, or truly an inexplicable ‘supernatural’ event?

2: 4-5
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the "Christ" was to be born. And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: Micah 5: 2.

NOTE: Curiously, Matthew doesn't include the part in Micah that mentions "Whose goings forth are from of old, from Everlasting," and in Matthew 6b, "Who will shepherd My people Israel" is found in II Samuel 5: 2??

2: 11
Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Cp. Isaiah 60: 6).

2: 13-15
Take the Child and depart to Egypt (Cp. Hosea 11: 1).

2: 20
Those [Herod the Great??] who sought the Child’s life are dead.
NOTE: The King probably died around 4 BCE, according to ‘Wikipedia.’

2: 22
Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod [The Great], and Joseph and his family were warned in a dream by God and turned aside into the regions of Galilee.

NOTE: according to "Wikipedia," Herod Philip I ruled Judea, Samaria, and Edom; but in Luke 3: 1 it states that Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis (around Syria).

2: 23
He came and dwelt in Nazareth that it might be fulfilled as spoken by the Prophets, “HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE.”

NOTE: This prophetical utterance is not found in Scripture.

3: 1
John the Baptizer came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3: 3
This is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: Isaiah 40: 3

3: 7-8
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! (Cp. 12: 34; 23: 33) Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance."

3: 10, 12
And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

3: 13
Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John.

3: 16-17
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well leased."

NOTE: The Scriptures do not say if anyone else heard the voice but Jesus, and as far as seeing the Spirit of God descend as a dove, outside of Jesus, John the Baptizer was the only other person who could (Cp. John 1: 31-32). This is not all that surprising, considering the account in Luke 1: 15, 26-41.

4: 12-16, 17
Jesus heard that John was put in prison and departed back to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth He came and dwelt in Capernaum, by the Sea [of Galilee/Tiberius] in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali (Cp. Isaiah 9: 1-2; 42: 7). From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

NOTE: Jesus continued what John the Baptizer started (Cp. 3: 1)

4: 24
Then His fame went throughout all of Syria.
NOTE: Why not throughout Judea, Samaria, or Galilee?

5: 17-19
I did not come to destroy [‘loosen’] the law [“Torah”] and Prophets but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth shall pass away, one Yodh [smallest letter] or one small stroke will by no means pass from the Law ["Torah"] till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

NOTE: Loosen might convey a better sense of the verse than destroy. Now what are those commandments?

5: 21
You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not Murder" (Cp. Exodus 20: 13; Deuteronomy 5: 17).

5: 22b
And whoever says to his brother, Raca ('I spit on you')! shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, You fool ('you coward')! shall be in danger of hell fire ("gehenna").

5: 27-28
You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit Adultery" (Cp. Exodus 20: 14; Deuteronomy 5: 18). But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5: 29-30
And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than your whole body be cast into hell ("gehenna"). And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than your whole body be cast into hell ("gehenna").

NOTE: Why did Jesus mention a "right" body part instead of just one in particular; and was He advocating maiming oneself? For the idea behind "HELL" look at II Kings 23: 10; Isaiah 30: 33; Jeremiah 7: 31-33.

5: 31
Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality [unfaithfulness] causes her to commit adultery (??); and whoever marries a woman who is divorced [for marital infidelity??] commits adultery (Cp. Romans 7: 2-3??).

NOTE: Under the Law of Moses a divorced woman could remarry another man but the only prohibition was that she could not return back to be a wife to her former husband because it was deemed a 'defilement' (Cp. Deuteronomy 24: 1-2); Jesus goes beyond that in His teaching, too?? Also, under the Old Testament, when a man had sexual relations with a married woman, both of them are to be put to death (Leviticus 20: 10)

5: 33
Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord (Cp. Exodus 20: 16; Leviticus 19: 12b; Deuteronomy 23: 23a).

5: 38
You have heard that it was said of old, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Cp. Exodus 21: 12-27; Leviticus 24: 17-21; Deuteronomy 19: 21).

5: 43
You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

NOTE: Deuteronomy 23: 7 says, You shall not abhor an Edomite, and Leviticus 19: 18 says, Love thy neighbor as thyself.

8: 11-12
And I say to you that many will come from the east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

NOTE: Jesus did not include the north and south, the ends of the earth, or refer to the nations [Gentiles]. It seems rather here that the kingdom of heaven is a geopolitical government rather than the heavenly one.

8: 16b-17
And He cast out the spirits with a word, and He healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Cp. Isaiah 53: 4a)

10: 5-7
Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

10: 23
You will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

11: 2-3
And when John in prison had heard of the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

NOTE: Is it not strange that although John the Baptizer heard of the things Jesus did, still his understanding of the prophesied "Messiah" or 'Anointed One' and what He would do to usher in the expected kingdom of heaven was at odds with what was actually being done. If indeed, John the Baptizer was an Essene from the Qumran community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls, then the role of Messiyah bringing about the Apocalyptic battle between the "Sons of Light" and the "Sons of Darkness" would have left him a little puzzled, indeed.

11: 4-5
Jesus answered and said to them, "Go tell John the things which you hear and see. The blind see and the lame walk (Cp. Isaiah 35: 5a, 6a); the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear (Cp. Isaiah 35: 5b), the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

NOTE: Isaiah's prophesy mentions about the tongue of the dumb singing ["loosened"], but nothing about the dead being raised and the poor having the gospel preached to them, or the poor mentioned at all.

11: 10
For this is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You (Malachi 3: 1)

NOTE: The rest of Malachi 3: 1 reads: And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of Hosts [YHVH Sabaoth].

11: 12
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force (Cp. Luke 16: 16??). The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.

NOTE: It seems as though the people looked on this as a real political, social, religious and civil governmental entity as opposed to a spiritual one.

11: 13-14
For all the Prophets and the Law [‘Torah’] prophesied until John [the Baptizer]. And if you are willing to receive it, he is the Elijah to come (Cp. Luke 1: 17??).

NOTE: See Luke 16: 16 and Malachi 4: 5-6a

11: 18
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He has a demon."

NOTE: This is curious because nowhere in the Gospel record does it mention about John the Baptizer was accused of having a demon, but rather Jesus was labeled in that manner.

12: 16-21
Jesus warned the multitude not to make Him known; thereby fulfilling Isaiah 42: 1-4.

12: 23-24
The multitudes asked if this was the Son of David but the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, ruler of the demons.

NOTE: If this entity is over the demonic hordes then where does Satan fit in all of this?

12: 27
By whom do your sons cast them (demons) out?

NOTE: Does Jesus’ statement mean that the Jews practiced exorcism and where in the Law [Torah] are the instructions in this rite mentioned? There is of course the incident mentioned in Acts 19: 13-19.

12: 46-50
While He was talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mothers and My brothers!”For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

NOTE: It doesn't appear that the social family bonding was all that strong.

13: 10, 13
Speaking to the multitudes in Parables (Cp. Isaiah 6: 9-10).

13: 34-35
All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in Parables [The Sower, Wheat and Tares, Mustard Seed, Leaven]. . . that it might be fulfilled by the prophet, saying. . . See Psalms 78: 2.

13: 45-52
Jesus instructs the disciples on the parables of The Hidden Treasure; The Pearl of Great Price; The Dragnet, and in verse 51, Jesus asked them if they understood all these things, to which they replied, “Yes Lord.”

13: 54a, 55-56
And when He had come into His own city, He taught them in their synagogue. Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses [Joseph], Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?

NOTE: It would be quite interesting to know more about His siblings and mother Mary.

14: 1-2
Herod the Tetrarch heard the report about Jesus whom he thought was John the Baptizer whom he beheaded had risen from the dead (Cp. Luke 3: 1).

14: 25, 33
Jesus was walking on the Sea [of Galilee/Tiberius] and came into the boat. Those in the boat worshipped Him saying, “You are the Son of God.”

NOTE: Jesus did not tell them to keep this quiet (??).

15: 1-4, 7
Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked Him why His disciples transgress the “tradition” of the elders; to which He replied, “Why do you transgress the commandment of God by your ‘traditions’?” {Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites!}

16: 1, 3-4
The Pharisees and Sadducees came and testing Jesus, asked Him to show them a ‘sign’ from heaven. The only sign will be like that of Noah (Cp. 12: 38-42). {Pharisees, Sadducees, Hypocrites!}

16: 13-17
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So the said, "Some say John [The Baptizer], some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ ["Anointed"], the Son of the Living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

NOTE: Did the people as well as the disciples believe that Jesus was one of the Prophets who died centuries ago, and God has miraculously brought back to life? Even Herod the tetrarch thought that Jesus was John the Baptizer risen from the dead (Cp. Matthew 14: 1-2), so is this belief in the doctrine of Reincarnation or the Transmigration of Souls?

16: 19
The keys to the kingdom of heaven and binding on earth and heaven and loosing on earth and in heaven.

NOTE: Keys seem to denote authority to open up (allow; loosen) and restrict (prevent; bind). With this thought in mind, consider Isaiah 8: 16, which says, “Bind up the Testimony. Seal the Law [‘Torah”??] among My disciples,“ along with Matthew 5: 17: I did not come to destroy [‘loosen’] the Law [“Torah”] and Prophets but to fulfill.

16: 20
Jesus commanded that His disciples should not tell anyone that He was the “Christ”.

NOTE: What about Matthew 14: 30??

17: 1-4
Jesus, Peter, James, and John go up on the Mountain of Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared and talked to Jesus.

NOTE: Elijah is only the second person in the Scriptures to have not seen death but taken directly to heaven. The first was Enoch (Cp. Genesis 5: 22, 24) and Elijah (II Kings 2: 1, 11-12a).

17: 5
A voice spoke from the cloud that overshadowed them, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

NOTE: Almost word-for-word with Matthew 3: 17.

17: 9
Jesus told them not to tell the “vision” until the Son of Man is risen from the dead; why?

17: 10-12a, 13
And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming [first] and will restore all things? ”But I say to you that Elijah has come already (Cp. 11: 14), and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptizer (Cp. Malachi 4: 5-6a; Luke 1: 17).

NOTE: How is it that John the Baptizer was the Elijah who was to come and would have the power to restore 'all' things??

18: 8-9
"If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell ("gehenna") fire.

NOTE: Essentially word-for-word as Matthew 5: 29-30.

18: 10
Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

NOTE: According to Jesus, children do indeed have "Guardian Angels."

18: 18-20
Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Cp. 16: 19b). Again I say to you that if "two" of you agree on earth concerning 'anything' they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

19: 28
Assuredly, I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

NOTE: Not judging the nations or the world, but just the Twelve tribes of Israel??

20: 20
Then the mother of Zebedee’s son’s came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something of Him.

NOTE: It would seem that these sons were not yet men, and most likely teenagers to have their mother intercede for them.

21: 1-2, 4-5
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olivet, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you will say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “TELL THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, LOWLY, AND SITTING ON A DONKEY, A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.” (Cp. Zechariah 9: 9)

NOTE: There are two Bethany’s; one is around the Mount of Olivet near Jerusalem, and is called Bethphage. The other one is the Bethany Beyond the Jordan, called Bethabara, opposite the one in Judea.

21: 9-11
Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying, “HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD! Hosanna in the highest!” (Cp. Psalms 118: 26a) And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved [stirred up with excitement, anticipation, confusion, anxiety, etc.??], saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

NOTE: The Old Testament doesn’t say anything about the “Prophet” coming from Galilee (Cp. Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18a; John 7: 40, 52; Matthew 2: 4-5)

21: 12-13
Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold [practiced extortion and usury] in the temple precincts; He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves, as it is written, “MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, ‘BUT YOU HAVE MADE IT A DEN OF
THIEVES.'

NOTE: This combines both prophesies of Isaiah 56: 7b and Jeremiah 7: 11.

21: 17
Then He left them and went out of the city [Jerusalem] to Bethany [Bethphage??], and He lodged there.

21: 21-22
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done. “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

22: 29-30
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.”

NOTE: This refutes the teaching of some who believe in conjugal rights and family planning in the hereafter.

23: 1-3,
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and His disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say and do not do.”

NOTE: Although the Scribes and Pharisees wielded religious authority among the people as the inheritors of the Mosaic Law [“Torah”] to teach the people in place of the former Levites and Priests {??}, still, didn’t Jesus say in Matthew 15: 6 that they [Pharisees] set aside the commandment of God [contained in the “Torah” of Moses] by their [oral] traditions?

23: 13-34 "Jesus pronounces woes"

NOTE: The most serious and profound denunciation of any group or person in the New Testament Gospels; and perhaps in the entire Bible.

23: 35b
Zechariah the son of Berechiah, who you murdered between the temple and the altar.

NOTE: This incident is recorded in II Chronicles 24: 20-22, but it is Zechariah son of Jehoiada. The only other mention of a name close to that of “Berachiah” is, Zechariah son of Benaiah in II Chronicles 20: 14.

24: 1-3, 6b, 22, 24, 31, 33-34
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now as He sat on the Mount of Olivet, the disciples came to Him privately saying, “Tell us, (1) when will these things be and (2) what will be the sign of Your coming and (3) the end of the age?” For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near; at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place.

COMMENTARY: The first thing is to read the entire chapter, keeping in mind the ‘context,’ which is predicated upon the three questions the disciples wanted Jesus to answer. Jesus mentioned “these things” as events which the disciples would seemingly be alive to see [‘the end is not yet; when you see all these things; this generation will by no means pass away until. . .’]. Also, curiously, Jesus says His angels will gather the “Elect” from the four corners of heaven instead of the four corners of the Earth, or even gathering them from every nation under heaven. Lastly, the ‘Elect’ is usually thought of as being the Christian Church, and while some aspect of that may be true, but in this particular instance, Jesus may have more nationalistic interests. God’s Elect would appear to be “Israel” foremost (Cp. Isaiah 45: 4; 65: 22; Romans 11: 7, 28; I Peter 1: 1-2; II John 1: 1, 13??; Revelation 7: 4-8 & 14: 1-5??)

25: 31-46
The Son of Man will judge the Nations (Cp. Revelation 7: 9-10; 14: 6-7; “Gentiles”)

26: 17-18, 20
Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”‘“ When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.

NOTE: Nothing is mentioned in the other Gospel narratives about Jesus saying, “My time is at hand.” MARK and LUKE mention about a guest room where Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples (Cp. Mark 14: 12-17; Luke 22: 7-13). John’s Gospel shows Jesus instituting the ordinance of “Foot-washing,” probably as an example of humility and demonstration of Love; as opposed to The Lord’s Supper (“Eucharist”) as mentioned in the others, including the Apostle Paul’s instructions in I Corinthians 11: 17-34. Also, JOHN’S narrative is the only one to record a very lengthy discourse by Jesus (chapters 13 through 18)to the disciples before leaving for the Brook of Kidron near the Mount of Olivet, where He was finally arrested and sent to His execution (“Crucifixion”).

27: 32-44 “The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ”

NOTE: It is puzzling that Jesus could have been have been publicly executed between 12PM and 3PM by the hated Romans without the people rioting and committing insurrection because according to Matthew 21: 9, 11, 45-46, Jesus was highly esteemed by the people as a prophet.

28: 16-17
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them (Cp. Matthew 28: 10; Mark 16: 7). When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.

Note: It is curious why this narrative mentions some disciples were doubtful; was it such a shock and they were so traumatized as this event was beyond belief, and they just could not rationally accept the impossible feat of seeing Jesus having been raised from the dead? Mark 16: 12-14 seems to be a record of what is mentioned in Luke 24: 13-38. Also, in Luke 24: 34, it mentions about the Lord appearing to Simon [Peter], but verse 12 doesn’t mention any such thing. The narrative of JOHN is the only book to mention about Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene alone (Cp. John 20: 11-18).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 29, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

A sneak peek on the Day of Judgment

Most of us like to see the trailer ir coming attractions of a new and exciting Blockbuster movie or get a sneak preview; just as a tease to whet our appetite for the anticipation of such enjoyment that we are too anxious in wanting to wait for, and be totally surprised as well as blown away by the experience. Needless to say, waiting for the “Second Coming” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the glory to be revealed is the greatest hope in the entire history of human existence. The thing is, will all of those who are believers and offer wonderfully heartfelt praises, reverential devotion and worship to God be welcomed into the eternal kingdom of God the Father? To be ‘politically-correct’ in Christendom is to accept every House of Worship, Sanctuary, Congregation, Temple, Assembly, Church, Kingdom Hall, Cathedral, and Edifice where God’s Word is proclaimed, parishioners gather together, and the Gospel is taught as true, genuine, and authentic, but is this necessarily the case? It isn’t just enough to believe in the Lord, receive remission of sins, and then attend some Christian Church services to worship God because how do you know it is the ‘right’ one or are they all the same? A few Scriptural references and COMMENTARY are offered for consideration.

II Corinthians 13: 5a
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the “Faith.” Test yourselves.

NOTE: The followers of Jesus have been forewarned about false teachers and prophets from the Gospels to the last book of the Christian Bible in Revelations.

II Corinthians 11: 13-15
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

NOTE: Satan is the greatest counterfeiter in Creation and those who try to imitate his works by counterfeiting US Currency by duplicating the markings/engravings, special paper, and ink used on the printing presses at the US Treasury Department, can’t even come close to the Devil and his ministers “Counterfeit Christianity.”

Matthew 15: 8-9
These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Cp. Isaiah 29: 13).

NOTE: There are many wonderfully moving songs of praise, uplifting testimonials, stirring sermons, and worship services lasting upwards of three hours, but does that necessarily mean that it is pleasing to God. I Samuel 15: 22a, says, “Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” Not only that, but in Matthew 22: 34-40, when Jesus was asked about the great commandment in the Law [“Torah”], He DID NOT SAY anything about paying “lip service” in homage and praise [IN WORSHIP] to God but rather the very ‘first’ element was “heart;” as in love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. . ., and the very thing that seven chapters earlier and in Isaiah’s prophesy that was far from God; leading to “vain worship” by teaching [and by extension] accepting/believing the COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.

Why is the “Heart” important? According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, The heart is the "home of the personal life," and hence a man is designated, according to his heart. The heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. Hardness of heart evidences itself by light views of sin; partial acknowledgment and confession of it; pride and conceit; ingratitude; unconcern about the word and ordinances of God; inattention to divine providences; stifling convictions of conscience; shunning reproof; presumption, and general ignorance of divine things.

Matthew 13: 24-30, 41-43
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like [the Son of Man] who sowed [the sons of the kingdom] in [His world]; “but while men slept, [the devil] came and sowed [the sons of the wicked one] among the [wheat] and went his way. “But when [the grain] had sprouted and produced a crop, then [the sons of the wicked one] also appeared. “So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow [the sons of the kingdom] in [the world]? How then does it have [the sons of the wicked one]?’ “He said to them, ‘[The devil] has done this.’ The servants said to Him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ “But He said, ‘No, lest while you gather up [the sons of the wicked one] you also uproot [the sons of the kingdom] with them. “Let them both grow together until [the end of the age], and at the time of [the end of the age] I will say to [the angels], “First gather together [the sons of the wicked one] and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather [the wheat] into My barn. “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He, who has ears to hear, let him hear!

NOTE: This is Jesus’ interpretation of the Parable (Matthew 13: 36-42), so all I did was substitute His answers.

Matthew 7: 21-23
“Not everyone who says unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Matthew 7: 19-20
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire; Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

Titus 1: 16
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being reprobates, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
And lastly, what are the kinds of works that believing Christians should be doing that evidences the love of God in their lives and that bear fruit. SEE BELOW:

Matthew 25: 31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. “And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for (1) I was hungry and you gave Me food; (2) I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; (3) I was a stranger and you took Me in; (4) ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; (5) I was in prison and you came to me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you (1) hungry and fed You, or (2) thirsty and gave You drink? ‘When did we see You a (3) stranger and take You in, or (4) naked and clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You (6) sick, or in prison, and came to You?’ “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ‘for (1) I was hungry and you gave Me no food; (2) I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; (3) ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, (4) naked and you did not clothe Me.’ “Then they will also answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You (1) hungry or (2) thirsty or a (3) stranger or (4) naked or (6) sick or in (5) prison, and did not minister unto You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to You, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 9, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What are the Commandments that Christians are supposed to keep?

There are those today who believe that Christians are required to keep the law of Moses, including dietary requirements and observance of the Sabbath; to which the Apostle Paul would say in Colossians 2: 16, Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days. So, the million dollar question which may very well have eternal repercussions is whether believers are required to live according to the teachings of the Law ["Torah"], and if not, since we are led by the Spirit of God, what "Law" measures up to being classified as the commandments of God? The following exhaustive study and commentary is offered for consideration.

5: 17-19
I did not come to destroy [‘loosen’] the law [“Torah”] and Prophets but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth shall pass away, one Yodh [smallest letter] or one small stroke will by no means pass from the Law ["Torah"] till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

NOTE: Loosen might convey a better sense of the verse than destroy. Now what are those commandments?

5: 21
You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not Murder" (Cp. Exodus 20: 13; Leviticus 19: 16b; Deuteronomy 5: 17).

5: 27
You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit Adultery" (Cp. Exodus 20: 14; Deuteronomy 5: 18).

5: 31
Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality [unfaithfulness] causes her to commit adultery (??); and whoever marries a woman who is divorced [for marital infidelity/unfaithfulness??] commits adultery.

NOTE: Under the Law of Moses a divorced woman could remarry another man but the only prohibition was that she could not return back to be a wife to her former husband because it was deemed a 'defilement' (Cp. Deuteronomy 24: 1-2); Jesus goes beyond that in His teaching, too?? Also, under the Old Testament, when a man had sexual relations with a married woman, both of them are to be put to death (Leviticus 20: 10)

5: 33
Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord (Cp. Exodus 20: 16; Leviticus 19: 12b; Deuteronomy 23: 23a).

5: 38
You have heard that it was said of old, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Cp. Exodus 21: 12-27; Leviticus 24: 17-21; Deuteronomy 19: 21).

5: 43
You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

NOTE: Deuteronomy 23: 7 says, You shall not abhor an Edomite, and Leviticus 19: 18 says, Love thy neighbor as thyself. There is nothing else in the written Law that uses such a phrase.

19: 17-19
So He said to him, “Why call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ And he said to Him, “Which ones? Jesus said, “(6) You shall not Murder; (7) You shall not commit Adultery; (8) You shall not Steal; (9) You shall not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother and You shall love your Neighbor as yourself (Cp. Mark 10: 17-20; Luke 18: 18-21)

NOTE: See Exodus 20: 1-17; Leviticus 19: 1-18; Deuteronomy 5: 6-22; Leviticus 19: 18b).

22: 35-40
Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law [‘Torah’]?” Jesus said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Cp. Deuteronomy 6: 5 which uses ‘strength’ instead of ‘mind’).’ “This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like it. ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these ‘two commandments’ hang all the Law [“Torah”] and Prophets.

NOTE: This seems to encapsulate the very concept of “Love,” which according to Exodus 20: 6b, means to keep God’s commandments and Leviticus 19: 18b, which says: “but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Mark 12: 28-31
Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, seeing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the foremost commandment?” Jesus answered him, “the foremost of the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One (Cp. Deuteronomy 6: 4). And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

NOTE: Matthew 22: 37 doesn’t include “strength” and Deuteronomy 30: 6d only uses “heart” and “soul.”

Luke 1: 6
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

NOTE: The Apostle Paul said that in his former life, he attained the same righteousness of the Law and blameless; according to Philippians 3: 4-6.

John 14: 15, 21
If ye love Me, keep My commandments. He that hath My commandments, and keeps
them, he it is that loves Me; and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.

John 15: 10
If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My
Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

NOTE: And what are the commandments of God that one must keep?

Romans 3: 19-23, 28-31
Now we know that whatever the Law ["Torah"] says, it says to them that are under the Law ["Torah"], that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the Law ["Torah"] no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the Law ["Torah] is the knowledge of 'sin.' But now the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by "faith" apart from the deeds of the Law ["Torah"]. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is One God who will justify the circumcised "by" faith and the uncircumcised "through" faith. Do we make void ['nullify'] the Law ["Torah"] through "faith"? Certainly not! On the contrary we establish (uphold, confirm) the Law ["Torah"].

4: 3, 5-6, 15
For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted ["imputed"] to him as righteousness (Cp. 4: 17-25; Hebrews 5: 17-19). Because the Law ["Torah"] brings wrath; for where there is no Law ["Torah"] there is no transgression (Cp. 5: 13b; 7: 8b).

NOTE: The word "imputed" occurs 7 times in this chapter.

5: 15-18, 20
For the free gift is not like the offense ["trespass"]. For if by the one man's offense ["trespass"] many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one that sinned. For the judgment which came from the one offense ["trespass"] resulted in condemnation ('judgment'), but the free gift which came from many offenses ["trespasses"] resulted in justification (Cp. 3: 23-26). For if by one man's offense ["trespass"] death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's offense ["trespass"] judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life. Moreover the Law ["Torah"] entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

6: 1-2, 14-15
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who have died to sin live any longer in it? For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law ["Torah"] (Cp. 3: 19) but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law ["Torah"] but under grace? Certainly not!

7: 4, 6-7, 12
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the Law ["Torah"] through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God, But now we have been delivered from the Law ["Torah"] having died to what we were held by, so that we shoulde serve in the "newness" of the 'Spirit' and not in the "oldness" of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law ["Torah"] sin? Certainly not! I would not have known sin except through the Law ["Torah"]. For I would not have known covetousness unless the Law ["Torah"] had said, "You shall not Covet (Cp. Exodus 20: 17; Deuteronomy 5: 21)." Therefore, the Law ["Torah"] is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. (Cp. Psalms 19: 7a)

7: 14, 22-25a
For we know that the Law ["Torah"] is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For I delight in the Law ["Torah"] of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the Law ["Torah"] of sin which is in my members. O wretchhed man that I am! ho will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God; through Christ Jesus our Lord!

NOTE: Psalms 19: 7a and James 1: 25a says that the Law ["Torah"] is perfect.

8: 1-2, 9b, 14, 16
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law ["Torah"] of sin and death. For what the Law ["Torah"] could not do in that it was weak [in a manner of speaking] through the flesh [human nature??], God did by sending His Son in the "likeness" of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the Law ["Torah"] might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

10: 4
For Christ is the end of the Law ["Torah"] for righteousness to everyone who believes.

NOTE: This does not mean "end" as in abolishing the Law ["Torah"], but rather Jesus gives it completion and meaning. It was through His substitutionary blood sacrifice on the Cross that not only satisfied the penalty for "sin" but also the giving of the Holy Spirit is what empowers believers to live up to the holy requirement of the Law ["Torah"]. Remember Jesus' words in Matthew 5: 17: "I did not come to destroy [‘loosen’] the law [“Torah”] and Prophets but to fulfill."

13: 8-10
Owe no one anything except to love one another (Cp. John 13: 34; 15: 12, 17) has fulfilled the Law ["Torah"]. For the commandments, "You shall not commit Adultery," "You shall not Murder," "You shall not Steal," "You shall not bear False Witness," "You shall not Covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore Love is the fulfillment of the Law ["Torah"].

NOTE: These commandments {#'s 6-10} deal with one's duty toward their neighbor (Cp. Exodus 20: 1-17; Leviticus 19: 1-18b; Deuteronomy 5: 6-22)
and is the essence of what the Law ["Torah"] is all about; according to Jesus (Cp. Matthew 22: 35-40; Mark 12: 28-31).

I Corinthians 5: 8
Therefore let us keep the 'Feast,' not with the old leaven, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

NOTE: The Apostle Paul is using the illustration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Cp. Exodus 12: 15) to this Church at Corinth which was started from within the Jewish synagogue (Cp. Acts 18: 1-17) to shame them for not disciplining a sexually immoral brother. One wonders in retrospect if they ever celebrated this feast?

7: 19
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.

NOTE: Now just what are these commandments; perhaps the ones mentioned in Romans 13: 8-10?

II Corinthians 3: 5-9, 11-13
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraven on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance (Cp. Exodus 34: 1-4, 29-35), which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech; unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.

NOTE: There are several things to take note of here, and the obvious is the mistaken conclusion that the Old Testament Law is null and void because this would contradict the Apostle Paul's earlier teachings. If the the Law ["Torah"] was obsolete the wording would not be "is passing away," as opposed to "has passed away;" and what is referred to by "the end of what was passing away" can best be explained by Matthew 5: 17-18, where Jesus says, "I did not come to destroy [‘loosen’] the law [“Torah”] and Prophets but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth shall pass away, one Yodh [smallest letter] or one small stroke will by no means pass from the Law ["Torah"] till all is fulfilled and Romans 10: 4: For Christ is the 'end' of the Law ["Torah"] for righteousness to every one that believeth. Also, see NOTE at Romans 10: 4.

Again, it would be helpful to reread Romans 8: 1-2, 9b, 14, 16. Now, As far as the term "passing away," considering that the Lord was expected to return during the lifetime of Jesus' disciples, I Corinthians 7: 31b and I John 2: 17a mention about the world passing away, which would usher in that blessed hope of the revelation of the sons of God ("immortality") and manifestation of the kingdom of heaven.

Galatians 3: 10-14
For as many as are of the works of the Law ["Torah"] are under the curse, for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law ["Torah"], to do them." (Cp. Deuteronomy 27: 26) But that no one is justified by the Law ["Torah"] in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." (Cp. Habakkuk 2: 4)

COMMENTARY: Is the Apostle Paul consistent here?
Romans 2: 13 (For not the hearers of the Law ["Torah"] are just before God, but the doers of the Law ["Torah"] shall be justified.

Yet the Law ["Torah"] is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them (Cp. Leviticus 18: 5). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law ["Torah"] , having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree;" Cp. Deuteronomy 21: 22-23), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Cp. Galatians 3: 2)

3: 19, 21-25
What purpose does the Law ["Torah"] serve? it was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made (v. 16); and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Is the Law ["Torah"] then against the promises of God? certainly not! For if there had been a Law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the Law ["Torah"]. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise of faith Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law ["Torah"], kept from the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the Law ["Torah"] was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

NOTE: So what is the Apostle Paul really talking about here? First, reread Romans 6: 14b-15, and then in Romans 7: 1, 4-6, it states: Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those that know the Law ["Torah"]), that the Law ["Torah"] has dominion over a man as long as he lives? Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the Law ["Torah"] through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the Law ["Torah"] were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the Law ["Torah"], having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

To live "under" the Law ["Torah"] is condemnation and judgment because it teaches what is "sinful" behavior; but if one is led by the Spirit of God one does not or rather cannot [continue] to 'sin' (Cp. I John 3: 9). And what is this "Faith" that is being talked about? See Ezekiel 11: 18-19; 36: 24-27; Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Hebrews 8: 10; 10: 16-17 which is the inner 'Torah' of the heart which is made alive by the Holy Spirit.

5: 13-14, 18
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the Law ["Torah"] is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall Love your neighbor as yourself." (Cp. Leviticus 19: 18b) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under [condemnation of] the Law ["Torah"].

6: 1-2
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." (Cp. Exodus 20: 12; Leviticus 19: 3a; Deuteronomy 5: 16)

One of the very first controversies facing the Church was recorded in Acts 15: 1-31 and since the Apostle Paul was involved in it, he wrote on the matter in Galatians 2: 1-10; but his account was quite a bit different from the other source in Acts. What it centered on was whether Gentiles should be circumcised according to the custom of Moses in order to be saved (Cp. Acts 1: 1). These unnamed men came down from Judea to Antioch in Syria trying to bind this requirement on the Gentile believers. After some heated arguments between these teachers and the Church leaders in Antioch, a delegation including Paul and Barnabas was sent to Jerusalem in Judea to settle the matter. The Apostles and Elders along with the whole Church met [in the Temple??] along with the brethren from Antioch to decide on this matter. Some of the sect of Pharisees [who observe the "Oral Torah" or 'tradition of the elders'] wanted to not only require circumcision but command keeping the Law ["Torah"] of Moses. The Apostle Peter had an interesting testimony before the assembly as he recounted the Gentiles who received God's salvation through his bringing the Gospel to them (Cp. Acts 10: 1-48).

He goes on to say in Acts 15: 10, "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a 'yoke' on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear." Perhaps this is echoed by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5: 1-6. James [the Lord's brother] as leader of the Church ends the debate by deciding to impose on the Gentiles who are turning to the Lord, the following: to abstain from things polluted with idols; from sexual immorality; from things strangled, and from blood. This saying pleased the apostles, elders, and the whole Church (Cp. Acts 15: 19-22). Perhaps not much value was placed upon the uncircumcised to keep the Law ["Torah"], which the Lord God gave to Israel because these basic reuirements are referred to as part of the "Noahian Covenant" for its blood prohibition (Cp. Genesis 9: 4)and for its simplicity in comparison to the more rigorous requirements contained in all the statutes and ordinances of the Law ["Torah"].

The Apostle Paul went throughout Europe and Asia Minor originally carrying these mandates but word had come to the attention of the Mother Church in Jerusalem and its leader James, in particular, that Paul was teachng that Jews aren't required to keep the Law ["Torah"]; according to Acts 21: 18-24, James wanted Paul to take a vow and prove that he was a faithful Jew, walking orderly in keeping the Law ["Torah"]. Since that time, in all the Epistles written by the Apostle Paul and during his missionary activity present with some regularity, various commandments found in the Law ["Torah']; so why continue to mention these commandments if the Law of Moses is abolished?


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 4, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

Having a form of godliness but denying its power

During a particular worship service, some individuals among the congregation were brought forward before the altar for healing. The first thing was invoking the “Name of Jesus,” praying, and laying on of hands in behalf of the persons who were brought forward and invocation to the Lord was made in their behalf. It did come as a surprise to me that this occasion did not result in either of them being unbound from their infirmity and I had to wonder why that was so. We believe in the ‘anointing’ of the Holy Spirit and the signs as well as authority, privilege, and right that when we call upon Jesus’ Name in full assurance of ‘Faith,’ that if we ask anything in His Name, that He will do it. All this being said, people should have been loosed from their affliction and Satan bound by the power of God in our assembly on that day.

This caused me to inquire into the matter by soliciting an explanation from the Pastor, and what I was informed is that in some instances people are not healed immediately; and the healing is also dependent on some precondition or demonstration of “faith” that the individual wants to healed, by cooperating with some particular request from the man of God. This caused me to reflect on how healings took place in Jesus’ days on Earth and in the subsequent years after His ascension back to heaven. The following is what I have found.

Matthew 8: 5-1, 13
Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant based on the Centurion’s “faith” and the Scripture does not mention anything about the servant asking for Jesus to heal him; and not only that, but the servant was healed that ‘same’ hour.

Matthew 8: 14-15-16
Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever and she got up and served them. Jesus healed many who were demon-possessed with but a ‘word.’

NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here.

Matthew 8: 26-34
Jesus healed two demon-possessed men.

NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here.

Matthew 9: 1-8
Jesus healed a paralytic who was lying on a bed.

NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here and Jesus did not tell the man to discard his bed ‘first’ to show he believed Jesus would really him. Also, the person was healed almost immediately.

Matthew 9: 18-26
Jesus brought back to life the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue and healed the woman with a blood hemorrhage [“flow”].

NOTE: Jesus brought “life” back to the daughter based on her father’s act of ‘faith’ and the woman with the “issue” of blood acted in ‘faith’ also in behalf of herself.

Matthew 9: 27-31
Jesus heals two blind men who followed along (??) as they implored Him.

NOTE: There was a precondition, namely, Jesus asked them if they “believed” He was able [and ‘willing’??] to do this. He also said, “According to your ‘faith’ let it be to you.”

Matthew 9: 32-34
Jesus heals a mute, demon-possessed man who was brought to Him.

NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here and again, the healing was immediate.

There are numerous examples of healings in the Gospels, and after Jesus chose the “Twelve” and commanded as well as gave them the ‘Authority’ in Matthew 10: 7-8:
“And as you go [to the lost sheep of ‘Israel’], preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.’”

Jesus said in John 14: 12-14, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. AND WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”

If this is the case then the results should be the same without any set of additional requirements or under different exigent circumstances. The Apostle Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 4: 20 that the kingdom of God is not in word but in “power.”

II Timothy 3: 5
Having a form of godliness but denying its “power.” And from such people turn away.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 4, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The real Strongman of the Bible

One of the first names which come to mind is the Danite hero Samson, recorded in the Old Testament book of JUDGES. Starting as far back as the antediluvian-Earth, there are sons of the “Nephilim” (Genesis 6: 2, 4); Nimrod (Genesis 10: 8; I Chronicles 1: 10); the sons of Anak (Numbers 13: 33; Deuteronomy 2: 11); King Og of Bashan(Deuteronomy 3: 11); Goliath (I Samuel 17: 1-11); a youthful KingDavid (I Samuel 17: 12, 26-27, 38-51; 21: 8-9); Elhanan the son of Jaareroregim a Bethlehemite(II Samuel 21: 19; I Chronicles 20: 5); Josheb-Basshebeth who was called Adino the Eznite (II Samuel 23: 8); Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite (II Samuel 23: 9-10); Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite (II Samuel 23: 11-12); Abishai the brother of Joab (II Samuel 23: 18); and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada (II Samuel 23: 20-21).

Apparently, even the Apostle Peter was a rugged and physically rigorous person; as evidenced by John 21: 11, 18: Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”

There is someone however, who is far mightier, more dangerous and sinister than all these men combined. Jesus reveals this person’s identity in Matthew 12: 26, 29 in this way: “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

Revelation 12: 7-9, 12b
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast with him. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

Luke 10: 18
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Job 1: 7
And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

I Chronicles 21: 1
Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

Luke 4: 6
And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Cp. John 12: 31; 16: 11)

Luke 13: 11, 16
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Luke 22: 3
Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

Luke 22: 31
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”

I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Indeed, the Devil is not like the well-dressed prankster played by Ray Wise of the hit TV show, “Reaper” airing on KSTW Channel 11 [Seattle], but is a murderer (I John 3: 8a, 12a). The lion is called the “king of the beasts” and the serpent [“devil”] is likewise, according to Genesis 3: 1a; and not only that, but in I Peter 5: 8, it reads: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, and seeking [“all"] whom he may devour.

And Satan is deadly serious, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Cp. Acts 5:
1-11). He sets traps or snares for people (Cp. Ephesians 4: 27; 6: 11; I Timothy 3: 6-7; II Timothy 2: 26), and will cast some into prison (Revelation 2: 10b). Satan disrupts marital relationships (I Corinthians 7: 5b), had the power of death (Hebrews 2: 14b), and can even transform himself into an angel of light
(II Corinthians 11: 14). Yet, no matter how formidable this strong man is, God provides us with the victory in Jesus.

I John 4: 4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He [the “Holy Spirit”] that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Revelation 12: 10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the power of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Revelation 20: 1-2, 10
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 21: 4-6a
And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What would you do if Tomorrow Never Came?

I read a very inspirational testimony from by youngest sister as she witnessed to the glory of God in a dream, and whereupon she experienced the Celestial splendor of Heaven; accompanied by her Guardian Angel. She was enraptured and overcome with so much joy, which was unspeakable and inexpressionable such that the only words that came from her mouth as tears came streaming down her face, were those directed by the Holy Spirit through speaking in Tongues. It was for her an intimate, very personal, deeply moving, spiritual epiphany and she just had to share it because it was too overwhelming and powerful to just keep it bottled up inside her. I, for one, was honored and appreciated the portion of Divine grace that touched my heart and spirit after reading such an unexpected and wondrous email.

Since I hadn’t written an article for about a week or so, and certainly not one quite so personal, it did cause me to ponder another aspect, which serves as the title and theme for reflection in this writing. One of the relative certainties of the human experience and it is what most profoundly gives us a sense of hope, stability, rationality, and confidence, is that of looking forward to a “Tomorrow.” We never question that expectation because for whatever instinctive or innate reasoning as a sentient ‘being,’ it is as predictable and autonomic as breathing, something done without conscious thought, that indeed there will always be a tomorrow. But, “WHAT IF” today is the last day, and there is not another one to look forward to, ever again? We live in a world of materiality and physical substance, or as the Hindu sage would called it, ‘Maia’ [‘illusion’]; as though we have a guarantee of experiencing a future, that things will always work out and get done eventually; if not tomorrow then on some other day because after all, we have nothing to worry about because we have all the time in the world; but is that true?

Job 14: 1
Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

James 4: 14
Whereas you do not know what will happen ‘tomorrow.’ For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

The notion that people would be busy with their daily routines, lifestyle, and habits when the Lord returns is underscored by the statement of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24: 36-39, 42, 44; 25: 13:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only. But, as in the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. 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. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

I Thessalonians 5: 1-4
But concerning the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly well that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and Safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

A very poignant as well as explicit statement of arrogance, stubbornness and willful disregard for the longsuffering of God was penned by the Apostle Peter.

I Peter 3: 3-7, 9:
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the Last Days, walking according to their own lusts [self-interests], saying, “Where is the promise [‘evidence {philosophical reasoning or scientific proof’}??] of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation [“The Big Bang”??]. For this they are willfully forget [they don’t want to know or accept the ‘TRUTH’]: that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that “all” should come to repentance.

Hebrews 3: 7-8; 15
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today,” if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

One of the more startling things that Jesus said is recorded in Matthew 7: 22-23, which reads: “Many will say to Me in that Day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders [‘miracles’] in Your Name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

This is all the more incredible because in Mark 9: 38-41:

Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your Name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us. But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My Name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

I Peter 4: 17-18
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely [‘barely’] saved; where will the ungodly and sinner appear?”

Luke 18: 8b
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find ‘Faith’ on the earth?”

This article started off on a positive note and it would only seem reasonable to end it that way after some of the more dire and solemn admonitions previously, so here are a few passages which administer grace:

I Peter 1: 3-4-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation; ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Whom having not seen you love. Though, now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith- the salvation of your souls.

Ephesians 3: 20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 21: 4
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have [‘all’] passed away. (Cp. Isaiah 65: 17??)

Lastly, to quote the Scripture used by my sister, which is found in
I Corinthians 2: 9

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor has it entered into the heart of man the Things which God has prepared for those who love Him
(Cp. Isaiah 64: 4).”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What People said in the Shadow of Jesus' Cross

Matthew 27: 39-43
(1) And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads (Cp. Psalms 109: 25) and saying, (2) “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days
(Cp. 26: 61; John 2: 19), (3)save Yourself! You are (4) the Son of God, (5) come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, (6) “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. [If He is (7) the King of Israel, let Him (5) come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. (8) He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him (Cp. Psalms 22: 18); for He said, “I am (4)the Son of God.”]

Mark 15: 19-22
(1) And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads (Cp. Psalms 109: 25) saying, “Aha! (2) You who destroy the temple and build it in three days (Cp. 26: 61; John 2: 19), (3) save Yourself, and (5) come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, (6) “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. “Let Christ, (7) the King of Israel, (5) descend now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

Luke 23: 35-37
And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying,
(6) “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If you are (7) the King of the Jews, (3)save Yourself.”

The last thing anyone wants to hear before they die are words laced with disdain, scorn, ridicule, insult, and rejection. The Lord of Heaven and Earth, bloodied, as His face was beaten almost beyond recognition from the constant pummeling by the fists of the Roman soldiers. He was spat upon, a crown of thorns placed around His forehead, and His limbs were stretched out on a living tree of wood in the form of a crucifix (‘T’ shaped) whereby His hands and feet were pierced with metal spikes, then His body was raised upon this beam and made secure.

With the full weight of Jesus’ body now uncomfortably supported by the extremities of His arms, shoulders, and upper back, the pain must have been excruciating and almost beyond human endurance as the sinews and tendons began to strain and tear away; not to mention the enormous pressure on His heart and lungs. Jesus endured this torture for six hours but it must have felt like an eternity to Him, and when God the Father’s Plan was finally accomplished for the Salvation of mankind and reconciling all creation back to Himself, in John 19: 30b, it reads: He [‘Jesus’] said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Although MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE give slightly different variations of Jesus’ actual last words or those of His blasphemers, the one constant theme in all these accounts was when they derided Jesus by saying that He couldn’t save Himself; mocking Him in their words of poisonous envy, spiritual blindness, vacillation and ignorance. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and in act of violence, one of the disciples cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in order to protect Jesus from His destiny or mission, Jesus said in Matthew 26: 53-54: “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will not provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? “How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

In John 3: 14; 12: 32, it reads: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto Me.” Jesus said in John 10: 17-18: “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it [up] again. “No one takes it from Me." I have power [Gr. ‘exousia, dunamis’] to lay it down, and I have ‘power’ to take it [up] again. This command I have received from My Father.

So, the answer to Jesus’ accusers and those who don’t fully understand why the Lord of Glory and our Blessed Savior would undergo such an ordeal, Hebrews 12: 2, gives a little hint of that as it reads: Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now, what is this ‘joy’ so enormous and compelling that Jesus would freely and lovingly sacrifice Himself?

Hebrews 2: 9-11, 14-15
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, should taste death for everyone {NOTE: It does Not say “like” }. For it was fitting for Him [‘Jesus’], for Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory (Cp. 12: 2), to make the captain of their salvation perfect [complete] through suffering. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Cp. I Corinthians 15: 5), and release those who through fear of death were their entire lifetime subject to bondage.

Lastly, the final triumphal victory that we have in Jesus is summed up in Revelation 20: 14; 21: 4: Then Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away [‘forever’].


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Exclusion of Some Miracles of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels

Another method in studying the Gospels is to look not only for areas of agreement between all the authors or sources but to notice divergence and exclusion because this could be an important key to discover subtle, but significant clues to underlying religious, psychological, social, political, or cultural differences which may have existed during that time period among the many groups with whom Jesus and His disciples came into contact with; or with those who were taught by Jesus' followers or their immediate successors in subsequent later generations.

Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit at a synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 1: 21-28; Luke 4: 31-37

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand at a synagogue on the Sabbath.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 3: 1-6; Luke 6: 6-11

Jesus heals two demon-possessed men in the country of Gadarenes.
Matthew 8: 28-34; Mark 5: 1-20 [“one man”]; NOT IN LUKE

Jesus walks on the Sea of Galilee [after feeding the five thousand].
Matthew 14: 2-33 [coming down from the mountain]; Mark 6: 45-52 [coming from the plain]; NOT IN LUKE

Many people touch Jesus’ garment and are healed in the land of Gennesaret.
Matthew 14: 34-36; Mark 6: 53-56; NOT IN LUKE

Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Greek Syro-phoenician woman in the region of Tyre.
Matthew 15: 21-28; Mark 7: 24-30; NOT IN LUKE

Jesus heals a deaf mute while departing Tyre & Sidon, going through “Decapolis” to the Sea of Galilee.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 7: 31-37; NOT IN LUKE

Jesus raises the son of the widow in Nain after healing the Centurion’s servant in Capernaum.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 7: 11-17

Jesus feeds the four thousand.
Matthew 15: 32-39 [departs to “Magadan”]; Mark 8: 1-10 [departs to “Dalmanutha”]; NOT IN LUKE

John tells Jesus about someone casting out a demon who was not one of their number and they tried to prevent him.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 9: 38-41; Luke 9: 49-50

A Samaritan village rejects Jesus because He had His sight set towards Jerusalem.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 9: 51-56

Jesus sends out the ‘Seventy.’ [from “Samaria”??]
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 9: 51-52, 56b-57; 10: 1

Mary and Martha from a certain village [“Bethany”] worship and serve Jesus.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 10: 38-42

Jesus teaches the Lord’s [‘Model’] Prayer as part of the Sermon on the Mountain in the area around the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew 6: 9-13; NOT IN MARK; Luke 11: 1-4

Jesus heals a mute, demon-possessed man in Capernaum.
Matthew 9: 32-34; 12: 22-24; NOT IN MARK; Luke 11: 14-15

Jesus was told about those Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices while He was at one of the synagogues in Galilee.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 13: 1-5

Jesus heals a woman with a spirit of infirmity.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 13: 10-17

Jesus heals a man with dropsy.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 14: 1-6

Jesus heals ten lepers but only one of them [a ‘Samaritan’] came back to thank Him.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 17: 11-19

Jesus curses a fig tree.
Matthew 21: 18-22 [in ‘Bethany’]; Mark 11: 12-14, 20-24 [leaving from ‘Bethany’];
NOT IN LUKE

Jesus on trial before Herod [Cp. Luke 3: 1a; ‘Tetarch’??]
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 23: 6-12

COMMENTARY: Of these 21 incidents in this study, MATTHEW excludes 13 (61.9%), MARK does not include 11 of them (52.4%), and LUKE leaves out only 7 (33.3%). MATTHEW and MARK omit the same 9 events, and since MARK only had a total of 11 in the first place, that's a whopping 81.8%.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Son of God problem for the Jews

The Jewish religion from its inception was monotheistic, at least in belief and practice, with the unique distinction separating it from those of their Canaanite and Mesopotamian neighbors is mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:4, which says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!.” Any idea that the Lord (YHVH) God of Israel could have a Son is totally inconceivable and anathema. One of the characteristics of nearly all divine pantheons of the gods is that of having a consort and offspring, so the idea of Jesus as being born the Son of God, and taking this a step further: to accept the divinity known as God, Whose very nature is transcendent, immortal, invisible, incorporeal, dwelling in unapproachable light, infinite in power, and existing on a spiritual (supernatural) plane far beyond human comprehension could condescend [empty Himself] to be involved in this physical substance called matter to undergo a physical birth by surrendering, or setting aside the prerogatives of Godhood, takes a great leap of faith, indeed!

The Old Testament writings prophesy that God would send a Mighty Deliver, Messiah, or Ruler and descendant from the House of David, who would redeemn His people Israel and destroy her enemies, as this is certainly what the contemporary Jews in Jesus' day were looking forward to (Matthew 2: 6;Luke 1: 68-75; 3: 15; John 1: 19-27).
Even Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18-19: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from among your brethren. Him shall you hear. I will raise up from them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My Name, I will require it of him [he shall be destroyed from among the people].

Jesus’ earthly and public ministry commenced with His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, the anointing by the Spirit of God like the form of a dove which sat upon Him, and the voice from heaven which said, “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3: 13-17). The narrative does not say if anyone else heard the voice besides Jesus and possibly John. Outside of Satan knowing who Jesus really was (Matthew 4: 6) and demons (Matthew 8: 28-29), Jesus referred to Himself by the enigmatic title, “Son of Man.” Interestingly, when the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph regarding Mary’s pregnancy, he said that she would bring forth a Son and you [Joseph] shall call His name Jesus (Matthew 1: 18-21).
In the book of Isaiah 7: 14, the Son is to be named Immanuel.

The multitudes thought Jesus was the Son of David (Matthew 12: 23b) and Herod the tetrarch thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead (Matthew 14: 1-11). Although Jesus alluded to His divinity in private with His disciples, it was apparent that they didn’t fully grasp the concept as recorded in Matthew 16: 13-17 because the rumor mill had it that Jesus was thought to be [a resurrected] John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets; until God finally revealed to Peter Who Jesus is. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the multitudes hailed Him as the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 21: 11). The Pharisees, disciples of the Herodians, and Sadducees saw in Jesus a great teacher (Matthew 2: 15-16, 23-24, 33). Also, the Pharisees thought the “Christ” was the Son of David (Matthew 22: 41-42).

When Jesus appeared before the ‘Sanhedrin’ (Jewish Supreme Court), they put Him under an oath before the living God to testify, or rather admit to being the Son of God; His reply was, “It is as you say [if you say so].” Jesus did quote
Daniel 7: 13, so in a way He did answer their question; for which He was accused of blasphemy. Although this was a kangaroo Court and an insult to the very rule of Law, jurisprudence, and legal precedent, still the deeply entrenched theological and psychological ramifications cannot be so easily ignored by the truth of this revelation.

If God can have a Son or become One, then what does that mean about the ‘Oneness’ of God, and not only that, but what about the implication of possibly a feminine aspect of deity (Divine Consort, Mother, Wife, or Goddess)? Since the children received God’s Law at Mount Sinai through Moses and written by the “finger of God,” the Jewish people have been warned about other gods and Asherah/Asherim. In the book of Jeremiah (44: 15-19) the people were quite obstinate and rebellious, refusing to listen to the word of the Lord as they continued offering incense, making cakes and pouring out drink offerings to the “Queen of Heaven.”

Now, as Jesus was delivered before Pontius Pilate, He was accused of being King of the Jews; posing a rather embarrassing problem for the political machinations of Rome in the region since Caesar had already appointed a King [an 'Edomite'] over the Jews. It is interesting that Jesus was not accused by the Jewish authorities of being the Son of God before the Governor of Judea, which might have been interesting to see if Pilate would have been more cautious in his dealings with Jesus. The immemorial words of Jesus which was spoken from the Cross of His Crucifixion, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, My God, My God,” why have You forsaken Me?” [recorded in MATTHEW and MARK]was lost in translation by the people in Judea who spoke Hebrew, and they thought He was calling for Elijah instead upon God His Father (Matthew 27; 45-47); that is because Jesus was from Galilee and spoke Aramaic.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 2, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

There is Power “In the Name of Jesus”

Far too often the Christian believer forgets that we are in a war, a battle royale to the finish, between the forces of the Devil; and those of God our Father and His anointed, our Lord Jesus Christ. The terror which inaugurated “9-1-1” is nothing compared to that which had been waged since the beginning of time for the salvation of mankind as well as restoration to the original harmony between the Creator and the rest of creation. Souls are being lost while we tremble and cower before the seemingly unending onslaught from the satanic forces, and a relentless enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy us.

This should not be a cause of great despair or anxiety because of the encouragement found in I John 4: 4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Jesus says of His Church in Matthew 16: 18b: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What we need are some reminders of what our privilege entitles us to, and to redirect and expand the focus of our mission. It is more than just the worship of praise, thankfulness, and offering supplication; but rather it is deadly serious. Although the Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 4: 20: For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power; but what good and benefit is all of that if we are ignorant of this great supernatural equipment for spiritual warfare or are afraid to use it?

Acts 3: 2, 6, 16
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And His name, through faith in His name [‘Jesus’], has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness.

Acts 5: 17-20, 25, 27-28a
Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and they laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this Name [‘Jesus’]?”

John 1: 12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the “authority” to become children of God, to those who believe in His name [‘Jesus’].

John 14: 12-14
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. “And whatever you ask in My name [‘Jesus’], that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name [‘Jesus’], I will do it.”

Philippians 2: 9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth [‘demons’??], and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 28: 18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Acts 10: 35
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

NOTE: The name of ‘Jesus’ carries within itself all the prerogatives of deity as conveyed in (Gr. ‘dunastes’-great responsibility or high position, rank; ‘exousia’-right or authority; ‘dunamis’-great force, might, or power; ‘kratos’-the right of a ruler or sovereign; and ‘energes’-unbounded energy to accomplish something.

I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works [‘all’] of the devil.

Luke 10: 17
Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name [‘Jesus’].”

II Corinthians 10: 4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [‘physical’], but mighty [Gr. ‘dunamis’??] in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing [even] every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Ephesians 6: 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against (1) principalities, against
(2) powers, against (3) the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
(4) spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

These Signs shall Follow Those Who Believe

One area that is sorely underutilized in the Christian Church and of which augments the preaching of the Gospel, the neglected and badly needed ministry of exercising power over demons; to wit, healing any person suffering from any disease, sickness, or infirmity. This work is left for others in the medical profession, whether surgeons or psychiatrists, to treat or prescribe some kind of clinical therapy by either chemical substances or invasive and sometimes dangerous interventions. The thinking is that all maladies that humans suffer from have some sort of natural cause at the root; but is that always the case?

Perhaps one of the reasons that Christians as well as non-Christians have mixed feelings about this subject is the behavior of some ‘charlatan’ in the past who have misled people by claiming to be some kind of God-inspired “Faith-healer,” who as it turns out was nothing more than a self-serving, pseudo-religious snake oil salesman and ‘Flim-Flam-Man.’ On the other side of the coin are the Ecclesiastical Christian Church Fathers and Theologians who believe that these supernatural or supra-natural gifts ceased with the completion of the Biblical Canon or that Jesus, after His resurrection, cleansed the land [‘world’] of demons and unclean spirits.

If ever there was a need for this special ‘unction’ of Divine Grace, it is today. So many people are suffering and in constant pain and even the crimes that are reported on the television news and published in the newspapers are so shocking, depraved, and horrendous that it is hard to believe that a mere human being exercising their freewill without any external [‘subjective’] influence could commit such atrocities. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6: 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Someone will say that sickness and contracting a virulent or dreaded disease is just the miserable lot in life that one experiences and is part of being ‘human;’ then why did Jesus heal everybody that was sent to Him? Before going into the matter with a lot more detail, it is perhaps prudent first to look at a passage in
Luke 13: 10-12, 14a, 15a-16:

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a ‘spirit of infirmity’ eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way straighten herself. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Himself and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound- think of it- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Matthew 4: 23-24
And Jesus went about in Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout Syria (??); and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy [‘all’] the works of the devil.

NOTE: The ‘works’ of the devil are not just limited to sin and death, but includes physical and mental infirmities [‘diseases’] as well.

Matthew 10: 1
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power
[Gr. ‘Dunamis’], over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Matthew 17: 14-15, 18-19, 20a, 21
And when they had come to the multitudes, a man came to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an ‘epileptic’ and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and the water. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “However, this kind [‘demon’??] does not go out [from a person??] except by “prayer and fasting.”

NOTE: Two other Gospel narratives mention about Jesus granting the ‘Twelve’ this extraordinary authority (Cp. Mark 3: 14-15; 6: 7; Luke 9: 11). Curiously, JOHN doesn’t mention in his narrative anything about Jesus casting out demons or unclean spirits at all.

Now it is time to look at another incident regarding the ‘Twelve’ and the issue of the empowerment which was granted to them as portrayed in Mark 9: 38-40:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow [‘with’??] us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is on our side.”

Jesus says in Mark 16: 17-18:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name (1) they shall cast out demons; (2) they will speak with new tongues, (3) they will take up serpents; and (4) if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; (5) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

COMMENTARY:
Besides the Lord Jesus casting out demons and unclean spirits the Scriptures are silent on whether the ‘Twelve’ ever did. In Luke 10: 1, 17, 18a, 19, it states:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy [‘seventy-two??] others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where he Himself was about to go. Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “Behold, I give you the authority to (3) trample on serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and (4) nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Cp. Mark 16: 17-18)

In the book of Acts (19: 11-13, 15-16), it reads:
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And the evil spirit(s) answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man [‘men??] in whom was the evil spirit(s) leaped on them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. Of course, here too, it does not mention at this point whether the Apostle Paul did drive the evil spirit(s) out, but in all likelihood he probably did at a later point.

Now what does all of these things that happened two millennia ago in the Middle East have to do with modern times; much in every respect. If the Christian Church wants to distinguish itself as the ‘Truth,’ then it will have to manifest something which will authenticate or give witness to the theology. It is not enough merely to revere a sacred book and participate in a variety of liturgical rites or faith practices because that is common in just about all religions. Indeed, I Corinthians 4: 20 says: For the kingdom of God is not in word [‘only’] but in power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’]. And lastly, the Apostle Paul admonished his son in the Gospel about those believers in the body of Christ who appear on the surface to be righteous, but as he mentions in II Timothy 3: 5: Having a [‘outward’??] form of godliness, but denying the power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’] thereof: from such turn away.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

INRI: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews

These four letters are probably the most recognizable ‘acronym’ throughout the entire Western Hemisphere and many parts of the entire planet Earth, especially where Christianity has been carried into. The ‘specialness’ and recognition ascribed to these four characters of the English/Latin alphabet isn’t unlike that of the “Tetragramatton”(‘YHVH’), the sacred and unpronounceable Name of the Lord God of Israel, revered by all the Jews.

Each of the Gospel narratives present a slightly differing account of exactly what was written and by whom on a sign placed above the head of Jesus as He lay outstretched with His hands and feet driven through with spikes, lifted up and hanging on the wooden cross at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary. The question is why there is such variation in an event that was observed by eyewitnesses, and to what purpose would there be to leave out certain details of the crucifixion?

Matthew 27:37
GREEK (“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”)
ουτος εστιν ιησους ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti Iesous basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
זה זה את ישו המלך של היהודים
Yeshūa' ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
is est Iesvs Rex Ivdaeorvm

COMMENTARY:
Matthew’s version mentions ‘they’ [presumably the Roman soldiers] wrote this inscription as charge against Jesus and placed the sign above His head, and this would most probably have been written in Latin or Greek. The word “Nazareth” is omitted.

Mark 15:26
GREEK (“The King of the Jews”)
ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
Rex Ivdaeorvm

COMMENTARY:
Mark’s account simply says, “The king of the Jews” without any additional qualifiers such as Jesus’ name or where He was from.

Luke 23:38
GREEK (“This is the King of the Jews”)
ουτος εστιν ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti basileus Ioudaios
also sometimes given as:
outos estin o basileus twn ioudaiwn
LATIN
is est Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
זה זה המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm

COMMENTARY:
Luke uses the same title as Mark but he adds that the ‘inscription’ was in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. None of the other authors mention anything about letters of the alphabet or a particular script or type, which may possibly mean that the source possibly didn’t know how to translate the lines of characters which was written on the sign.

John 19:19
GREEK (“Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”)
Ιησους ουσ.ναζαρέτ ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
Iesous Nazoraios basileus Ioudaios
LATIN
Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
ישו של נָצְרַת המלך של היהודים
yeshūa' Natz'rat ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm

COMMENTARY:
John states that Pilate wrote the inscription that was to be placed over the head of Jesus as He was to be hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, and the writing was in first, Hebrew, then Greek, and lastly, in Latin. It is interesting that the Roman Governor of Judea would give primacy to the Hebrew Language over Latin or Greek, because he certainly didn’t seem to have any particular love or respect for the Jewish people.

To sum it all up then, for whatever reasons, the sources used by Mark and Luke chose not to reveal Jesus’ identity or hometown; perhaps as a deliberate attempt to protect His family and loved ones, or for some unknown purpose that the Scriptures do not reveal. No doubt there have been many individuals who have claimed the mantle as the promised Messiah/Delivered and King of the Jews who have met a similar fate of martyrdom; and for some, this latest person is just “another unnamed one” in the long line of unsuccessful revolutionaries, soon to be forgotten in the dust of the earth; or so they thought! In John’s version, not only is Jesus’ name mentioned but also where He was from, and it is this bold declaration, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” or Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, that we derive the letters ‘INRI;’ which will be cherished from henceforth, and throughout time immemorial.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What Must I do to Inherit Eternal Life?

Jesus had just wrapped up a lengthy discourse in the region of Galilee (Cp. Matthew 17: 22, 24) and was entering the region of Judea beyond the Jordan (Cp. Matthew 19: 1). It was in this vicinity that great multitudes came to Him to be healed and some Pharisees came to Him with questions about ‘a man divorcing his wife for any cause.’ Jesus uses this occasion for another teaching opportunity, and after blessing the little children, someone from the crowd asked Him the very words contained in the title of this study, namely, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus tells him to keep the commandments.

Exodus 20: 1-17{abbr.}
(1) You shall not have other gods before Me (v. 3).
(2) You shall not make for yourself any graven [‘carved/molten’] image (v.4).
(3) You shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain (v. 7).
(4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (v. 8).
(5) Honor your Father and your Mother (v. 12).
(6) You shall not Murder (v. 13).
(7) You shall not commit Adultery (v. 14).
(8) You shall not Steal (v. 15).
(9) You shall not bear False Witness against your neighbor (v. 16).
(10) You shall not Covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (v. 17).

The man responded back, “Which ones?” The following is Jesus’ reply:

Matthew 19: 18-19
(6) You shall not Murder; (7) You shall not commit Adultery; (8) You shall not Steal; (9) You shall not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother; and You shall love your Neighbor as yourself.

Mark 10: 19
(7) Do not commit Adultery; (6) Do not Murder; (8) Do not Steal; (9) Do not bear False Witness; Do not Defraud; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother.

*Luke has 2 versions*
10: 25-27 [‘version 1’]
So He answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and [‘love’] your neighbor as yourself.

NOTE: This account does not contain a single quote from the ‘Decalogue’ [“Ten Commandments”] found originally in Exodus 20, but rather combines Deuteronomy 6: 5 and Leviticus 19: 18b.

After Jesus had commended him on his astuteness the scribe [‘lawyer’] wanted to justify himself, and asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” This leads to the perhaps controversial and not well received, at least in the cultural setting of that time among the Jews, what is now commonly known as, the “Parable of the Good Samaritan” (Cp. Luke 10: 30-37). Since the first version might not have been palpable to the contemporary Jewish worldview and doubtless received some antagonism or resistance, an alternative version of the narrative was constructed alongside the former one; but without the parable which honors any ‘Samaritan.’

Luke 18: 20 [‘version 2’]
(7) Do not commit Adultery; (6) Do not Murder; (8) Do not Steal; (9) Do not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother.

Leviticus 19: 1-18 {abbr.}
(5) Every one of you will revere his Mother and Father [‘order reversed’], and (4) keep My Sabbaths. (v. 3)
(1) Do not turn to Idols nor (2) make for yourself molten idols. (v. 4)
(8) You shall not steal, nor (9) deal falsely, nor lie to one another. (v. 11)
(3) You shall not swear by My Name, nor shall you profane the name of the Lord your God. (v. 12)
You shall not cheat [Cp. Mark 10: 19; ‘Defraud’] your neighbor nor (8) rob him. (v.13)
. . . nor shall you (6) take a stand against the life of your neighbor. (v. 16b)
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself (v. 18) {Cp. Matthew 19: 19}.

NOTE: Only Commandments (7) You shall not commit Adultery and (10) You shall not Covet anything belonging to your neighbor are missing from the original ten statutes which were given to Moses on fiery Mount Sinai as recorded in Exodus 20.

Deuteronomy 5: 6-22 {abbr.}
(1) You shall have no other gods before Me. (v. 7)
(2) You shall not make for yourself a Graven image. (v. 8)
(3) You shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain. (v. 11a)
(4) Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v. 12a)
(5) Honor your Father and your Mother (v. 16)
(6) You shall not Murder. (v. 17)
(7) You shall not commit Adultery. (v. 18)
(8) You shall not Steal. (v. 19)
(9) You shall not beat False Witness against your neighbor (v. 20)
(10) You shall not Covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. (v. 21)

And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (vs. 15)

NOTE: This is different from the explanation given in Exodus 20:8-11, which was based on God resting from the six days of ‘creation.’

To sum it all up then, Matthew, Mark, and Luke ver. 2 omit “Commandments” 1, 2, 3,
4, and 10. Matthew and Mark quote Leviticus 19 but use different verses. Luke version 1 and Matthew both use Leviticus 19: 18, but only Luke version 1 adds the additional reference in Deuteronomy 6: 5. Luke version 1 is actually the most profound and significant which encapsulates the very spiritual core of the true meaning, requirements and totality of the Law of God; which is attested by Jesus in
Matthew 22: 36-40 [esp. v. 41]: “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 28, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Prosperity Gospel Leaves Christians Spiritually Shortchanged

One of the early expositors of what is commonly referred to as the ‘Prosperity Gospel/Prosperity Theology’ was Norman Vincent Peale, who in 1952 wrote, “The Power of Positive Thinking;” which sold 20 million copies worldwide. He blended a bit of psychoanalysis and Scripture, such as the statement by Jesus, “The kingdom of God is within you [‘in your midst’];” thus laying the groundwork for what is becoming increasing popular today in Evangelical Christian circles. Even that work might have received inspiration from an earlier book by Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich,” which was published in 1937. Later in Christian circles believers were introduced to “prayer cloths” and anointing with “Holy [‘olive’??] Oil” to receive divine blessings for material things (cars, house, money, jobs, etc.); be that as it may, what does the Bible really say about this subject?

Proverbs 13: 7
There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

Matthew 25: 14-30 “Parable of the Talents”

COMMENTARY: This particular story is not a literal interpretation of investment strategies because Jesus states in v. 14a: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling into a far country.” If it were used in the contemporary sense for the purpose of financial counseling, then the servant with the one talent perhaps should be commended instead of condemned. For one thing, he had much less money to work with and therefore was prudently more careful with losing the Master’s money and more content to keep his money on the sidelines and wait until market conditions stabilize where the timing was more favorable to invest in the stock market or purchase Corporate/Treasury Bonds, T-Bills, Treasury Notes, Commercial Paper, or a Bank CD.

The other two servants had more money to work with and perhaps they were more risk takers, deciding to roll the dice and take their chances; which fortunately for them, it paid off on this occasion. Any significant incremental movements in the market on the downside could wipe out a small amount of money such as with having only ‘one’ talent, percentage-wise. The thing that sealed the fate [v. 30; ‘cast into outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth’] of the servant with this single talent was not so much that he ‘hid his talent,’ but rather how he tried to justify his course of action by upbraiding his Master and in some way attempt to blame him for his failure. What the Lord Jesus Christ used the illustration for was to teach the disciples about the importance of ‘bearing fruit’ and the dire consequences for not doing so.

The modern Evangelical “SUPER-SALESMEN/WOMEN FOR JESUS” who borrow heavily from some of the highly successful motivational speaker techniques used in Direct Selling Association (DSA) and Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) seminars to win over an ever-increasing multitude of ‘true believers’ to this “New Gospel,” and in many ways, it is like ‘the blind leading the blind.’ Some of these gurus will make available their ‘plan for material success/prosperity’ in a taped series on lectures on audio cassette tape/CD, or on a pre-recorded DVD live in front of an audience within the backdrop of an elaborate stage setting, sanctuary, outdoor arena or auditorium, or, as an author with a book published as a bestseller on the New York Times Top 20.

Jesus says in Matthew 6: 31: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

I Timothy 6: 9-10
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money [not necessarily ‘riches/wealth’ per se] is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the ‘Faith’ in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows [‘regrets’].

Matthew 16: 26a
For what profit is it to a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Hebrews 13: 5a
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.

I Timothy 6: 6-8
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; and having food and clothing
[‘shelter’/other basic ‘necessities’??], with these we shall be content.

Psalms 37: 25
I have been young and now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his [‘their’] seed begging for bread.

So, when one of these preachers expound so eloquently upon how great and awesome our God is and that He is rich and does things in a very big way, get ready for the 'punch line.' They will also tell you about how one is robbing God in the matter of tithes and offerings and about bringing all the tithes into God's storehouse. Just a reminder: You might come to find out that the money collection and contribution of the saints might be filling up their storehouses, not God's.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

The Seven Churches of Asia Minor in the Book of Revelation

If there was ever a book in the entire Christian Bible which has been the most complex, symbolically confusing, disturbing, and interpretatively challenging, this last written communication from Heaven is number one. A good starting place to begin this journey is to identify the author. Church tradition has it on the word of none other than Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons that the Apostle John is the one who received this inspired vision. There are of course, a couple of problems with this endorsement from the highly respected Ecclesiastical authority; firstly, there is no proof to this assertion and secondly, there is no evidence that ‘John’ ever ventured outside the environs of Judea or Samaria, and even when he did, he was never alone (Cp. Acts 3: 1; 4: 13; 8: 1b, 14; 12: 17b, 19b). And perhaps more importantly, this particular John is not an apostle.

Revelation 1: 9a, 22: 6, 9
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation, kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. . . Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must take place shortly.” Then he said to me, “I am your fellow servant, and of your brother the prophets.”

Now let’s take a closer look at the Seven Churches of Asia Minor to see what a ‘revelation’ it is to those of the Christian Faith [‘Gentiles’].

The Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2: 1-7)
Ephesus was a Greek city located on the west coast of Anatolia, Turkey. The Apostle Paul entered a Jewish synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews (Cp. Acts 18: 9). Apollos came there and taught in the synagogue but Aquila and Priscilla took him aside to explain the word of God more perfectly to him. (Cp. Acts 18: 24-26). Paul came back to Ephesus and reasoned and persuaded in the synagogue for three months the things concerning the kingdom of God. He later withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus; which he continued for a period of two years (Cp. Acts 19: 1b, 8-10).

Characteristics:
(1) Seven golden lamp stands (Cp. Exodus 25: 31:Zechariah 4: 2b; Hebrews 9: 1-2).
(2) Tested those who say they are Apostles and are not.
(3) The deeds of the ‘Nicolaitans.’
(4) The Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise [‘Persian’ word for “garden”] of God (Cp. Genesis 2: 8a, 9b).

The Church at Smyrna (Revelation 2: 8-11)
This was the ancient city of ‘Izmir’ on the Aegean seacoast of Anatolia, Turkey.

Characteristics:
(5) The blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but the synagogue of Satan.
(6) The First and the Last (Cp. Isaiah 44: 6b; 48: 12b), who was dead and came to life.

The Church in Pergamos (Revelation 2: 12-17)
This was an ancient Greek city in ‘Mysia’ [NW Anatolia, Turkey] near the Aegean Sea.

Characteristics:
(7) I know where Satan’s throne is.
(8) Antipas My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
(9) The doctrine of Balaam (Cp. Numbers 25: 1-2; 31: 16), (10) eat things sacrificed to idols, (11) sexual immorality.
(3) The doctrine of the ‘Nicolaitans.’
(12) The hidden manna to eat, (13) a white stone with a new name written on it
(Cp. Isaiah 62: 2b).

The Church in Thyatira (Revelation 2: 18-29)
This is the modern Turkish city of ‘Akhisar’ on the border between ‘Lydia & Mysia’ [NW Anatolia, Turkey].

Characteristics:
(14) The Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass
(Cp. 1: 13a, 14b-15a; Daniel 10: 6).
The woman (9a) Jezebel who seduce My servants [‘prophets’??] to (10a) commit sexual immorality and (11a) eat things sacrificed to idols.
(15) I will give power over the nations.
(16) I will give him the Morning Star (Cp. 22: 16b).

The Church in Sardis (Revelation 3: 1-6)
It was located in the Manisa province of Turkey, and capitol of the ancient city of ‘Lydia’ [east of ‘Ionia’ and inland ‘Izmir’]. The population spoke an ‘Anatolian’ language known as “Lydian.”

Characteristics:
(17) I will come as a thief in the night (Cp. Matthew 24: 43-44).
(18) He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments (Cp. Ecclesiastes 9: 8a??).
(19) I will not blot out his name from the Book of life (Cp. Exodus 32: 32).
(20) I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels
(Cp. Matthew 10: 32; Mark 8: 38??).

The Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13)
This was a town and district of Manisa province in the Aegean region of Turkey.

Characteristics:
(21) He who has the key of David.
(22) He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens
(Cp. Isaiah 22: 22b).
(5a) Those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not.
(23) I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God.
(24) The name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from My God.
I will write on him My new name (Cp. 19: 12).

The Church of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3: 14-22)
This was an ancient metropolis built on the river Lyons in Anatolia, near the modern village of ‘Eskihisar,’ Denizli province, Turkey.

Characteristics:
(25) These things say the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God (Cp. Colossians 1: 15).
(26) I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Cp. Matthew 19: 28; 25: 31).

According to ‘Wikipedia’ all of these Churches of Asia Minor are near the vicinity of ‘Anatolia’ in modern-day Turkey, and coincidentally the Apostle Paul’s birthplace in Tarsus [‘Cilicia’] is south of the Anatolian peninsula. This is even more intriguing from a later secular historical perspective because of the genocide of one million Armenian Jews living in Anatolia by the Turks in the year 1915. So is it possible that one of the most influential contributors to Christianity as it is known and practiced throughout the world may have been one of the ancestors of the “Armenian Jews”?

Another point needs to be made, and that is, not only is the imagery and symbolism of the seven churches almost entirely Jewish in content, theme, as well as in other literary expressions, and it should not be co-opted just to fit neatly into eschatological Christian theological interpretations. When John says he was in the Spirit on the ‘Lord’s Day’ (Cp. 1: 1), it is not so obvious that he has in mind the First Day of the week; which is celebrated by Christians as the day when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead (Cp. Matthew 28: 1a; Mark 16: 1-2a; Luke 23: 56b;
John 20: 1) and as a day of worship (Cp. Acts 20: 7??; I Corinthians 16: 1-2).

If, the audience to whom John penned his message were perhaps “Messianic Jews” [Jews who believe in Jesus as the ‘Messiah’], who although are Greek in language and custom, nevertheless they were still religiously devout and faithful to Jewish traditions and aspirations; then identifying to the words, “The Lord’s Day,” would seem to have the meaning as spoken by the Lord Jesus:

Matthew 12: 8
For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath [‘Day’].

Mark 2: 28
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath [‘Day’].


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 18, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com

What Day was Jesus Crucified On?

Sunday, April 14, commemorates the most revered of all holy days in Christendom, namely, observing the ‘Easter’ celebration or Pascha. "Good Friday" culminates the final last days of the sacred week which reached its zenith with worship services and all the liturgical elements which accompany the solemnity of the occasion. While it is almost universally accepted that Friday was the day in which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary, yet, is that really the day on which this sacred event happened?

Matthew 27: 57a, 59-60
Now, when evening [of the ‘Preparation Day before the Sabbath] had come. . . Joseph [of ‘Arimathea’] took the body of Jesus and laid it in his new tomb.

62-65
On the next day which follows the ‘Preparation Day’ [the Sabbath], the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead;’ So that the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”

28: 1
Now after the Sabbath, as the ‘First’ day of the week began to dawn.

Mark 15: 42-45
Now, when evening had come, because, it was the ‘Preparation Day,’ that is, the day before the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate granted the body to Joseph, who wrapped His body in linen and laid Him in a tomb which he had hewn out of the rock.

16: 1-2
Now, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him; very early in the morning, on the ‘First’ day of the week, they came to the tomb when [‘before’??] the sun had risen.

Luke 23: 50, 52-54
Now, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a good and just man. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. The he took it down, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the ‘Preparation Day’ (Cp. Mark 15: 42), and the Sabbath drew near.

24: 1
Now, on the ‘First’ day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bearing spices which they had prepared.

John 19: 31, 40, 42
Therefore, because it was the ‘Preparation Day,’ (Cp. Mark 15: 42) that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the ‘Sabbath’ (for the ‘Sabbath’ was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then they[Cp. 19: 38-39; Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus] took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ ‘Preparation Day,’ for the tomb was nearby.

20: 1a
Now, on the ‘First’ day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark.

So, what ‘Day’ was it on that Jesus conquered the power of death and rose victorious from the grave? Well, using the ancient lunar chronology of ‘evening and morning’ as a ‘Day’ (Cp. Genesis 1: 5b) as well as Jesus’ own words in Matthew 12: 40: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be ‘three days and three nights’ in the heart of the earth.”

[CHART]

(1a) Thursday Dawn
(1b) Thursday Dusk ‘Preparation Day’(START)
“Jesus Crucified”

(2a) Friday Dawn
(2b) Friday Dusk ‘Preparation Day’ (END)
‘Sabbath Day’(START)

(3a) Saturday Dawn
(3b) Saturday Dusk ‘Sabbath Day’(END)
‘First Day’ of the week(START)
*Jesus resurrected sometime between late Saturday night [most likely,
after ‘midnight’] and early Sunday morning before dawn.*

(4a) Sunday Dawn
(4a) Sunday Dusk ‘First Day’ of the week (END)

So, it would seem from this illustration that "Holy Friday" may indeed be Holy Thursday; coincidentally, the very day of the week that is named in honor of ‘Thor,’ son of the Viking deity and Father of the Norse gods, ‘Odin.’ It was ordained in the Old Testament Scriptures through the prophesy of King David that God would not allow His Holy One to see corruption [‘decay’], and so, on the ‘Third Day,’ He arose!


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 15, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com