6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Yeshayah 9:6 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
6 (5) For unto us a yeled is born, unto us ben is given; and the misrah (dominion) shall be upon his shoulder; and Shmo shall be called Peleh (Wonderful), Yoetz (Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty G-d), Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity), Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace).
Isaiah 9:6 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
6 (7) in order to extend the dominion
and perpetuate the peace
of the throne and kingdom of David,
to secure it and sustain it
through justice and righteousness
henceforth and forever.
The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6 Names of God Bible (NOG)
6 A child will be born for us.
A son will be given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
He will be named:
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Sar Shalom.
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Intimacy.” There, you will be able to locate the Intimacy posts, which will appear in the order of their being published. If you click onto the following link you will be able to follow the blog and receive future posts automatically. Such an option is important for people who receive posts directly from me because, from time to time, email addresses are dropped from my list of contacts. Please follow this blog.
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John MacArthur – Daniel 9 (interpreting Bible prophecy literally)
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Introduction
The ninth chapter of the Book Of Daniel is one of the most important books of the Bible, especially the last four verses of the Book (vs 24-27). In it we will find information about the tribulation, which Christ discusses in Matthew Chapter 24. We will also find the identities of those who will be present during the tribulation, as well as the length of the tribulation.
Key events will take place preceding the tribulation, which is also known as the 70th week of Daniel. The catching up/rapture of the church (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor 15:50-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18) will remove from planet Earth everyone who has been born again, those having the Spirit of God inhabiting their spirit and prompting them to live righteously. Immediately, the world will be left only with people, leaders and following citizens, who have no relationship with God. They will not have the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, or the prompting of the Holy Spirit to live righteous lives. Chaos will break out all over the world, which is shown in Ezekiel 38-39 and Matthew 24:4-20. The anti-christ will make a covenant with the nation of Israel for its safety and integrity of land presence. That covenant with Israel will be made for a seven-year period. The anti-Christ will help Israel to build a temple and reestablish their sacrifices. But, in the middle of the seven years, after making peace in Israel, the anti-christ will break the treaty and do away with the Jewish sacrifices. He will proclaim himself to be God, and will call all of the world to worship him. (2 Thes 2:4; Rev 13:7-8). The events of the Tribulation will intensify, as is shown in Matthew 24:21-28, and continues through Revelation through 18. At the same time, the judgments of God on planet earth escalate, as the Trumpet Judgments give way to Bowl Judgments, as they begin in Rev 15. It is important to understand that God is in control of all of the happenings of the seventieth week of Daniel, the tribulation. For instance, in Ezekiel 38:4, God causes ungodly forces to attack Israel for His own purposes. He uses the same discretion of pouring out the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments in the Book of Revelation, which will affect every living person on planet earth, who has been left behind, after having missed the rapture
Ezekiel 38:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
Gog and Allies Attack Israel
1 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
He brings the invader to Palestine so that He may visit judgment (v. 8) on the invader itself (38:18–23; 39:1–10). (MacArthur)
Revelation 6:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
First Seal: The Conqueror
1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”
My note. During the time of the rule of the anti-christ over Israel, God releases the judgments (Seal, Trumpet, Bowl).
6:1 the seals. In chap. 5, Christ was the only One found worthy to open the little scroll—the title deed to the universe. As He breaks the 7 seals that secure the scroll, each seal unleashes a new demonstration of God’s judgment on the earth in the future tribulation period (see notes on 5:1; Matt. 24:3–9). These seal judgments include all the judgments to the end. The seventh seal contains the 7 trumpets; the seventh trumpet contains the 7 bowls. (MacArthur)
My note. For someone to believe that there will be no pre-tribulation rapture, such a person must also believe that every man, woman and child will come under the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments that God will inflict on planet Earth. (See Rev 3:10 and MacArthur note)
Revelation 3:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
3:10 keep you from the hour of trial. Christ’s description—an event still future that for a short time severely tests the whole world—must refer to the time of tribulation, the 7 year period before Christ’s earthly kingdom is consummated, featuring the unleashing of divine wrath in judgments expressed as seals, trumpets, and bowls. This period is described in detail throughout chaps. 6–19. The latter half is called “the Great Tribulation” (7:14; Matt. 24:21) and is identified as to time in 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5. The verb “to keep” is followed by a preposition whose normal meaning is “from” or “out of”—this phrase, “keep…from” supports the pretribulational rapture of the church (see notes on John 14:1–3; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:13–17). This period is the same as Daniel’s 70th week (see notes on Dan. 9:24–27) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (see notes on Jer. 30:7). (MacArthur note)
The recipients of the judgments will be those who do not have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Born again believers in Christ have had the sin problem dealt with at the time of their new birth. The cause of the tribulation will be for God to judge sin (the sin of believers has already been judged), and for Israel to come to know Christ as Messiah (those who are believers in Christ have already settled that issue). (Mine)
The Rapture John MacArthur
Turkey’s Important Role in the Ezekiel 38 War
Ezekiel 38:1—39:29 These chaps. tell of a coming northern confederacy of nations who will invade the Promised Land. (MacArthur)
A Glimpse Of Armageddon – The Sixth Bowl Judgment – Will you be there – if so, in which capacity? This is an honest question, which demands a serious response.
Revelation 16:12 New King James Version (NKJV)
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
Revelation 16:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Revelation 14:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
Study notes. Biblegateway.com. MacArthur Study Bible notes.
16:16 Armageddon. The Heb. name for Mt. Megiddo, 60 mi. N of Jerusalem. The battle will rage on the nearby plains, site of Barak’s victory over the Canaanites (Judg. 4), and Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (Judg. 7). Napoleon called this valley the greatest battlefield he had ever seen. But the Battle of Armageddon will not be limited to the Megiddo plains—it will encompass the length of Palestine (see note on 14:20).
14:20 outside the city. God will determine that this bloodbath will occur outside Jerusalem, as if God wants to protect the city from the carnage all around. Zechariah 14:1–5 makes clear that Jerusalem will be attacked, but will not be destroyed in the end, but spared for the glory of the kingdom, and the believing remnant will be saved as the Lord defends them and the city against the nations. They will escape through a newly created valley as the Lord finishes judgment and sets up His kingdom. up to the horses’ bridles. The severity of the slaughter is indicated in the imagery of the blood of those killed in the Battle of Armageddon splattering as high (about 4 ft.) as the bridles of the horses involved. Equally likely, if the battle occurs near the central valley of Israel, the tremendous volume and flow of blood could easily form troughs 4 ft. deep in some places. This event clearly is described in 19:11–21. Ezekiel 39:8–16 may be describing the clean up. one thousand six hundred furlongs. See marginal note. The approximate distance from Armageddon in the N of Palestine to Edom in the S. The great battle will rage across that entire area and even slightly beyond.
Introduction to Daniel Chapter 9
Daniel 9:24 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Seventy Weeks
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
The ninth chapter of Daniel specifically takes up prophecy as it applies to the chosen people of God, the Jews. The prophecy as a whole is presented in verse 24. The first sixty-nine sevens is described in verse 25. The events between the sixty-ninth seventh and the seventieth seventh are detailed in verse 26. The final period of the seventieth seventh is described in verse 27. The prophecy is that “the 70 weeks relate to Daniel’s people and his city, Israel and Jerusalem.” The angel Gabriel enumerated six important purposes that God would accomplish during the period of the 70 weeks: (1) “to finish the transgression;” (2) “to put an end to sin;” (3) “to atone for iniquity;” (4) “to bring in everlasting righteousness;” (5) “to seal both vision and prophet;” and (6) “to anoint a most holy place.” The first three deal with sin. The last three focus on the positive aspects of God’s prophetic program for His people, His City, and His sanctuary. (John F. Wolvoord)
None of the six prophecies were fulfilled in the first 69 weeks, so there must be a future time for God’s people. At that time, the final seven-year tribulation period will begin. Once the church is raptured out of the world, the final seven-year period of Daniel begins, “the Tribulation.” The anti-christ shall confirm a covenant with Israel for “one week” (7 years) and help Israel build a the temple and reestablish their sacrifices. But in the middle of the week (3 1/2 years), after making peace in Israel, the anti-christ will break the treaty and do away with the Jewish sacrifices. Then, the anti-christ shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. The result will be the Great Tribulation – the last 3 1:2 years when the world will be bathed in the blood of persecution. The “Great Tribulation,” called “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” is described in Mathew 24:15-21 by Christ (David Jeremiah).
It is easy to see that the purpose of the tribulation is for God to deal with sin, and to draw His people, “Israel,” to faith in Christ. The believer in Christ has had his, or her, sin reconciled. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed on believers in Christ (Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:9). (Mine)
Imputed righteousness is the result of someone being born again, born from above. Consider the righteousness that each born again believer in Christ had bestowed on him, or her. (Mine)
John 14:20 New King James Version (NKJV) The new birth results in the indwelling of the spirit of the believer in Christ, with the Spirit of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (Mine)
20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
2 Corinthians 5:21 New King James Version (NKJV) By imputed righteousness, we are spiritually “in Christ.” We have been made righteous, with our spirit being as righteousness as that of God. (Mine)
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Colossians 1:27 New King James Version (NKJV) By being the righteousness of Christ, the Spirit of Christ takes up residence in those who have received imputed righteousness. (Mine)
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:13-14 New King James Version (NKJV) At the time of that imputation, or new birth, every thing that God has had against us “is nailed to the cross.” (Mine)
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Daniel 9 New King James Version (NKJV)
Study notes are from Biblegateway.com. MacArthur Study Bible notes, unless noted.
Daniel’s Prayer for the People
1 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—
9:1 the first year. Ca. 539 B.C. made king. This may mean that Darius (a title, not a proper name, see note on 5:31) refers to Cyrus who was made king by God’s allowance (cf. Ps. 75:6, 7). Since Cyrus was the first monarch of the Medo-Persian empire, this time note was also the first year after the death of Belshazzar, when Babylon fell.
2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
9:2 seventy years. Daniel’s study of “the books” (OT scrolls) focused on the years prophesied for the captivity by Jeremiah in Jer. 25:11, 12 and 29:10. Since the end of that span was near, he prayed for God’s next move on behalf of Israel. Cf. 2 Chr. 36:21, where it is indicated that the 70 years of exile were intended to restore the Sabbath rests that Israel had ignored for so many years (cf. Lev. 25:4, 5; 26:34–43).
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
9:11 the curse. This refers to the judgment that God brought, as promised, for Israel’s disobedience in the Land (Lev. 26:21–42; Deut. 28:15–68). This is in contrast to the blessings associated with faith and obedience (Lev. 26:3–20; Deut. 28:1–14). God had given the promise that even in a time of judgment, if Israel would confess their sin, He would bring blessing again (Lev. 26:40–42).
12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 “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; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
9:16. Daniel prayed for restoration in 3 aspects. In effect he asked God to bring back “Your city” (vv. 16, 18), “Your sanctuary (v. 17), and “Your people”(v. 19). God’s answer embraced all three (v. 24).
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
9:4–19 I prayed. Various aspects of the passage give rich instruction regarding prayer. True prayer is: in response to the Word (v. 2), characterized by fervency and self-denial (v. 3), identified unselfishly with God’s people (v. 5), strengthened by confession (vv. 5–15), dependent on God’s character (vv. 4, 7, 9, 15), and has as its goal, God’s glory (vv. 16–19).
The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God,
(My note. Notice that Daniel is praying in reference to his sin and to the sin of the people of Israel.)
21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.
9:21 the man Gabriel. This angel, called a “man” because he appeared in the form of a man, appeared also in 8:16. Cf. the angel Michael in 10:13, 21; 12:1. the evening offering. This was the second lamb of two offered daily (cf. 8:14 and see note there), this one at 3 p.m., a common time for prayer (Ezra 9:5).
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy,And to anoint the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build 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.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”
9:24–26 Seventy weeks…from…until. These are weeks of years, whereas weeks of days are described in a different way (10:2, 3). The time spans from the Persian Artaxerxes’ decree to rebuild Jerusalem, ca. 445 B.C. (Neh. 2:1–8), to the Messiah’s kingdom. This panorama includes: 1) 7 weeks or 49 years, possibly closing Nehemiah’s career in the rebuilding of the “street and wall,” as well as the end of the ministry of Malachi and the close of the OT; 2) 62 weeks or 434 more years for a total of 483 years to the first advent of Messiah. This was fulfilled at the triumphal entry on 9 Nisan, A.D. 30 (see notes on Matt. 21:1–9). The Messiah will be “cut off,” (a common reference to death); and 3) the final 7 years or 70th week of the time of Antichrist (cf. v. 27). Roman people, from whom the Antichrist will come, will “destroy the city” of Jerusalem and its temple in A.D. 70.
9:24. This highly complex and startlingly accurate prophecy answers Daniel’s prayer, not with reference to near history, but by giving the future of Israel in the final end of the age. God promises 2 sets of 3 accomplishments each….First, those related to sin are: 1) finish the transgression, i.e., restrain sin and Israel’s in particular in its long trend of apostasy, as in v. 11; 2) make an end of sins, i.e., to judge it with finality (cf. Heb. 9:26); and 3) make reconciliation for iniquity, signifies to furnish the actual basis of covering sin by full atonement, the blood of the crucified Messiah who is “cut off” (v. 26), which affects the first two realities (cf. the fountain, Zech. 13:1)…. Second, those accomplishments related to righteousness are: 1) bring in…righteousness, the eternal righteousness of Daniel’s people in their great change from centuries of apostasy; 2) seal up vision…, i.e., no more revelation is needed and God will bring these anticipations to completion by their fulfillment in Israel’s blessing as a nation; and 3) anoint the Most Holy, consecrate the Holy Place in a temple of the future that will be the center of worship in the millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek. 40–48). Clearly this must be understood to sweep to the end of Gentile power and the time of Antichrist right before Christ’s return. Summing up, the first 3 are fulfilled in principle at Christ’s first coming, in full at His return. The last 3 complete the plan at His Second Advent.
9:27 Then. This is clearly the end of the age, the Second Advent judgment, because the bringing in of righteousness did not occur 7 years after the death of the Messiah, nor did the destruction of Jerusalem fit the 7 year period (occurring 37 years later). This is the future 7 year period which ends with sin’s final judgment and Christ’s reign of righteousness; i.e., the return of Christ and the establishment of His rule. These 7 years constitute the 70th week of Daniel. he shall confirm. “He” is the last-mentioned prince (v. 26), leader of the Roman sphere (cf. chaps. 2 and 7), the Antichrist who comes in the latter days. The time is in the future tribulation period of “one week,” i.e., the final 7 years of v. 24. He confirms (lit., causes to prevail) a 7 year covenant, his own pact with Israel for what will turn out actually to be for a shorter time. The leader in this covenant is the “little horn” of 7:7, 8, 20, 21, 24–26, and the evil leader of NT prophecy (Mark 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:3–10; Rev. 13:1–10). That he is in the future, even after Christ’s First Advent, is shown by 1) Matt. 24:15; 2) by the time references that match (7:25; Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5); and 3) by the end here extending to the Second Advent, matching the duration elsewhere mentioned in Daniel (2:35, 45; 7:15ff.; 12:1–3) and Rev. 11:2; 12:14; 13:5. middle of the week. This is the halfway point of the 70th week of years, i.e., 7 years leading to Christ’s second coming. The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel (v. 27a), which has resumed its ancient sacrificial system. Three and a half years of tribulation remain, agreeing with the time in other Scriptures (7:25; Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5, called “Great Tribulation,” cf. Matt. 24:21) as God’s wrath intensifies. abominations…one who makes desolate. The Antichrist will cause abomination against Jewish religion. This violation will desolate or ruin what Jews regard as sacred, namely their holy temple and the honoring of God’s presence there (cf. 1 Kin. 9:3; 2 Thess. 2:4). Jesus refers directly to this text in His Olivet discourse (Matt. 24:15). See note on 11:31. the consummation. God permits this tribulation under the Antichrist’s persecutions and ultimately triumphs, achieving judgment of the sin and sinners in Israel (12:7) and in the world (cf. Jer. 25:31). This includes the Antichrist (11:45; Rev. 19:20), and all who deserve judgment (9:24; Matt. 13:41–43).
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, which will appear in the order of their being published. If you click onto the following link you will be able to follow the blog and receive future posts automatically. Such an option is important for people who receive posts directly from me because, from time to time, email addresses are dropped from my list of contacts. Please follow this blog.
If you want to make a comment, please place that comment on this blog in the appropriate space at the bottom of this page. If you do not want your comment to be shown, please let me know. I moderate all comments, and will not violate anybody’s trust.
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Genesis 1:1 Names of God Bible (NOG) (Notice that Jehovah “is not” the Name of God)
The Creation
1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth.
Genesis 12:1-3 Names of God Bible (NOG)
The Lord’s First Promise to Abram
1 Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed.”
Deuteronomy 7:6 Names of God Bible (NOG)
6 You are a holy people, who belong to Yahweh your Elohim. Yahweh your Elohim chose you to be his own special possession out of all the nations on earth.
Ezekiel 36:24-28 Names of God Bible (NOG)
24 “‘I will take you from the nations and gather you from every country. I will bring you back to your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean instead of unclean. Then I will cleanse you from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts. 27 I will put my Ruach in you. I will enable you to live by my laws, and you will obey my rules. 28 Then you will live in the land that I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your Elohim.
Consider why the Jews are God’s chosen people. Stepping out from the Ark, the three sons of Noah were the only males, other than Noah, who would step onto planet Earth. They were to be the fathers of all who would ever be born on the earth that had been destroyed by the flood. Noah’s sons were told by God to repopulate the earth (Genesis 9:1). Shem, Ham and Japheth were the names of the sons of Noah (Genesis 10:1). Christ, the Messiah, could only be born of one woman, with that woman being Mary, who was of the blood line of Shem (Luke 3:36). The Jewish blood line came from Shem, so God chose the Jews to bring the Messiah into the world, with the Messiah being called Immanuel (God with us, Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23), and Yeshua (Matthew 1:25). Again, Christ, who was also called Yeshua could have been born of only one mother, with that mother being Mary (Luke 1:26-33). Mary was of the bloodline of the Jews (Luke 3:33). Judah, the son of Jacob/Israel (Luke 3:34), is the starting point of the bloodline of Shem that began to be known as “Jew,” in respect to the blood line that led to the birth of the Messiah, who was called Immanuel and Christ and Yesuha.
Romans 11:29 New King James Version (NKJV) “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
(This verse is important as it relates to the promises that God gave to Israel. It is also important in regard to the gifts that God gave to those whom have been born again (John 3:3, John 3:8, John 3:16, John 3:18, Romans 8:1).
UN passes anti-settlement resolution, US abstains (The link which follows the next three lines will show the story)
“The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes. Israel looks forward to working with President-elect Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd resolution.
Chanukah begins Sat. night, Dec. 24, 2016 and continues through Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017 (Hanukkah/Chanukah)
How to Light the Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukiah)
Consider the Shamash candle which gives light to the other candles, and consider Christ who is the light of the world (John 8:12). Consider also that the Shamash candle is the servant candle to give light to all of the other candles, and that Christ is a servant to give spiritual light to all of the world, to turn it away from the darkness of sin (Acts 3:26).
What Is the Symbolism Behind the Menorah?
The Menorah (7 Candles). The Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukiah) (9 Candles)
Exodus 25:31-39 Names of God Bible (NOG)
The Lamp Stand
31 “Make a lamp stand out of pure gold. The lamp stand, its base, and its shaft, as well as the flower cups, buds, and petals must be hammered out of one piece of gold. 32 Six branches are to come out of the sides, three branches on one side and three on the other. 33 Each of the six branches coming out of the lamp stand is to have three flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals. 34 The lamp stand itself is to have four flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals. 35 There should be a bud under each of the three pairs of branches coming out of the lamp stand. 36 The buds and branches should also be hammered out of the same piece of pure gold as the lamp stand.
37 “Make seven lamps, and set them on the lamp stand so that they light up the area in front of it. 38 The tongs and incense burners must be made of pure gold. 39 Use 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lamp stand and all the utensils.
Exodus 27:21 Names of God Bible (NOG)
21 In the tent of meeting outside the canopy where the words of my promise are, Aaron and his descendants must keep the lamps lit in Yahweh’s presence from evening until morning. This is a permanent law among the Israelites for generations to come.”
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The Epiphany – The Appearing Of The Christ Child To The Wise Men – “They All Didn’t Show Up At The Same Time.”
The revealing of Christ to the Gentiles, as in the persons of the Maji at Bethlehem; also called twelfth night. Observed on January 6th. Webster New World Dictionary Of The American Language College Edition, Copyright 1964 and 1953 to 1964. (consider the twelve days of Christmas)
The twelve days of Christmas in the song are the twelve days between the birth of Christ (Christmas, December 25) and the coming of the Magi (Epiphany, January 6) http://www.12days.com/faq.htm
Epiphany Scripture. Matthew 2:11 New King James Version (NKJV)
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Scripture tells of the birth of Christ, the infant, with the shepherds being present. (Luke 2: 1-20). Scripture also tells of Christ, the young child, with wise men being present (Matthew 2:1-12). So, we see that, “they all didn’t show up at the same time.” Scripture also tells us that the Christ will be “God with us.” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25), and will be “Mighty God.,” (Isaiah 9:6). The story of the Epiphany may be new to some believers but, nevertheless, it is good for all who know Jesus as Lord and Savior to be aware of the information.
Isaiah 7:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Immanuel Prophecy
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:1-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Government of the Promised Son
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Matthew 1:18-25 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
18 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. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 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. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Luke 2:1-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Glory in the Highest
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
15 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 thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Matthew 2:1-12 New King James Version (NKJV)
Wise Men from the East
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 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.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Consider. The wise men may have traveled for a period of two years (Matthew 2:16).
Matthew 2:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
Consider. The wise men followed a star that led them to the Christ child (John 1:9: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”).
Conside. After the wise men “came to Jesus,” they departed…another way.” (Matthew 2:12).
Question. After you were led to Christ, did you return…”another way?”
Christ was first made known to the Jews. Then, he was made known to the Gentiles. There are differences of opinion as to when those things happened. But, please! Don’t carry this battle of ideas out into the world of unbelievers; they have more serious things to think about, such as coming to belief in Christ as their Lord and Savior (John 3:18: ““He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”)
Consider the following information that has been written on Epiphany.
Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. It falls on January 6 or, in many countries, on the Sunday that falls between January 2 and January 8. Since the Julian Calendar, which is followed by some Eastern Churches, is at present 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar and the revised Julian Calendar, 6 January in that calendar corresponds at present to 19 January in what is the official civil calendar in most countries.
On this feast, Western Christians commemorate principally the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, i.e., his manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. It is also called Theophany, especially by Eastern Christians. In both traditions, the essence of the feast is the same: the manifestation of Christ to the world (whether as an infant or in the Jordan), and the Mystery of the Incarnation.
In Christian tradition, the Magi, also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men, (Three) Kings, or Kings from the East, are a group of distinguished foreigners who are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity and in celebrations of Christmas. Magi is a term derived from Greek meaning a priest of Zoroaster. (From: Wikipedia, License: CCA-SA)
Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian feasts. It was celebrated since the end of the second century, before the Christmas holiday was established. It is commonly known as Twelfth Night, Twelfth Day, or the Feast of Epiphany. It means “manifestation” or “showing forth”. It is also called Theophany (“manifestation of God”), especially by Eastern Christians. Epiphany also refers to the church season that follows the day.
It commemorates the first two occasions on which Jesus’ divinity, according to Christian belief, was manifested: when the three kings visited infant Jesus in Bethlehem, and when John the Baptist baptized him in the River Jordan. The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches emphasize the visit of the Magi when they celebrate the Epiphany. The Eastern Orthodox churches focus on Jesus’ baptism.
My thought on the meaning of Epiphany. It is “the appearing” of the Christ Child to the Maji, who were Gentiles. The initial appearing of Christ, “the infant,” was to the Shepherds, who were Jews. The Maji found the Christ Child in a house. The Shepherds found “Christ, the infant,” in a cave. There were approximately two years time passage from when the Shepherds saw “Christ, the infant,” until when the Maji saw, “Christ, the child.”
My thoughts on the video. The video is very good. The story that is laid out in it shows a good chronology of events that led up to the arrival of the wise men at the “house” where Jesus and Mary (Matthew 2:11) were mentioned in scripture (Consider all of the people who may have traveled with the wise men). I think that the video clearly shows, as it relates to the Shepherds and Maji, “they all didn’t show up at the same time.” In no scenes were the shepherds and Maji present at the same time. Neither the shepherds, nor the Maji, knew where to go to find Christ, nor that they were even, “supposed to go.” They were led by God’s Holy Spirit, in every aspect of their journey. In today’s world, neither do we know the way to Christ, nor that we are even, “supposed to go.” We are led by the Spirit of God, in every aspect of our Journey. (John 1:9; John 6:44). Without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we don’t even know that we need Christ (1 Cor 1:18; 1 Cor 2:14). Without the work of the Holy Spirit, we will not spend eternity with Christ (John 3:3; John 3:8).
Consider the definition of Epiphany, per the Merriam Webster Dictionary.
Definition of epiphany
plural epiphanies
1
capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ
2
: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being
3
a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b : a revealing scene or moment
“We Three Kings”, also known as “We Three Kings of Orient Are” or “The Quest of the Magi”, is a Christmas carol written by Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music as part of a Christmas pageant for the General Theological Seminary in New York City. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns and Song in 1863. Hopkins composed the song in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he was a pastor at Christ Episcopal Church (which still stands at the corner of Fourth and Mulberry Streets).
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Auburn’s Final Play in Iron Bowl: Chris Davis Return for TD
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Does God Care About Winning In Football?
The college football bowl season began on Saturday, December 17. The final game will be played on the evening of January 9, in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium. At the end of that night, probably around midnight, a national champion will be crowned. Looking forward to that championship night, there are four excellent teams who have already been chosen to compete for the championship in a four-team, two-game playoff. All of the bowl game participants have been sharpening their skills, and being told by their coaches how to “play as a team.” But, really! Does care about winners and losers in football?
The opening video is one of my favorite ones of all of football. It shows how Auburn beat Alabama in the last play of their game in 2013. Will the College Football Championship Game end in such an exciting manner; who knows? But, the question still remains about God and football. By the way, the Head Coach of Auburn is Gus Malzahn; he is a true, “brother in the Lord.”
Psalm 18:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)
God the Sovereign Savior
1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
The movie, “Facing The Giants,” is one that deals with many different relational situations. One of the key lines in the movie is spoken by Coach Grant Taylor when he says, “if we win, we praise Him (God); and if we lose we praise Him.” Another word to remember from the coach is, “give it your best, and leave the rest to God.” One of the best statements was made by Brooke, the coach’s wife, “nothing is impossible when God is on your side.” There are five key events that should be watched for. 1. Coach getting a new truck. 2. Coach getting a $6,000 a year pay raise. 3. Coach buying flowers for his wife. 4. Coach and his wife having a very romantic dinner. And, 5. The moon lit sky after the dinner. The following two paragraphs contain a Wikipedia description of the movie.
In 2003, Grant Taylor (Alex Kendrick) is the head coach at Shiloh Christian Academy, and has yet to post a winning record in his six-year tenure. After his seventh season begins with a three-game losing streak, the players’ fathers start making noises about replacing Coach Taylor with defensive coordinator Brady Owens. This is not the only problem that Grant is facing. His car is breaking down, and he discovers that he is the reason that his wife Brooke cannot become pregnant.
Grant Taylor creates a new coaching philosophy and decides to praise God, no matter what the result. At the same time he guides and urges each one of his players to give the maximum effort, and motivates them to believe that they can win under God’s provision. From that point on, the Shiloh Eagles (Grant’s team) lose only one more game for the rest of the season and advance all the way to the state championship game against the three-time defending champion, the Richland Giants. Even though the Eagles have only a third as many players as the Giants, the Eagles hold their own and ultimately win the game on a 51-yard field goal from a backup kicker who had never kicked more than a 35-yarder before. Grant’s prayers to have children are also answered as Brooke conceives after four years.
The following link will give you an introduction to the movie. It will take you to one of the most emotional scenes in the movie. The setting deals with the giants of life that the coach faces, including the inability of him and his wife to have children.
The full length movie of “Facing The Giants” is available for you to see by way of the iTBN link which follows.
Full movie, compliments of iTBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)
Mark 10:27 Names of God Bible (NOG)
27 Yeshua looked at them and said, “It’s impossible for people to save themselves, but it’s not impossible for God to save them. Everything is possible for God.”
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Highland Hymn: Glory to the Holy One Concert (Saint Andrew’s Chapel)
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1 John 3:2,3 – We Shall Be Like Him
Published on Aug 20, 2015
“Highland Hymn” from Glory to the Holy One, performed live during a concert on February 18, 2015 at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, FL. Learn more at http://GloryToTheHolyOne.com
Lyrics:
Above the mists of Highland hills
E’en far above the clear blue skies
The end of pain and earthly ills
When we shall see His eyes
Refrain
Lutes will sing
Pipers play
When we see Him face to face
On that day
His face now hidden from our sight
Concealed from ev’ry hidden gaze
In hearts made pure from sinful f light
Is the bliss that will amaze
Refrain
We know not yet what we will be
In heaven’s final blessed state
But know we now that we shall see
Our Lord at heaven’s gate
The beatific glory view
That now our souls still long to see
Will make us all at once anew
And like Him forever be
Refrain
Featuring lyrics drawn from Scripture and a lifetime of theological reflection, Glory to the Holy One is a collection of beautiful new hymns written by Dr. R.C. Sproul, wedded with soaring melodies written by award-winning composer, Jeff Lippencott. Recorded in esteemed venues around the world, this new project provides the church with an offering of that which is good, true, and beautiful in the Christian faith.
2 Most dear brethren, now we be the sons of God, and yet it appeared not, what we shall be. We know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
3 And each man that hath this hope in him, maketh himself holy, as [and] he is holy.
ABOUT THE WYC
Version Information
Click to download the Introduction, Endnotes, and Conclusion, Introduction to the Apocrypha, and a Personal Statement Regarding the Apocrypha.
The “Early Version” of the “Wycliffe Bible”, hand-printed about 1382, has long been criticized by Bible historians as too literal, often unintelligible, cumbersome, at best a deeply flawed 1st attempt. In fact, much of the Gospels and the Apocalypse were transferred without significant change from the “Early Version” to the “Later Version”, and closely resemble the “Wycliffe-Purvey” text.
However, it is also true that when the “Early Version” is directly compared to the “Later Version”, the “Early Version” is, overall, a less satisfying read. It is not so finely tuned and contains many more italicized glosses which interrupt the flow. That is why hand-written variations of the “Later Version” became the foundation upon which the King James Version (KJV) was built. But, as was stated earlier, comparing all three versions side-by-side, it becomes clear that the KJV translators rejected numerous revisions made in the “Later Version”, and chose instead individual words and phraseology found in one variant or another of the “Early Version”. Why did they do this? Simply put, in countless passages of the “Early Version”, both the poetry of the language and fidelity to the original Greek text are superior to that found in the “Later Version”.
As the words contained within the square brackets in “Wycliffe-Purvey” readily demonstrate, the KJV translators repeatedly followed the “Early Version”, rather than the “Later Version”, in regard to prepositions (“the” in “EV” replaced by “a” in “LV”), verb forms (e.g., “saying” and “sitting” in “EV” replaced by “said” and “sat” in “LV”), and phrase order within a verse (“a/b/c” in “EV” rearranged into “b/a/c” in “LV”).
But of greatest consequence are almost one hundred significant words that appear in the “Early Version”, which were later copied in the KJV, but which are not found in the equivalent “Later Version” verses. Translation is an inexact science. A single word can often be rendered several ways (as the “Wycliffe” versions themselves amply demonstrate). Therefore these linguistic agreements between the “Early Version” and the KJV are meaningful. Examples include: “unction” (“anointing” in “LV”), “allegory” (“understanding” in “LV”), “mystery” (“private” in “LV”), “liberty” (“freedom” in “LV”), “captive” (“prisoner” in “LV”), “Caesar” (“emperor” in “LV”), “prize” (“reward” in “LV”), “wise men” (“astrologers” in “LV”), “veil” (“covering” in “LV”), “faith” (“unbelief” in “LV”), “concision” (“division” in “LV”), and “sand” (“gravel” in “LV”). These words, and many others, were first introduced into the English New Testament lexicon in the 1382 “Early Version” of the “Wycliffe Bible”. More than two hundred years later, they were utilized again by the KJV translators.
English Bible History: Timeline of how we got the English Bible
Click onto the following link to see a timeline of English Bible translations from the Wycliffe Bible to those of current date.
The fascinating story of how we got the Bible in its present form actually starts thousands of years ago, as briefly outlined in our Timeline of Bible Translation History. As a background study, we recommend that you first review our discussion of the Pre-Reformation History of the Bible from 1,400 B.C. to 1,400 A.D., which covers the transmission of the scripture through the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, and the 1,000 years of the Dark & Middle Ages when the Word was trapped in only Latin. Our starting point in this discussion of Bible history, however, is the advent of the scripture in the English language with the “Morning Star of the Reformation”, John Wycliffe.
The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in the 1380’s AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!
I. From Wycliffe to King James: the Period of Challenge
Click onto the following link for a more detailed study of John Wycliffe. It is important to know that Wycliffe “hand wrote”his translation.
Until John Wycliffe translated the New Testament, only small portions of the Bible had been translated into English. The English language traces its roots back to approximately AD 600; within a hundred years, the Psalms and a portion of the Gospels had been translated. In 735, the Venerable Bede, on his dying day, completed his translation of John’s Gospel. 165 years later, King Alfred the Great translated a portion of the Pentateuch. A few others during this period translated the Gospels or the Psalms, and little else.
Not only were these translations incomplete, but there were three other problems with them: (1) they were all translations from the Latin Vulgate, rather than from the original Greek and Hebrew texts; (2) they were not very good translations; and (3) for the most part, they were not accessible to lay folks, but were “translation ponies” to help the priests understand the Latin Vulgate better.
For over 300 years, no Bible translation into English was done, as far as we know. The Norman Invasion of 1066 was the fundamental reason: for the next three centuries English was only infrequently used for any written documents. Noblemen wrote in French—the language of the elite—and official church documents were in Latin. English was for peasants.
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This post is one of many others that you can find in this blog that deal with Intimacy. All posts in this series can be found under the category of Intimacy. Please follow this blog so that you can receive updates automatically.
If you want to make a comment, please place that comment on this blog in the appropriate space at the bottom of this page. If you do not want your comment to be shown, please let me know. I moderate all comments, and will not violate anybody’s trust.
Worthy is the Lamb: Glory to the Holy One Concert (Saint Andrew’s Chapel)
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Published on Aug 20, 2015
“Worthy is the Lamb” from Glory to the Holy One, performed live during a concert on February 18, 2015 at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, FL. Learn more at http://GloryToTheHolyOne.com
Lyrics:
The veil of heaven opened wide
The scene was clearly set
John saw a scroll writ either side
Where seven seals were met
With booming voice the angel said
To now unseal the scroll
But none was found to meet the task
Not even one lone soul
Refrain
Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb
Worthy, worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Convulsed with tears and broken heart
John’s hope was now assailed
“Weep not,” the elder counseled him,
“A Lion has prevailed!”
No lion came to take his claim
No beast of royal reign
Instead there stood a bloodied Lamb
Like one who had been slain
Refrain
Ten thousand times, ten thousand more
The host of heaven cried
All blessing, honor, glory, and pow’r
To Christ, the Lamb that died
Featuring lyrics drawn from Scripture and a lifetime of theological reflection, Glory to the Holy One is a collection of beautiful new hymns written by Dr. R.C. Sproul, wedded with soaring melodies written by award-winning composer, Jeff Lippencott. Recorded in esteemed venues around the world, this new project provides the church with an offering of that which is good, true, and beautiful in the Christian faith.
Revelation 5:9 Tyndale Bible
9 and they songe a newe songe saynge: thou art worthy to take ye boke and to ope ye seales therof: for thou waste kylled and haste redemed vs by thy bloud out of all kynreddes and tonges and people and nacions
Tyndale Bible
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tyndale Bible generally refers to the body of biblical translations by William Tyndale (c. 1494–1536). Tyndale’s Bible is credited with being the first English translation to work directly from Hebrew and Greek texts. Furthermore, it was the first English biblical translation that was mass-produced as a result of new advances in the art of printing. The term Tyndale’s Bible is not strictly correct, because Tyndale never published a complete Bible. Prior to his execution Tyndale had only finished translating the entire New Testament and roughly half of the Old Testament.[1] Of the latter, the Pentateuch, Jonah and a revised version of the book of Genesis were published during his lifetime. His other Old Testament works were first used in the creation of the Matthew Bible and also heavily influenced every major English translation of the Bible that followed.[2]
History[edit]
The chain of events that led to the creation of Tyndale’s New Testament possibly began in 1522, the year Tyndale acquired a copy of Martin Luther’s German New Testament. Inspired by Luther’s work, Tyndale began a translation into English using a Greek text “compiled by Erasmus from several manuscripts older and more authoritative than the Latin Vulgate” of Jerome (A.D. c.340-420), the only translation authorized by the Roman Catholic Church.[3][4]
Tyndale made his purpose known to the Bishop of London at the time, Cuthbert Tunstall, but was refused permission to produce this “heretical” text. Thwarted in England, Tyndale moved to the continent.[5] A partial edition was put into print in 1525 in Cologne. But before the work could be completed, Tyndale was betrayed to the authorities[6] and forced to flee to Worms, where the first complete edition of his New Testament was published in 1526.[7]
Two revised versions were later published in 1534 and 1536, both personally revised by Tyndale himself. After his death in 1536 Tyndale’s works were revised and reprinted numerous times[8] and are reflected in more modern versions of the Bible, including, perhaps most famously, the King James Bible.
Tyndale’s Pentateuch was published at Antwerp by Merten de Keyser in 1530.[9] His English version of the book of Jonah was published the following year. This was followed by his revised version of the book of Genesis in 1534. Tyndale translated additional Old Testament books including Joshua, Judges, first and second Samuel, first and second Kings and first and second Chronicles, but they were not published and have not survived in their original forms.[10] When Tyndale was martyred these works came to be in the possession of one of his associates John Rogers. These translations would be influential in the creation of the Matthew Bible which was published in 1537.[10]
Tyndale used a number of sources when carrying out his translations of both the New and Old Testaments. When translating the New Testament, he referred to the third edition (1522) of Erasmus’s Greek New Testament, often referred to as the Received Text. Tyndale also used Erasmus’ Latin New Testament, as well as Luther’s German version and the Vulgate.
Scholars believe that Tyndale stayed away from using Wycliffe’s Bible as a source because he didn’t want his English to reflect that which was used prior to the Renaissance.[11] The sources Tyndale used for his translation of the Pentateuch however are not known for sure. Scholars believe that Tyndale used either the Hebrew Pentateuch or the Polyglot Bible, and may have referred to the Septuagint. It is suspected that his other Old Testament works were translated directly from a copy of the Hebrew Bible. He also made abundant use of Greek and Hebrew grammars.[10]
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The Secret Place: Glory to the Holy One Concert (Saint Andrew’s Chapel)
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Psalm 91 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
91 1 Here is described in what assurance he liveth, that putteth his whole trust in God, and commiteth himself wholly to his protection in all temptations. 14 A promise of God to those that love him, know him, and trust in him to deliver them, and give them immortal glory.
1 Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say unto the Lord, O my hope, and my fortress: he is my God, in him will I trust.
3 Surely I will deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He will cover thee under his wings, and thou shalt be sure under his feathers: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid of the fear of the night: nor of the arrow that flieth by day:
6 Nor of the pestilence that walketh in the darkness: nor of the plague that destroyeth at noon day.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come near thee.
8 Doubtless with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 For thou hast said, The Lord is mine hope: thou hast set the most High for thy refuge.
10 There shall none evil come unto thee, neither shall any plague come near thy tabernacle.
11 For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee in their hands, that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt walk upon the lion and asp: the young lion, and the dragon shalt thou tread under feet.
14 Because he hath loved me, therefore will I deliver him: I will exalt him because he hath known my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will hear him: I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and glorify him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
1599 GENEVA BIBLE
Version Information
All but forgotten today, the Geneva Bible was the most widely read and influential English Bible of the 16th and 17th centuries. It was one of the Bibles taken to America on the Mayflower.
Mary I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 until her death in 1558. Her executions of Protestants caused her opponents to give her the sobriquet “Bloody Mary.” It was her persecution that caused the Marian Exile which drove 800 English scholars to the European continent, where a number of them gathered in Geneva, Switzerland. There a team of scholars led by William Whittingham, and assisted by Miles Coverdale, Christopher Goodman, Anthony Gilby, John Knox, and Thomas Sampson, produced The Geneva Bible, based on Greek and Hebrew manuscripts and a revision of William Tyndale’s New Testament, which first appeared in 1526. The Geneva Bible New Testament was published in 1557, with the complete Bible appearing in 1560.
A superb translation, it was the product of the best Protestant scholars of the day and became the Bible of choice for many of the greatest writers and thinkers of that time. Men such as William Shakespeare, John Bunyan, and John Milton used the Geneva Bible in their writings.
The Geneva Bible is unique among all other Bibles. It was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of its extensive marginal notes. These notes, written by Reformation leaders including John Calvin and others, were intended to help explain and interpret the Scriptures for the average reader.
With its variety of scriptural study guides and aids—which included cross-reference verse citations, introductions to each book of the Bible, maps, tables, woodcut illustrations, indexes, and other features—the Geneva Bible is regarded as history’s first study Bible.
In 2006, Tolle Lege Press released a version of the 1599 Geneva Bible with modern spellings as part of its 1599 Geneva Bible restoration project. The original cross references were retained as well as the study notes by the Protestant Reformation leaders. In addition, the Old English glossary was included in the updated version.
Scripture text, notes and version information are from BibleGateway.com.
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This is the third year that I have published this post. Each time, I have listened to the videos without interruption, and each time they have pulled strong emotions from within me. This evening, as usual, my throat and jaw tightened. Tears would not stop finding their way onto my cheeks. The story of Jacob and Marlee is that, just a story. But, I know that their situation is one that many married couples, “are facing, have faced, or will face.”
Luke 2:1-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, where Mary would give birth to the Christ child, the Savior of the world. Consider the story of Marlee and Jacob, and their “Christmas Eve” journey; it was being made for quite a different reason.
Marlee and Jacob were married on Christmas Eve, “twenty years ago.” On this Christmas Eve, the couple are headed to an attorney’s office…to sign divorce papers. Think about Marlee, Jacob, and your marriage situation. Do you remember the words that you and your mate said to each other as you stood before God, the minister, family and friends, and the rest of the people who were watching and listening as you professed your love to one another? If you have forgotten those special words, I have written a traditional wedding vow for you to consider. Please read it now.
“To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish…’til death do us part.”
If you are also considering a Christmas Eve “divorce papers appointment,” please listen carefully to the audio recording of Marlee and Jacob, as they are on their way to sign their papers…on Christmas Eve. The time of the recording is fifty-four minutes. Let me ask you to set aside an uninterrupted period of time, of “fifty-four minutes,” and listen to the important story of a damaged marriage. Think about your wedding vows. Think about your marriage…please! Set aside fifty-four minutes and consider your marriage.
The Moody Radio image (the middle of the three images on the page) has a white arrow that is used to click onto the recording of “The Marriage Carol.” Below the Moody image is a link that can also click on the recording.
After you have listened to the story of Marlee and Jacob (which may also be a story of you and your mate) please set aside another eight minutes and seventeen seconds to listen to the song and oratory that are provided by Bill and Gloria Gaither. It tells about the love and challenges that have encompassed their marriage. After you have read, listened to, and considered everything that is in this post, please be very honest with yourself and answer a very personal question; you can answer to yourself. So, here it is. When you read a post or message on facebook from a “friend” of the opposite sex, “do you get a spark?” If your answer is “yes,” maybe facebook is not something that you should have as a part of your life.
This post is one of many others that you can find in this blog that deal with Christmas. All posts in this series can be found under the category of Christmas. Please follow this blog so that you can receive updates automatically.
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Revelation 19:1-5 Geneva Bible (GNV)
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah, salvation, and glory, and honor, and power be to the Lord our God.
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath condemned the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants shed by her hand.
3 And again they said, Hallelujah: and that her smoke rose up for evermore.
4 And the four and twenty Elders, and the four beasts fell down, and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah.
5 Then a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Revelation 19:1-5 King James Version (KJV)
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Revelation 19:1-5 Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
1 After these things I heard as a great voice of many trumpets [of many trumps] in heaven, saying, Alleluia; praising, and glory, and virtue is to our God;
2 for true and just be the dooms of him, which deemed the great whore, that defouled the earth [that corrupted the earth] in her lechery, and venged the blood of his servants, of the hands of her.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And the smoke of it ascendeth up, into the worlds of worlds [into worlds of worlds].
4 And the four and twenty elder men and the four beasts felled down, and worshipped God sitting on the throne, and said, Amen, Alleluia. [And the four and twenty seniors and the four beasts fell down, and worshipped God sitting on (the) throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia.]
5 And a voice went out of the throne, and said [saying], All the servants of our God, say ye praisings to our God, and ye that dread God, small and great.
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These thoughts of mine were posted last December. Even though a year has passed, my thoughts remain the same.
The Christmas Song – 1961
Nat King Cole
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Matthew 1:18-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus, God With Us
18 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. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 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. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
The year was 1959. The month was September. I had just started sixth grade in Gretna, Louisiana. I would spend the next three years at the same “Grammar School.” My life was common to those of my school mates. I lived in a small house that was located only about three hundred feet from my school. At lunch time, I could go home, or go to a nearby grocery store and buy a “po boy” sandwich (French or Italian bread with ham, turkey, shrimp, or oysters, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato slices). I could also have my lunch at school where we would have tasty red beans and rice, with links of smoked sausage, every Monday. I would arrive at school every day early enough that I could play basketball or jacks. I might also shoot marbles or try to sharpen my yo-yo skills. When we started our school day, we would say the pledge to the flag and say a prayer. We had real Christmas holidays, and had real Christmas programs at school. We would sing Christmas carols, which included biblical songs. The school would give the children song sheets that showed the words to those biblical songs. Teachers were free to talk to their classes about their church lives. Most of my friends watched the same television programs. We didn’t have cable tv or dish types, so our selection was limited to traditional network programming. The programs were family oriented and were not restricted to “church and state” limitations. The Beaver Cleaver family went to church and Sunday School. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, and Gomer were shown in their church, even when Gomer might fall asleep and snore during the “Reverend’s” sermons. When Christmas Eve would finally arrive, my family would sit around the tree; my younger brother and sister and I would wonder about what we would find there in the morning. As a much younger child, “I could have sworn” that sometime during the night, “I had heard reindeer sounds in the yard!” Seriously! The Christmas programs that were produced and shown by ABC, NBC, and CBS did not hide the fact that “Jesus was the reason for the season.” Television hosts did not omit “Jesus” from their discussions when they were talking about Christmas. Jesus was truly “God with us” in the tv programs of those Christmas seasons. Please take time to play the videos that I have selected, and see that there was truly a much simpler time of Christmas in our nation’s not too distant history. Please have a very Merry Christmas, and May God bless the USA!
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Andy Williams
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Bing Crosby
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra
The Bells Of St. Mary’s – Remembering Christmas Of The 50s
Bing Crosby Sings The Bells Of St. Mary’s
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This post is a remake of one that I made last year. I trust that you will be blessed by memories that may “flood your soul.”
I have found myself enjoying this Christmas Eve evening by watching one of my favorite of all time movies and, I’ve got to talk to you about the movie, and the times of the movie. “The Bells Of St. Mary’s” has always found a place of warmth in my soul. As I see the downtown street scenes in the movie, my mind drifts back to the days of my childhood. My step-father was usually away from home working as a merchant seaman, so my mother would take my younger brother, sister and me “downtown” on shopping excursions. My mother was very good at shopping and provided many memorable Christmas mornings for my brother, sister and me. As with many downtown shopping areas in America “in the 50s,” we had streets in my home town that were lined with buildings where you could find stores such as Sears, Penny’s, Woolworth’s, McCrory’s, Kress’s and, “you know the rest of them.” The streets were nicely decorated with “Christmas” markings (not Happy Holidays yet!). The store personnel would always say, “Merry Christmas,” without the fear of being fired! My family didn’t have a car, so we would travel by city bus or cab. The drivers were very friendly and would also give “Christmas greetings” to us. I can remember the long kelly green coat that my mother wore. She always had a wide black belt around her coat and wore black high heels; she had given up wearing a hat and white gloves (sort of what Mayberry’s Aunt Bea would wear!). By the way, we didn’t have a television at home. So, now, you know all about my family.
Movies, such as “The Bells Of St. Mary’s,” and other Bing Crosby movies, tell stories of “niceness” of the human spirit. As for this particular Bing Crosby movie, it has found a special place of warmth in my soul, as have many other of his movies, such as “Going My Way.” A person doesn’t have to be Catholic to appreciate this movie, or any of the other similar Crosby movies. I trust that you will enjoy this movie, and that you will also have a very merry Christmas. Now, let’s watch the full-length movie of “The Bells Of St. Mary’s.” You may be drawn back in your mind to the 50s, or maybe even the 40s or 30s.
The Bells Of St. Mary’s
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Genesis 2:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
It was at a wedding that Jesus performed His first miracle (John 2:1-11)… The song that follows was sung at a Catholic wedding. The name of the priest is Ray Kelly. The location is Ireland.
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8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:8-14)
There are small restaurants and coffee shops in many cities and towns that present an unusual opportunity for witnessing. In my town there is a quaint and intimate coffee shop that has a piano which is situated near most of the tables where patrons drop in and spend an enjoyable time, consuming hot coffee and tasty muffins, and sharing intimate conversations. There have been times when I have been there enjoying the niceness of an evening that someone would make their way over to the piano and begin planing a series of songs that just “hit the needed spot.” The stresses of the day would seem to disappear from my mind and leave me desiring more of that soul-easing music. I imagine that there are other similar places that have pianos, that can also be played for the pleasure of the customers. Consider the setting that is shown in the video. A young man sits down at a piano in a coffee shop and begins playing a song that is pleasing to the mind of almost anybody, whether Christian, Jew or indifferent. I am certain that there are readers of this post who are musically inclined and talented, and who would like to take such an opportunity to share the message of Christ to people who are usually isolated, or insulated, from such a story of the love of God. Give it a listen; share the story. Consider adding a guitarist, or other musicians, and have a small combo. Always consider ways of creative witnessing (Acts 1:8).
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The translation of the text is from the 21st Century King James Version.
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A Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah
1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria.
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
The Whitened Harvest
27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
The Savior of the World
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word.
42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Welcome at Galilee
43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
A Nobleman’s Son Healed
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Study notes.
4:1–26 The story of the Samaritan woman reinforces John’s main theme that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God. The thrust of these verses is not so much her conversion but that Jesus is Messiah (v. 26). While her conversion is clearly implied, the apostle’s focus centers on Jesus’ declaration foretold in the Scriptures (v. 25). Important also is the fact that this chapter demonstrates Jesus’ love and understanding of people. His love for mankind involved no boundaries, for He lovingly and compassionately reached out to a woman who was a social outcast. In contrast to the limitations of human love, Christ exhibits the character of divine love that is indiscriminate and all-encompassing (3:16).
4:3 He left Judea. John the Baptist and Jesus had official scrutiny focused on them because of their distinctive message regarding repentance and the kingdom. Most likely, Jesus wanted to avoid any possible trouble with John’s disciples who were troubled with His growing popularity and, since the Pharisees were also focusing on His growing influence, Jesus decided to leave Judea and travel N in order to avoid any conflict.
4:4 He needed to go through. Several roads led from Judea to Galilee: one near the seacoast; another through the region of Perea; and one through the heart of Samaria. Even with the strong antipathy between Jews and Samaritans, the Jewish historian Josephus relates that the custom of Judeans at the time of the great festivals was to travel through the country of the Samaritans because it was the shorter route. Although the verb “needed” may possibly refer to the fact that Jesus wanted to save time and needless steps, because of the gospel’s emphasis on the Lord’s consciousness of fulfilling His Father’s plan (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 14:31), the apostle may have been highlighting divine, spiritual necessity, i.e., Jesus had an appointment with divine destiny in meeting the Samaritan woman, to whom He would reveal His messiahship. Samaria. When the nation of Israel split politically after Solomon’s rule, King Omri named the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel “Samaria” (1 Kin. 16:24). The name eventually referred to the entire district and sometimes to the entire northern kingdom, which had been taken captive (capital, Samaria) by Assyria in 722 B.C. (2 Kin. 17:1–6). While Assyria led most of the populace of the 10 northern tribes away (into the region which today is northern Iraq), it left a sizable population of Jews in the northern Samaritan region and transported many non-Jews into Samaria. These groups intermingled to form a mixed race through intermarriage. Eventually tension developed between the Jews who returned from captivity and the Samaritans. The Samaritans withdrew from the worship of Yahweh at Jerusalem and established their worship at Mt. Gerizim in Samaria (vv. 20–22). Samaritans regarded only the Pentateuch as authoritative. As a result of this history, Jews repudiated Samaritans and considered them heretical. Intense ethnic and cultural tensions raged historically between the two groups so that both avoided contact as much as possible (v. 9; Ezra 4:1–24; Neh. 4:1–6; Luke 10:25–37). See note on 2 Kin. 17:24.
4:5 Sychar. This town is probably identified with the modern village of Askar on the shoulder of Mt. Ebal, opposite Mt. Gerizim. A continuous line of tradition identifies Jacob’s well as lying about a half mile S of Askar.
4:5, 6 These verses refer back to Gen. 48:22 where Jacob bequeathed a section of land to Joseph which he had purchased from the “children of Hamor” (cf. Gen. 33:19). When the Jews returned from Egypt, they buried Joseph’s bones in that land at Shechem. This area became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants. The precise location of “Jacob’s well” has been set by a firm tradition among Jews, Samaritans, Muslims, and Christians and lies today in the shadow of the crypt of an unfinished Orthodox church. The term used here for “well” denotes a running spring, while in vv. 11, 12 John used another term for “well” that means “cistern” or “dug-out-well” indicating that the well was both dug out and fed by an underground spring. This spring is still active today.
4:6 wearied from His journey. Since the Word became flesh (1:14), He also suffered from physical limitations in His humanity (Heb. 2:10–14). the sixth hour. John used Roman time, which started reckoning from 12:00 p.m., so the time would be about 6:00 p.m.
4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Women generally came in groups to collect water, either earlier or later in the day to avoid the sun’s heat. If the Samaritan woman alone came at 12:00 p.m. (see note on v. 6), this may indicate that her public shame (vv. 16–19) caused her to be isolated from other women. “Give Me a drink.” For a Jewish man to speak to a woman in public, let alone to ask from her, a Samaritan, a drink was a definite breach of rigid social custom as well as a marked departure from the social animosity that existed between the two groups. Further, a “rabbi” and religious leader did not hold conversations with women of ill-repute (v. 18).
4:8 to buy food. This verse indicates that since Jesus and His disciples were willing to purchase food from Samaritans, they did not follow some of the self-imposed regulations of stricter Jews, who would have been unwilling to eat food handled by outcast Samaritans.
4:10 living water. The OT is the background for this term, which has important metaphorical significance. In Jer. 2:13, Yahweh decries the disobedient Jews for rejecting Him, the “fountain of living waters.” The OT prophets looked forward to a time when “living waters shall flow from Jerusalem” (Zech. 14:8; Ezek. 47:9). The OT metaphor spoke of the knowledge of God and His grace which provides cleansing, spiritual life, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Is. 1:16–18; 12:3; 44:3; Ezek. 36:25–27). John applies these themes to Jesus Christ as the living water which is symbolic of eternal life mediated by the Holy Spirit from Him (cf. v. 14; 6:35; 7:37–39). Jesus used the woman’s need for physical water to sustain life in this arid region in order to serve as an object lesson for her need for spiritual transformation.
4:15 The woman, like Nicodemus (3:4), did not realize that Jesus was talking about her spiritual needs. Instead, in her mind, she wanted such water in order to avoid her frequent trips to Jacob’s well.
4:16 call your husband. Since the woman failed to understand the nature of the living water He offered (v. 15), Jesus abruptly turned the dialogue to focus sharply on her real spiritual need for conversion and cleansing from sin. His intimate knowledge of her morally depraved life not only indicated His supernatural ability, but also focused on her spiritual condition.
4:18 not your husband. She was living conjugally with a man who Jesus said was not her husband. By such an explicit statement, our Lord rejected the notion that when two people live together it constitutes marriage. Biblically, marriage is always restricted to a public, formal, official, and recognized covenant.
4:19 You are a prophet. His knowledge of her life indicated He had supernatural inspiration.
4:20 on this mountain. Both Jews and Samaritans recognized that God had commanded their forefathers to identify a special place for worshiping Him (Deut. 12:5). The Jews, recognizing the entire Hebrew canon, chose Jerusalem (2 Sam. 7:5–13; 2 Chr. 6:6). The Samaritans, recognizing only the Pentateuch, noted that the first place Abraham built an altar to God was at Shechem (Gen. 12:6, 7), which was overlooked by Mt. Gerizim, where the Israelites had shouted the blessings promised by God before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 11:29, 30). As a result, they chose Mt. Gerizim for the place of their temple.
4:21 neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. There was no reason to debate locations, since both places would be obsolete soon and neither would have any role to play in the lives of those who genuinely worship God. Jerusalem would even be destroyed with its temple (A.D. 70).
4:22 you do not know. The Samaritans did not know God. They did not have the full revelation of Him, and thus could not worship in truth. The Jews did have the full revelation of God in the OT; thus they knew the God they worshiped, because salvation’s truth came first to them (see note on Luke 19:9) and through them to the world (cf. Rom. 3:2; 9:4, 5).
4:23 hour. This refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to God, having completed redemption. true worshipers. Jesus’ point is that in light of His coming as Messiah and Savior, worshipers will be identified, not by a particular shrine or location, but by their worship of the Father through the Son. With Christ’s coming, previous distinctions between true and false worshipers based on locations disappeared. True worshipers are all those everywhere who worship God through the Son, from the heart (cf. Phil. 3:3).
4:24 God is Spirit. This verse represents the classical statement on the nature of God as Spirit. The phrase means that God is invisible (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:27) as opposed to the physical or material nature of man (1:18; 3:6). The word order of this phrase puts an emphasis on “Spirit,” and the statement is essentially emphatic. Man could never comprehend the invisible God unless He revealed Himself, as He did in Scripture and the Incarnation. must worship. Jesus is not speaking of a desirable element in worship but that which is absolutely necessary. in spirit and truth. The word “spirit” does not refer to the Holy Spirit but to the human spirit. Jesus’ point here is that a person must worship not simply by external conformity to religious rituals and places (outwardly) but inwardly (“in spirit”) with the proper heart attitude. The reference to “truth” refers to worship of God consistent with the revealed Scripture and centered on the “Word made flesh” who ultimately revealed His Father (14:6).
4:25 Messiah. The Samaritans also anticipated Messiah’s coming.
4:26 I who speak to you am He. Jesus forthrightly declared Himself to be Messiah, though His habit was to avoid such declarations to His own Jewish people who had such crassly political and militaristic views regarding Messiah (cf. 10:24; Mark 9:41). The “He” in this translation is not in the original Gr. for Jesus lit. said “I who speak to you am.” The usage of “I am” is reminiscent of 8:58 (see notes there). This claim constitutes the main point of the story regarding the Samaritan woman.
4:27–42 These verses reinforce Jesus’ acknowledgment that He was Messiah by offering proof for His claim. John gave 5 genuine, but subtle, proofs that Jesus was truly Messiah and Son of God which reinforced his main theme of 20:31: 1) proof from His immediate control of everything (v. 27); 2) proof from His impact on the woman (vv. 28–30); 3) proof from His intimacy with the Father (vv. 31–34); 4) proof from His insight into men’s souls (vv. 35–38); and 5) proof from His impression on the Samaritans (vv. 39–42).
4:27 at this point. Had the disciples arrived earlier, they would have interrupted and destroyed the conversation, and if they had arrived any later, she would have gone and they would not have heard His declaration of messiahship. This feature subtly reveals Jesus’ divine control over the situation that was occurring.
4:28–31 to the men. Jesus had such an impact on the woman that she was eager to share the news among the townspeople whom she had previously avoided because of her reputation. Her witness and candor regarding her own life so impressed them that they came to see Jesus for themselves.
4:32, 33 I have food. Just like the Samaritan woman’s misunderstanding of Jesus words regarding literal water (v. 15), Jesus’ own disciples thought only of literal food. John commonly used such misunderstanding to advance the argument of
his gospel (e.g., 2:20; 3:3).
4:34 My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me. Most likely Jesus echoed Deut. 8:3 where Moses stated, “man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (cf. Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4). When He talked with the Samaritan woman, Jesus was performing the will of the Father and thereby received greater sustenance and satisfaction than any mere physical food could offer Him (5:23, 24; 8:29; 17:4). Obedience to and dependence upon God’s will summed up Jesus’ whole life (Eph. 5:17). God’s will for Him to finish is explained in 6:38–40 (see note on 6:40).
4:35 four months and then comes the harvest. The event probably happened in Dec. or Jan. which was 4 months before the normal spring harvest (mid-Apr.). Crops were planted in Nov., and by Dec. or Jan. the grain would be sprouting up in vibrant green color. Jesus used the fact that they were surrounded by crops growing in the field and waiting to be harvested as an object lesson to illustrate His urgency about reaching the lost which the “harvest” symbolized. Jesus points out the Samaritan woman and people of Sychar (“lift up your eyes”) who were at that moment coming upon the scene (v. 30) looking like a ripened “harvest” that urgently need to be “gathered,” i.e., evangelized. already white for harvest. Their white clothing seen above the growing grain may have looked like white heads on the stalks, an indication of readiness for harvest. Jesus knew the hearts of all (2:24), so was able to state their readiness for salvation (cf. vv. 39–41).
4:36–38 The Lord’s call to His disciples to do the work of evangelism contains promises of reward (“wages”), fruit that brings eternal joy (v. 36), and the mutual partnership of shared privilege (vv. 37, 38).
4:42 Savior of the world. This phrase occurs also in 1 John 4:14. The verse constitutes the climax to the story of the woman of Samaria. The Samaritans themselves became another in a series of witnesses in John’s gospel that demonstrated the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. This episode represents the first instance of cross-cultural evangelism (Acts 1:8).
4:43–54 The episode of Jesus’ healing of the official’s son constitutes the second major “sign” of 8 which John used to reinforce Jesus’ true identity for producing belief in his readers (v. 54). In this episode, Jesus chided the official’s unbelief in needing a miraculous sign in order to trust in Christ (v. 48). While some believe that this story is the same as the healing of the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:5–13; Luke 7:2–10), sufficient differences exist to demonstrate that it is different from the synoptic account; e.g., 1) no evidence exists that the official’s son was a Gentile; 2) the official’s son, not his servant, was healed; and 3) Jesus was far more negative regarding the official’s faith (v. 48) than the centurion’s (Matt. 8:10). One may divide this section into 3 parts: 1) Jesus contemplating unbelief (vv. 43–45); 2) Jesus confronting unbelief (vv. 46–49); and 3) Jesus conquering unbelief (vv. 50–54).
4:43 went to Galilee. After two days in Samaria, Jesus traveled to Galilee resuming the trip that began in v. 3.
4:44 prophet has no honor in his own country. This proverb (also in Matt. 13:57; Mark 6:4) contrasts the believing response of the Samaritans (v. 39) with the characteristic unbelief of Jesus’ own people in Galilee (and Judea) whose reticent faith depended so much on Jesus’ performance of miracles (v. 48). While in Samaria, Jesus had enjoyed His first unqualified and unopposed success. His own people’s hearts were not open to Him, but exhibited reluctance and hardness.
4:45 the Galileans received Him. The apostle may have meant these words as irony especially in light of the surrounding context of vv. 44, 48. The reception was likely that of curiosity seekers whose appetite centered more on seeing miracles than believing in Jesus as Messiah—as it had been at “the feast” (see notes on 2:23–25).
4:46 Cana of Galilee. The deep irony of the statement in v. 45 increases with the fact that Jesus had only recently performed a miracle in Cana at the wedding. Instead of responding in belief, the people wanted more (see note on v. 48). The basis of their welcome was extremely crass. nobleman. The Gr. term means “royal official” and most likely designated someone officially attached to the service of King Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39. sick at Capernaum. Capernaum was approximately 16 mi. NE of Cana.
4:47 implored Him. The language here indicates that he repeatedly begged Jesus to heal his son. His approach to Jesus was out of desperation, but he had little appreciation of who Jesus was. In light of v. 46, apparently the nobleman’s motivation centered in Jesus’ reputation as a miracle worker rather than as Messiah.
4:48 Unless you people see signs and wonders. The “you” is plural. Jesus addresses these words to the Galileans as a whole and not just to the nobleman (see notes on vv. 45, 46). The response of the Galileans was fundamentally flawed because it disregarded the person of Christ and centered in the need for a constant display of miraculous signs. Such an attitude represents the deepest state of unbelief.
4:50 your son lives. Jesus met the demands of Galilean unbelief by healing the official’s son, revealing not only His sympathy, but His marvelous graciousness in spite of such a faithless demand for miracles.
4:52 the seventh hour. About 7:00 p.m., reckoning from noon using the Roman system. See note on v. 6.
4:53 at the same hour. The time when the official’s son improved corresponded precisely with the time that he had spoken with Jesus. This served to strengthen the nobleman’s faith and, as a result, the “whole household” believed.
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Matthew Chapter 3 New King James Version (NKJV)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.10 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. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 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.”
John Baptizes Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 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 like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Study notes.
3:1 John the Baptist. Cf. Mark 1:2–14; Luke 1:5–25, 57–80; 3:3–20; John 1:6–8, 19–39. the wilderness of Judea. The region to the immediate W of the Dead Sea—an utterly barren desert. The Jewish sect of the Essenes had significant communities in this region. But there is no biblical evidence to suggest that John was in any way connected with that sect. John seems to have preached near the northern end of this region, close by where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea (v. 6). This was a full day’s journey from Jerusalem and seems an odd location to announce the arrival of a King. But it is perfectly in keeping with God’s ways (1 Cor. 1:26–29).
3:2 Repent. This is no mere academic change of mind, nor mere regret or remorse. John the Baptist spoke of repentance as a radical turning from sin that inevitably became manifest in the fruit of righteousness (v. 8). Jesus’ first sermon began with the same imperative (4:17). For a discussion of the nature of repentance, see notes on 2 Cor. 7:8–11. the kingdom of heaven. This is an expression unique to Matthew’s gospel. Matthew uses the word “heaven” as a euphemism for God’s name—to accommodate his Jewish readers’ sensitivities (cf. 23:22). Throughout the rest of Scripture, the kingdom is called “the kingdom of God.” Both expressions refer to the sphere of God’s dominion over those who belong to Him. The kingdom is now manifest in heaven’s spiritual rule over the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21); and one day it will be established in a literal earthly kingdom (Rev. 20:4–6). is at hand. In one sense the kingdom is a present reality, but in its fullest sense it awaits a yet-future fulfillment.
3:3 spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. John’s mission had long ago been described in Is. 40:3–5 (see notes there). All 4 of the gospels cite this passage as a prophecy pointing to John the Baptist (see note on Luke 3:6).
3:4 clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt. Practical and long-wearing clothes, but far from comfortable or fashionable. John evokes the image of Elijah (2 Kin. 1:8)—and the Israelites were expecting Elijah before the Day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5). locusts. These were an allowed food (Lev. 11:22).
3:6 baptized. The symbolism of John’s baptism likely had its roots in OT purification rituals (cf. Lev. 15:13). Baptism had also long been administered to Gentile proselytes coming into Judaism. The baptism of John thus powerfully and dramatically symbolized repentance. Jews accepting John’s baptism were admitting they had been as Gentiles and needed to become the people of God genuinely, inwardly (an amazing admission, given their hatred of Gentiles). The people were repenting in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. The meaning of John’s baptism differs somewhat from Christian baptism (cf. Acts 18:25). Actually, Christian baptism altered the significance of the ritual, symbolizing the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–5; Col. 2:12).
3:7 Pharisees and Sadducees. See note on John 3:1. The Pharisees were a small (about 6,000), legalistic sect of the Jews who were known for their rigid adherence to the ceremonial fine points of the law. Their name means “separated ones.” Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees was usually adversarial. He rebuked them for using human tradition to nullify Scripture (15:3–9), and especially for rank hypocrisy (15:7, 8; 22:18; 23:13, 23, 25, 29; Luke 12:1). The Sadducees were known for their denial of things supernatural. They denied the resurrection of the dead (22:23) and the existence of angels (Acts 23:8). Unlike the Pharisees, they rejected human tradition and scorned legalism. They accepted only the Pentateuch as authoritative. They tended to be wealthy, aristocratic members of the priestly tribe, and in the days of Herod their sect controlled the temple (see note on 2:4), though they were fewer in number than the Pharisees. Pharisees and Sadducees had little in common. Pharisees were ritualists; Sadducees were rationalists. Pharisees were legalists; Sadducees were liberals. Pharisees were separatists; Sadducees were compromisers and political opportunists. Yet they united together in their opposition to Christ (22:15, 16, 23, 34, 35). John publicly addressed them as deadly snakes. the wrath to come.See note on Luke 3:7. John’s preaching echoed the familiar OT theme of promised wrath in the Day of the Lord (e.g., Ezek. 7:19; Zeph. 1:18; see Introduction to Joel: Historical and Theological Themes). This must have been a particularly stinging rebuke to the Jewish leaders, who imagined that divine wrath was reserved only for non-Jews.
3:8 fruits worthy of repentance. See note on v. 2. Repentance itself is not a work, but works are its inevitable fruit. Repentance and faith are inextricably linked in Scripture. Repentance means turning from one’s sin, and faith is turning to God (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9). They are like opposite sides of the same coin. That is why both are linked to conversion (Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19; 20:21). Note that the works John demanded to see were “fruits” of repentance. But repentance itself is no more a “work” than faith is (see note on 2 Tim. 2:25).
3:9 Abraham as our father. See John 8:39–44. They believed that merely being descendants of Abraham, members of God’s chosen race, made them spiritually secure. But Abraham’s real descendants are those who share his faith (cf. Rom. 4:16). And “only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7, 29). See note on Luke 3:8.
3:10 the ax is laid to the root. Irreversible judgment was imminent (see note on 11:3).
3:11 Three types of baptism are referred to here: 1) with water unto repentance. John’s baptism symbolized cleansing (see note on v. 6); 2) with the Holy Spirit. All believers in Christ are Spirit-baptized (1 Cor. 12:13); and 3) with…fire. Because fire is used throughout this context as a means of judgment (vv. 10, 12), this must speak of a baptism of judgment upon the unrepentant.
3:12 winnowing fan. A tool for tossing grain into the wind so that the chaff is blown away.
3:14 John tried to prevent Him. John’s baptism symbolized repentance, and John saw this as inappropriate for the One he knew was the spotless Lamb of God (cf. John 1:29).
3:15 it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Christ was here identifying Himself with sinners. He will ultimately bear their sins; His perfect righteousness will be imputed to them (2 Cor. 5:21). This act of baptism was a necessary part of the righteousness He secured for sinners. This first public event of His ministry is also rich in meaning: 1) it pictured His death and resurrection (cf. Luke 12:50); 2) it therefore prefigured the significance of Christian baptism (see note on v. 6); 3) it marked His first public identification with those whose sins He would bear (Is. 53:11; 1 Pet. 3:18); and 4) it was a public affirmation of His messiahship by testimony directly from heaven (see note on v. 17).
3:16, 17 Jesus…the Spirit of God…a voice came from heaven. Here all 3 Persons of the Trinity are clearly delineated. See note on Luke 3:22. The Father’s command to hear His Son and the Spirit’s vindication and empowerment (see note on 12:31) officially inaugurated Christ’s ministry.
3:17 My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This heavenly pronouncement combines language from Ps. 2:7 and Is. 42:1—prophecies that would have been well known to those with messianic expectations. Cf. 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35.
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The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.
Scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
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Holy Are You Lord
I Sing Praises To Your Name
This Is The Time
Even So
To Him Who Sits On The Throne
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19, KJV)
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John 12:20-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
John 12:20-21 Names of God Bible (NOG)
20 Some Greeks were among those who came to worship during the Passover festival. 21 They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and told him, “Sir, we would like to meet Yeshua.”
Isaiah 7:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 Names of God Bible (NOG)
14 So Adonay himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel [God Is With Us].
Isaiah 9:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 Names of God Bible (NOG)
6 A child will be born for us.
A son will be given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
He will be named:
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Sar Shalom.
Matthew 1:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 Names of God Bible (NOG)
23 “The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
Matthew 1:25 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Matthew 1:25 Names of God Bible (NOG)
25 He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Yeshua.
John 10:38 New King James Version (NKJV)
38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
John 10:38 Names of God Bible (NOG)
38 But if I’m doing those things and you refuse to believe me, then at least believe the things that I’m doing. Then you will know and recognize that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.”
John 14:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 14:9 Names of God Bible (NOG)
9 Yeshua replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 20:26 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
John 20:26 Names of God Bible (NOG)
26 A week later Yeshua’s disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Yeshua stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
John 20:28 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:28 Names of God Bible (NOG)
28 Thomas responded to Yeshua, “My Lord and my God!”
As I viewed the first video, and the one that follows, the emotional pull on me drew tears from my eyes and made me think of just how important it is for all of us to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. In the verses, the Greeks were Gentile proselytes to Judaism; they made a simple statement, “we would see Jesus.” How about you? Is your desire to “see Jesus;” to know Him as your Lord and Savior? The songs of this post are being used by God’s Holy Spirit to draw those of you who don’t have saving faith in Jesus to make the decision of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Stay with the second video. “Consider Jesus; ask Him to be your Lord and Savior, knowing that by doing so you will spend eternity with Jesus.” Consider Yeshua.
Daniel’s vision of the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn.
Road to Armageddon – 7.3 – Daniel 8 – Vision Of The Ram And The Goat
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A Glimpse Of Armageddon – The Sixth Bowl Judgment – Will you be there – if so, in which capacity? This is an honest question, which demands a serious response.
Revelation 16:12 New King James Version (NKJV)
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
Revelation 16:15 New King James Version (NKJV)
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
Study note. Biblegateway.com. MacArthur Study Bible note.
16:15 Blessed. See note on 1:3. watches, and keeps his garments. Our Lord stresses the need for constant readiness for His return (cf. 1 John 2:28). The imagery pictures a soldier ready for battle, or a homeowner watchful for the arrival of a thief (see also 3:3; 1 Thess. 5:2, 4; 2 Pet. 3:10).
Daniel 8 New King James Version (NKJV)
Notice Hanukkah in verse 14
Study notes are from Biblegateway.com. MacArthur Study Bible notes.
The Vision At Susa
1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time. 2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.
8:1 third year. Ca. 551 B.C., two years after the dream of chap. 7 but before chap. 5. the first time. Looks back to chap. 7.
8:2 Shushan. Called Susa by the Greeks, this was a chief city of the Medo-Persian Empire, about 250 mi. E of Babylon. Since Daniel saw himself in a vision, he may not have been bodily in that place (cf. Ezekiel’s vision of being at the Jerusalem temple, though bodily still with the elders in Babylon, Ezek. 8–11).
The Ram With The Two Horns
3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.
The Male Goat From The West
5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
The Great Horn Broken
8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
The Emergence Of The Little Horn
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.
8:9 Glorious Land. Palestine. Cf. 11:16, 41.
8:3–9 This imagery unfolded historically. The ram pictures the Medo-Persian Empire, as a whole, its two horns standing for the two entities (the Medes and the Persians) that merged into one. The history of this empire is briefly noted in v. 4, as it is seen conquering from the E to the W, S and N, under Cyrus, as predicted also by Isaiah 150 years earlier (Is. 45:1–7). The higher horn, which appeared last, represents Persia. The goat (v. 5) represents Greece with its great horn Alexander, who with his army of 35,000, moved with such speed that he is pictured as not even touching the ground. The broken horn is Alexander in his death; the 4 horns are generals who became kings over 4 sectors of the Grecian empire after Alexander (cf. 7:6). The small horn is Antiochus Epiphanes, who rose from the third empire to rule the Syrian division in 175–164 B.C. and is the same king dominant in 11:21–35. Cf. 7:8, 24–26 where a similar “little horn” clearly represents the final Antichrist. The reason both are described as “little horns” is because one prefigures the other. A far more detailed summary will come later in 11:2–35.
8:10 host of heaven. Picturesque language portrays Antiochus’ persecution against Jewish people using the figure of stars (cf. Gen. 12:3; 15:5; 22:17; Ex. 12:41; Deut. 1:10). When defeated, the “stars” (Jewish people) will fall under the tyrant’s domination.
The Desolation Of The Sanctuary
11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.
8:11 Prince. In addition to the desecration of the temple (cf. 1 Macc. 1:20–24, 41–50), Antiochus blasphemed Christ to whom ultimately the host of Jewish people sacrifice and to whom the sanctuary belongs. He is later the “Prince of princes” (v. 25).
12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
8:13 holy one. Angels are in view here.
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
8:14 two thousand three hundred days. These are 2,300 evenings/mornings, with no “and” in between, which refers to 2,300 total units or days. Genesis 1:5 does use “and,” i.e., “Evening and morning, one day.” The period runs to about 61/3 years of sacrificing a lamb twice a day, morning and evening (Ex. 29:38, 39). The prophecy was precise in identifying the time as that of Antiochus’ persecution, ca. Sept. 6, 171 B.C. to Dec. 25, 165/4 B.C. After his death, Jews celebrated the cleansing of their holy place in the Feast of Lights, or Hanukkah, in celebration of the restoration led by Judas Maccabeus.
Note by Dr. John F. Walvoord (Deceased), Dallas Theological Seminary, The 2300 days and December 25, 167. B.C., from Bible.org.
Innumerable explanations have been attempted to make the twenty-three hundred days coincide with the history of Antiochus Epiphanes. The terminus ad quem of the twenty-three hundred days is taken by most expositors as 164 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanes died during a military campaign in Media. This permitted the purging of the sanctuary and the return to Jewish worship. Figuring from this date backward twenty-three hundred days would fix the beginning time at 171 b.c. In that year, Onias III, the legitimate high priest, was murdered and a pseudo line of priests assumed power. This would give adequate fulfillment in time for the twenty-three hundred days to elapse at the time of the death of Antiochus. The actual desecration of the temple, however, did not occur until December 25, 167 B.C. when the sacrifices in the temple were forcibly caused to cease and a Greek altar erected in the temple. The actual desecration of the temple lasted only about three years. During this period, Antiochus issued coins with the title “Epiphanes,” which claimed that he manifested divine honors and which showed him as beardless and wearing a diadem.
John 10:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Celebrated “The Feast Of Dedication/Feast Of Lights/ Hanukkah”
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
10:22 Feast of Dedication. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, which celebrates the Israelite victory over the Syrian leader Antiochus Epiphanes, who persecuted Israel. In ca. 170 B.C. he conquered Jerusalem and desecrated the Jewish temple by setting up a pagan altar to displace the altar of God. Under the leadership of an old priest named Mattathias (his family name was called the Hasmoneans), the Jews fought guerrilla warfare (known as the Maccabean Revolt—166–142 B.C.) against Syria and freed the temple and the land from Syrian dominance until 63 B.C. when Rome (Pompey) took control of Palestine. It was in 164 B.C. on 25 Chislev (Dec. approximately), that the Jews liberated the temple and rededicated it. The celebration is also known as the “Feast of Lights” because of the lighting of lamps and candles in Jewish homes to commemorate the event. it was winter. John indicated by this phrase that the cold weather drove Jesus to walk on the eastern side of the temple in the sheltered area of Solomon’s porch, which after the resurrection became the regular gathering place of Christians where they would proclaim the gospel (see Acts 3:11; 5:12).
Visions Interpreted In Relation To The Time Of The End
15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
8:15 appearance of a man. The word for man meaning “a mighty man” is the linguistic framework for “Gabriel,” which means “mighty one of God.” This is the first mention of an angel by name in the Bible. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
8:16 a man’s voice. God spoke with a human voice. the Ulai. A river E of the Persian city of Susa.
17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”
8:17 afraid and fell. Loss of consciousness is a common reaction to heavenly visitation (cf. Ezek. 1; Is. 6; Rev. 1). time of the end. This term likely has a double sense of fulfillment. First, the “end” (as v. 19), “latter time” (vv. 19, 23), and “appointed time” (v. 19) refer to time late in the specific span that the historical prophecy has in view. That time is the period defined by the empires in these verses, Persia (Ram) and Greece (Goat), when the Grecian sector will be divided into 4 parts (v. 8). One of these, the Syrian under Seleucus (see note on v. 22), will eventually lead to Antiochus Epiphanes (175–164 B.C.) as the “little horn” meant in v. 9, who persecutes the people of Israel (v. 10) and defies God (v. 11). Cf. 11:21–35 and see notes there. Secondly, this “little horn” in v. 9, the Antichrist in the last days at the time of the eschatological fulfillment, sees Antiochus as a pattern of the Antichrist, who in many ways will be like him, though far greater in power, and will exercise his career in the end of the age just before Christ’s return.
18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.
The Interpretation Of The Ram And The Goat
20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
The Latter Time Of The Kingdom
23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
8:23–25 A king shall arise. The near fulfillment views Antiochus as the historical persecutor as in vv. 9–14. His career down to 164 B.C. was “in the latter time of their kingdom,” that of the male goat in the Syrian territory. Rome conquered Greece by 146 B.C., only a few years later, and became the next dominant empire. Antiochus died, “broken without human means,” due to insanity and disease of the bowels. The far fulfillment sees Antiochus in vv. 23–25 as prophetically illustrating the final tribulation period and the Antichrist. In such a view, the king here is also the “little horn,” as in 7:7; 8:9 and the willful king in 11:36–45.
Effect On Daniel
27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
Study note from John F. Walvoord
As a result of the tremendous vision given to Daniel and his exhaustion because of it, Daniel records that he fainted and was sick for days thereafter. Upon his recovery, he was able to resume his conduct of the king’s business. Jeffrey notes that Daniel by his immediate resumption of his work in the king’s service proves that he had been in Babylon all the time, and that his presence in Susa was purely visionary.463
The dramatic character of the vision and its tremendous implications, although not understandable to Daniel, remained in his mind. But he could find none that could give him the complete interpretation. It is obvious that the intent of the vision was to record the prophecy for the benefit of future generations rather than for Daniel himself. Unlike the previous instances where Daniel was the interpreter of divine revelation, here Daniel becomes the recorder of it without understanding all that he wrote or experienced.
The emphasis of the eighth chapter of Daniel is on prophecy as it relates to Israel; and for this reason, the little horn is given prominence both in the vision and in the interpretation. The times of the Gentiles, although not entirely a period of persecution of Israel, often resulted in great trial to them. Of the four great world empires anticipated by Daniel, only the Persian empire was relatively kind to the Jew. As Christ Himself indicated in Luke 21:24, the times of the Gentiles is characterized by the treading down of Jerusalem, and the subjugation and persecution of the people of Israel.
Outline from Scofield Study Bible, Dr. C.I. Scofield (deceased)
The vision of the ram and the goat (8:1-8)
The little horn (8:9-14)
The interpretation of the vision (8:15-19)
The identity of the ram (8:20)
The goat and his successors (8:21-22)
The king of bold face (8:23-27)
Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost (Deceased), Dallas Theological Seminary; Author of Things To Come; In this audio lesson, Dr. Pentecost ties Daniel and Revelation together, discussing Hanukkah, identifying the anti-Christ.
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Replacement Theology: “Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai” – A Promise, Worship, A Discussion, Verses
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Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai https
Let The Weight Of Your Glory Fall
For Your Name Is Holy
Click onto the following link to view a discussion on the subject of replacement theology.
by Dallas Theological Seminary on October 14, 2014
Consider the following scriptures that relate to the promises of God, as they relate to Israel.
Deuteronomy 7:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
Psalm 118:26 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
Jeremiah 16:14-15 New King James Version (NKJV)
God Will Restore Israel
14 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.
Jeremiah 31:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 The Lord has appeared to me, saying. “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.”
Jeremiah 31:31-32 New King James Version (NKJV)
A New Covenant
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.
Ezekiel 11:14-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
God Will Restore Israel
14 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 36:24-28 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
Ezekiel 37 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Dry Bones Live
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”
One Kingdom, One King
15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.
21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”’”
Romans 11:26-29 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Matthew 23:37-39 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;
39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Israel.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, which will appear in the order of their being published. If you click onto the following link you will be able to follow the blog and receive future posts automatically. Such an option is important for people who receive posts directly from me because, from time to time, email addresses are dropped from my list of contacts. Please follow this blog.
If you want to make a comment, please place that comment on this blog in the appropriate space at the bottom of this page. If you do not want your comment to be shown, please let me know. I moderate all comments, and will not violate anybody’s trust.
Eternity 