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The video which precedes the printed text is key to understanding this 12th Chapter of the Book of Daniel, which is the timeline of the Gentiles. The book of Ezekiel is the timeline of the Jews. In Daniel’s prophecy, we see the four world empires that have affected God’s chosen people of Israel, as follows.
Dr. David Breese (1926-2002) was a highly respected teacher of the end times and was the speaker of “The King Is Coming” prior to his death. Dr. Howard Estep (deceased) originated “The King Is Coming” ministry.
Related Verse: John 1:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Lesson Text: Daniel 12 New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture
The Great Tribulation
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered,Every one who is found written in the book.
The Resurrections
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
God’s Last Message To Daniel
4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.
11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
Study Notes. Related verse.
Related verse: John 1:1
1:1 In the beginning. In contrast to 1 John 1:1 where John used a similar phrase (“from the beginning”) to refer to the starting point of Jesus’ ministry and gospel preaching, this phrase parallels Gen. 1:1 where the same phrase is used. John used the phrase in an absolute sense to refer to the beginning of the time-space-material universe. was. The verb highlights the eternal pre-existence of the Word, i.e., Jesus Christ. Before the universe began, the Second Person of the Trinity always existed; i.e., He always was (cf. 8:58). This word is used in contrast with the verb “was made” (or “were made”) in v. 3 which indicates a beginning in time. Because of John’s theme that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the Second Person of the Trinity, he did not include a genealogy as Matthew and Luke did. While in terms of Jesus’ humanity, He had a human genealogy; in terms of His deity, He has no genealogy. the Word. John borrowed the use of the term “Word” not only from the vocabulary of the OT but also from Gr. philosophy, in which the term was essentially impersonal, signifying the rational principle of “divine reason,” “mind,” or even “wisdom.” John, however, imbued the term entirely with OT and Christian meaning (e.g., Gen. 1:3 where God’s Word brought the world into being; Pss. 33:6; 107:20; Prov. 8:27 where God’s Word is His powerful self-expression in creation, wisdom, revelation, and salvation) and made it refer to a person, i.e., Jesus Christ. Greek philosophical usage, therefore, is not the exclusive background of John’s thought. Strategically, the term “Word” serves as a bridge-word to reach not only Jews but also the unsaved Greeks. John chose this concept because both Jews and Greeks were familiar with it. the Word was with God. The Word, as the Second Person of the Trinity, was in intimate fellowship with God the Father throughout all eternity. Yet, although the Word enjoyed the splendors of heaven and eternity with the Father (Is. 6:1–13; cf. 12:41; 17:5), He willingly gave up His heavenly status, taking the form of a man, and became subject to the death of the cross (see notes on Phil. 2:6–8). was God. The Gr. construction emphasizes that the Word had all the essence or attributes of deity, i.e., Jesus the Messiah was fully God (cf. Col. 2:9). Even in His incarnation when He emptied Himself, He did not cease to be God but took on a genuine human nature/body and voluntarily refrained from the independent exercise of the attributes of deity.
Study Notes. Daniel 12
12:1 that time. This points back to 11:36–45, the time of the ascendancy of Antichrist during the final tribulation period. During that period, Michael the archangel (cf. Jude 9) of 10:13, 21 ministers with special attention to protecting Israel during that Gentile time (cf. Is. 26:20, 21; Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:21). “Your people” means Daniel’s Israelite people, who can have hope, even in the distress of an unprecedented kind set for the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21; cf. Rev. 12:12–17; 13:7). The book is the book of the saved (Mal. 3:16—4:3; Luke 10:20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27).
12:1 that time. This points back to 11:36–45, the time of the ascendancy of Antichrist during the final tribulation period. During that period, Michael the archangel (cf. Jude 9) of 10:13, 21 ministers with special attention to protecting Israel during that Gentile time (cf. Is. 26:20, 21; Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:21). “Your people” means Daniel’s Israelite people, who can have hope, even in the distress of an unprecedented kind set for the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21; cf. Rev. 12:12–17; 13:7). The book is the book of the saved (Mal. 3:16—4:3; Luke 10:20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27).
12:3 wise. Those having true knowledge, by faith in God’s Word, not only leaders (as 11:33), but others (11:35; 12:10). To shine in glory is a privilege of all the saved (cf. the principle in 1 Thess. 2:12; 1 Pet. 5:10). Any who influence others for righteousness shine like stars in varying capacities of light as their reward (as in 1 Cor. 3:8). The faithfulness of the believer’s witness will determine one’s eternal capacity to reflect God’s glory.
12:4 the time of the end. Refers to the 70th week of tribulation (cf. 11:35, 40). run to and fro. This Heb. verb form always refers to the movement of a person searching for something. In the tribulation, people will search for answers to the devastation and discover increased knowledge through Daniel’s preserved book.
12:5 two others. Two angels.
12:6 man…in linen. Cf. 10:5.
12:7 a time, times, and half a time. This answers the question of v. 6. Adding these (one, two, and one-half) come to the final 3½ years of Daniel’s 70th week (9:27), the time of trouble when the “little horn,” or willful king, persecutes the saints (7:25; cf. 11:36–39 and Rev. 12:14; the same span is described by other phrases in Rev. 11:2, 3; 13:5).
12:10 Many…purified. Salvation will come to many Jews during the Great Tribulation (cf. Zech. 13:8, 9, where the prophet speaks of one-third; Rom. 11:26; Rev. 11:13).The truly saved develop in godliness through trials. The unsaved pursue false values.
12:11 the daily sacrifice. This reference is to the end of daily temple sacrifice, previously allowed under a covenant which the Antichrist formed with Israel, which he later causes to cease in the middle of the final 7 years (9:27). Then, favorable relations give way to persecution. Even his abomination that desecrates the temple (as 9:27; Matt. 24:1; Mark. 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:3, 4) is accompanied with persecution. one thousand two hundred and ninety days. From the intrusion of the abomination, there follow 1,290 days, including 1,260 which make up the last 3½ years of the final 7 years (see note on v. 7), then 30 days more, possibly to allow for the judgment of the living subsequent to Christ’s return (cf. Matt. 24:29–31; 25:31–46), before millennial kingdom blessings begin.
12:12 Blessed. This is in the kingdom (2:35, 45; 7:13, 14, 27) that gives blessedness after the subjugation to Gentile empires in chaps. 2, 7, 8. one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. Forty-five more days, even beyond the 1,290 days, allows for transition between Israel’s time of being shattered (v. 7) and God’s setting up of His kingdom (cf. 7:13, 14, 27).
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.
Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes are taken from the MacArthur Study Bible notes, which are contained in Biblegateway.com
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14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.(Ruth 1:14-18) … The story is that of a widow woman, who has two daughters-in-law, who have also been widowed. The mother-in-law, Naomi, encourages her daughters-in- law to return to their homeland where they can resume their lives. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, decides to return to her home country; Ruth, however, makes a strong statement of her decision to stay with Naomi, and lives up to that decision. Ruth later marries a man, Boaz, who is a kinsman of Naomi. They have a son, Obed, who fathers Jesse, who fathers David, from whom the family lineage leads to Jesus. This story of love between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is one that should be a model for all other such relationships.
Let’s consider God’s love. Sometimes, “it’s hard to explain.” When we consider the scope of God’s love, it goes “far, far, away,” from the world where we live, to the great expanses of outer space” (good news for astronauts).God’s love is truly, “beyond this world,” which explains “how much He loves us.” Let us now relate these thoughts about God’s love to the tender love story of a young man and young woman, and how it affected the life of this writer.
The year was 1962. I was fourteen years old. My home was in New Orleans, Louisiana, actually Gretna and Algiers. One afternoon, I looked at the movie section of the New Orleans Times Picayune and tried to figure out a good movie to see. There were many theaters in “The Crescent City,” so it took a while to decide on which one would have the best movie. I decided on the Abalon Theater, which was located in the downtown area of what is now known as “Algiers Point.” I road a city bus from the Mc Donoughville community of Gretna, where I lived, all the way to the theater. That is a time in my life that I will never forget, and would not want to forget.
The movie that was being shown was “Rome Adventure.” At my “tender age,” I was in love with the idea of being in love. The movie was about a young woman whose name was Prudence. She worked as a librarian somewhere in America. She wanted to go “to where they really know what love is all about – Italy.” So, she went! The role of Prudence was played by Suzanne Pleshette.
Almost magically upon her arrival in Italy, Prudence met a young man who had recently broken up with his girl friend. That man was Don, and was played by Troy Donahue. Love was truly in the air as Prudence and Don toured Italy together. As is shown in the movie, love grows between Don and Prudence – love that is tender and innocent. You can not imagine how much I would love to have been Don as he was gaining the favor of the beautiful Suzanne Pleshette.
The Rome Adventure theme song, Al Di La, has been in my mind throughout the years. While Don and Prudence were on a date, and listening to Emilio Pericoli sing that song, Prudence asked Don to explain the meaning of “Al Di La.” He explained it like this. “It’s hard to explain. It’s “far far away, beyond the beyond, beyond this world; that’s how much he loves her in the song.”
Rome Adventure was truly a love story, because it was just that – a story about love – young love. There was nothing out of taste or character for either Suzanne Pleshette or Troy Donahue; oh, how we need movies like that today. To help you to understand some of my thoughts about this movie, I have provided two links. The first, and opening, one will take you to the scene where Al Di La is being sung. The second one will show various film clips of the movie. I trust that you will get a feeling deep inside of you that will help you to remember, or appreciate, such a time in your life.When we also consider the love story of Naomi and Ruth, and the illustration of God’s love, may we never forget the following scripture:
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Troy Donahue and Suzanne Pleshette later married, although I am not certain how long the marriage lasted. They are both dead now. The singer, Emelia Pericoli, is also deceased. Such great losses for our world.
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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!” 27 Then Yeshua said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, and believe.” 28 Thomas responded to Yeshua, “My Lord and my God!”
20:28 “My Lord and my God!” With these words, Thomas declared his firm belief in the resurrection and, therefore, the deity of Jesus the Messiah and Son of God (Titus 2:13). This is the greatest confession a person can make. Thomas’ confession functions as the fitting capstone of John’s purpose in writing (see vv. 30, 31). (MacArthur Study Bible)
20:28 My Lord and my God. This is probably the clearest and simplest confession of the deity of Christ to be found in the New Testament. The two highest words, “Lord” (used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the divine name “Yahweh”), and “God,” are used together and addressed to Jesus in recognition of His glory. Jesus accepts this worship without hesitation. This is in sharp contrast to the angels who were mistakenly worshiped in Rev. 19:10; 22:9. (Reformation Study Bible)
Romans 10:4 Names of God Bible (NOG)
4 Christ is the fulfillment of Moses’ Teachings so that everyone who has faith may receive God’s approval.
10:4 Christ is the end of the law. Although the Gr. word translated “end” can mean either “fulfillment” or “termination,” this is not a reference to Christ’s having perfectly fulfilled the law through His teaching (Matt. 5:17, 18) or through His sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21). Instead, as the second half of the verse shows, Paul means that belief in Christ as Lord and Savior ends the sinner’s futile quest for righteousness through his imperfect attempts to save himself by efforts to obey the law (cf. 3:20–22; Is. 64:6; Col. 2:13, 14).(MacArthur Study Bible)
10:4 Christ is the end of the law. The interpretation followed here is that Christ is the goal or purpose of the law (Gal. 3:24). Another interpretation is that for believers Christ makes the law obsolete because they no longer strive to establish their own righteousness by it. (Reformation Study Bible)
Matthew 5:17 Names of God Bible (NOG)
Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures
17 “Don’t ever think that I came to set aside Moses’ Teachings or the Prophets. I didn’t come to set them aside but to make them come true.
5:17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. Jesus was neither giving a new law nor modifying the old, but rather explaining the true significance of the moral content of Moses’ law and the rest of the OT. “The Law and the Prophets” speaks of the entirety of the OT Scriptures, not the rabbinical interpretations of them. fulfill. This speaks of fulfillment in the same sense that prophecy is fulfilled. Christ was indicating that He is the fulfillment of the law in all its aspects. He fulfilled the moral law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfilled the ceremonial law by being the embodiment of everything the law’s types and symbols pointed to. And He fulfilled the judicial law by personifying God’s perfect justice (cf. 12:18, 20). (MacArthur Study Bible)
5:17 Law or the Prophets. A way of referring to the whole Old Testament.
not come to abolish. The correctives of vv. 21–48 should be read in the light of this opening remark. In fulfilling the law, Jesus does not alter, replace, or nullify the former commands; rather, He establishes their true intent and purpose in His teaching and accomplishes them in His obedient life. The Law, as well as the Prophets, points forward to Christ. See “The Law of God” at Ex. 20:1. (Reformation Study Bible)
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Lesson: John Chapter 6 – The Deity Of Christ
Key Passage: John 6:43-44 (See study note below)
John 6:43-44 Names of God Bible (NOG)
43 Yeshua responded, “Stop criticizing me! 44 People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me brings them to me. I will bring these people back to life on the last day.
Study Text
John 6 New King James Version (NKJV)
Feeding the Five Thousand
1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus Walks on the Sea
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— 23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— 24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Turn Away
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Study Notes
6:1–14 The story of the feeding of the 5,000 is the fourth sign John employed to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God. It is the only miracle recorded in all 4 gospels (Matt. 14:13–23; Mark 6:30–46; Luke 9:10–17). Since John most likely wrote to supplement and provide additional information not recorded in the synoptics (see Introduction: Background and Setting), his recording of this miracle emphasized its strategic importance in two ways: 1) it demonstrated the creative power of Christ more clearly than any other miracle, and 2) it decisively supported John’s purposes of demonstrating the deity of Jesus Christ while also serving to set the stage for Jesus’ discourse on the “bread of life” (vv. 22–40). Interestingly, both creative miracles of Jesus, the water into wine (2:1–10) and the multiplying of bread (vv. 1–14) speak of the main elements in the Lord’s supper or communion (v. 53).
6:1 After these things. A large gap of time may exist between chaps. 5 and 6. If the feast in 5:1 is Tabernacles, then at least 6 months passed (Oct. to Apr.). If the feast of 5:1 is Passover, then a year passed between these chapters. the Sea of Galilee.Chapter 6 is very close to the same structure as chap. 5 since both occur around a Jewish feast and both lead to a discourse of Jesus’ deity. While chap. 5 takes place in the S around Judea and Jerusalem, chap. 6 takes place in the N around Galilee. The result of both chapters is the same: He is rejected not only in the southern but also in the northern regions. See note on 21:1.
6:2 they saw His signs. The crowds followed not out of belief but out of curiosity concerning the miracles that He performed (v. 26). However, in spite of the crowd’s crass motivations, Jesus, having compassion on them, healed their sick and fed them (cf. Matt. 13:14; Mark 6:34).
6:7 Two hundred denarii. Since one denarius was a day’s pay for a common laborer, 200 denarii would be approximately 8 months’ wages. The crowd, however, was so large that such a significant amount was still inadequate to feed them.
6:10 five thousand. The number of men was 5,000, not including women and children, who probably brought the total up to 20,000.
6:14 the Prophet. The crowd referred to “the Prophet” of Deut. 18:15. Sadly, these comments, coming right after Jesus healed and fed them, indicate that the people desired a Messiah who met their physical, rather than spiritual, needs. Apparently, no recognition existed for the need of spiritual repentance and preparation for the kingdom (Matt. 4:17). They wanted an earthly, political Messiah to meet all their needs and to deliver them from Roman oppression. Their reaction typifies many who want a “Christ” that makes no demands of them (cf. Matt. 10:34–39; 16:24–26), but of whom they can make their selfish personal requests.
6:15 take Him by force to make Him king. John supplemented the information in Matthew and Mark by indicating that the reason Jesus dismissed the disciples and withdrew from the crowd into a mountain alone was because of His supernatural knowledge of their intention to make Him king in light of His healing and feeding of them. The crowd, incited by mob enthusiasm, was ready to proceed with crassly political intentions that would have jeopardized God’s will.
6:16–21 The story of Jesus’ walking on the water constituted the fifth sign in John’s gospel designed to demonstrate the writer’s purpose that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God (20:30, 31). The miracle demonstrates Jesus’ deity by His sovereignty over the laws of nature.
6:17 toward Capernaum. Matthew 14:22 and Mark 6:45 indicate that as soon as Jesus had fed the multitudes, He immediately dismissed His disciples to travel W toward Capernaum (vv. 16, 17).
6:18 a great wind was blowing. The Sea of Galilee is almost 700 ft. below sea level. Cooler air from the northern mountains and southeastern tablelands rushes down into the lake and displaces the warm moist air, causing violent churning of the water.
6:19, 20 Jesus walking on the sea. The synoptics reveal that in fear and the darkness, they thought He was a ghost (Matt. 14:26; Mark 6:49). The Son of God, who made the world, was in control of its forces and, in this case, He suspended the law of gravity. The act was not frivolous on Jesus’ part, for it constituted a dramatic object lesson to the disciples of Jesus’ true identity as the sovereign Lord of all creation (cf. 1:3).
6:21 immediately the boat was at the land. This wording indicates that another miracle occurred besides walking on the water, i.e., the boat miraculously and instantly arrived at its precise destination as soon as Jesus stepped into the boat.
6:22–58 Jesus’ famous discourse on the bread of life. The key theme is v. 35, i.e., “I am the bread of Life,” which is the first of 7 emphatic “I AM” statements of Jesus in this gospel (8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). This analogy of Jesus as “the bread” of life reinforces John’s theme of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (20:30, 31). Although John records Jesus’ miracles to establish His deity, he moves quickly to Jesus’ discourse on the spiritual realities of His person in order to define correctly who Jesus Christ was, i.e., not merely a wonder-worker but the Son of God who came to save mankind from sin (3:16). This discourse took place in the synagogue at Capernaum (v. 59).
6:22, 23 These verses indicate that the crowds who witnessed Jesus’ healings and His feeding of the multitudes were still at the original site of these miracles (E of the Lake) and, out of heightened curiosity, desired to find Jesus once again. Other boats loaded with people from Tiberias (on the NW shore of the lake) also heard of the miracles and sought Him out.
6:26 because you ate. This phrase emphasizes Jesus’ point that the crowds which followed Him were motivated by superficial desires of food rather than any understanding of the true spiritual significance of Jesus’ person and mission (8:14–21; Mark 6:52).
6:27 food which perishes. Jesus rebuked the crowd for purely materialistic notions of the messianic kingdom (cf. v. 26; 4:15). Although Messiah’s kingdom would be literal and physical someday, the people failed to see the overriding spiritual character and blessing of “everlasting life” given immediately to those who believe the witness of God to His Son. food which endures to everlasting life. The continuing discourse indicates that this was a reference to Jesus Himself (v. 35).
6:28 works of God. They thought Jesus was saying that God required them to do some works to earn everlasting life, which they thought they would be able to do.
6:29 the work of God, that you believe. The crowd misunderstood Jesus’ prohibition in v. 27 (“Do not labor”) which prompted Jesus to remind them that an exclusive focus on material blessings is wrong. The only work God desired was faith or trust in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God (cf. Mal. 3:1). The “work” that God requires is to believe in His Son (cf. 5:24).
6:30 What sign will You perform. The question demonstrated the obtuseness, the spiritual blindness of the crowd, and their shallow, selfish curiosity. The feeding of 20,000 (v. 10) was a sufficient enough sign to demonstrate Christ’s deity (cf. Luke 16:31).
6:31 Our fathers ate the manna. The crowd’s logic appeared to be that Jesus’ miraculous feeding was a small miracle compared to what Moses did. In order for them to believe in Him, they would need to see Him feed the nation of Israel on the same scale that God did when He sent manna and fed the entire nation of Israel during their wilderness wanderings for 40 years (Ex. 16:11–36). They were demanding that Jesus outdo Moses if they were to believe in Him. They quoted from Ps. 78:24.
6:32 true bread from heaven. The manna God gave was temporary and perished and was only a meager shadow of what God offered them in the true bread, Jesus Christ, who gives spiritual and eternal life to mankind (“world”).
6:33 bread of God. This phrase is synonymous with the phrase “bread from heaven” (v. 32).
6:34 “Lord, give us this bread always.” This statement once again demonstrated the blindness of the crowd, for they were thinking of some physical bread and failed to understand the spiritual implication that Jesus was that “bread” (cf. 4:15).
6:35 I am the bread of life. The obtuseness in v. 34 prompted Jesus to speak very plainly that He was referring to Himself.
6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me. This verse emphasizes the sovereign will of God in the selection of those who come to Him for salvation (cf. vv. 44, 65; 17:6, 12, 24). The Father has predestined those who would be saved (see notes on Rom. 8:29, 30; Eph. 1:3–6; 1 Pet. 1:2). The absolute sovereignty of God is the basis of Jesus’ confidence in the success of His mission (see note on v. 40; cf. Phil. 1:6). The security of salvation rests in the sovereignty of God, for God is the guarantee that “all” He has chosen will come to Him for salvation. The idea of “gives Me” is that every person chosen by God and drawn by God (v. 44) must be seen as a gift of the Father’s love to the Son. The Son receives each “love gift” (v. 37), holds on to each (v. 39), and will raise each to eternal glory (vv. 39, 40). No one chosen will be lost (see notes on Rom. 8:31–39). This saving purpose is the Father’s will which the Son will not fail to do perfectly (v. 38; cf. 4:34; 10:28, 29; 17:6, 12, 24).
6:40 everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him. This verse emphasizes human responsibility in salvation. Although God is sovereign, He works through faith, so that a man must believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God who alone offers the only way of salvation (cf. 14:6). However, even faith is a gift of God (Rom. 12:3; Eph. 2:8, 9). Intellectually harmonizing the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man is impossible humanly, but perfectly resolved in the infinite mind of God.
6:41–50 This section constitutes the beginning of the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ discourse on the bread of life and may be divided into 3 sections: 1) the murmuring reaction of the crowd (vv. 41, 42); 2) Jesus’ rebuke of the crowd for their reaction (vv. 43–46); and 3) Jesus’ reiteration of His message to the crowd (vv. 47–51).
6:41 The Jews. In this gospel, the term “Jews” is often associated with hostility toward Christ. It is used ironically to indicate the incongruity of their rising hostility toward their Messiah. Since they hardened their hearts, God judicially hardened their hearts also (cf. 12:37–40; Is. 6:10; 53:1; Matt. 13:10–15). In the tribulation, Israel will turn to Jesus as their true Messiah and be saved (Rom. 11:25–27; Rev. 1:7; 7:1–8; cf. Zech. 12:10–14). complained. The reaction of the synagogue crowds to Jesus’ statements was the same as the Jews in the wilderness who murmured against God both before and after the manna was given to them (Ex. 16:2, 8, 9; Num. 11:4–6). because He said, “I am the bread…from heaven.” The Jews’ anger centered in two things: 1) that Jesus said He was the bread and 2) that He came down from heaven. Both the Jews in Jerusalem (5:18) and the Galileans reacted negatively when Jesus placed Himself equal with God.
6:42 whose father and mother we know. On the human level, they knew Jesus as a fellow Galilean. These words are reminiscent of Jesus’ words in 4:44, “a prophet has no honor in his own country.” Their hostility sprang from the root of unbelief. Jesus’ death was impending because hostility had resulted everywhere He went.
KEY VERSE NOTE: 6:44
Reformation Study Bible: 6:44 unless the Father who sent me draws him. Jesus teaches that no one can respond positively to His warning and invitation apart from the Father’s work of drawing the individual to Jesus. The heart is naturally hard and will not accept God’s invitation, unless a special work of God’s grace takes place (v. 65). See “Effectual Calling and Conversion” at 2 Thess. 2:14.
6:44 draws him. Cf. v. 65. The combination of v. 37a and v. 44 indicate that the divine drawing activity which Jesus referred to cannot be reduced to what theologians call “prevenient grace,” i.e., that somehow the power to come to Christ is allegedly dispensed to all of mankind, thus enabling everyone to accept or reject the gospel according to their own will alone. Scripture indicates that no “free will” exists in man’s nature, for man is enslaved to sin (total depravity) and unable to believe apart from God’s empowerment (Rom. 3:1–19; Eph. 2:1–3; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Tim. 1:9). While “whosoever will” may come to the Father, only those whom the Father gives the ability to will toward Him will actually come to Him. The drawing here is selective and efficacious (producing the desired effect) upon those whom God has sovereignly chosen for salvation, i.e., those whom God has chosen will believe because God has sovereignly determined that result from eternity past (Eph. 1:9–11).
6:45 Jesus paraphrased Is. 54:13 to support the point that if someone comes to faith and repentance to God, it is because they have been “taught,” and hence drawn, by God. The “drawing” and “learning” are just different aspects of God’s sovereign direction in the person’s life. Those taught by God to grasp the truth are also drawn by God the Father to embrace the Son.
6:49, 50 Jesus contrasted the earthly and heavenly bread. The manna that was given in the wilderness, although sent from heaven to help sustain the Israelites for their physical needs, could not impart eternal life nor meet their spiritual needs as could the “bread of life” (v. 48) that came down from heaven in the person of Jesus the Messiah. The proof of this contrast centers in the irrefutable fact that all the fathers died who ate the wilderness manna.
6:51–59 This section may be divided into 3 divisions: 1) Jesus’ pronouncement (v. 51); 2) the crowd’s perplexity (v. 52); and 3) Jesus’ promises (vv. 53–59).
6:51 This pronouncement exactly reiterates vv. 33, 35, 47, 48. My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. Jesus refers here prophetically to His impending sacrifice upon the cross (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus voluntarily laid down His life for evil, sinful mankind (10:18; 1 John 2:2).
6:52 quarreled. Once again the perplexity of the Jews indicates that they failed to understand the spiritual truth behind Jesus’ illustration. Every time Jesus had given them a veiled saying or physical illustration, the Jews failed to see its spiritual significance (e.g., 3:4; 4:15). The Mosaic law prohibited the drinking of blood or the eating of meat with blood still in it (Lev. 17:10–14; Deut. 12:16; Acts 15:29). The Jews, unable to go beyond the mere physical perspective, were perplexed and angered.
6:53–58 eat…drink. Jesus’ point was an analogy that has spiritual, rather than literal, significance: just as eating and drinking are necessary for physical life, so also is belief in His sacrificial death on the cross necessary for eternal life. The eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood metaphorically symbolize the need for accepting Jesus’ cross work. For the Jews, however, a crucified Messiah was unthinkable (cf. Acts 17:1–3). Once again, the Jews, in their willful and judicial blindness, could not see the real spiritual significance and truth behind Jesus’ statements. Moreover, Jesus’ reference here to eating and drinking was not referring to the ordinance of communion for two significant reasons: 1) communion had not been instituted yet, and 2) if Jesus was referring to communion, then the passage would teach that anyone partaking of communion would receive eternal life.
6:60–71 These verses constitute the reaction of Jesus’ disciples to His sermon on the “bread of life.” As with the crowds’ response in Jerusalem (chap. 5) and in Galilee (chap. 6), the response of many of His disciples was unbelief and rejection of Him. John lists two groups and their reactions: 1) the false disciples’ reaction of unbelief (vv. 60–66), and 2) the true disciples’ reaction of belief (vv. 67–71). After this sermon, only a small nucleus of disciples remained (v. 67).
6:61 His disciples complained. Many of Jesus’ disciples had the same reaction as the Jews in v. 41 and of the first generation of Israelites to manna, i.e., they murmured (Ex. 16:2).
6:64 Jesus knew. Reminiscent of Jesus’ words in 2:23–25, Jesus knew the hearts of men, including those disciples who followed Him. He supernaturally knew that many did not believe in Him as Messiah and Son of God so He did not entrust Himself to them. These false disciples were simply attracted to the physical phenomena (e.g., miracles and food), and failed to understand the true significance of Jesus’ teaching (v. 61).
6:65 I have said. See notes on vv. 37, 44. Although men and women are commanded to believe and will be held accountable for unbelief, genuine faith is never exclusively a matter of human decision. Once again, in the face of unbelief, Jesus reiterated God’s sovereignty involved in selection for salvation.
6:66 disciples…walked with Him no more. The language indicates that the abandonment was decisive and final (cf. 1 Pet. 2:6–8; 1 John 2:19
6:69 we have come to believe. Peter’s words were somewhat pretentious in that he implied that the true disciples somehow had superior insight and, as a result, came to belief through that insight.
6:70 Did I not choose you, the twelve. In response to Peter’s words that the disciples had come to believe in Jesus, He reminds them that He sovereignly chose them (vv. 37, 44, 65). Jesus would not allow even a whisper of human pretension in God’s sovereign selection. a devil. The word “devil” means “slanderer” or “false accuser.” The idea perhaps is better rendered “one of you is the devil.” This meaning is clear from 13:2, 27; Mark 8:33; Luke 22:3. The supreme adversary of God so operates behind failing human beings that his malice becomes theirs (cf. Matt. 16:23). Jesus supernaturally knew the source and identified it precisely. This clearly fixes the character of Judas, not as a well intentioned but misguided man trying to force Jesus to exert His power and set up His kingdom (as some suggest), but as a tool of Satan doing unmitigated wickedness (see notes on 13:21–30).
6:71 Iscariot. The word most likely is from a Heb. word meaning “man of Kerioth,” the name of a village in Judah. As with the other 3 gospels, as soon as he was named, he became identified as the betrayer.
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
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
Click onto any blue letter, number or symbol to see the video and text on the blog.
The video which precedes the printed text is key to understanding this 11th Chapter of the Book of Daniel.
Dr. David Breese (1926-20012) was a highly respected teacher of the end times and was the speaker of “The King Is Coming” prior to his death. Dr. Howard Estep (deceased) originated “The King Is Coming” ministry.
Key Theme (Mine) “God”
Psalm 103:19 English Standard Version (ESV) “God rules over all”
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
John 20:26-28 English Standard Version (ESV) “Christ, my Lord and my God”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Romans 9:4-5 English Standard Version (ESV) “Christ, who is God over all”
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Key Verses (Mine) “The Anti-Christ”
Daniel 11:36-37 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
36 “Then the king will do whatever he wants. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, because what has been decreed will be accomplished. 37 He will not show regard for the gods of his fathers, the god longed for by women, or for any other god, because he will magnify himself above all.
Lesson Text
Road to Armageddon – 7.6 – Daniel 11 – The Anti-Christ
Conflicts To Come
Daniel 11 New King James Version (NKJV)
Prophecies Concerning The Nations
1 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
Greece
3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Egypt And Aram
5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. 7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North. 9 “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.
10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife. 11 “And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power. 17 “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. 20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.
Antiochus Epiphanes,
21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. 25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.
34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
Prophecy Concerning The Willful King
36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
Study notes are from Biblegateway.com. MacArthur Study Bible notes, unless otherwise noted.
11:1 first year. Ca. 539 B.C. (cf. 6:1ff.; 9:1). I, stood up to… strengthen him. The messenger of 10:10ff. continues to speak of assisting Michael (even as Michael had strengthened him in the battle with demons in 10:21), confirming Darius in his purpose of kindness to Israel in decreeing their return.
11:2–45 As in 8:3–26, this prophecy sweeps all the way from the history of spiritual conflict in Israel (11:2–35) to the tribulation (vv. 36–42) when Michael aids in fully delivering Israel (12:1). The detail of this history is so minute and accurate, so confirmed by history, that unbelieving critics have, without evidence, insisted that it was actually written 400 years later than Daniel, after it had happened which would make the prophet a deceiver. The prophecy actually looks ahead from Daniel to the final Antichrist
11:2–35 This section unfolds the near fulfillment of the Persian kingdom and the reign of Greece through Antiochus Epiphanes.
11:2 three more kings…and the fourth. The 3 in the Persian sphere, after Cyrus (10:1), were Cambyses (ca. 530–522 B.C.), Psuedo-Smerdis (ca. 522 B.C.), and Darius I Hystaspes (ca. 522–486 B.C.). The fourth is Xerxes I, called Ahasuerus in Esther (486–465 B.C.). Kings after Xerxes are not included, probably because Xerxes’ failed military campaign against the Greeks (481–479 B.C.) sounded the beginning of the end for Persia, which finally fell ca. 331 B.C. to Alexander the Great.
11:3 a mighty king. Alexander the Great (cf. 8:5).
11:4 After Alexander’s death (ca. 323 B.C.), 4 who were not of his posterity took sectors of his wide empire (see notes on 7:6; 8:3–9). The king of the South (Egypt) and king of the North (Syria), receive emphasis in v. 5 and after. As time moved on, other leaders ruled, crossing and recrossing Palestine.
11:5, 6 king of the South…king of the North. King of the South represents the Ptolomies, the leaders of Egypt, contrasted often in vv. 5ff. with the king of the North, the Seleucids, leaders of Syria (v. 6). South and N are in relation to Palestine, for which the angel Gabriel, speaking in this passage, is so concerned. Verses 5–20 cover almost 200 years of wars between these bordering powers.
11:6 join forces. Berenice, daughter of Egypt’s Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 B.C.), married Syria’s King Antiochus II Theos (261–246 B.C.). The latter part of the verse refers to the political advantage they hoped the alliance would produce. Antiochus divorced his wife to marry Berenice. Later that divorced wife murdered Berenice, her baby son, and even Antiochus by poisoning him. Thus she brought her own son, Seleucus II Callinicus, to the throne.
11:7 from a branch of her roots. The murdered Berenice’s brother stood in his father’s place. His name was Ptolemy III Euergetes of Egypt (246–222 B.C.), and in reverse he conquered Syria, sacking their great treasure (v. 8).
11:9 king of the North shall come. Syria’s Callinicus attacked Egypt ca. 240 B.C. but retreated, soundly beaten.
11:10 his sons. Seleucus’ sons (successors) kept up war against Egypt, as described in vv. 11–35.
11:11 king of the South. Ptolemy IV Philopator (222–203 B.C.) devastated the Syrian army under Antiochus III the Great (223–187 B.C.). Egypt’s advantage would be brief (v. 12).11:13–16 king of the North. Thirteen years later Antiochus returned with a great army, and in a series of strikes against Egypt brought Palestine (“the Glorious Land”) into his control as far S as Gaza.
11:14 violent men of your people. Violent Jews wanted Judean independence from Egypt, but failed in their revolt.
11:16 he who comes against him. Antiochus III the Great took lasting dominion over Israel. Glorious Land Palestine (cf. 8:9).
11:17 give…the daughter. Antiochus, feeling pressure from Rome (fourth empire, 2:40; 7:7) to make peace with Egypt, offered his daughter Cleopatra to marry Ptolemy V Epiphanes (ca. 192 B.C.). The Syrian thus hoped his daughter would spy to help him to “destroy” or weaken Egypt and bring it under his power. Cleopatra, instead of helping her father, favored her Egyptian mate.
11:18 a ruler. Antiochus had set his sights to conquer Greece, along the Mediterranean coastlands. But this brought him into conflict with Rome, so that a Roman, Lucius Scipio Asiaticus, repaid the Syrian aggression against Roman rights in the area with a resounding defeat (ca. 191–190 B.C.).
11:19 fall. Antiochus returned from defeat to his own land compelled by Rome to relinquish all his territory W of the Taurus and to repay the costs of war. He was likely killed by defenders of a Persian temple he tried to plunder at night in Elymais (to get money to pay reparations required by Rome).
11:20 one who imposes taxes. Rome required Seleucus IV Philopator to render tribute, for Rome was increasingly powerful. The Syrian set out to tax his subjects heavily to raise the tribute. Soon, he died after being poisoned. The “glorious kingdom” possibly refers to Israel (“the Glorious Land”) with its splendid temple.
11:21 a vile person. In vv. 21–35, the most cruel king of the North was Seleucid, the Syrian persecutor of Israel named Antiochus IV Epiphanes (cf. 8:9–14, 23–25). He came to the throne when his brother Seleucus was murdered and a son of the dead king who might succeed him, Demetrius I Soter, was held hostage in Rome. In the vacuum, Antiochus seized power in Syria.
11:22 they shall be swept away. Egypt’s armies were swept away by Antiochus’ invading forces as by a flood (cf. “flood” for military onslaught, 9:26). Israel’s “prince of the covenant,” Onias III, was murdered by his own defecting brother Menelaus at the request of Antiochus (171 B.C.).
11:23 the league. In an Egyptian struggle for the throne, Antiochus developed an alliance with Ptolemy VI Philometer over his rival Ptolemy VII Euergetes II (distinct from the leader in v. 7). By this league, Antiochus deceitfully plotted to gain greater power in Egypt. “With a small” force, he conquered Memphis and the rest of Egypt all the way to Alexandria.
11:24 enter peaceably. Antiochus, under the guise of friendship, plundered the richest Egyptian places he could strike. To gain support, he gave lavish gifts, possibly battle spoils. devise his plans against the strongholds. He formed a scheme to take over Egypt.
11:25 his power…against the…South. Antiochus attacked Philometer, who had become an enemy. The latter fell due to treachery by trusted supporters (v. 26a), and became Antiochus’ captive.
11:26 those who eat. Betraying counselors whom Philometer fed, led him to attack Syria to secure his defeat and death for him and his men.
11:27 shall speak lies. Antiochus feigned help to reinstate Ptolemy Philometer to Egypt’s throne, occupied then by Ptolemy Euergetes. Both kings lied at the conference, and Antiochus set Philometer up as king at Memphis, whereas Euergetes reigned at Alexandria. The two Egyptians soon agreed on a joint rule, frustrating the Syrian.
11:28 against the holy covenant. En route N through Israel to Syria with riches, Antiochus met a revolt, as sources outside Scripture mention. He struck Jerusalem’s temple, profaned the sacrificial system, massacred 80,000 men, took 40,000 prisoners, sold 40,000 as slaves, and squelched a Jewish bid to depose his own designated priest, Menelaus.
11:29 toward the south. Antiochus, for the third time, invaded Egypt against the joint rulership (ca. 168 B.C.); however, with much less success.
11:30 ships…come against him. A Roman fleet from Cyprus sided with Egypt, thwarting Antiochus’ attack. Backing down from engaging Rome in war, Antiochus left Egypt, taking out his rage on Israelites in his path. He opposed God’s Mosaic Covenant that some Jews kept, despite Syrian policies and some Jewish compromise. Antiochus showed favors to Jewish apostates (“who forsake the holy covenant”) as non-biblical writings attest.
11:31 defile the sanctuary. Antiochus’ soldiers, no doubt working with apostate Jews, guarded the temple, halting all worship, while others attacked the city on the Sabbath slaughtering men, women, and children. Soldiers desecrated Israel’s temple, banned circumcision and daily sacrifices (1 Macc. 1:44–54), and sacrificed a pig on the altar. The Syrians on Chislev (Dec. 15, 167 B.C.), even imposed an idol statue in honor of the Olympian god Zeus into the temple. Jews called it “the abomination that causes desolation,” i.e., emptying or ruining for Jewish worship. abomination of desolation. Antiochus’ soldiers profaned God’s temple by spreading sow’s broth on the altar and banning daily sacrifices (cf. 8:14 and see note there) as described in 1 Macc. 1:44–54. Both Daniel and Jesus said this atrocity was only a preview of the abomination that would happen later under the final Antichrist (9:27; Matt. 24:15).
11:32–34 Those who do wickedly. Compromisers (cf. v. 30) among the Jews were enticed by flattery to side with Antiochus and be corrupted (cf. 1 Macc. 1:11–15).
11:32 the people who know their God. Jews loyal to God (called Hasideans) stood on firm convictions, suffering death rather than compromising (v. 33; as also 1 Macc. 1:62, 63). Judas Maccabeus, helped by Rome, led them in a successful revolt.
11:33 instruct many. Jews who “cause to be wise,” that is those who believe and know the truth, instructed others in the Scriptures, while also suffering continued persecution.
11:34 a little help. Many would fall away, and Jews committed to the covenant would have little help, humanly speaking. Some, fearing the faithful remnant’s dealing with apostates, pretended loyalty.
11:35 to refine them. Faced by persecution, some who remained true to God’s “understanding” (any true believers, 12:3) were to fall as martyrs. The gracious design of such suffering was to sanctify them. The persecution pattern continues until the final “end” that God appointed, at Christ’s second coming. Reference to this “end” prepares for a transition in v. 36 to final tribulation times when the Antichrist, whom Antiochus prefigures, will be in power. time of the end…appointed time. These two eschatological terms point to a forward leap across thousands of years of history from Antiochus to a future similar trial when the willful king (vv. 36–45) rules. The willful king is the “little horn,” the Antichrist (7:7, 8, 20, 21, 24–26), the persecutor of 9:27 (see note there).
11:36–45 This section is the far fulfillment of God’s prophetic plan. It summarizes details of Daniel’s 70th week which are found nowhere else in Scripture. Antiochus Epiphanes, a type of Antichrist, is the perfect transition point to the actual Antichrist.
11:36 Then. This word points to the future “time of the end” mentioned in v. 35. Verses 36–45 discuss the career of the final Antichrist in the last 7 years before Christ’s millennial kingdom. This willful king is the final Antichrist (see notes on 7:8, 11, 12, 25; 9:27; cf. Rev. 13:4–7).
11:37 God of his fathers. The word for “God” is “Elohim,” a word that is plural, thus in this context probably refers to “gods.” Pagan Gentiles have had traditional gods passed down from their fathers, but this king has no regard for any of them. His only god is power (v. 38, “god of fortresses”). desire of women. This could mean that Antichrist will be a homosexual; but it surely means he has no normal desire for or, interest in, women, e.g., as one who is celibate.
11:38 god of fortresses. The term for fortress is used 5 other times in this chapter (vv. 7, 10, 19, 31, 39) and each time means “a strong place.” Power is to be his god, and he spends all his treasures to become powerful and to finance wars. With this power, he will attack every stronghold (v. 39)
11:40 king of…South…North. Here is the final N/S conflict. The S was Egypt in the earlier context. Here is the last great battle with the final army from the N retaliating against the attack of the final southern African power. Antichrist will not allow this without striking back and winning, defeating both as recorded in v. 41ff. The willful king, Antichrist, withstands onslaughts from both, and prevails, entering Israel (“the Glorious Land”) and, perhaps, committing at that time the abomination of desolation (9:23; Matt. 24:15). With this victory, he will be established in power for a time.
11:44 news from…east and…north. Military bulletins alert the willful king, in his victories, of other sectors of the world deploying troops to the Palestinian theater (cf. Rev. 9:16; 16:12).
11:45 his end. To face the latest threats, the willful king sets up his command post between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea (and/or Sea of Galilee) and the holy mountain of Jerusalem, his troops filling the land (cf. Zech. 12:2, 3; 14:2, 3; Rev. 19:17–21). No one is able to help him against God, who, by the return of Christ, brings him to his end (cf. Rev. 19:20).
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Scriptures are from Biblegateway.com. Study notes are from MacArthur Study Bible notes, unless otherwise noted.
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How will the alignment of nations attempt to destroy Israel?
Click onto any blue letter, number or symbol to see the video and text in the blog.
Consider the world events of today, as they relate to the mistreatment of Israel by the nations of the world, even by the USA. The lack of respect for “God’s chosen people” has never been greater by America than it has been during the time of the current White House Administration in the USA. Consider the description of the attacking forces of Israel in Ezekiel Chapter 39, as they are identified in the video. Consider the words of God, as they relate to His love for Israel. Dates for this post come from the Scofield Study Bible.
Deuteronomy 7:6 New Living Translation (NLT) 1451 B.C.
6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.
Jeremiah 31:3 New Living Translation (NLT) 606 B.C.
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Zechariah 2:8 New Living Translation (NLT) 519 B.C.
8 After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.
Zechariah 14:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 487 B.C.
God Will Battle Jerusalem’s Foes.
1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.
Zechariah 14:2. “All the nations” gather against Jerusalem to battle.
Consider your nation. Consider the other nations of the world. “All nations” will be gathered together to attack and try to destroy Israel. The military forces will be composed of those who were not caught up to heaven with Christ at the time of the rapture (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-53). Included in the “nations of the world,” will be the forces of the United States Of America.
Zechariah 14:3. Consider the words that God gave to the prophet Zechariah as he describes His defense of Israel.
Ezekiel 39 587 B.C. Looking Ahead. New Living Translation (NLT)
The prophecies of Ezekiel cover a period of time from B.C. 595-574. Ezekiel prophesied to all of the displaced tribes of Israel. The attackers of Israel have long had a hatred for Israel, which is only about the size of the US state of New Jersey. The size of those which will attack Israel is far greater than Israel. But they and many other nations, to include many in the USA, consider “God’s chosen people” to be the cause of the hatred that exists in the world of the middle east. In future posts, we will consider the scriptural authority for Israel to possess its land. No US President has the authority to negotiate away that which God has given to “His chosen people.” We will also discuss the term, “God’s chosen people.” It is important for God’s people to be aware of the things in the world that are taking place which affect freedom and God’s people. The liberal news programs will not provide the truth in reporting that will be found in Fox News. Do the things that are written in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah appear to be part of today’s world events? Continue to study the books of prophecy. Reliable study Bibles include: MacArthur, Ryrie, Jeremiah and Scofield. Continue to watch news broadcasts that are not biased against Israel or God’s scriptural truth. The reality of the writings of Ezekiel 38-39 is exactly that, “real,” and is as real as a heart attack. It is important for God’s people to place in offices of leadership those who will pay more than just lip service to the support of Israel and to the truth of God’s Word. Each person’s vote is important, and should be used in accordance with God’s will. It is time for God’s people to get serious about their relationship with God. “Please read this very carefully.” If you belong to a Church that is a part of the National Council of Churches, or of the World Council of Churches, there is a good chance that you have not been taught the importance of supporting Israel. There is also a good chance that you have not been taught that same-sex marriage, abortion on demand, and men going into the restrooms of women, “are wrong and are perversions of God’s Holy Word.” If you see nothing wrong with abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, or men going into the restrooms of women, there is a good chance that you have not been born again, and do not have the Spirit of God dwelling within your spirit, influencing your decisions and actions. Consider the truth of the following two verses.
The Wisdom Of God
1 Corinthians 1:18 New Living Translation (NLT)
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 New Living Translation (NLT)
14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
Pray for God to reveal the truth of His Word to you.
Ezekiel Chapter 39 Text
The Slaughter of Gog’s Hordes (vs 2. Consider the actions of God when He forces the un-Godly opposition forces into the battle against Israel.)
1 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. 3 I will knock the bow from your left hand and the arrows from your right hand, and I will leave you helpless. 4 You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord. 6 And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
7 “In this way, I will make known my holy name among my people of Israel. I will not let anyone bring shame on it. And the nations, too, will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 8 That day of judgment will come, says the Sovereign Lord. Everything will happen just as I have declared it.
9 “Then the people in the towns of Israel will go out and pick up your small and large shields, bows and arrows, javelins and spears, and they will use them for fuel. There will be enough to last them seven years! 10 They won’t need to cut wood from the fields or forests, for these weapons will give them all the fuel they need. They will plunder those who planned to plunder them, and they will rob those who planned to rob them, says the Sovereign Lord.
11 “And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. It will block the way of those who travel there, and they will change the name of the place to the Valley of Gog’s Hordes. 12 It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land. 13 Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign Lord.
14 “After seven months, teams of men will be appointed to search the land for skeletons to bury, so the land will be made clean again. 15 Whenever bones are found, a marker will be set up so the burial crews will take them to be buried in the Valley of Gog’s Hordes. 16 (There will be a town there named Hamonah, which means ‘horde.’) And so the land will finally be cleansed.
17 “And now, son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call all the birds and wild animals. Say to them: Gather together for my great sacrificial feast. Come from far and near to the mountains of Israel, and there eat flesh and drink blood! 18 Eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of princes as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all fattened animals from Bashan! 19 Gorge yourselves with flesh until you are glutted; drink blood until you are drunk. This is the sacrificial feast I have prepared for you. 20 Feast at my banquet table—feast on horses and charioteers, on mighty men and all kinds of valiant warriors, says the Sovereign Lord.
21 “In this way, I will demonstrate my glory to the nations. Everyone will see the punishment I have inflicted on them and the power of my fist when I strike. 22 And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile—it was punishment for sin, for they were unfaithful to their God. Therefore, I turned away from them and let their enemies destroy them. 24 I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins.
Restoration for God’s People
25 “So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation! 26 They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. 27 When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. 28 Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. 29 And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Commentary: MacArthur Study Bible (Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
39:1–10 I am against you. This scene of the army’s ruin adds detail to 38:18–23 such as: 1) the disarming of soldiers (v. 3); 2) their fall in death (vv. 4, 5); 3) the gorging of birds and beasts on the corpses (v. 4); 4) fire sent also on others besides the army (v. 6); and 5) burning of weapons by Israelites (vv. 9, 10).
39:9, 10 burn the weapons. There is enough equipment to provide fuel for 7 years.
39:9 seven years. A vast army (cf. “many,” 38:15) would have much weaponry, requiring 7 years to burn. Since this is likely at the end of the time of tribulation, synonymous with the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16; 19:19–21), the burials would extend into the millennial kingdom.
39:11–16 give Gog a burial place. Israelites moving E from the Mediterranean, with the sea to their backs and the Jezreel Valley before them, bury bodies. Further, people in the whole land help in the interment, which consumes 7 months. The description fits the time after Christ’s Second Advent extending into the millennial era as those who go into His kingdom do the work (cf.Rev. 20:1–10).
39:11, 16 Hamon Gog. Lit. “the multitude of Gog.” In v. 16, a city in the area will be named Hamonah, “multitude” (cf. a similar idea in Joel 3:14).
39:17–20 Speak to…bird and…beast. God’s word summons carrion birds and carnivorous animals to consume the fallen flesh as described in Rev. 19:21.
39:17, 18 My sacrificial meal. Since God describes the feast by the imagery of a sacrificial meal, the warriors who fell (v. 19) are described figuratively in words such as rams and other animals used in sacrifice.
39:21–29 I will set My glory. God vanquishes Israel’s foes to show His glory so that His enemies and Israel will all know that He is the Lord (vv. 6, 22). This is Israel’s salvation spoken of in Zech. 12:10—13:9 and Rom. 11:25–27.
39:29 poured out My Spirit. God’s provision of His Spirit at the Second Advent complements the regathering (cf. 36:27; 37:14;Joel 2:28). The Gog and Magog assault in Rev. 20:7–9 at the end of the Millennium is another assault on Jerusalem patterned after certain images of the invasion here (chaps. 38, 39), but it is a distinct event one thousand years after the millennial kingdom begins. See note on Rev. 20:8, 9.
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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.
Click onto any blue letter, number or symbol to see the video and text on the Blog.
The video in this post is about God. This post is about God. This series of posts is about the love of God in His “plan for the ages.”
Key Verse
Titus 2:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Sermon Text
Revelation 1:3 King James Version (KJV) Godly encouragement for studying end times scriptures.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 1:19 New King James Version (NKJV) A breakdown of the book of Revelation.
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Note: 1:19 This verse provides a simple outline for the entire book: “the things which you have seen” refers to the vision John has just seen (chap. 1); “the things which are” denotes the letters to the churches (chaps. 2, 3); and “the things which will take place after this” refers to the revelation of future history (chaps. 4–22). (BibleGateway.com, MacArthur Study Bible note)
Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events are discussed in this study, but not in any particular order, as follows: the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Three Witnesses, Armageddon, the Resurrection, the Binding of Satan, the Millennium, the Battle of Gog and Magog, the Final Judgment, and The New Heavens and The New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects. (Mine)
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied. All of us have read reference material that has been authored by someone else. In the subject of eschatology, it is important for us to select books, and other reference material, from those whom are recognized as being highly qualified to write such material.
The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized as being highly knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below, but in no special order of importance.
Drs. C.I. Scofield, Merrill Unger, Charles C. Ryrie, Henry Morris, J. Dwight Pentecost, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Frank Charles Thompson, Grant R. Jeffrey, John F. Walvoord, J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, John Phillips, Ed Hindson, Tim LaHaye, Ron Rhodes, David Reagan, Jimmy DeYoung, Renald Showers, John Ankerberg, and others.
This series of posts began on June 30, 2016. The completed posts can be found by clicking onto the following link and selecting category “Journey.” https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/
This review will concentrate on chapters four through thirteen of the book of Revelation, and will provide a glimpse of chapter 16, which is yet to be written.
In order to study the book of Revelation it is important to realize that God is not an idle bystander, but is the chief architect and completer of the things that will happen. It is not merely a matter of “good versus evil,” but of the actions of our Lord in his plan for the redemption of mankind and nature which began immediately after the fall of Adam. Let’s take a quick look at “God in action.” We will use the King James Version and “Names Of God” translation for comparison purposes. (Mine)
Version Information
The Names of God Bible (NOG) accurately translates the meaning of the original texts into clear, everyday language. While most translations obscure the names and titles of God by replacing them with just a few English words such as God, Lord, or LORD, The Names of God Bible restores the transliterations of ancient names—such as Yahweh, El Shadday, El Elyon, and Adonay—to help the reader better understand the rich meaning of God’s names that are found in the original Hebrew and Aramaic text.
Genesis 1:1 King James Version (KJV)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 Names of God Bible (NOG)
1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth.
Genesis 1:31 King James Version (KJV)
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 Names of God Bible (NOG)
31 And Elohim saw everything that he had made and that it was very good. There was evening, then morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7 Names of God Bible (NOG)
7 Then Yahweh Elohim formed the man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life into his nostrils. The man became a living being.
Genesis 2:22 King James Version (KJV)
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Genesis 2:22 Names of God Bible (NOG)
22 Then Yahweh Elohim formed a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man. He brought her to the man.
Then came the sin and the fall, and a promise of redemption from God. (Mine)
Genesis 3:14-15 Names of God Bible (NOG) vs 15 is God’s promise of the Messiah, the Christ.
14 So Yahweh Elohim said to the snake, “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). God points the sin to Adam, and explains the breadth of the curse. Everything that God had done, in perfect order (Gen 1:31), until this point, was no longer in perfect order. The result was natural disturbances, sickness, death, animal aggression….you can add your own thoughts to this list. In essence, everything that is not as it was in the Garden of Eden is a result of the curse. Death did not come upon mankind, or the animal kingdom, or anything else, until the curse that followed the sin of Adam. (Mine)
17 And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
Just as everything was “very good” in the Garden of Eden, God has provided a plan where “He will make all things new.” Such a plan of God is the one that this “Journey” is following. (Mine)
Revelation 21:1-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The New Heaven and Earth
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.
Names of God.
You will notice that God is not identified by the name. “Jehovah.” For a study on that subject you might want to check out my post on that subject. The post title is “Jehovah – Name Of God (?)” (Aug 9, 2016). You might also want to check out “Names Of God – Elohim” (March 6, 2016).
Review
God is in charge of releasing the judgments (seal, trumpet, bowl), on “all those who dwell on the earth.” (Rev 3:10). No one should down-play the severity of any of the judgments, which begin in Revelation Chapter 6. The judgments will increase in severity, from seal to trumpet to bowl. “No one” who is present on Planet Earth will escape those judgments. To believe that there will not be a catching up of God’s born-again believers from the earth, before beginning of the tribulation, and the revealing of the Anti-Christ, and before the horrible things that will happen due to the lawlessness that will be unleashed on the earth, is also to believe that every man, woman and child will suffer from the effects of God’s judgments, as well as from all of the other terrible things that will happen on the earth during the time of tribulation. (Rapture: John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) (Mine)
Jesus is the bridegroom of all bridegrooms (Ephesians 5:25). God’s Holy Spirit has courted us and led us to the point where we are spiritually born again (John 3:3), and spiritually “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and the Spirit of Christ is literally “dwelling within our spirit” (Col 1:27; John 14:15-23). The concept of Christ in us, and we in Christ, is the result of our being born again (John 3:8), and God’s Holy Spirit taking up residence within our spirits (John 14:16-20). Once we have been born again, we begin an eternity of life within Christ. There is no reason for us to be “tried or tested” by the forces of the judgments, the anti-Christ, or worldwide lawlessness which will take place during the tribulation. (Mine)
This review and reinforcement will identify those people who will be “tried and tested,” who are also known as earth dwellers (Rev 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8; 13:14; 17:8). All of those “earth dwellers” are the people who will not have been “born again” at the time of the rapture. They will be tried and tested to be brought to saving faith in Jesus. Unbelieving Jews, also which are left behind from the rapture, will be tried and tested for the same purposes of being brought to saving faith in Jesus. Those of us, which have been born again, individually have souls as pure as the Spirit of Christ; He was “made sin” on Calvary so that He would pay our sin debt (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus will also pay the sin debt for those who become “tribulation saints,” and who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. So, the reason for the tribulation is for God to judge sin, and for unbelieving Jews to come to saving faith in Jesus as their Messiah. Stated again: those of us which have been born again have no purpose for being left on earth to endure the punishments of God’s judgments, and the lawlessness that will cover the earth, and the persecution of the Anti-Christ. (Mine)
The lawlessness of the earth will begin very quickly after the time that all of the believers in Christ are caught up to be with Him (1 Thes 4:13-18), and go with Him to Heaven for rewards and for the preparation for the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 19:7-8). (From this point forward, wherever Jesus goes, we will be with Him, vs 18). All of the world’s leaders who are left behind, will be people who have no spiritual wisdom or prompting for righteousness (1 Cor 1:18; 2:14) because they were not born again. All of the nations of the world will be led in a direction of “godlessness.” All of the citizens of the world (earth dwellers…not citizens of Heaven (Phil 3:20-21)), will also be lacking spiritual wisdom or prompting. It is similar to the year 2008, when the USA elected a President, Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Senate Majority Leader, with an appointed Secretary of State (HRC), with none of them showing any evidence that they had been born again. These leaders and demonstrated no spiritual wisdom or prompting, as they made many decisions against leading the USA in a direction of righteousness. Instead, the USA was led in a direction of making the killing of unborn babies easier, even up to the point immediately before birth. Marriage was redefined, which allowed men to marry men, and women to marry women. The force of law was used to tell schools and businesses that men are allowed to go into the restrooms of little girls, and that students can choose which shower room to use without regard to sex. A major news paper even went so far as to say that girls would have to get used to seeing the genitals of males. These three areas of unrighteousness legislation will seem to be minor when, during the tribulation, all of the leaders of the world will be governing without the influence of an indwelling Holy Spirit. Citizens of the world will also be those who were left behind, and have no indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them. They will be as ungodly in their actions as will be their governing leaders. Conflict will arise between the forces of the Anti-Christ and the forces of the other ungodly forces and nations of the world. The people who have been left behind, and who will have come to saving faith in Jesus, will be the targets of “the world of the ungodly.” (Mine)
Stated again, Jesus is the bridegroom of bridegrooms. Ephesians 5:25 tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church by dying for the church. No such bridegroom will put, or leave, their bride in a world such as will be present during any part of the tribulation. No such family leader will leave “little children” to be subject to the conditions of the tribulation. The catching up of the church (born again believers in Christ) is clearly stated in Scripture, and will come under additional review and clarification in future posts. A study of the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments (shown in the outline below) will show why God will remove His born-again believers from such a world, especially since we know that God will unleash each and every judgment on “those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). (Mine)
A study of the Book of Revelation is incomplete without a relating study of books that relate to the end times, such as Old Testament Daniel, and New Testament 2 Thessalonians. (Mine)
Purpose statement for the revelation: judge sin, and bring unbelieving Jews to the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. The sin of all believers was dealt with at the time that they were born again; there is nothing left for them to do to gain God’s favor and to be born again. If you have been born again, you will be sitting out the tribulation, and will be present with Christ in heaven (1 Thes 4:17). You will return with Him (second coming of Christ) for the Battle of Armageddon (a spiritual battle), at the end of the tribulation, and for the judgment of unbelievers (Zech 14:1-3, 4-16; Rev 16:13-16; 19:11-21; 20:1-15; Matt 24:29-31; 25:31-46). The tribulation occurs when Jesus takes His believers away from earth into Heaven, preceding the tribulation. The second coming of Christ occurs when Jesus returns to earth, with His disciples, when He will stand on the earth, at the end of the tribulation. (Mine)
Review And Reinforcement
Let’s consider scriptures that relate to the rapture of the church, with parallel translations.
John 14:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 King James Version (KJV)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 New King James Version (NKJV)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 King James Version (KJV)
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Consider the key verse:
Titus 2:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Consider the MacArthur Study Bible note.
2:13 blessed hope. A general reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ, including the resurrection (cf. Rom. 8:22, 23; 1 Cor. 15:51–58; Phil. 3:20, 21; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; 1 John 3:2, 3) and the reign of the saints with Christ in glory (2 Tim. 2:10). glorious appearing. Cf. 2 Tim. 1:10. Lit. “the appearing of the glory.” This will be our salvation from the presence of sin. God and Savior. A clear reference to the deity of Jesus. Cf. 2 Pet. 1:1.
My note: The comfort of “the blessed hope and glorious appearing of Christ,” as we see in Titus 2:13, relates to the born again believers of our world who are caught up and carried away, by Christ, to be with Christ. No such “blessed hope” can not be found in the scriptures that relate to Christ returning to earth for the purpose of judgment on an unrepentant world of “left-behind, un-born again, unbelievers,” who are called “earth dwellers” in the book of Revelation. Such verses of judgment are found in Zechariah 14:1-15, Revelation 19:11-20:15, and Matthew 24:3-31 and 25:31-46.
Let’s consider the scriptures that relate to the “earth dwellers.”
Revelation 3:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Revelation 3:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
Revelation 6:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Revelation 6:10 New Living Translation (NLT)
10 They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”
Revelation 8:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Revelation 8:13 New English Translation (NET Bible)
13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying directly overhead, proclaiming with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!”
Revelation 11:10 King James Version
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Revelation 11:10 English Standard Version
and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 13:8 King James Version
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:8 New International Version
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
Revelation 13:14 King James Version
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live
Revelation 13:14 New Living Translation
And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.
Revelation 17:8 King James Version
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation 17:8 New American Standard Bible
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come
Thought on earth dwellers
In this last verse we clearly see the identity of “those who dwell on the earth.” They are the ones whose names had not been written in the book of life, which are those who had not been born again. (Mine)
Let’s consider scriptures that relate to the second coming of Christ.
Zechariah 14:1-17 King James Version
1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.
11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Revelation 19:11-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ on a White Horse
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Beast and His Armies Defeated
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Revelation 20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Satan Bound 1,000 Years
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Satanic Rebellion Crushed
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Matthew 24:21-31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Glorious Return
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Matthew 25:31-46 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Judgment
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father,inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Note on second coming: Matt 25:31-46. The judgment, “sheep and goat judgment,” is for the nations of the world, as to how they treated the Jews (“the least of them”) during the tribulation. (Mine)
First Seal: The Conqueror
Second Seal: Conflict on Earth
Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth
Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth
Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs
Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances
Revelation 7 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Sealed of Israel
A multitude from the Great Tribulation
Revelation 8 New King James Version (NKJV)
Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets
First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck
Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck
Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck
Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck
Revelation 8 New King James Version (NKJV)
Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets
First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck
Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck
Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck
Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck
Revelation 9 New King James Version (NKJV)
Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit
Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates
Revelation 10 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Mighty Angel with the Little Book
John Eats the Little Book
Revelation 11 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Two Witnesses
The Witnesses Killed
The Witnesses Resurrected
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed
Revelation 12 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
The Woman Persecuted
Revelation 13 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Beast from the Sea
The Beast from the Earth
Future Study – Bowl Judgments
Revelation 16 New King James Version (NKJV)
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken
This series of posts began on June 30, 2016. The completed posts can be found by clicking onto the following link and selecting category “Journey.” https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/
Click onto any blue letter, number or symbol to see the video and text on the blog.
The video of this post presents additional information on the horrible conditions that those which have missed the rapture, and are left behind (earth dwellers), will have to face, to include the forces of the Anti Christ, as well as those of worldwide general lawlessness. It is important to remember that the events of the tribulation are of no surprise to God. He is the producer and director. God is not just an observer, but a planner and key player. He is in control of everything that happens (Psalm 103:19).
The text will relate to Revelation Chapter 7. The video will continue through the Battle Of Armageddon, after which time the Anti Christ and False Prophet will be thrown by God into the Lake of Fire (Rev 19:20). The born again believers will already have been raptured, and saved “from the hour of trial which will try all of those who dwell on the earth” (Rev 3:10). In this chapter two groups of people will be discussed, and will find themselves in the tribulation. There are 144,000 Jewish missionaries which are saved “through the tribulation.” They are chosen, sealed and protected by God, with all 144,00 going into the tribulation (Rev 7:4), and that same number going out (Rev 14:1-5). A second group (Gentiles) will consist of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, and people and language” (Rev 7:9). Many of these Gentiles will be martyred during the tribulation. Their departed souls and spirits will immediately be in the Presence Of God in Heaven. The 144,000 Jewish missionaries will be instrumental to the Gentiles coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The martyred Gentile bodies will be resurrected at the end of the Battle of Armageddon, immediately preceding the 1,000 year reign of Christ (Rev 20:4-6). It is at that time that the bodies of the Old Testament saints will also be resurrected (Daniel 12:1-2). It should be remembered that both of these groups (Jews and Gentiles) will be from those “left behind.” They will come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and will be born again.
When the rapture takes place, all people on earth who have been born again, and who have the Spirit of God dwelling within their spirits, will be taken from the Earth by the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). None of those which are left behind, and are not born again, will have the indwelling influence of God’s Holy Spirit. These earth dwellers will have no understanding of Spiritual discernment, as it relates to right and wrong. As earth dwellers come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they will be born again and will experience the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit within their spirits. Outside of the 144,000 sealed Jews, many of the others will be martyred by the forces of the Anti Christ.
Study, Easy Reading
Revelation 7 The Message (MSG)
The Servants of God
1 Immediately I saw Four Angels standing at the four corners of earth, standing steady with a firm grip on the four winds so no wind would blow on earth or sea, not even rustle a tree.
2-3 Then I saw another Angel rising from where the sun rose, carrying the seal of the Living God. He thundered to the Four Angels assigned the task of hurting earth and sea, “Don’t hurt the earth! Don’t hurt the sea! Don’t so much as hurt a tree until I’ve sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!”
4-8 I heard the count of those who were sealed: 144,000! They were sealed out of every Tribe of Israel: 12,000 sealed from Judah, 12,000 from Reuben, 12,000 from Gad, 12,000 from Asher, 12,000 from Naphtali, 12,000 from Manasseh, 12,000 from Simeon, 12,000 from Levi, 12,000 from Issachar, 12,000 from Zebulun, 12,000 from Joseph, 12,000 sealed from Benjamin.
9-12 I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing:
Salvation to our God on his Throne!
Salvation to the Lamb!
All who were standing around the Throne—Angels, Elders, Animals—fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, singing:
Oh, Yes!
The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving,
The honor and power and strength,
To our God forever and ever and ever!
Oh, Yes!
13-14 Just then one of the Elders addressed me: “Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?” Taken aback, I said, “O Sir, I have no idea—but you must know.”
14-17 Then he told me, “These are those who come from the great tribulation, and they’ve washed their robes, scrubbed them clean in the blood of the Lamb. That’s why they’re standing before God’s Throne. They serve him day and night in his Temple. The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for them: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes.”
Study, Verse By Verse
Revelation 7 New King James Version
The following study note and all others, unless identified, are taken from BibleGateway.org, MacArthur Study Bible.
7:1–17 Chapter 7 forms a parenthesis between the sixth seal (6:12–17) and the seventh seal (8:1) and answers the question posed at the end of chap. 6. Two distinct groups will survive the divine fury: 1) 144,000 Jewish evangelists on earth (vv. 1–8) and 2) their converts in heaven (vv. 9–17).
THE 144,000 SEALED JEWS
1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
7:1 four corners. The 4 quadrants of the compass; that is, the angels will take up key positions on earth. four winds. A figurative expression, indicating all the earth’s winds—those from S, E, N, and W. The 4 angels will turn off, for a brief interlude, the essential engine of our earth’s atmosphere.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
7:2 seal of the living God. “Seal” often refers to a signet ring used to press its image into wax melted on a document. The resulting imprint implied authenticity and ownership and protected the contents (cf. 9:4; Ezek. 9:3, 4). In this case, the mark is the name of God (14:1).
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
7:4 One hundred and forty-four thousand. A missionary corps of redeemed Jews who are instrumental in the salvation of many Jews and Gentiles during the Tribulation (vv. 9–17). They will be the first fruits of a new redeemed Israel (v. 4; Zech. 12:10). Finally, Israel will be the witness nation she refused to be in the OT (see notes on Rom. 11:25–27). all the tribes of the children of Israel. By sovereign election, God will seal 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes, promising His protection while they accomplish their mission.
5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
A Multitude from the Great Tribulation
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
7:9 a great multitude. While the tribulation period will be a time of judgment, it will also be a time of unprecedented redemption (cf. v. 14; 6:9–11; 20:4; Is. 11:10; Matt. 24:14). all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. All the earth’s people groups.white robes. See note on 3:4. palm branches. In ancient times, they were associated with celebrations, including the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40; Neh. 8:17; John 12:13).
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
7:10 Salvation belongs to our God. Salvation is the theme of their worship, and they recognize that it comes solely from Him.
11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
7:11 elders. See note on 4:4. four living creatures. See note on 4:6.
4:4 twenty-four elders. Their joint rule with Christ, their white garments (19:7, 8), and their golden crowns (2:10) all seem to indicate that these 24 represent the redeemed (vv. 9–11; 5:5–14;7:11–17; 11:16–18; 14:3; 19:4). The question is which redeemed? Not Israel, since the nation is not yet saved, glorified, and coronated. That is still to come at this point in the events of the end. Their resurrection and glory will come at the end of the 7 year tribulation time (cf. Dan. 12:1–3). Tribulation saints aren’t yet saved (7:9, 10). Only one group will be complete and glorified at that point—the church. Here elders represent the church, which sings the song of redemption (5:8–10). They are the overcomers who have their crowns and live in the place prepared for them, where they have gone with Jesus (cf. John 14:1–4).
4:6 sea of glass. There is no sea in heaven (21:1), but the crystal pavement that serves as the floor of God’s throne stretches out like a great, glistening sea (cf. Ex. 24:10; Ezek. 1:22). four living creatures. Lit. “four living ones or beings.” These are the cherubim (sing., cherub), those angels frequently referred to in the OT in connection with God’s presence, power, and holiness. Although John’s description is not identical to Ezekiel’s, they are obviously both referring to the same supernatural and indescribable beings (Pss. 80:1; 99:1; see notes on Ezek. 1:4–25; 10:15). full of eyes. Although not omniscient—an attribute reserved for God alone—these angels have a comprehensive knowledge and perception. Nothing escapes their scrutiny (cf. v. 8).
12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
7:12 Blessing…and might. See note on 5:12.
5:12 power…and blessing. This doxology records 7 qualities intrinsic to God and to the Lamb that demand our praise.
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
7:13 white robes. See note on 3:4.
3:4 who have not defiled their garments. Defiled means “to smear, to pollute,” or “to stain,” and garments refer to character. There were a few whose character was still godly (cf. Jude 23).in white. The white garments of all the redeemed (cf. 6:11; 7:9,13; 19:8, 14), speak of holiness and purity. Such white robes are reserved for Christ (Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:3), holy angels (Matt. 28:3; Mark 16:5), and the glorified church (19:8, 14). In the ancient world, white robes were commonly worn at festivals and celebrations.
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
7:14 the great tribulation. See notes on 3:10; 6:1, 9, 12. These people didn’t go with the raptured church, since they were not yet saved. During the 7 year period they will be saved, martyred, and enter heaven. Though it is a time of unparalleled judgment, it is also a time of unparalleled grace in salvation (cf. Matt. 24:12–14). washed their robes. Cf. 19:8. Salvation’s cleansing is in view (see Titus 2:11–14). blood of the Lamb. This refers to the atoning sacrifice of Christ (cf. 1:5; 5:9; Rom. 3:24, 25; 5:9)
15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
7:15 His temple. This refers to the heavenly throne of God (see note on 11:19). During the Millennium there will also be a temple on earth—a special holy place where God dwells in a partially restored, but still fallen, universe (see Ezek. 40–48). In the final, eternal state with its new heavens and earth, there is no temple; God Himself, who will fill all, will be its temple (21:22). dwell among them. The preferred reading is that He “will spread His tent over them.” God’s presence will become their canopy of shelter to protect them from all the terrors of a fallen world and the indescribable horrors they have experienced on the earth during the time of tribulation.
16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
7:17 shepherd. In a beautiful mix of images, the Lamb has always been the Shepherd (Ps. 23; John 10:14ff.; Heb. 13:20).
Summary: Bible.org, Dr. John F. Walvoord, Deceased.
Chapter 7 of the book of Revelation serves as a review of the situation described in the previous chapters and emphasizes two important facts. First, God is going to judge Israel in the period of great trial, and 12,000 from each tribe, totaling 144,000, will be protected and sealed from the judgments which will fall upon the world in general. Second, a great multitude of Gentiles will also be saved, but many of these will be martyred, and a multitude of the martyred dead are found in heaven rejoicing in the presence of the Lamb and representing every tongue and nation. It is an indication that even in the tragic closing hours prior to the second coming of Christ to the earth, countless souls will find Christ as Saviour and be saved by His grace.
Bible Study: Zechariah Scofield Bible
Chapter 4. The Fifth Vision: The golden lamp stand and the two olive trees.
Read vs 1-1-14. and Note 4:2.
vs 1-7 The golden lamp stand and the two olive trees
vs 8-14 Zerubbabel to finish rebuilding the temple
Note 4:2
The lamp stand represents God’s witness before the world. (Israel in OT and Church in NT). After the rapture, God will still maintain a witness in the world.
The two olive trees represent two phases of God’s government, one from the priestly, and the other from the kingly. From these two olive trees the oil was carried to the lamp stand. Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit.
More info on Joshua, Zerubbabel and Christ in note.
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2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. (The spread of lawlessness occurs quickly after the rapture of the church takes place, which leaves the world with only those who have not been born again. My note)
The video for this post, The Omega Code, shows how the world is affected by the presence of the Anti-Christ, and by those who support his takeover of the world after the rapture has taken place and the tribulation begins. Of course, it is important to remember that God is in charge of everything that happens during the tribulation. A key passage that tells of the sovereignty of God is Psalm 103:19, as follows.
Psalm 103:19 New Living Translation (NLT)
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.
The video appears to be “slow going” until eleven minutes into the movie. At twelve minutes, things “really get going!” The events of the movie closely parallel biblical scripture of end-times scripture. We are aware pf the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). In the tribulation there are three characters that form an unholy trinity. They are (1) the dragon, the serpent, the devil, Satan; (2) the beast, the anti-Christ, the man of lawlessness, the man of sin, the man of destruction, a political leader; (3) the false prophet, a religious leader. In the movie, Stone Alexander is the Anti-Christ; the false prophet is a former Catholic priest, by the name of Dominic. The woman, who is in alliance with the false prophet and Anti-Christ, makes the following statement:”even Satan comes as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). The two witnesses of Rev 11:1-14 are murdered and are resurrected. Now! Here’s a question for you to ponder. Who is the woman of Revelation Chapter 12?
We will now consider scripture that relates to the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments, as they are discussed in the Book of Revelation. The rapture of the church, the born again believers of Christ, has taken place prior to these events, and is documented in the following verses of scripture. It is important to notice that when Jesus returns “in the air,” He “does not” set foot on the earth. He catches up/snatches away, those living and deceased born-again saints. It is not until “the second coming of Christ” that Jesus will actually stand on the Mount of Olives, as he explained to the disciples in the Olivet discourse in Matthew, Chapters, 24:29-31; 25:31-34; “. Prophetic scriptures of Zechariah 14:1-3, 4-8, 9-16, and Revelation 19:11-20:4, also describe the second coming of Christ, where he will physically stand on the earth. The return of Jesus “to the earth” is said to be “after the tribulation,” in Mt 24:29-31. When the rapture occurs, the only people who will be left on earth will be those whom have not been born again. The tribulation begins with Revelation 6:1, and continues until the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11), which ends with vs 15,” From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations.” This verse shows that it is a spiritual battle that defeats Satan and his forces.
John 14:2-3 New Living Translation (NLT)
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 New Living Translation (NLT)
50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
We will now discus the Seal Judgments of Revelation, Chapter 6. Comments were made on verses 1-4 in “God’s Plan For The Ages” # 12.
The supporting Comments come from the MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible).
Revelation 6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The First Seal—Rider on White Horse
1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
The Second Seal—War
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
The Third Seal—Famine
5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for adenarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
6:5 black horse. Black signifies famine (cf. Lam. 5:8–10). Worldwide war will destroy the food supply which spawns global hunger. pair of scales. The common measuring device—two small trays hung from each end of a balance beam—indicates that the scarcity of food will lead to rationing and food lines.
6:6 quart of wheat. The approximate amount necessary to sustain one person for one day. denarius. One day’s normal wage. One day’s work will provide enough food for only one person. three quarts of barley. Usually fed to animals, this grain was low in nutrients and cheaper than wheat. A day’s wage provides enough for only a small family’s daily supply. oil and the wine. Although the point could be that these foods will not be affected by the famine, a more straightforward meaning is that bare staples—oil was used in the preparation of bread, and wine was considered necessary for cooking and purifying water—suddenly will become luxuries that have to be carefully protected.
The Fourth Seal—Death
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
6:8 pale horse. “Pale,” the Gr. word from which the Eng. word “chlorophyll” comes, describes the pale, ashen-green, pallor characteristic of the decomposition of a corpse. God grants this horseman the authority to bring death to 25 percent of the world’s population. Hades. See note on Luke 16:23. The place of the dead, which is identified as a common and fitting partner for death (20:13; see note on 1:18).
The Fifth Seal—Martyrs
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true,will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
6:9 fifth seal. This seal describes the force of the saints’ prayers for God’s vengeance. Its events will begin in the first half and mark the mid-point and events following, in the 7 year period, which is called the Great Tribulation (2:22; 7:14; see notes on Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3, 4). The second 3½ year period (11:2; 12:6; 13:5) features the Day of the Lord, in which God unleashes His judgment and wrath on the earth in intensifying waves (see note on 1 Thess. 5:2). under the altar.Probably a reference to the altar of incense, which pictured the saints’ prayers ascending to God (5:8; cf. Ex. 40:5). the souls of those who had been slain. Christians martyred for their faith (cf. 7:9, 13–15; 17:6; Matt. 24:9–14; see also Mark 13:9–13;Luke 21:12–19).
6:11 white robe. See note on 3:4. rest a little while longer.God will answer their prayer for vengeance, but in His time. until both the number … was completed. God has predetermined the number of the righteous whose death He will allow before moving to destroy the rebels.
The Sixth Seal—Terror
12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
6:12 sixth seal. The force described in this seal is overpowering fear (cf. Luke 21:26). While the first 5 seals will result from human activity God used to accomplish His purposes, at this point He begins direct intervention (cf. Matt. 24:29; Luke 21:25). The previous 5 seals will be precursors to the full fury of the Day of the Lord which will begin with the sixth seal (v. 17). The events described in this seal unleash the seventh, which contains the trumpet judgments (chaps. 8, 9; 11:15ff.) and the bowl judgments (chap. 16). great earthquake. There have been many earthquakes prior to this (Matt. 24:7), but this will be more than an earthquake. All the earth’s faults will begin to fracture simultaneously, resulting in a cataclysmic, global earthquake.moon became like blood. Accompanying the earthquake will be numerous volcanic eruptions; and large amounts of ash and debris will be blown into the earth’s atmosphere, blackening the sun and giving the moon a blood-red hue (cf. Zech. 14:6, 7).
6:13 stars of heaven fell. The word “stars” can refer to any celestial body, large or small, and is not limited to normal English usage. The best explanation is a massive asteroid or meteor shower. late figs. Winter figs that grow without the protection of leaves and are easily blown from the tree.
6:14 sky receded as a scroll. The earth’s atmosphere will be somehow dramatically affected and the sky as we know it disappears (cf. Is. 34:4). every mountain and island was moved. Under the stress created by the global earthquake, great segments of the earth’s plates will begin to slip and shift, realigning whole continents.
6:16 wrath of the Lamb. Earth’s inhabitants will recognize for the first time the source of all their trouble (see note on 5:6). Incredibly, prior to this they will be living life as usual (Matt. 24:37–39).
6:17 great day. The sixth seal will commence what the prophets call “the Day of the Lord.” See Introduction to Joel: Historical and Theological Themes.
Consider the comment from Bible.org, Dr. John F. Walvoord, Deceased, after a brief bio.
John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
The book of Revelation discredits those who hold that God is so loving and kind that He will never judge people who have not received His Son. Though the modern mind is reluctant to accept the fact that God will judge the wicked, the Bible clearly teaches that He will. The Scriptures reveal a God of love as clearly as they reveal a God of wrath who will deal with those who spurn the grace proffered in the Lord Jesus Christ. The passage before us (Rev 6:17) is a solemn word that there is inevitable judgment ahead for those who will not receive Christ by faith.
Bible Study: Zechariah
Zechariah 3. Scofield Study Bible. Read vs 1-10, notes 3:1, 3:2, 3:10. Joshua is The High Priest; the Lord’s servant, the Branch. Joshua represents Israel. The Branch may represent the Messiah or Zerubbabel, the appointed Governor of Judah. Zerubbabel is known for rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3-4; 536-534 B.C.).
Important Notice
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The seal judgment of Revelation 6:1-2 has passed, having been poured out by “the Lamb, Jesus.” Every person, “man, woman, and child,” in the world is affected. The Anti-Christ breaks his false covenant of peace with Israel; the surrounding world is suffering from great lawlessness. The rapture of the church has previously take place, which leaves the earth with only the people whom had not been born again at the time of the rapture. (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; Ephesians 4:13-18). Throughout the world, no one has the Spirit of God dwelling within them and convicting them of sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11); lawlessness increases. Those whom are left behind have no understanding of the things of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14). All of the governments of the world are being led by people whom have no Godly influence guiding them. It will be like it was after the presidential and congressional elections in the USA in 2008. We had a President, Vice-President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary of State (now wanting to be President), leading our nation, but showing no evidence that they had the Spirit of God dwelling within them. Their actions showed that they had not been born again. In essence, the USA was being led by un-Godly men and women. After the rapture of the church takes place, all remaining people in the world will also be of the same spiritually depraved state, of not having God’s Spirit dwelling within them. Worldwide chaos will breakout, with or without the influence of the Anti-Christ, because un-Godly people will be dominating the world. In time, there will be “earth dwellers” ( Rev 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8); those that were left behind; who will come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They will become known as “tribulation saints; most of them will be martyred at the hands of the Anti-Christ” (Revelation 6:9-11). The Christians in the video of this post are “left behind” people who came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior “during the tribulation.” So, here is a choice that has to be made by everyone in the world prior to the time of the rapture. The choice is simple: “be born again, and be taken away by Jesus; or, be an earth dweller and suffer at the hands of the Anti-Christ and the other un-Godly people of the world.”
Consider the following order of events. Key on Daniel 9:27, as it relates to the Anti-Christ breaking his treaty with Israel.
Daniel 9:24-27 New Living Translation (NLT)
24 “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.
26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. 27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration,until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Comments (MacArthur Study Bible – Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
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).
Consider those who will be left behind, and who will be the objects of the Judgments of The Lamb.
(Commentary on Bible.org, Dr. John Walvoord, Deceased).
The Invitation from Heaven (Revelation 4:1)
4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
The invitation to John to “come up hither” is so similar to that which the church anticipates at the rapture that many have connected the two expressions. It is clear from the context that this is not an explicit reference to the rapture of the church, as John was not actually translated; in fact he was still in his natural body on the island of Patmos. He was translated into scenes of heaven only temporarily. Though there is no authority for connecting the rapture with this expression, there does seem to be a typical representation of the order of events, namely, the church age first, then the rapture, then the church in heaven. Though the rapture is mentioned in letters to two of the churches (cf. 2:25; 3:11), the rapture as a doctrine is not a part of the prophetic foreview of the book of Revelation. This is in keeping with the fact that the book as a whole is not occupied primarily with God’s program for the church. Instead the primary objective is to portray the events leading up to and climaxing in the second coming of Christ and the prophetic kingdom and the eternal state which ultimately will follow.
From a practical standpoint, however, the rapture may be viewed as having already occurred in the scheme of God before the events of chapter 4 and following chapters of Revelation unfold. The word church, so prominent in chapters 2 and 3, does not occur again until 22:16, though the church is undoubtedly in view as the wife of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7. She is not a participant in the scenes of the tribulation which form the major content of the book of Revelation. The familiar phrase “what the Spirit saith unto the churches” found in 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22 is significantly absent in 13:9.
It seems that the church as the Body of Christ is out of the picture, and saints who come to know the Lord in this period are described as saved Israelites or saved Gentiles, never by terms which are characteristic of the church, the Body of Christ. Saints mentioned from this point on do not lose their racial background as is commonly done in referring to the church where Jew and Gentile are one in Christ. At the beginning of chapter 4, then, the church may be considered as in heaven and not related to events which will take place on the earth in preparation for Christ’s return in power and glory.
Consider the following discussion of the first two Seal Judgments, which will be poured out on the Earth by “the Lamb, Jesus.” Following the Seal Judgments there will be Trumpet Judgments and Bowl Judgments, all of which will be poured out on “all which dwell on the earth,” by Jesus, “the Lamb.” No one on earth will be exempt from these judgments, whether they are man, woman or child. (Please don’t be an earth dweller.)
Seal Judgments
Revelation 6:1-2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The First Seal, Rider on White Horse, The Anti-Christ, False Peace, Cold War
1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Comments: MacArthur Study Bible
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.
6:2 white horse. The animal represents an unparalleled time of world peace—a false peace that is to be short-lived (see note on v. 4). This peace will be ushered in by a series of false messiahs, culminating with the Antichrist (Matt. 24:3–5). He who sat on it.The 4 horses and their riders do not represent specific individuals, but forces. Some, however, identify this rider with Antichrist. Although he will be the leading figure, John’s point is that the entire world will follow him, being obsessed with pursuing this false peace. bow. The bow is a symbol of war, but the absence of arrows implies that this victory is a bloodless one—a peace won by covenant and agreement, not by war (cf. Dan. 9:24–27). crown. This word refers to the kind of laurel wreath awarded winning athletes. It “was given to him.” Antichrist becomes king, elected by the world’s inhabitants regardless of the cost, and will conquer the entire earth in a bloodless coup.
The Second Seal Judgment shows the progression that takes place from a “false peace and cold war” to a “hot war.”
Revelation 6:3-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Second Seal—War, Hot War
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
Comments: MacArthur Study Bible
6:3, 4.The second seal brings war and a lack of peace (cf.Matt. 24:6, 7). The sword represents armed conflict. Perhaps the attacks on Israel mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and Daniel 11:40–44 are also in view.
Bible Study: Zechariah
Zechariah 2 Scofield Study Bible. Read Vs 1-2. The man with the measuring line in hand. Read note 2:1. Read Vs 3-13. Jerusalem In The Kingdom Age. Read notes 2:10; 2:12. Key vs 2:8.
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Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events are not in the order as shown: the Resurrection, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses, the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects.
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied, “over and over.” The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized as being highly knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below in no special order of importance.
Drs. C.I. Scofield, Merrill Unger, Charles C. Ryrie, Henry Morris, J. Dwight Pentecost, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Frank Charles Thompson, Grant R. Jeffrey, John F. Walvoord, J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, John Phillips, Ed Hindson, Tim LaHaye, Ron Rhodes, David Reagan, Jimmy DeYoung, Renald Showers, John Ankerberg, Carl Broggi, and others.
The video that is shown in this post deals with the time of the tribulation. Many people, including those who say that they have a serious relationship with “the Christ,” “the Messiah,” have never seriously considered any of the teachings that relate to the end times. However, God’s Holy Word has great encouragement for His people, as it relates to a proper study of the end times. At the end of the video it is very “soul-stirring,” showing a young woman and a dying man coming to faith in Christ. Other tribulation saints, those that were “left behind,” (red and yellow, black and white – you know the song) and had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the tribulation, are seen singing “Amazing Grace” in a way that will definitely “stir your soul.”
Consider the words of the following verse of Scripture:
Revelation 1:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Consider the following notes that come from the MacArthur Study Bible (everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
1:3 Blessed. This is the only biblical book that comes with a blessing for the one who listens to it being read and explained and then responds in obedience. This is the first of 7 beatitudes in the book (v. 3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). time is near. “Time” refers to epochs, eras, or seasons. The next great epoch of God’s redemptive history is imminent. But although Christ’s coming is the next event, it may be delayed so long that people begin to question whether He will ever come (cf. Matt. 24:36–39; 2 Pet. 3:3, 4).
Let’s consider the Words of Jesus, as they relate to the events that will lead to the time of the tribulation. There are many other scriptures that relate to the tribulation, and will be discussed in future posts.
Matthew 24:3-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Signs of the End of the Age
3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
24:3 Mount of Olives. The hill directly opposite the temple, across the Kidron Valley to the E (see note on Luke 19:29). This spot affords the best panoramic view of Jerusalem. At the base of this mountain is Gethsemane (see note on 26:36). what will be the sign of Your coming. Luke 19:11 records that the disciples still “thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.” The destruction of the temple (v. 2) did not fit the eschatological scheme they envisioned, so they asked for clarification. Jesus addressed their questions in reverse order, describing the prophetic sign of His coming (actually a series of signs) in vv. 4–35 and then addressing their question about the timing of these events beginning in v. 36. When they asked about His coming (Gr., parousia; lit. “presence”), they did not envision a second coming in the far-off future. They were speaking of His coming in triumph as Messiah, an event which they no doubt anticipated would occur presently. Even if they were conscious of His approaching death, which He had plainly prophesied to them on repeated occasions (see note on 20:19), they could not have anticipated His ascension to heaven and the long intervening church age. However, when Jesus used the term parousia in His discourse, He used it in the technical sense as a reference to His second coming.
4 Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.
24:6 but the end is not yet. False prophets, as well as wars and rumors of wars, characterize the whole of the present age, but will escalate toward the end (cf. 2 Tim. 3:13).
7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.
24:8 sorrows. The word means “birth pangs.” Famines, earthquakes, and conflicts have always characterized life in a fallen world; but by calling these things “the beginning” of labor pains, He indicated that things will get notably and remarkably worse at the end of the era as these unique tribulations signal the soon arrival of Messiah to judge sinful humanity and set up His millennial kingdom. Cf. 1 Thes. 5:3; Rev. 6:1–17; 8:1—9:21;16:1–21; see note on v. 14.
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.
24:9 deliver you up. See note on 10:17.
10:17 deliver you up. This is a technical word, in this context, used for handing over a prisoner for punishment. Persecution of believers has often been the official policy of governments. Such persecutions give opportunity for testifying to the truth of the gospel. Cf. John 16:1–4; 2 Tim. 4:16.
10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another.
24:10 many will be offended. Lit. “caused to stumble”—suggesting professing believers who fall away—and even turn against “one another” in shocking acts of spiritual treachery. Those who fall away in such a manner give evidence that they never were true believers at all (see note on v. 13).
11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.
24:13 endures to the end…be saved. Cf. 10:22. The ones who persevere are the same ones who are saved—not the ones whose love grows cold (v. 12). This does not suggest that our perseverance secures our salvation. Scripture everywhere teaches precisely the opposite: God, as part of His saving work, secures our perseverance. True believers “are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” (1 Pet. 1:5). The guarantee of our perseverance is built into the New Covenant promise. God says: “I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me” (Jer. 32:40). Those who do fall away from Christ give conclusive proof that they were never truly believers to begin with (1 John 2:19). To say that God secures our perseverance is not to say that we are passive in the process, however. He keeps us “through faith” (1 Pet. 1:5)—our faith. Scripture sometimes calls us to hold fast to our faith (Heb. 10:23; Rev. 3:11) or warns us against falling away (Heb. 10:26–29). Such admonitions do not negate the many promises that true believers will persevere (John 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:38, 39; 1 Cor. 1:8, 9; Phil. 1:6). Rather, the warnings and pleas are among the means God uses to secure our perseverance in the faith. Notice that the warnings and the promises often appear side by side. For example, when Jude urges believers, “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), he immediately points them to God, “who is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24).
The Great Tribulation
21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again!
24:21 great tribulation. The words “has not been” and “nor ever shall be”—along with the description that follows—identify this as the yet-future time in which God’s wrath shall be poured out upon the earth (see note on Rev. 7:14). Jesus’ descriptions of the cataclysms that follow closely resemble the outpouring of divine wrath described in the bowl judgments of Rev. 16 and His subsequent appearing in Rev. 19 (see note on v. 30).
7:14 the great tribulation. See notes on 3:10; 6:1, 9, 12. These people didn’t go with the raptured church, since they were not yet saved. During the 7 year period they will be saved, martyred, and enter heaven. Though it is a time of unparalleled judgment, it is also a time of unparalleled grace in salvation (cf. Matt. 24:12–14). washed their robes. Cf. 19:8. Salvation’s cleansing is in view (see Titus 2:11–14). blood of the Lamb. This refers to the atoning sacrifice of Christ (cf. 1:5; 5:9; Rom. 3:24, 25; 5:9).
Please pay close attention to the words of the comment on 7:14: These people didn’t leave earth with the raptured church, since they were not yet saved; they had not been “born again.” This is the key to being saved from the time of the tribulation, “to be born again.” All people who have been born again will be removed from the earth at the time of the rapture of the church. (1 Thes 4:13-18). All people who have not been born again are known as “earth dwellers,” and will remain on earth during the time of the tribulation. The following verses in the book of Revelation addresses “the earth dwellers,” “those which dwell on the earth.” (3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8; 13:13-14, 17:8. It is also important to remember that God is in control of every event that takes place during the tribulation (Psalm 103;19; Jeremiah 18:1-6).
Bible Study: Zechariah
Zechariah 1:1-1:20. Scofield Study Bible. All notes. Call to Repentance. A Series of 8 Visions to Comfort Jerusalem.
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Matthew 24:8-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
The persecutions that are discussed are also known as “birth pains,” “birth pangs,” and sorrows, vs 8. Consider the commentary on verse 8 from the MacArthur Study Bible.
The word means “birth pangs.” Famines, earthquakes, and conflicts have always characterized life in a fallen world; but by calling these things “the beginning” of labor pains, He indicated that things will get notably and remarkably worse at the end of the era as these unique tribulations signal the soon arrival of Messiah to judge sinful humanity and set up His millennial kingdom. Cf. 1 Thes. 5:3; Rev. 6:1–17; 8:1—9:21;16:1–21;
When you examine the events of vs 9-12, they may appear to you as being “news items” of today.”
Those birth pangs may be occurring in our world today. They may present themselves immediately preceding the tribulation. They may happen prior to, or after, the catching up (rapture) of the church (born again believers/body of Christ), or they may occur after that event, when the body of Christ is “snatched away” and taken to Heaven with Christ, “from all corners of the world,” to not be present during the tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The rapture of the church is not the second coming of Christ, when our Lord will return from Heaven and stand on the Mount Of Olives in Jerusalem. During the tribulation Jesus will inflict a series of judgments on all “earth dwellers” (those who missed the rapture because they had not been born again). The purpose of the events of the tribulation will be to judge sin and to bring Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah (Daniel 9:24). The Anti-Christ will be under the control of God. God will not be just an observer; He will be in control of the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments, which will come upon all of those that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10). No one who is present during the tribulation will be exempted from God’s judgment. Those whom have been born again, and have the Spirit of God dwelling within their Spirits, will not be among those “earth dwellers.” At the time of the rapture of the church, all of those whom have been born again will be removed from the earth. At that time, the only dwellers on earth will be those whom have not been born again; those whom do not have the Spirit of God dwelling within their spirits. Those “unborn again” earth dwellers, and only they, will be the objects of God’s judgments. Such people cling to the things that are not of God, and Heaven. We, whom are born again, are citizens of Heaven and therefore cling to Heavenly matters because of the influence that God’s Holy Spirit places within our spirits (John 16:7-11). Those, whom have not been born again, are minus the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within their spirits, have no understanding of spiritual things (1 Cor 1:18; 2:14), and have no Spiritual leading and influence in their lives. Such people, which have not been born again, (Gentile or Jew) will have the opportunity to accept Jesus as Messiah during the tribulation, and will most likely become martyrs of the Anti-Christ and become tribulation martyrs. To believe that all people in the world will go through any part of the tribulation, is to also believe that little children and little babies will also be the objects of the judgments of God. If anyone has any misunderstanding about the severity of the judgments of God, a quick look at those judgments should provide a much clearer understanding of God’s love vs his stern judgment. Check out the seal judgments (Rev 6:1-17); the trumpet judgments (Rev 8:2-9:21; 11:15-19); and the bowl judgments (Rev 15-16). Consider the Words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, as they relate to His protection and love for His people.
Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The love of Christ for his people is very clear in Mt 11:28-30. But, did He “very conveniently” leave out of that conversation that His people would have to suffer, along with all those whom are not His people, the horrible conditions of the judgments of the tribulation? I think not! Consider, also, the love that Christ expressed for His Church, which is His Bride/His born again believers of the world that is expressed in Eph 5:25.
Ephesians 5:25 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Jesus is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” He tells all of us that His love for us (the born again body of Christ/his bride) is such that he loved us so much that “He died for us.” Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, courted us and “stole our hearts from the unbelieving world.” His Word told husbands to love “their wives.” But, are we to believe that Jesus is going to leave His bride in the world to face the persecution of the Anti-Christ and God’s directed seal, trumpet and bowl judgments? I think not!
During the tribulation, Jesus will not be present on earth; He will be judging the earth. Consider where His believers will be; we will be with Him, in Him. When we were born again, our spirits became inhabitants of the Spirit of Christ, and Christ became an inhabitant of our Spirits, as we read in the following verses.
John 10:30 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
30 The Father and I are one.” (note: God the Father and God the Son are literally “One”)
John 14:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves (note: God the Father and God the Son dwell within “The Other”)
John 14:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. (note: the Spirit of God dwells literally “in our spirits.” He does not dwell within the spirits of the unborn again world)
John 14:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. (note: we see the literal dwelling of the God-Head in us, and us in the God-Head ‘Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. (note: we are literally, “in Christ”)
Colossians 1:27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (note: Christ is literally, “in us)
Future posts will discuss scriptures that describe the rapture of the church and the Judgment Seat Of Christ “for rewards for believers in Christ;” the tribulation, the Anti-Christ, and the judgments of God (seal, trumpet, bowl judgments); the martyred tribulation saints (those which came to Christ during the tribulation) and the two slain witnesses which are resurrected; the dragon/Satan, the Anti-Christ/the Beast, the false prophet/a religious leader; the woman of Revelation 12 and the 144,000 Jewish missionaries; the mark of the beast; the preparation for the Battle of Armageddon; the marriage of the lamb and the marriage supper; the second coming of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon (with the accompanying raptured saints and angels); the resurrection of the other saints of all times (Old Testament and tribulation saints); the 1,000 year reign of Christ and the binding of Satan; the loosing of Satan and the Battle of Gog and Magog; the resurrection of those which were not born again and the Great White Throne Judgment (for those not born again); the lake of fire (for Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and for those not born again); the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem; eternity for God’s born again people with God and the Lamb.
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Key verse of consideration.
1 John 5:20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Study Text
John 5:17-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Consider the MacArthur Study Bible notes on the above scripture.
5:17 Jesus’ point is that whether He broke the Sabbath or not, God was working continuously and, since Jesus Himself worked continuously, He also must be God. Furthermore, God does not need a day of rest for He never wearies (Is. 40:28). For Jesus’ self-defense to be valid, the same factors that apply to God must also apply to Him. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8)! Interestingly, even the rabbis admitted that God’s work had not ceased after the Sabbath because He sustains the universe.
5:18 This verse confirms that the Jews instantly grasped the implications of His remarks that He was God (see notes on v. 17).
5:19 Most assuredly. Cf. vv. 24, 25; 1:51. This is an emphatic way of saying “I’m telling you the truth.” In response to Jewish hostility at the implications of His assertions of equality with God, Jesus became even more fearless, forceful, and emphatic. Jesus essentially tied His activities of healing on the Sabbath directly to the Father. The Son never took independent action that set Him against the Father because the Son only did those things that were coincident with and co-extensive with all that the Father does. Jesus thus implied that the only One who could do what the Father does must be as great as the Father.
Consider the following supportive verse of scripture that relates to the Deity Of Christ.
1 John 5:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Consider the MacArthur Study Bible note on the above verse.
5:20 true. The word means “genuine” as opposed to what is false (cf. v. 21). God and eternal life. That Jesus Christ is the true God is the fifth Christian certainty. This verse constitutes the summation of John’s whole letter. The greatest certainty of all, the Incarnation, guarantees the certainty of the rest. This is the doctrinal foundation, out of which comes love and obedience.
Consider the following text that relates to 1 John 5:20, that is provided by Dr. W. Hall Harris, III.
W. Hall Harris III is Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and is also the Project Director and Managing Editor for the NET Bible (New English Translation).
For over thirty years Hall has taught courses at Dallas Seminary in intermediate level Greek grammar and syntax, exegetical method, and various courses in the Gospel and Epistles of John. He received a Th.M. from Dallas Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield, England.
The force of the i{na (Jina) in 5:20. The Jina introduces a purpose clause which gives the purpose of the preceding affirmation: “we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight in order that we might know him who is true….” Because “in order that” here is somewhat awkward and pedantic in terms of contemporary English style, the NET Bible has translated the purpose clause by an English infinitive, “insight to know him who is true.”
The meaning of the preposition ejn (en, “in”) and the referent of toVn ajlhqinovn (ton alhqinon, “him who is true”) in 5:20. This phrase is used as a description of God the Father by Jesus in his prayer in John 17:3 (“the only true God”). The following clause in 1 John 5:20, which mentions “his Son Jesus Christ,” confirms that the same referent is in view here, making it clear that the phrase toVn ajlhqinovn (ton alhqinon, “him who is true”) in 1 John 5:20 refers to God the Father. With the use of the preposition ejn (en, “in”) the author, for the last time in the letter, makes a significant statement of indwelling. As in John 17:3, eternal life is to be found in the knowledge of the one true God, and in Jesus Christ whom he sent. This is life “in” the Son (1 John 5:11). Malatesta suggested that the author used the verb ei\nai (einai, “to be”) rather than mevnein (menein, “to reside, to remain”) here to emphasize that “to be in God and in Jesus is the condition, the way of being, to which the Christian community is called.”743
The referent of ouJtov (Joutos, “this one”) in 5:20. The pronoun is personified (“this one”), but it is far from clear whether it should be understood as a reference to God the Father or Jesus Christ.744 R. Brown comments, “I John, which began with an example of stunning grammatical obscurity in the Prologue, continues to the end to offer us examples of unclear grammar.”745
The immediately preceding words are “Jesus Christ,” so proximity alone would suggest that as the preferred antecedent, but on some occasions when “Jesus Christ” is the closer antecedent, the pronoun still refers to God.746 The first predicate following ouJtov ejstin (Joutos estin, “this one is”) in 5:20, oJ ajlhqinoV qeov (Jo alhqinos qeos, “the true God”), is a description of God the Father used by Jesus in John 17:3, and was used in the preceding clause of the present verse to refer to God the Father.747 Yet the second predicate of ouJtov (Joutos) in 5:20, zwhV aijwvnio (zwh aiwnios, “eternal life”), appears to refer to Jesus, because although the Father possesses “life” (John 5:26, 6:57) just as Jesus does (John 1:4, 6:57; 1 John 5:11), “life” is never predicated of the Father elsewhere in the Johannine writings, while it is predicated of Jesus in John 11:25 and 14:6 (the latter a self-predication by Jesus). Furthermore, the reader was introduced to the expression “the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us in 1 John 1:2, so if we understand ouJtov (Joutos) in 5:20 as referring to Jesus, it forms an inclusion with the prologue.748 Taking all this into consideration, it appears best to understand the pronoun ouJtov (Joutos) in 5:20 as a reference to Jesus Christ. The christological affirmation which results is striking, but certainly not beyond the capabilities of the author (cf. John 1:1 and 20:31): “This one [= Jesus Christ] is the true God and eternal life.”
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
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
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Key Verse
Matthew 5:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
Note
Geneva Study Bible
Christ did not come to bring any new way of righteousness and salvation into the world, but indeed to fulfil that which was shadowed by the figures of the Law, by delivering men through grace from the curse of the Law: and moreover to teach the true use of obedience which the Law appointed, and to engrave in our hearts the power for obedience; that the prophecies may be accomplished.
Study Text
Matthew 5 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Beatitudes
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Christ Fulfills the Law
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder Begins in the Heart
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Marriage Is Sacred and Binding
31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Jesus Forbids Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Go the Second Mile
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Study Notes
5:1—7:29 The Sermon on the Mount introduces a series of 5 important discourses recorded in Matthew (see Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes). This sermon is a masterful exposition of the law and a potent assault on Pharisaic legalism, closing with a call to true faith and salvation (7:13–29). Christ expounded the full meaning of the law, showing that its demands were humanly impossible (cf. 5:48). This is the proper use of the law with respect to salvation: It closes off every possible avenue of human merit and leaves sinners dependent on nothing but divine grace for salvation (cf. Rom. 3:19, 20; Gal. 3:23, 24). Christ plumbed the depth of the law, showing that its true demands went far beyond the surface meaning of the words (5:28, 39, 44) and set a standard that is higher than the most diligent students of the law had heretofore realized (5:20). See note on Luke 6:17–49.
5:1 was seated. This was the normal posture for rabbis while teaching (cf. 13:1, 2; 26:55; Mark 4:1; 9:35; Luke 5:3; John 6:3; 8:2). See note on Luke 4:20.
5:3 Blessed. The word lit. means “happy, fortunate, blissful.” Here it speaks of more than a surface emotion. Jesus was describing the divinely-bestowed well-being that belongs only to the faithful. The Beatitudes demonstrate that the way to heavenly blessedness is antithetical to the worldly path normally followed in pursuit of happiness. The worldly idea is that happiness is found in riches, merriment, abundance, leisure, and such things. The real truth is the very opposite. The Beatitudes give Jesus’ description of the character of true faith. poor in spirit. The opposite of self-sufficiency. This speaks of the deep humility of recognizing one’s utter spiritual bankruptcy apart from God. It describes those who are acutely conscious of their own lostness and hopelessness apart from divine grace (cf. 9:12; Luke 18:13). See note on 19:17. theirs is the kingdom of heaven. See note on 3:2. Notice that the truth of salvation by grace is clearly presupposed in this opening verse of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was teaching that the kingdom is a gracious gift to those who sense their own poverty of spirit.
5:4 those who mourn. This speaks of mourning over sin, the godly sorrow that produces repentance leading to salvation without regret (2 Cor. 7:10). The “comfort” is the comfort of forgiveness and salvation (cf. Is. 40:1, 2).
5:5 the meek. Meekness is the opposite of being out of control. It is not weakness, but supreme self-control empowered by the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:23). The fact that “the meek shall inherit the earth” is quoted from Ps. 37:11.
5:6 hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is the opposite of the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. It speaks of those who seek God’s righteousness rather than attempting to establish a righteousness of their own (Rom. 10:3; Phil. 3:9). What they seek will fill them, i.e., it will satisfy their hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God.
5:7 they shall obtain mercy. The converse is also true. Cf. James 2:13.
5:8 see God. Not only with the perception of faith, but in the glory of heaven. Cf. Heb. 12:14; Rev. 22:3, 4.
5:9 peacemakers. See vv. 44, 45 for more on this quality.
5:10 persecuted. Cf. James 5:10, 11; 1 Pet. 4:12–14. See note on Luke 6:22.
5:13 if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? Salt is both a preservative and a flavor enhancer. No doubt its use as a preservative is what Jesus had mostly in view here. Pure salt cannot lose its flavor or effectiveness, but the salt that is common in the Dead Sea area is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals and may have a flat taste or be ineffective as a preservative. Such mineral salts were useful for little more than keeping footpaths free of vegetation.
5:16 light so shine. A godly life gives convincing testimony of the saving power of God. That brings Him glory. Cf. 1 Pet. 2:12.
5:17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. Jesus was neither giving a new law nor modifying the old, but rather explaining the true significance of the moral content of Moses’ law and the rest of the OT. “The Law and the Prophets” speaks of the entirety of the OT Scriptures, not the rabbinical interpretations of them. fulfill. This speaks of fulfillment in the same sense that prophecy is fulfilled. Christ was indicating that He is the fulfillment of the law in all its aspects. He fulfilled the moral law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfilled the ceremonial law by being the embodiment of everything the law’s types and symbols pointed to. And He fulfilled the judicial law by personifying God’s perfect justice (cf. 12:18, 20).
5:18 till heaven and earth pass away…till all is fulfilled. Here Christ was affirming the utter inerrancy and absolute authority of the OT as the Word of God—down to the least jot and tittle. Again (see note on v. 17), this suggests that the NT should not be seen as supplanting and abrogating the OT, but as fulfilling and explicating it. For example, all the ceremonial requirements of the Mosaic law were fulfilled in Christ and are no longer to be observed by Christians (Col. 2:16, 17). Yet not one jot or tittle is thereby erased; the underlying truths of those Scriptures remain—and in fact the mysteries behind them are now revealed in the brighter light of the gospel. one jot or one tittle. A “jot” refers to the smallest Heb. letter, the yohd, which is a meager stroke of the pen, like an accent mark or an apostrophe. The “tittle” is a tiny extension on a Heb. letter, like the serif in modern typefaces.
5:19 shall be called least…shall be called great. The consequence of practicing or teaching disobedience of any of God’s Word is to be called least in the kingdom of heaven (see note on James 2:10). Determining rank in the kingdom of heaven is entirely God’s prerogative (cf. Matt. 20:23), and Jesus declares that He will hold those in lowest esteem who hold His Word in low esteem. There is no impunity for believers who disobey, discredit, or belittle God’s law (see note on 2 Cor. 5:10). That Jesus does not refer to loss of salvation is clear from the fact that, though offenders will be called least, they will still be in the kingdom of heaven. The positive result is that whoever keeps and teaches God’s Word, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Here again Jesus mentions the two aspects of doing and teaching. Kingdom citizens are to uphold every part of God’s law both in their living and in their teaching.
5:20 unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. On the one hand, Jesus was calling His disciples to a deeper, more radical holiness than that of the Pharisees. Pharisaism had a tendency to soften the law’s demands by focusing only on external obedience. In the verses that follow, Jesus unpacks the full moral significance of the law, and shows that the righteousness the law calls for actually involves an internal conformity to the spirit of the law, rather than mere external compliance to the letter. will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, this sets up an impossible barrier to works-salvation. Scripture teaches repeatedly that sinners are capable of nothing but a flawed and imperfect righteousness (e.g., Is. 64:6). Therefore the only righteousness by which sinners may be justified is the perfect righteousness of God that is imputed to those who believe (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:5).
5:21, 22 You have heard…. But I say to you. See vv. 27, 31, 33, 38, 43. The quotes are from Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17. Jesus was not altering the terms of the law in any of these passages. Rather, He was correcting what they had “heard”—the rabbinical understanding of the law (see note on v. 38).
5:22 Raca! Lit. “Empty-headed!” Jesus suggested here that the verbal abuse stems from the same sinful motives (anger and hatred) that ultimately lead to murder. The internal attitude is what the law actually prohibits, and therefore an abusive insult carries the same kind of moral guilt as an act of murder. hell. A reference to the Hinnom Valley, SW of Jerusalem. Ahaz and Manasseh permitted human sacrifices there during their reigns (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6), and therefore it was called “The Valley of Slaughter” (Jer. 19:6). In Jesus’ day, it was a garbage dump where fires burned continually and was thus an apt symbol of eternal fire.
5:25 Agree…quickly. Jesus calls for reconciliation to be sought eagerly, aggressively, quickly—even if it involves self-sacrifice. It is better to be wronged than to allow a dispute between brethren to be a cause for dishonoring Christ (1 Cor. 6:7). adversary. This speaks of one’s opponent in a law case. prison. Debtor’s prison, where the person could work to earn back what he had defrauded.
5:27 Quoted from Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18.
5:29 pluck it out and cast it from you. Jesus was not advocating self-mutilation (for this would not in fact cure lust, which is actually a problem of the heart). He was using this graphic hyperbole to demonstrate the seriousness of sins of lust and evil desire. The point is that it would be “more profitable” (v. 30) to lose a member of one’s own body than to bear the eternal consequences of the guilt from such a sin. Sin must be dealt with drastically because of its deadly effects.
5:31 it has been said. See note on Deut. 24:1–4. The rabbis had taken liberty with what Scripture actually said. They referred to Deut. 24:1–4 as if it were given merely to regulate the paperwork when one sought divorce (see note on 19:7). Thus, they had wrongly concluded that men could divorce their wives for anything that displeased them, as long as they gave “a certificate of divorce.” But Moses provided this as a concession to protect the woman who was divorced (see notes on 19:7–9), not to justify or legalize divorce under all circumstances.
5:32 except sexual immorality. See note on 19:9. Divorce was allowed in cases of adultery. Luke 16:18 must be understood in the light of this verse. causes her to commit adultery. The assumption is that divorced people will remarry. If the divorce was not for sexual immorality, any remarriage is adultery, because God does not acknowledge the divorce. For more on divorce, see note on 1 Cor. 7:15.
5:33 You shall not swear falsely. This expresses teaching from Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21, 23.
5:34 do not swear at all. Cf. James 5:12. This should not be taken as a universal condemnation of oaths in all circumstances. God Himself confirmed a promise with an oath (Heb. 6:13–18; cf. Acts 2:30). Christ Himself spoke under oath (26:63, 64). And the law prescribed oaths in certain circumstances (e.g., Num. 5:19, 21; 30:2, 3). What Christ is forbidding here is the flippant, profane, or careless use of oaths in everyday speech. In that culture, such oaths were often employed for deceptive purposes. To make the person being victimized believe the truth was being told, the Jews would swear by “heaven,” “earth,” “Jerusalem,” or their own “heads” (vv. 34–36), not by God, hoping to avoid divine judgment for their lie. But it all was in God’s creation, so it drew Him in and produced guilt before Him, exactly as if the oath were made in His name. Jesus suggested that all our speech should be as if we were under an oath to tell the truth (v. 37).
5:38 An eye for an eye. The law did establish this standard as a principle for limiting retribution to that which was just (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21). Its design was to insure that the punishment in civil cases fit the crime. It was never meant to sanction acts of personal retaliation. So again (see notes on vv. 17, 18) Jesus made no alteration to the true meaning of the law. He was merely explaining and affirming the law’s true meaning.
5:39 not to resist an evil person. Like v. 38, this deals only with matters of personal retaliation, not criminal offenses or acts of military aggression. Jesus applied this principle of non-retaliation to affronts against one’s dignity (v. 39), lawsuits to gain one’s personal assets (v. 40), infringements on one’s liberty (v. 41), and violations of property rights (v. 42). He was calling for a full surrender of all personal rights.
5:41 compels. The word speaks of coercion or force. The NT picture of this is when Roman soldiers “compelled” Simon the Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross (27:32).
5:43 love your neighbor and hate your enemy. The first half of this is found in Moses’ law (Lev. 19:18). The second part was found in how the scribes and Pharisees explained and applied that OT command. Jesus’ application was exactly the opposite, resulting in a much higher standard: Love for one’s neighbors should extend even to those neighbors who are enemies (v. 44). Again, this was no innovation, since even the OT taught that God’s people should do good to their enemies (Prov. 25:21).
5:44, 45 love your enemies…that you may be sons of your Father. This plainly teaches that God’s love extends even to His enemies. This universal love of God is manifest in blessings which God bestows on all indiscriminately. Theologians refer to this as common grace. This must be distinguished from the everlasting love God has for the elect (Jer. 31:3), but it is a sincere goodwill nonetheless (cf. Ps. 145:9).
5:46 tax collectors. Disloyal Israelites hired by the Romans to tax other Jews for personal profit. They became symbols for the worst kind of people. Cf. 9:10, 11; 11:19; 18:17; 21:31; Mark 2:14–16; Luke 5:30; 7:25, 29, 34; 18:11–13. Matthew had been one of them (see notes on 9:9; Mark 2:15).
5:48 you shall be perfect. Christ sets an unattainable standard. This sums up what the law itself demanded (James 2:10). Though this standard is impossible to meet, God could not lower it without compromising His own perfection. He who is perfect could not set an imperfect standard of righteousness. The marvelous truth of the gospel is that Christ has met this standard on our behalf (see note on 2 Cor. 5:21).
Comments related to this post.
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
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
Click onto any blue letter or number to see the video and text on the blog.
Verse Of Consideration
Matthew 28:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Study Text
John 5 New King James Version (NKJV)
A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Honor the Father and the Son
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Life and Judgment Are Through the Son
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
The Fourfold Witness
31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Study Notes
5:1—7:52 This section evidences the shift from reservation and hesitation about Jesus as Messiah (3:26; 4:1–3) to outright rejection (7:52). The opposition started with controversy regarding Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath (vv. 1–18), intensified in chap. 6 with many of His disciples abandoning Him (6:66), and finally hardened in chap. 7 into official opposition against Him with the religious authorities’ unsuccessful attempt to arrest Him (7:20–52). Accordingly, the theme of this section is the rejection of Jesus as Messiah.
5:1–18 Although opposition to Jesus smoldered beneath the surface (e.g., 2:13–20), the story of Jesus’ healing at the Pool of Bethesda highlights the beginning of open hostility toward Him in Jerusalem in the southern parts of Palestine. The passage may be divided into 3 parts: 1) the miracle performed (vv. 1–9); 2) the Master persecuted (vv. 10–16); and 3) the murder planned (vv. 16–18).
5:1 feast of the Jews. John repeatedly tied his narrative to various Jewish feasts, (2:13—Passover; 6:4—Passover; 7:2—Tabernacles; 10:22—Hanukkah or Feast of Dedication; and 11:55—Passover), but this reference is the only instance when he did not identify the particular feast occurring at the time.
5:2 Sheep Gate. Most likely this is a reference to the gate identified in Neh. 3:1, 32; 12:39. It was a small opening in the N wall of the city, just W of the NE corner. there is…a pool. Some have suggested that John wrote his gospel before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, because his usage of “is” here implies that the pool still existed. However, John frequently used what is known as a “historical present” to refer to past events, so this argument carries little weight. For more on the date of writing, see Introduction: Author and Date. Bethesda. “Bethesda” is the Gr. transliteration of a Heb. (or Aram.) name meaning “house of outpouring.”
5:3a lay. It was a custom at that time for people with infirmities to gather at this pool. Intermittent springs may have fed the pool and caused the disturbance of the water (v. 7). Some ancient witnesses indicate that the waters of the pool were red with minerals, and thus thought to have medicinal value.
5:3b, 4 The statement in the latter half of v. 3, “waiting for the moving of the water,” along with v. 4 are not original to the gospel. The earliest and best Gr. manuscripts, as well as the early versions, exclude the reading. The presence of words or expressions unfamiliar to John’s writings also militate against its inclusion.
5:5 thirty-eight years. John included this figure to emphasize the gravity of the debilitating disease that afflicted the individual. Since his sickness had been witnessed by many people for almost 4 decades, when Jesus cured him everyone knew the genuineness of the healing (cf. v. 9).
5:6 knew. The word implies supernatural knowledge of the man’s situation (1:47, 48; 4:17). Jesus picked the man out from among many sick people. The sovereign initiative was His, and no reason is given as to His choice.
The “I AM” Statements
Twenty-three times in all we find our Lord’s meaningful “I AM” (ego eimi, Gr.) in the Greek text of this gospel (4:26; 6:20, 35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12, 18, 24, 28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5, 6, 8). In several of these, He joins His “I AM” with seven tremendous metaphors which are expressive of His saving relationship toward the world.
“I AM the Bread of life” (6:35, 41, 48, 51).
“I AM the Light of the world” (8:12).
“I AM the Door of the sheep” (10:7, 9).
“I AM the Good Shepherd” (10:11, 14).
“I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (11:25).
“I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (14:6).
“I AM the true Vine” (15:1, 5).
5:8 Rise, take…walk. In the same way that He spoke the world into being at creation, (Gen. 1:3), Jesus’ spoken words had the power to cure (cf. 1:3; 8:58; Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). bed. The “bed” or “mat” was normally made of straw and was light enough so that it could be carried on the shoulder of a well person who assisted the infirm (cf. Mark 2:3).
5:9 took up his bed, and walked. This phrase emphasizes the completeness of the cure (cf. v. 5).
5:10, 11 The OT had forbidden work on the Sabbath but did not stipulate what “work” was specifically indicated (Ex. 20:8–11). The assumption in Scripture seems to be that “work” was one’s customary employment, but rabbinical opinion had developed oral tradition beyond the OT which stipulated 39 activities forbidden (Mishnah Shabbath 7:2; 10:5), including carrying anything from one domain to another. Thus, the man had broken oral tradition, not OT law (see notes on v. 16).
5:10 it is not lawful. The phrase reveals that the Judaism during Jesus’ time had degenerated into pious hypocrisy. Such hypocrisy especially enraged the Lord Jesus (cf. Matt. 22, 23), who used this incident to set up a confrontation with Jewish hyper-legalism and identified the need for national repentance.
5:14 Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. The basic thrust of Jesus’ comments here indicates that sin has its inevitable consequences (cf. Gal 6:7, 8). Although Scripture makes clear that not all disease is a consequence of sin (cf. 9:1–3; Luke 13:1–5), illness at times may be directly tied into one’s moral turpitude (cf. 1 Cor. 11:29, 30; James 5:15). Jesus may specifically have chosen this man in order to highlight this point.
5:16 persecuted. The verb tense means that the Jews repeatedly persecuted Jesus, i.e., continued hostile activity. This was not an isolated incident of their hatred toward Him because of His healings on the Sabbath (cf. Mark 3:1–6). on the Sabbath. Jesus did not break God’s law since in it there was no prohibition of doing good on that day (Mark 2:27). However, Jesus disregarded the oral law of the Jews that had developed, i.e., “the traditions of men” (cf. also Matt. 15:1–9). Most likely, Jesus deliberately practiced such healing on the Sabbath to provoke a confrontation with their religious hypocrisy that blinded them to the true worship of God (see vv. 17–47 for the main reason for Jesus’ confrontation; see notes on vv. 10, 11).
5:17–47 These verses reveal the ultimate reason Jesus confronted the Jews’ religious hypocrisy, i.e., the opportunity to declare who He was. This section is Christ’s own personal statement of His deity. As such, it is one of the greatest Christological discourses in Scripture. Herein Jesus makes 5 claims to equality with God: 1) He is equal with God in His person (vv. 17, 18); 2) He is equal with God in His works (vv. 19, 20); 3) He is equal with God in His power and sovereignty (v. 21); 4) He is equal with God in His judgment (v. 22); and 5) He is equal with God in His honor (v. 23).
5:17 Jesus’ point is that whether He broke the Sabbath or not, God was working continuously and, since Jesus Himself worked continuously, He also must be God. Furthermore, God does not need a day of rest for He never wearies (Is. 40:28). For Jesus’ self-defense to be valid, the same factors that apply to God must also apply to Him. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8)! Interestingly, even the rabbis admitted that God’s work had not ceased after the Sabbath because He sustains the universe.
5:18 This verse confirms that the Jews instantly grasped the implications of His remarks that He was God (see notes on v. 17)
5:19 Most assuredly. Cf. vv. 24, 25; 1:51. This is an emphatic way of saying “I’m telling you the truth.” In response to Jewish hostility at the implications of His assertions of equality with God, Jesus became even more fearless, forceful, and emphatic. Jesus essentially tied His activities of healing on the Sabbath directly to the Father. The Son never took independent action that set Him against the Father because the Son only did those things that were coincident with and co-extensive with all that the Father does. Jesus thus implied that the only One who could do what the Father does must be as great as the Father.
5:20 greater works. This refers to the powerful work of raising the dead. God has that power (cf. 1 Kin. 17:17–24; 2 Kin. 4:32–37; 5:7) and so does the Lord Jesus (vv. 21–29; 11:25–44; 14:19; 20:1–18).
5:23 honor the Son. This verse gives the reason that God entrusted all judgment to the Son (v. 22), i.e., so that all men should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. This verse goes far beyond making Jesus a mere ambassador who is acting in the name of a monarch, but gives Him full and complete equality with the Father (cf. Phil. 2:9–11). honor the Father. Jesus turned the tables on the Jewish accusation against Him of blasphemy. Instead, Jesus affirmed that the only way anyone can honor the Father is through receiving the Son. Therefore, the Jews were the ones who actually blasphemed the Father by rejection of His Son.
5:24 passed from death into life. This develops the truth of v. 21, that Jesus gives life to whomever He desires. The people who receive that life are here identified as those who hear the Word and believe in the Father and the Son. They are the people who have eternal life and never will be condemned (Rom. 8:1; Col. 1:13).
5:25–29 The theme of these verses is resurrection. Jesus related that all men, saved and unsaved, will be literally and physically resurrected from the dead. However, only the saved experience a spiritual (“born again”), as well as physical, resurrection unto eternal life. The unsaved will be resurrected unto judgment and eternal punishment through separation from God (i.e., the second death; cf. Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8). These verses also constitute proof of the deity of Jesus Christ since the Son has resurrection power (vv. 25, 26), and the Father has granted Him the status of Judge of all mankind (v. 27). In the light of other Scripture, it is clear that Jesus speaks generally about resurrection, but not about one, general resurrection (see notes on Dan. 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:16).
5:25 hour is coming, and now is. Cf. 4:23. This phrase reveals an already/not yet tension regarding the resurrection. Those who are born again are already “spiritually” resurrected (“now is”; Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13), and yet a future physical resurrection still awaits them (“hour is coming”; 1 Cor. 15:35–54; Phil. 3:20, 21).
5:26 He has granted the Son. The Son from all eternity had the right to grant life (1:4). The distinction involves Jesus’ deity versus His incarnation. In becoming a man, Jesus voluntarily set aside the independent exercise of His divine attributes and prerogatives (Phil. 2:6–11). Jesus here affirmed that even in His humanity, the Father granted Him “life-giving” power, i.e., the power of resurrection (see note on v. 20).
5:27 authority. Cf. 17:2; see note on Matt. 28:18.
28:18 All authority. See 11:27; John 3:35. Absolute sovereign authority—lordship over all—is handed to Christ, “in heaven and on earth.” This is clear proof of His deity. The time of His humiliation was at an end, and God had exalted Him above all (Phil. 2:9–11).
5:29 those who have done good…evil. Jesus was not teaching justification by works (see 6:29). In the context, the “good” is believing on the Son so as to receive a new nature that produces good works (3:21; James 2:14–20), while the “evil” done is to reject the Son (the unsaved) and hate the light, which has the result of evil deeds (3:18, 19). In essence, works merely evidence one’s nature as saved or unsaved (see notes on Rom. 2:5–10), but human works never determine one’s salvation.
5:30 the will of the Father. In summarizing all He has said from v. 19 on about His equality with God, Jesus claimed that the judgment He exercised was because everything He did was dependent upon the Father’s word and will (cf. vv. 19, 20).
5:32–47 The background of these verses is Deut. 17:6; 19:15 where witnesses were to establish the truthfulness of a matter (see note on 1:7). Jesus Himself emphasized the familiar theme of witnesses who testify to the identity of the Son: 1) John the Baptist (vv. 32–35); 2) Jesus’ works (vv. 35, 36); 3) the Father (vv. 37, 38); and 4) the OT Scriptures (vv. 39–47).
5:36 the very works that I do. Cf. 10:25. The miracles of Jesus were witness to His deity and messiahship. Such miracles are the major signs recorded by John in this gospel, so as to fulfill His purpose in 20:30, 31 (see Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes).
5:37 Father…has testified. Cf. Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22.
5:39 You search. Although the verb “search” could also be understood as a command (i.e., “Search the Scriptures!”), most prefer this translation as an indicative. The verb implies diligent scrutiny in investigating the Scriptures to find “eternal life.” However, Jesus points out that with all their fastidious effort, they miserably failed in their understanding of the true way to eternal life through the Son of God (see notes on Matt. 19:16–25; cf. 14:6; 2 Tim. 3:15). testify of Me. Cf. v. 45. Christ is the main theme of Scripture. See note on 1:45.
5:40 not willing. They searched for eternal life, but were not willing to trust its only source (cf. v. 24; 1:11; 3:19).
5:41 honor from men. If Jesus agreed to be the kind of Messiah the Jews wanted, providing miracles and food along with political and military power, He would receive honor from them. But He sought only to please God (vv. 19ff.).
5:43 him you will receive. The Jewish historian, Josephus, records that a string of messianic pretenders arose in the years before A.D. 70. This verse contrasts the Jewish rejection of their true Messiah because they did not love or know God (v. 42), with their willing acceptance of charlatans.
5:46 Moses…for he wrote about Me. Jesus does not mention any specific passage in the 5 books of Moses although there are many (e.g., Deut. 18:15; cf. 1:21; 4:19; 6:14; 7:40, 52).
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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
The States Elect The President (Not The Popular Vote) – A Protection Against Voter Fraud
Click onto any blue letter or number to see the post on the blog.
The Electoral College election process protects our nation against voter fraud. Such fraud could happen as the result of the popular vote of the largest states determining the winner of an election. Information follows at the bottom page, which shows how voter fraud may have been a factor in the largest state of our nation in our most recent election. The states also amend the Constitution, and do other things that are not accomplished by a popular vote. If the President were elected by the popular vote, the most populous states would select the President. It is easier to have voter fraud in a few large states (which could determine the winner of an election) than it would be to have voter fraud in all of the states. The link, which follows this discussion on the Constitution, shows how illegal immigrants can vote in elections, thereby tainting election results and creating illegitimate winners of elections.
The Preamble To The Constitution Of The United States
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
See Section 3, of Article II, below, to understand how the President Of The United States is elected. The Electoral College determines the winner of Presidential elections. The popular vote does not determine the winner of Presidential elections.
3. The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President.
The following link shows the Constitution Of The United States Of America. Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution explains the process of selecting a President.
1: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows
2: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
3: The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.
Voter Fraud Considerations
The following link will show how the election results of the state of California are highly suspect. In the link there are videos. The videos were taken from the sources which provided the information that match the post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Government.” There, you will be able to locate the Government 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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Shabbat, Shabbos, Sabbath, the Seventh Day begins each Friday at Sundown, and continues through Saturday (the next day) at sundown. Let’s consider some of the aspects of Shabbat.
God In Creation
Genesis 1:1 Names of God Bible (NOG) The first name of God that is mentioned in the Bible is Elohim. (Mine)
1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth.
The Seventh Day
Genesis 2:2-3 Names of God Bible (NOG) Elohim sets the seventh day apart as holy. (Mine)
2 By the seventh day Elohim had finished the work he had been doing. On the seventh day he stopped the work he had been doing. 3 Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on that day he stopped all his work of creation.
Jacob/Israel
From the bloodline of Shem, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob was chosen by God to be known as Israel. (1732 B.C., Scofield Study Bible). From the fourth son of Jacob, who was named Judah, (Mother Leah, Genesis 29:35), the bloodline would lead to Mary, the mother of Yeshua/Jesus (Luke 3:33-34). Jew, Jewish, Judaism and Israelite, are terms that identify the bloodline that leads to the Messiah, Yeshua/Jesus. (https://www.gotquestions.org/Judaism.html) (Mine)
Genesis 35:10 Names of God Bible (NOG)
10 Elohim said to him, “Your name is Jacob. You will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.
Consider The Sabbath
Exodus 16:22-26 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The first time after Genesis 2:2-3 that the Sabbath Day is mentioned in Scripture, approximately 2513 years elapsed time. (Mine) (1491 B.C., Scofield Study Bible)
The Sabbath Observed
22 Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.”
The Sign Of Sabbath
Exodus 31:12-13 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Sabbath is a sign between God and the Jews.(Mine) (1491 B.C., Scofield Study Bible)
12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
The Sabbath was a part of the Law. The Law was designed to make a Holy and Righteous people (the Jews) to bring a Holy and Righteous Messiah (Yeshua/Jesus) into the world. (Mine) (1491 B.C., Scofield Study Bible)
Exodus 31:16-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’17 It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
God’s Chosen People
1451 B.C., Scofield Study Bible. The Jews are God’s chosen people. They were chosen to bring the Messiah into the world through the bloodline of Judah (Luke 3:33-34). (Mine)
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.
Deuteronomy 7:6 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Notice “LORD” (all upper case letters), which is the proper name of the God of Israel. “God” is God of Genesis 1:1, “Who created the heavens and the earth.” (Mine)
6 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
God created Shabbat, the Sabbath. Let us always show honor and respect for all of God’s creation. As the afternoon of Friday turns to sundown, “remember God!” Honor God! Worship God!
Worship God
John 4:24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Yochanan 4:24 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
24 Hashem is Ruach (Spirit) and it is necessary for the ones worshiping Him to worship in Ruach and Emes. [Ezek 36:26-27; 37:14]
The Value Of Sabbath
Mark 2:27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Consider the following videos that relate to the Jewish observance of Shabbat, which begins at sundown on Friday and continues through sundown of the following day.
Lighting Shabbat Candles
Observing A Shabbat Meal
Consider the following Shabbat information that comes from the Jewish website, chabad.org
Shabbat (also known as “Shabbos” or the “Sabbath”) is the centerpiece of Jewish life, and has been so since the infancy of our nation. According to the Talmud, Shabbat is equal to all the other commandments. Shabbat is so central to Jewish life Shabbat is the centerpiece of Jewish life that the term shomer Shabbat (Shabbat observer) is synonymous with “religious Jew” in common parlance.
Shabbat is a day of rest and celebration that begins on Friday at sunset and ends on the following evening after nightfall. Let’s have a look at the history, importance and observances of this day.
In the Beginning
We read in the Book of Genesis that G‑d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The sages say that on that day, G‑d created menuchah,rest, without which sustained creativity would be impossible.
After G‑d took the Children of Israel out of Egypt in the year 2448, He taught them about the Shabbat: working for six days and resting on the seventh. Shabbat is also one of the 10 Commandments that G‑d transmitted at Sinai several weeks after the exodus. Thus, Shabbat commemorates both the creation of the world and G‑d’s intervention in world affairs when he took His nation out of slavery.
Throughout the 40 years that our ancestors wandered in the desert, nourishing manna would rain down from heaven, except on Shabbat. But no one went hungry—extra rations would fall on Friday, so that everyone would have more than enough for the holy day.
The Torah is very brief about the observance of the day, telling us that no work is to be done and no fires are to be kindled. But rabbinic tradition coupled with careful study of the Torah’s texts yields a wealth of information, much of which is found in the Talmudic tractate aptly named Shabbat.
A Special Guest
Our sages tell us that the Shabbat is a “queen,” whose regal presence graces every Jewish home for the duration of the Shabbat day. For this reason, we scrub our bodies, dress our finest and make sure our homes are in tip-top shape on Friday afternoon. According to the Talmud, we actually receive a special additional soul every Shabbat.
The prophet Isaiah foretells great delight that comes as a reward “if you restrain your foot because of the Sabbath, from performing your affairs on My holy day, and you call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the L‑rd honored, and you honor it by not doing your wonted ways, by not pursuing your affairs and speaking words.”1
Shabbat is so special that even our choice of words, comportment, and the items that we touch must be consistent with this holy day. This includes the admonition not to handle items known as muktzeh, which have been set aside because they generally have no use within the Shabbat lifestyle.
Things We Do
Light Candles
Since we do not light fires on Shabbat, our sages declared that every Jewish home should have candles lit before the onset of the Shabbat, so that the evening be peaceful and festive. It is customarily the woman of the house who kindles these lights. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of righteous memory, encouraged girls as young as three years old to light as well. The candles must be lit at least 18 minutes before sunset and should be placed near where the Shabbat meals will take place. A special blessing is said after the lighting.
Wine and Dine
The Torah commands us to “remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.” The sages understand this to mean that we must verbally declare the Sabbath a holy day, so on Friday night we say a special prayer over wine in a ritual known as kiddush (sanctification). (A truncated kiddush is recited again the following day).
After kiddush, Shabbat is celebrated with a sumptuous feast. Make sure to have three large meals on Shabbat: one on Friday night, one the next day, and one smaller one in the late afternoon.
The meals begin with two whole loaves of bread, which remind us of the double portion of manna that fell every Friday. Before we break bread, we wash our hands in a specially prescribed manner.
Typical European-Jewish Shabbat fare includes gefilte fish, chicken soup, kugels and other favorites, but the Shabbat meals really can feature whatever you feel is festive and delicious. During the daytime meal, we customarily eat something warm that has been sitting on a low flame (or other heat source) since the onset of Shabbat, such as the traditional stew of beans, barley, potatoes and meat known as cholent. Note: There are many laws about cooking on Shabbat, so make sure you prepare your cholent correctly.
The meal is a delight fo the soul as well
Aside from the physical enjoyment of the feast, the Shabbat meal often includes heartwarming stories, songs and Torah thoughts so that the meal is a delight for the soul as well.
Shabbat Prayers
On Friday night, before the evening services, we welcome in the Shabbat Queen with a special collection of Psalms and the beautiful melody of Lecha Dodi. The following morning’s service is expanded to include the reading of the weekly Torah portion and the additional Musaf service.
Morning services are typically followed by a communal reception where a light luncheon is served. This is a great time to get to know people in your community, schmooze and just enjoy the company of your fellow Jews. (Just to make things confusing, this reception is also known as a kiddush.)
Saying Farewell
Just like Shabbat was welcomed in with wine, we usher it out with another cup of wine in a special ceremony known as havdalah (separation). Havdalahalso includes blessings recited over fragrant spices, to revive our souls that are feeling the loss of the special gift of Shabbat, and fire, which commemorates the first fire Adam and Eve lit after the very first Shabbat.
Things We Don’t Do
The sages of the Talmud enumerate 39 forbidden creative acts that we do not do on Shabbat. The sages explain that each of these acts is a “father” that has many “offsprings” that are also forbidden due to their intrinsic similarity to the parent act.
The first group of 11 acts are related to process of making bread, from ploughing, sowing and reaping to kneading and baking. The second group is comprised of 13 steps needed to create garments, from shearing to tearing. Third come the 9 stages of scribal arts (using parchment), from trapping to writing and erasing.
The last group of acts is comprised of building and destroying, burning and extinguishing, finishing a product and transporting things in the public domain.
Since each of these 39 acts (or melachot in Hebrew) have many subcategories and interpretations, you really need to learn some of the ins and outs of Shabbat observance by reading some good books and observing Shabbat in action.
Some common activities that we may not do on Shabbat:
Driving
Turning on or off lights or operating electrical appliances (including phones)
Cooking
Carrying in the public domain (defined as public areas outside of an eruv enclosure)
Where To Start
No one can become a perfect Shabbat observer overnight, butTry it, you’ll like it here are some great first steps to create a peaceful, meaningful Shabbat atmosphere:
Light Shabbat candles on Friday night.
Attend a Shabbat meal at a friend’s house. If you feel ready, host your own. Even if you are not yet ready for a long sit-down feast, have kiddush, wash and break bread.
Turn off the phone and TV for the 25 hours of Shabbat. (It may sound impossible, but you may just find that you’ll look forward to unplugging one day a week.)
Attend Shabbat services on either Friday night or Shabbat morning.
Through increasing your Shabbat observance, you’ll create a space to connect with G‑d, family and friends. Try it, you’ll like it.
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Scriptures are from Biblegateway.com. Study notes are Hible Hub (biblehub.com), unless otherwise noted.
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The video is that of Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Th.D., LL.D, (June 17, 1904 – December 1, 1988) He was an ordained Presbyterian minister (PCUS) and later became the pastor of a non-denominational church, a Bible teacher, theologian, and was also a radio minister. In 1967, he began broadcasting the Thru the Bible Radio Network program. In a systematic study of each book of the Bible, McGee took his listeners from Genesis to Revelation in a two and one-half year “Bible bus trip,” as he called it. After retiring from the pastorate in January, 1970, and realizing that two and a half years was not enough time to teach the Bible, McGee completed another study of the entire Bible in a five-year period. Thru the Bible has been translated into over 100 languages and is broadcast on Trans World Radio throughout the world every weekday. Education: B.Div.from Columbia Theological Seminary; Th.M. and Th.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary. (Info from Wikipedia)
Post Key Verses: Galatians 3:29 and 4:10.
Consider The Application Of The Law
Exodus 19:6
Israel at Mount Sinai
New King James Version (NKJV) The Law was given to the Israelites, and only to the Israelits. The year was 1491 B.C. The Law was enacted immediately. At that time, people were inhabiting North and South America. There is no way that these “non Israelites” would ever have had knowledge of the Law. (Mine)
6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Leviticus 1:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Burnt Offering
The Law is explained to the children of Israel. From this opening verse, until the last verse of Leviticus, the Law is given to the children of Israel, and only to the children of Israel. (Mine)
1 Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.
Leviticus 27:34 New King James Version (NKJV)
This last verse states that the Law was given to the Children of Israel, and only to the children of Israel. (Mine)
34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.
To Keep The Whole Law vs Not Keeping The Whole Law
James 2:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
This verse is clear. All of the Law must be kept, or none of the Law is kept. (Mine)
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Consider the following part of the Law.
Leviticus 4:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
Is anyone prepared to keep the whole law, by taking a bull to a priest to be killed to cover a sin? This action can not remove a sin, only cover it. Christ fulfilled this aspect of the Law, and every aspect of the Law (Matthew 5:17). We do not take a bull, or any other animal, to anyone to kill to cover our sins. Read all of Leviticus and determine if we are supposed to keep the law. (Mine)
The Sin Offering
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. 4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the Lord.
613 Laws – There are 613 Laws, as explained in the following two links.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Written_Law.html
The Torah, or Jewish Written Law, consists of the five books of the Hebrew Bible – known more commonly to non-Jews as the “Old Testament” – that were given by G-d to Moses on Mount Sinai and include within them all of the biblical laws of Judaism. The Torah is also known as the Chumash, Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 4:1-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
Heirs In Christ
1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Fears for the Church Heirs In Christ
8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
Two Covenants
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:
“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
3:26 sons of God. While God is the Father of all people in a general sense because He created them (Acts 17:24–28), only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are God’s true spiritual children. Unbelievers are the children of Satan (Matt. 13:38; John 8:38, 41, 44; Acts 13:10; 1 John 3:10; cf. Eph. 2:3; 1 John 5:19).
3:27 baptized into Christ. This is not water baptism, which cannot save (see notes on Acts 2:38; 22:16). Paul used the word “baptized” in a metaphorical manner to speak of being “immersed,” or “placed into” Christ (cf. 2:20) by the spiritual miracle of union with Him in His death and resurrection. See notes on Rom. 6:3, 4; cf. 1 Cor. 6:17. put on Christ. The result of the believer’s spiritual union with Christ. Paul was emphasizing the fact that we have been united with Christ through salvation. Positionally before God, we have put on Christ, His death, resurrection, and righteousness (see notes on Phil. 3:8–10). Practically, we need to “put on Christ” before men, in our conduct (Rom. 13:14).
3:28 you are all one in Christ Jesus. All those who are one with Jesus Christ are one with each other. This verse does not deny that God has designed racial, social, and sexual distinctions among Christians, but it affirms that those do not imply spiritual inequality before God. Nor is this spiritual equality incompatible with the God-ordained roles of headship and submission in the church, society, and at home. Jesus Christ, though fully equal with the Father, assumed a submissive role during His incarnation (Phil. 2:5–8).
KEY VERSE COMMENT 3:29
3:29 Abraham’s seed. See note on v. 7. Not all physical children of Abraham are the “Israel of God” (cf. 6:16), that is, true spiritual children of Abraham (Rom. 9:6–8). Gentile believers who are not physical children of Abraham are, however, his spiritual children in the sense that they followed the pattern of his faith (see note on Rom. 4:11, 12). heirs according to the promise. All believers are heirs of the spiritual blessing that accompanied the Abrahamic Covenant—justification by faith (Gen. 15:6; cf. Rom. 4:3–11).
Lexicon, from Bible Hub: NASB Lexicon Galatians 3:26 – “Sons” relates equally to males and females (3:28). Anyone who has been born again is a “Son of God.” (Mine)
Strong’s Concordance – 5207. Huios (males and females: see Helps)
huios: a son
Original Word: υἱός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: huios
Phonetic Spelling: (hwee-os’)
Short Definition: a son, descendent
Definition: a son, descendent.
HELPS Word-studies
5207 hyiós – properly, a son (by birth or adoption); (figuratively) anyone sharing the same nature as their Father. For the believer, becoming a son of God begins with being reborn (adopted) by the heavenly Father – through Christ (the work of the eternal Son). In the NT, 5207 /hyiós (“son”) equally refers to female believers (Gal 3:28).
5207 /hyiós (“son”) emphasizes likeness of the believer to the heavenly Father, i.e. resembling His character more and more by living in faith (“God’s inwrought persuasons,” see 4102 /pístis).
5207 /hyiós (“son”) highlights the (legal) right to the Father’s inheritance, i.e. as the believer lives in conformity with the Father’s nature (purpose).
4:1–7 Paul expands on the analogy of a child’s coming of age (3:24–26), contrasting believers’ lives before salvation (as children and servants), with their lives after salvation (as adults and sons). Both Paul’s Jewish and Gentile readers readily understood this imagery, since the Jews, Greeks, and Romans all had a ceremony to mark a child’s coming of age.
4:1 child. The Gr. word refers to a child too young to talk; a minor, spiritually and intellectually immature and not ready for the privileges and responsibilities of adulthood.
4:2 guardians and stewards. “Guardians” were slaves entrusted with the care of underage boys, while “stewards” managed their property for them until they came of age. Along with the tutor (3:24), they had almost complete charge of the child—so that, for all practical purposes, a child under their care did not differ from a slave.
4:3 when we were children…in bondage. Before our “coming of age” when we came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. the elements of the world. “Elements” is from a Gr. word meaning “row,” or “rank,” and was used to speak of basic, foundational things like the letters of the alphabet. In light of its use in v. 9, it is best to see it here as a reference to the basic elements and rituals of human religion (see note on Col. 2:8). Paul describes both Jewish and Gentile religions as elemental because they are merely human, never rising to the level of the divine. Both Jewish religion and Gentile religion centered on man-made systems of works. They were filled with laws and ceremonies to be performed so as to achieve divine acceptance. All such rudimentary elements are immature, like behaviors of children under bondage to a guardian.
4:4 the fullness of the time. In God’s timetable, when the exact religious, cultural, and political conditions demanded by His perfect plan were in place, Jesus came into the world. God sent forth His Son. As a father set the time for the ceremony of his son becoming of age and being released from the guardians, stewards, and tutors, so God sent His Son at the precise moment to bring all who believe out from under bondage to the law—a truth Jesus repeatedly affirmed (John 5:30, 36, 37; 6:39, 44, 57; 8:16, 18, 42; 12:49; 17:21, 25; 20:21). That the Father sent Jesus into the world teaches His pre-existence as the eternal second member of the Trinity. See notes on Phil. 2:6, 7; Heb. 1:3–5; cf. Rom. 8:3, 4. born of a woman. This emphasizes Jesus’ full humanity, not merely His virgin birth (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:20–25). Jesus had to be fully God for His sacrifice to be of the infinite worth needed to atone for sin. But, He also had to be fully man so He could take upon Himself the penalty of sin as the substitute for man. See Luke 1:32, 35; John 1:1, 14, 18. under the law. Like all men, Jesus was obligated to obey God’s law. Unlike anyone else, however, He perfectly obeyed that law (John 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). His sinlessness made Him the unblemished sacrifice for sins, who “fulfilled all righteousness,” i.e., perfectly obeyed God in everything. That perfect righteousness is what is imputed to those who believe in Him.
4:5 to redeem. See note on 3:13. those…under the law. Guilty sinners who are under the law’s demands and its curses (see notes on 3:10, 13) and in need of a savior (see note on 3:23). the adoption as sons. “Adoption” is the act of bringing someone who is the offspring of another into one’s own family. Since unregenerate people are by nature children of the devil (see note on 3:26), the only way they can become God’s children is by spiritual adoption (Rom. 8:15, 23; Eph. 1:5).
4:6 Spirit of His Son. It is the Holy Spirit’s work to confirm to believers their adoption as God’s children (see note on Rom. 8:15). Assurance of salvation is a gracious work of the Holy Spirit and does not come from any human source. Abba. An Aram. term of endearment, used by young children to speak to their fathers; the equivalent of the word “Daddy” (see note on Rom. 8:15).
4:8–11 While salvation is the free gift of God (Rom. 5:15, 16, 18; 6:23; Eph. 2:8), it brings with it serious responsibility (cf. Luke 12:48). God requires believers to live a holy life because they are children of a holy God and desire to love and worship Him (Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:15–18). That obligation was to the unchanging moral and spiritual principles that forever reflect the nature of God; however, it did not include the rituals and ceremonies unique to Israel under Mosaic law as the Judaizers falsely claimed.
4:8 when you did not know God. Before coming to saving faith in Christ, no unsaved person knows God. See notes on Eph. 4:17–19; 2 Cor. 4:3–6. by nature are not gods. The Greco-Roman pantheon of non-existent deities the Galatians had imagined they worshiped before their conversion (cf. Rom. 1:23; 1 Cor. 8:4; 10:19, 20; 12:2; 1 Thess. 1:9).
4:9 known by God. We can know God only because He first knew us, just as we choose Him only because He first chose us (John 6:44; 15:16), and we love Him only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). turn again. See notes on 3:1–3. weak…elements…again… bondage. See note on v. 3.
KEY VERSE COMMENT 4:10 Consider the Jehovah’s Witnesses, in their opinions of holidays. (Mine)
4:10 days…years. The rituals, ceremonies, and festivals of the Jewish religious calendar which God had given, but were never required for the church. Paul warns the Galatians, as he did the Colossians (see notes on Rom. 14:1–6; Col. 2:16, 17), against legalistically observing them as if they were required by God or could earn favor with Him.
4:11 labored…in vain. Paul feared that his effort in establishing and building the Galatian churches might prove to be futile if they fell back into legalism (cf. 3:4; 1 Thess. 3:5).
4:12–20 Having sternly rebuked the Galatians, Paul changes his approach and makes an appeal based on his strong affection for them.
4:12 become like me, for I became like you. Paul had been a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, trusting in his own righteousness to save him (cf. Phil. 3:4–6). But when he came to Christ, he abandoned all efforts to save himself, trusting wholly in God’s grace (Phil. 3:7–9). He urged the Galatians to follow his example and avoid the legalism of the Judaizers. You have not injured me. Though the Jews persecuted him when he first went to Galatia, the Galatian believers had not harmed Paul, but had enthusiastically received him when he preached the gospel to them (cf. Acts 13:42–50; 14:19). How, he asked, could they reject him now?
4:13 physical infirmity. Some think the illness Paul refers to was malaria, possibly contracted in the coastal lowlands of Pamphylia. That could explain why Paul and Barnabas apparently did not preach at Perga, a city in Pamphylia (cf. Acts 13:13, 14). The cooler and healthier weather in Galatia and especially at Pisidian Antioch (3,600 ft. above sea level), where Paul went when he left Perga, would have brought some relief to the fever caused by malaria. Although malaria is a serious, debilitating disease, its attacks are not continuous; Paul could have ministered between bouts with fever.
4:14 you received me. The Galatians welcomed Paul in spite of his illness, which in no way was a barrier to his credibility or acceptance. as Christ Jesus. See notes on Matt. 18:5–10.
4:15 blessing you enjoyed. “Blessing” can also be translated “happiness,” or “satisfaction.” Paul points out that the Galatians had been happy and content with his gospel preaching (cf. Acts 13:48) and wonders why they had turned against him. plucked out your own eyes. This may be a figure of speech (cf. Matt. 5:29; 18:9), or an indication that Paul’s bodily illness (see note on v. 13) had somehow affected his eyes (cf. 6:11). In either case, it reflects the great love the Galatians had initially expressed for the apostle.
4:16 your enemy. The Galatians had become so confused that, in spite of their previous affection for Paul, some had come to regard him as their enemy. The apostle reminds them that he had not harmed them, but merely told them the truth—a truth that had once brought them great joy (see note on v. 15).
4:17 They. The Judaizers (see Introduction: Background and Setting). zealously. With a serious concern, or warm interest (the same word is used in 1:14 to describe Paul’s former zeal for Judaism). The Judaizers appeared to have a genuine interest in the Galatians, but their true motive was to exclude the Galatians from God’s gracious salvation and win recognition for themselves.
4:18 not only when I am present. Paul encouraged the Galatians to have the same zeal for the true gospel of grace that they had had when he was with them.
4:19 My little children. Paul’s only use of this affectionate phrase, which John uses frequently (1 John 2:1, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21). until Christ is formed in you. In contrast to the evil motives of the Judaizers (see note on 3:1), Paul sought to bring the Galatians to Christlikeness. This is the goal of salvation (see notes on Rom. 8:29).
4:20 doubts. The verb means “to be at wits end.” Cf. v. 6.
4:21—5:1 Paul, continuing to contrast grace and law, faith and works, employs an OT story as an analogy or illustration of what he has been teaching.
4:21 under the law. See note on 3:10.
4:22 two sons. Ishmael, son of Sarah’s Egyptian maid Hagar (Gen. 16:1–16), and Isaac, Sarah’s son (Gen 21:1–7).
4:23 according to the flesh. Ishmael’s birth was motivated by Abraham and Sarah’s lack of faith in God’s promise and fulfilled by sinful human means. through promise. God miraculously enabled Abraham and Sarah to have Isaac when Sarah was well past childbearing age and had been barren her entire life.
4:24 symbolic. The Gr. word was used of a story that conveyed a meaning beyond the literal sense of the words. In this passage, Paul uses historical people and places from the OT to illustrate spiritual truth. This is not an allegory, nor are there any allegories in Scripture. An allegory is a fictional story where real truth is the secret, mysterious, hidden meaning. The story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac is actual history and has no secret or hidden meaning. Paul uses it only as an illustration to support his contrast between law and grace. two covenants. Paul uses the two mothers, their two sons, and two locations as a further illustration of two covenants. Hagar, Ishmael, and Mt. Sinai (earthly Jerusalem) represent the covenant of law; Sarah, Isaac and the heavenly Jerusalem the covenant of promise. However, Paul cannot be contrasting these two covenants as different ways of salvation, one way for OT saints, another for NT saints—a premise he has already denied (2:16; 3:10–14, 21, 22). The purpose of the Mosaic Covenant was only to show all who were under its demands and condemnation their desperate need for salvation by grace alone (3:24)—it was never intended to portray the way of salvation. Paul’s point is that those, like the Judaizers, who attempt to earn righteousness by keeping the law receive only bondage and condemnation (3:10, 23). While those who partake of salvation by grace—the only way of salvation since Adam’s sin—are freed from the law’s bondage and condemnation. Mount Sinai. An appropriate symbol for the old covenant, since it was at Mt. Sinai that Moses received the law (Ex. 19). Hagar. Since she was Sarah’s slave (Gen. 16:1), Hagar is a fitting illustration of those under bondage to the law (cf. vv. 5, 21; 3:23). She was actually associated with Mt. Sinai through her son Ishmael, whose descendants settled in that region.
4:25 corresponds to Jerusalem. The law was given at Sinai and received its highest expression in the temple worship at Jerusalem. The Jewish people were still in bondage to the law.
4:26 Jerusalem above is free. Heaven (Heb. 12:18, 22). Those who are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) are free from the Mosaic law, works, bondage, and trying endlessly and futilely to please God by the flesh. the mother. Believers are children of the heavenly Jerusalem, the “mother-city” of heaven. In contrast to the slavery of Hagar’s children, believers in Christ are free (5:1; Is. 61:1; Luke 4:18; John 8:36; Rom. 6:18, 22; 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:17).
4:27 Paul applies the passage from Is. 54:1 to the Jerusalem above.
4:28 children of promise. Just as Isaac inherited the promises made to Abraham (Gen. 26:1–3), so also are believers the recipients of God’s redemptive promises (1 Cor. 3:21–23; Eph. 1:3), because they are spiritual heirs of Abraham (see note on 3:29).
4:29 he who was born according to the flesh. Ishmael. See note on v. 23. persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit. Isaac, whom Ishmael mocked at the feast celebrating Isaac’s weaning (see Gen. 21:8, 9). even so it is now. Ishmael’s descendants (Arabs) have always persecuted Isaac’s (Jews). So unbelievers have always persecuted believers (cf. Matt. 5:11; 10:22–25; Mark 10:30; John 15:19, 20; 16:2, 33; 17:14; Acts 14:22; 2 Tim. 3:12; Heb. 11:32–37; 1 Pet. 2:20, 21; 3:14; 4:12–14).
4:30 Cast out the bondwoman. Quoted from Gen. 21:10 to illustrate that those who are attempting to be justified on the basis of keeping the law will be cast out of God’s presence forever (Matt. 8:12; 22:12, 13; 25:30; Luke 13:28; 2 Thess. 1:9).
4:31 we are not children of the bondwoman. See notes on 4:24, 26.
Comments related to this post.
Scriptures are from Biblegateway.com. Study notes are from MacArthur Study Bible notes, unless otherwise noted.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Law.” There, you will be able to locate the Law 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.
The videos which precede the printed text are key to understanding this 10th Chapter of the Book of Daniel. Insight is also provided to all of Daniel’s prophecy.
Dr. Ed Hindson is a highly respected teacher of the end times, and is the speaker for the ministry, “The King Is Coming.” Dr. David Breese (1926-20012) was also a highly respected teacher of the end times and was the speaker of “The King Is Coming” prior to his death. Dr. Howard Estep (deceased) originated “The King Is Coming” ministry.
Dr. Ed Hindson The Prophecies of Daniel Part 1
Dr. Ed Hindson the Prophicies of Daniel Part 2
Dr. Dave Breese – Daniel 10
Road to Armageddon – 7.5 – Daniel 10 – Daniel’s Prophetic Panorama
Click onto any blue letter, number or symbol to see the video and text on the blog.
Key Verse (Mine).
Daniel 10:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
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Daniel 10 New King James Version (NKJV)
Vision of the Glorious Man
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.
Study notes are from Biblegateway.com. MacArthur Study Bible notes, unless otherwise noted.
10:1 third year. Ca. 536 B.C. Two years had passed since the first decree to let Israel return (cf. Ezra 1:1—2:1; 2:64–3:1).
10:6 His body…like beryl. The messenger whom Daniel sees in a vision (vv. 1, 7) was distinct from the angel Michael, from whom he needed assistance (v. 13). The description of such glory has led some to see him as Christ in a pre-incarnate appearance (such as Josh. 5:13–15; 6:2; Judg. 6:11–23). He is described almost identically to Christ (Rev. 1:13, 14) and Daniel’s reaction is similar to John’s (Rev. 1:17).
10:10 a hand touched me. Most likely this was Gabriel, who interpreted other revelations to Daniel (cf. 8:16) and spoke similarly of Daniel’s being beloved in 9:20–23.
10:12 your words were heard. This was a great encouragement from God who was attentive to prayer and acted to answer it (cf. 9:20–27).
10:13 prince of…Persia. The 3 week delay was due to an evil angel opposing Gabriel in heavenly warfare (cf. Rev. 16:12–14). This angel was specially anointed with Persian power in an effort to thwart the work of God. This tells us that Satan engages in heavenly warfare to influence generations and nations against God and His people (cf. Eph. 6:10ff.). Michael. This is the chief angel of heaven (cf. 10:21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7). Michael remained to assure that the Jews would be free to return to their land.
10:14 many days yet to come. This refers to the future plan of God for His people, extending from Daniel’s time to that of the Antichrist.
10:19 I was strengthened. This was the third time (vv. 10, 16), showing the overwhelming trauma of divine presence and revelation.
10:20 prince of Greece. An evil angel contesting for the kingdom of Greece.
10:21 Scripture of Truth. God’s plan of certain and true designs for men and nations, which He can reveal according to His discretion (11:2; Is. 46:9–11). except Michael. The angel with Michael intended to handle the demons of Persia and Greece. This actually forms the heavenly basis for the earthly unfolding of history in 11:2–35.
Key Verse Discussion. In regard to Verse 14, The vision of Daniel is in relation to Daniel’s people, who are the Jews. Consider the significance of “God’s chosen people.”
Deuteronomy 7:6 New King James Version (NKJV) God’s choice for a people to bring a Holy and Righteous Messiah into the world (mine).
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.
7:6 a holy people to the Lord your God. The basis for the command to destroy the Canaanites is found in God’s election of Israel. God had set apart Israel for His own special use and they were His treasured possession. As God’s people, Israel needed to be separated from the moral pollution of the Canaanites.
Zechariah 2:8 New King James Version (NKJV) An attack on God’s chosen people is like an attack on God (mine).
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.
2:8 He sent Me after glory. The Messiah is sent by the “Lord of Hosts” (v. 9) to procure His glory and to vindicate Him in the nations who have spoiled Israel. the apple of His eye. See note on Deut. 32:10. Harming God’s chosen people is like striking the pupil of God’s eye.
Zechariah 14:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV) When the nations of the world line up to attack Israel, at the Battle of Armageddon, God will personally intervene in the battle (mine).
The Day of the Lord
1 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
14:1 the day of the Lord is coming. The “Day of the Lord” is a technical term for God’s wrath unleashed against sinners. Here, Zechariah is looking at the Day of the Lord when His wrath is unleashed against the whole world of sinners, which results in the establishment of the Lord’s millennial reign on earth. See note on Is. 2:12 and Introduction to Joel: Historical and Theological Themes. spoil…divided in your midst. Jerusalem will be so overcome by the enemy that the spoil will be leisurely divided in the midst of the city, illustrating how completely Jerusalem will be overthrown. This atrocity then triggers the wrath of God against the world in the Day of the Lord.
14:2 I will gather all the nations. God Himself will gather the nations, using them to purge, refine, and judge (cf. Rev. 16:13, 14, 16). Their presence results in an unprecedented time of national calamity. This is the climax of “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:5–7).
14:3, 4 His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. To prevent the eradication of His remnant, the Lord will personally intervene to fight against the gathered nations. Just as He fought for His people in the past, so He will do in the future as the ultimate Warrior-King. Jesus will literally return to the Mt. of Olives, located E of the Kidron Valley, just as the angels announced at His ascension (cf. Acts 1:11). When He does, there will be a tremendous topographical upheaval (perhaps an earthquake), a phenomenon not uncommon when God announces His coming in judgment (cf. Mic. 1:2–4; Nah. 1:5; Rev. 16:18–21). The reaction of people is given in Rev. 6:15–17.
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Many people believe that a tenth of their earnings belongs to God. Well, let me say that all that we possess belongs to God. Consider the following verses.
Revelation 7:9-12 Modern English Version (MEV)
The Multitude From Every Nation
9 Then I looked. And there was a great multitude which no one could count, from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out with a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Blessing and glory
and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever!
Amen.”
Study Notes.
7:9 a great multitude. While the tribulation period will be a time of judgment, it will also be a time of unprecedented redemption (cf. v. 14; 6:9–11; 20:4; Is. 11:10; Matt. 24:14). all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. All the earth’s people groups. white robes. See note on 3:4. palm branches. In ancient times, they were associated with celebrations, including the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40; Neh. 8:17; John 12:13). (MacArthur Study Bible note)
7:10 Salvation belongs to our God. Salvation is the theme of their worship, and they recognize that it comes solely from Him. (MacArthur Study Bible note)
7:11 elders. See note on 4:4. four living creatures. See note on 4:6. (MarArthur Study Bible note)
4:4 twenty-four elders. Their joint rule with Christ, their white garments (19:7, 8), and their golden crowns (2:10) all seem to indicate that these 24 represent the redeemed (vv. 9–11; 5:5–14; 7:11–17; 11:16–18; 14:3; 19:4). The question is which redeemed? Not Israel, since the nation is not yet saved, glorified, and coronated. That is still to come at this point in the events of the end. Their resurrection and glory will come at the end of the 7 year tribulation time (cf. Dan. 12:1–3). Tribulation saints aren’t yet saved (7:9, 10). Only one group will be complete and glorified at that point—the church. Here elders represent the church, which sings the song of redemption (5:8–10). They are the overcomers who have their crowns and live in the place prepared for them, where they have gone with Jesus (cf. John 14:1–4). (MacArthur Study Bible note)
4:6 sea of glass. There is no sea in heaven (21:1), but the crystal pavement that serves as the floor of God’s throne stretches out like a great, glistening sea (cf. Ex. 24:10; Ezek. 1:22). four living creatures. Lit. “four living ones or beings.” These are the cherubim (sing., cherub), those angels frequently referred to in the OT in connection with God’s presence, power, and holiness. Although John’s description is not identical to Ezekiel’s, they are obviously both referring to the same supernatural and indescribable beings (Pss. 80:1; 99:1; see notes on Ezek. 1:4–25; 10:15). full of eyes. Although not omniscient—an attribute reserved for God alone—these angels have a comprehensive knowledge and perception. Nothing escapes their scrutiny (cf. v. 8). (MacArthur Study Bible note)
7:12 Blessing…and might. See note on 5:12.(MacArthur Study Bible note).
5:12 power…and blessing. This doxology records 7 qualities intrinsic to God and to the Lamb that demand our praise.(MacArthur Study Bible note)
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Strong’s Concordance – 3068. Yhvh – Consider “Yehovaw,” not Jehovah.
Yhvh: the proper name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יְהֹוָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yhvh
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw’)
Short Definition: LORD
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from havah
Definition
the proper name of the God of Israel
Consider “God with us.”
Isaiah 7:14 Names of God Bible (NOG) Prophecy of the Messiah in 742 B.C.
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].
NASB LexiconNASB Lexicon – God will be with us, in the form of a child.
Immanuel. אֵֽל׃ el. 6005 “with us is God,” the name of a child from im and el
Strong’s Concordance – 6005. Immanuel
Immanuel: “with us is God,” the name of a child
Original Word: עִמָּ֫נוּאֵ֫ל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Immanuel
Phonetic Spelling: (im-maw-noo-ale’)
Short Definition: Immanuel
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from im and el
Definition
“with us is God,” the name of a child
Consider the virgin born child, Sar Shalom, “the 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.
NASB Lexicon – 410. God – The virgin born messiah will be “God,” in plural, triune form. This does not indicate multiple gods, but God in three persons. (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
God, אֵ֣ל el 410 God, in pl. gods a prim. root
Strong’s Concordance – 410. El
el: God, in pl. gods
Original Word: אֵל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: el
Phonetic Spelling: (ale)
Short Definition: God
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
God, in pl. gods
Consider “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 Names of God Bible (NOG) The prophecy being told to Joseph, who would be the earthly, non-biological, father of Immanuel.
23 “The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
NASB Lexicon – 1604. Immanuel,
IMMANUEL,” Ἐμμανουηλ emmanouēl 1694 “God with us,” Immanuel, a name of Christ of Hebrew origin Immanuel
Strong’s Concordance – 1694. Emmanouel
Emmanouél: “God with us,” Immanuel, a name of Christ
Original Word: Ἐμμανουήλ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Emmanouél
Phonetic Spelling: (em-man-oo-ale’)
Short Definition: Emmanuel
Definition: Emmanuel, a Messianic title derived from Isaiah 7:14 = God with us.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Immanuel
Definition
“God with us,” Immanuel, a name of Christ
Consider Yeshua
Matthew 1:25 Names of God Bible (NOG) Joseph also gave the Christ child the name of Yehoshua.
25 He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Yeshua.
NASB Lexicon -2424. Yehoshua (Yeshua is the shortened form)
Jesus. Ἰησοῦν iēsoun 2424 Jesus or Joshua, the name of the Messiah, also three other Isr. of Hebrew origin Yehoshua
Strong’s Concordance – 2424. Yehoshua. The Greek pronunciation is “eee soos.” There was no letter J in either the Hebrew of Greek alphabets. Therefore, there was no name”Jehovah.” Yeshua was never called “Jesus.” It was not until approximately 1500 A.D. that the letter “J” was put into the English alphabet, which allowed “Jesus” to be used for Yeshua. For translation purposes, “things” need to be translated into the languages of the world. There is no reason to translate names.
Iésous: Jesus or Joshua, the name of the Messiah, also three other Isr.
Original Word: Ἰησοῦς, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Iésous
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-ay-sooce’)
Short Definition: Jesus
Definition: Jesus; the Greek form of Joshua; Jesus, son of Eliezer; Jesus, surnamed Justus.
HELPS Word-studies
2424 Iēsoús – Jesus, the transliteration of the Hebrew term, 3091 /Lṓt (“Yehoshua”/Jehoshua, contracted to “Joshua”) which means “Yahweh saves” (or “Yahweh is salvation”).
“Jesus Christ” is properly “Jesus the Christ.” “Jesus” (2424 /Iēsoús) is His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God (Mt 1:21,25, see also Lk 1:31) – the Christ, the divine Messiah (the second Person of the holy Trinity).
[Christ (His title) means “the Anointed One” (the eternal pre-incarnate, Logos, Jn 1:1-18).]
Consider the name that Yeshua/Jesus used for Himself.
Matthew 7:21-22 Names of God Bible (NOG) Jesus/Yeshua used “Lord” to identify Himself.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?’
NASB Lexicon – 2962. Lord
to Me, ‘Lord, κύριε kurie 2962 lord, master from kuros (authority)
Lord,’ κύριε kurie 2962 lord, master from kuros (authority)
Strong’s Concordance – 2962. Kurios
kurios: lord, master
Original Word: κύριος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: kurios
Phonetic Spelling: (koo’-ree-os)
Short Definition: lord, Lord, master, sir
Definition: lord, master, sir; the Lord.
HELPS Word-studies
2962 kýrios – properly, a person exercising absolute ownership rights; lord (Lord).
[In the papyri, 2962 (kýrios) likewise denotes an owner (master) exercising full rights.]
Consider worship in Heaven. The Revelation (singular, not “Revelations”) is that of Yeshua/Jesus (Revelation 1:1).
Revelation 4:8-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
Revelation 4:9-10 – Jesus/Yeshua tells of: Him who sits on the throne, and Him who lives forever and ever; and will be worshiped forever and ever. The Capitalized “Him” indicates deity. The 24 elders represent the redeemed body of Christ, those who have been caught up into Heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The tribulation saints and Old Testament saints will not be caught up until at the end of the Tribulation (Rev 20:4; Daniel 12:2).
Strong’s Concordance – 2316. Theos/God. Jesus said that the One on the throne is both Lord and God; He is referring to Himself. See 2962 above.
theos: God, a god
Original Word: θεός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: theos
Phonetic Spelling: (theh’-os)
Short Definition: God, a god
Definition: (a) God, (b) a god, generally.
HELPS Word-studies
2316 theós (of unknown origin) – properly, God, the Creator and owner of all things (Jn 1:3; Gen 1 – 3).
[Long before the NT was written, 2316 (theós) referred to the supreme being who owns and sustains all things.]
Consider Who will receive worship in Heaven.
Philippians 2:9-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 Names of God Bible (NOG)
9 This is why God has given him an exceptional honor—
the name honored above all other names—
10 so that at the name of Yeshua everyone in heaven, on earth,
and in the world below will kneel
11 and confess that Yeshua Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
Note: MacArthur Study Bible 2:10, 11 bow…confess. The entire intelligent universe is called to worship Jesus Christ as Lord (cf. Ps. 2). This mandate includes the angels in heaven (Rev. 4:2–9), the spirits of the redeemed (Rev. 4:10, 11), obedient believers on earth (Rom. 10:9), the disobedient rebels on earth (2 Thess. 1:7–9), demons and lost humanity in hell (1 Pet. 3:18–22). The Gr. word for “confess” means “to acknowledge,” “affirm,” or “agree” which is what everyone will eventually do in response to Christ’s lordship, willingly and blessedly or unwillingly and painfully.
Conclusion. It is Yeshua, who will be sitting on the throne in Heaven. It is in Heaven where we will be in worship of Yeshua. Until then, we should engage in serious worship of our Lord. It should not be just a matter of rote repetition. Instead, our worship should be true worship. Consider the Words of Yeshua in John 4:24.
John 4:24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Note: God is spirit, not “a spirit,” as some translations say. If God were “a spirit,” He would be one of many gods, and one of many spirits.” For us to worship “in spirit and in truth,” is to mean something that a dear friend said to me. My special sister offered this understanding of “spirit and truth” worship. She said, it is “all of us, for all of God.” Let me add another thought; it’s about the opening video. Did you feel uncomfortable? Consider true worship. Don’t let selfish pride get in your way; and, don’t let anything hold you back!
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Names Of God.” There, you will be able to locate the “Names Of God” 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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“Be Still And Know That I Am God” – Psalm 46:10
Psalm 46:10-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. These twin commands to not panic and to recognize His sovereignty are probably directed to both His nation for comfort and all other nations for warning.(MacArthur Study Bible note)
Psalm 46 Names of God Bible (NOG)
For the choir director; a song by the descendants of Korah; according to alamoth.
1 Elohim is our Machseh and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2 That is why we are not afraid
even when the earth quakes
or the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.
and mountains shake at the surging waves. Selah
4 There is a river
whose streams bring joy to the city of Elohim,
the holy place where Elyon lives.
5 Elohim is in that city.
It cannot fall.
Elohim will help it at the break of dawn.
6 Nations are in turmoil, and kingdoms topple.
The earth melts at the sound of God’s voice.
7 Yahweh Tsebaoth is with us.
The Elohim of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
8 Come, see the works of Yahweh,
the devastation he has brought to the earth.
He breaks an archer’s bow.
He cuts spears in two.
He burns chariots.
10 Let go of your concerns!
Then you will know that I am Elohim.
I rule the nations.
I rule the earth.
11 Yahweh Tsebaoth is with us.
The Elohim of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
Lexicon Excerpts Provided By Bible Hub (biblehub.com)
Strong’s Concordance – 430. Elohim
elohim: God, god
Original Word: אֱלֹהִים
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: elohim
Phonetic Spelling: (el-o-heem’)
Short Definition: God
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
pl. of eloah
Definition
God, god
Strong’s Concordance – 433. Eloah
eloah: God, god
Original Word: אֱל֫וֹהַּ,
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: eloah
Phonetic Spelling: ((shortened) >eloahh {el-o’-ah)
Short Definition: God
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
prol. from el
Definition
God, god
Strong’s Concordance – 4268. machaseh or machseh
machaseh or machseh: refuge, shelter
Original Word: מַחֲסֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: machaseh or machseh
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-as-eh’)
Short Definition: refuge
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chasah
Definition
refuge, shelter
Strong’s Concordance – 2620. chasah
chasah: to seek refuge
Original Word: חָסָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chasah
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-saw’)
Short Definition: refuge
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to seek refuge
Strong’s Concordance – 5945b. Elyon
Elyon: “high,” a name of God
Transliteration: Elyon
Short Definition: high
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from alah
Definition
“high,” a name of God
Strong’s Concordance – 5927. alah
alah: to go up, ascend, climb
Original Word: עָלָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: alah
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-law’)
Short Definition: went
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to go up, ascend, climb
Verse 7 Lexicon: Yahweh Tsebaoth is with us. The Elohim of Jacob is our stronghold.
Strong’s Concordance – 6635. tsaba
tsaba: army, war, warfare
Original Word: צָבָא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsaba
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-baw’)
Short Definition: hosts
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from tsaba
Definition
army, war, warfare
Strong’s Concordance – 6633. tsaba
tsaba: to wage war, serve
Original Word: צָבָא
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsaba
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-baw’)
Short Definition: war
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to wage war, serve
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Jerusalem Arise – Filmed Live In Jerusalem At The Feast Of Tabernacles
Shabbat Shalom – Isaiah 61 – The Ruach Of Adonay Yahweh
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Isaiah 61 Names of God Bible (NOG)
The Lord Will Anoint His Servant with His Spirit
1 The Ruach of Adonay Yahweh is with me
because Yahweh has anointed me
to deliver good news to humble people.
He has sent me
to heal those who are brokenhearted,
to announce that captives will be set free
and prisoners will be released.
2 He has sent me
to announce the year of Yahweh’s good will
and the day of our Elohim’s vengeance,
to comfort all those who grieve.
3 He has sent me
to provide for all those who grieve in Zion,
to give them crowns instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of tears of grief,
and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
the Plantings of Yahweh,
so that he might display his glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins.
They will restore the places destroyed long ago.
They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago.
5 Foreigners will come forward and become shepherds for your flocks,
and children of foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 You will be called the priests of Yahweh.
You will be called the servants of our Elohim.
You will consume the wealth of the nations.
You will boast in their splendor.
7 You will receive a double measure of wealth instead of your shame.
You will sing about your wealth instead of being disgraced.
That is why you will have a double measure of wealth in your land.
You will have everlasting joy.
8 I, Yahweh, love justice.
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully reward my people’s work.
I will make an everlasting promise to them.
9 Then their offspring will be known among the nations
and their descendants among the people.
Everyone who sees them will recognize
that they are the descendants whom Yahweh has blessed.
10 I will find joy in Yahweh.
I will delight in my Elohim.
He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation.
He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness
like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban,
like a bride with her jewels.
11 Like the ground that brings forth its crops
and like a garden that makes the seed in it grow,
so Adonay Yahweh will make righteousness and praise
spring up in front of all nations.
Strong’s Concordance – 7307. Ruach
ruach: breath, wind, spirit
Original Word: ר֫וּחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ruach
Phonetic Spelling: (roo’-akh)
Short Definition: spirit
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
breath, wind, spirit
Ruach of Adonay Yahweh
The Spirit ר֛וּחַ ru·ach 7307 breath, wind, spirit from an unused word
of the Lord אֲדֹנָ֥י a·do·nai 136 Lord an emphatic form of adon
GOD יְהוָ֨ה Yah·weh 3068 the proper name of the God of Israel from havah
Strong’s Concordance – 430. Elohim
elohim: God, god
Original Word: אֱלֹהִים
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: elohim
Phonetic Spelling: (el-o-heem’)
Short Definition: God
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
pl. of eloah
Definition
God, god
Strong’s Concordance – 430. Eloah
eloah: God, god
Original Word: אֱל֫וֹהַּ,
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: eloah
Phonetic Spelling: ((shortened) >eloahh {el-o’-ah)
Short Definition: God
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
prol. from el
Definition
God, god
Strong’s Concordance – 3050. Yah
Yah: the name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יָהּ
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yah
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw)
Short Definition: LORD
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
contr. from Yhvh
Definition
the name of the God of Israel
Strong’s Concordance – 3068. Yhvh
Yhvh: the proper name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יְהֹוָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yhvh
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw’)
Short Definition: LORD
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from havah
Definition
the proper name of the God of Israel
Strong’s Concordance – 1. Ab
ab: father
Original Word: אָב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ab
Phonetic Spelling: (awb)
Short Definition: father
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
father
Strong’s Concordance -136. Adonay
Adonay: Lord
Original Word: אֲדֹנָי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Adonay
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-o-noy’)
Short Definition: Lord
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
an emphatic form of adon
Definition
Lord
Strong’s Concordance – 136. Adon
adon: lord
Original Word: אָדוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: adon
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-done’)
Short Definition: lord
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
lord
Strong’s Concordance – 7706b. Shadday
Shadday: perhaps “the almighty,” a title for God
Transliteration: Shadday
Short Definition: Almighty
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
perhaps “the almighty,” a title for God
Yah Elohim
that the LORD יָ֬הּ yah 3050 the name of the God of Israel contr. from Yhvh
God אֱלֹהִֽים׃ e·lo·him. 430 God, god pl. of eloah
Strong’s Concordance – 410. El
el: God, in pl. gods
Original Word: אֵל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: el
Phonetic Spelling: (ale)
Short Definition: God
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
God, in pl. gods
Strong’s Concordance – 4428. Melek
melek: king
Original Word: מֶ֫לֶך
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: melek
Phonetic Spelling: (meh’-lek)
Short Definition: king
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
king
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1 Kings 17 Names of God Bible (NOG)
Elijah Prophesies a Drought
1 Elijah, who was from Tishbe but had settled in Gilead, said to Ahab, “I solemnly swear, as Yahweh Elohim of Israel whom I serve lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I say so.”
2 Then Yahweh spoke his word to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn east, and hide beside the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. 4 You can drink from the stream, and I’ve commanded ravens to feed you there.”
5 Elijah left and did what the word of Yahweh had told him. He went to live by the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. 6 Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening. And he drank from the stream.
7 But after some time the stream dried up because no rain had fallen in the land.
Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath
8 Then Yahweh spoke his word to Elijah: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath (which belongs to Sidon), and stay there. I’ve commanded a widow there to feed you.”
10 He got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the town’s entrance, a widow was gathering wood. He called to her, “Please bring me a drink of water.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her again, “Please bring me a piece of bread too.”
12 She said, “I solemnly swear, as Yahweh your Elohim lives, I didn’t bake any bread. I have one handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I’m gathering wood. I’m going to prepare something for myself and my son so that we can eat it and then die.”
13 Then Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home, and do as you’ve said. But first make a small loaf and bring it to me. Then prepare something for yourself and your son. 14 This is what Yahweh Elohim of Israel says: Until Yahweh sends rain on the land, the jar of flour will never be empty and the jug will always contain oil.”
15 She did what Elijah had told her. So she, Elijah, and her family had food for a long time. 16 The jar of flour never became empty, and the jug always contained olive oil, as Yahweh had promised through Elijah.
17 Afterwards, the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. He got so sick that finally no life was left in him. 18 The woman asked Elijah, “What do you and I have in common, man of Elohim? Did you come here to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” Elijah took him from her arms, carried him to the upstairs room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he called to Yahweh, “Yahweh my Elohim, have you brought misery on the widow I’m staying with by killing her son?” 21 Then Elijah stretched himself over the boy three times and called to Yahweh, “Yahweh my Elohim, please make this child’s life return to him.” 22 Yahweh heard Elijah’s request, and the child’s life returned to him. He was alive again.
23 Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room of the house, and gave him to his mother. He said, “Look! Your son is alive.”
24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I’m convinced that you are a man of Elohim and that the word of Yahweh from your mouth is true.”
1 Kings 17 New King James Version (NKJV)
Elijah Proclaims a Drought
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Elijah and the Widow
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son
17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”
19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”
The following notes are from the MacArthur Study Bible, as shown in BibleGateway.com
17:1 Elijah. His name means “the Lord is God.” The prophet Elijah’s ministry corresponded to his name: He was sent by God to confront Baalism and to declare to Israel that the Lord was God and there was no other. Tishbite. Elijah lived in a town called Tishbe, E of the Jordan River in the vicinity of the Jabbok River. not be dew nor rain. The autumn and spring rains and summer dew were necessities for the crops of Israel. The Lord had threatened to withhold these from the Land if His people turned from Him to serve other gods (Lev. 26:18, 19; Deut. 11:16, 17; 28:23, 24). Elijah had prayed for the drought (cf. James 5:17) and God answered. It lasted 3 years and 6 months according to James (5:17). The drought proved that Baal, the god of the rains and fertility, was impotent before the Lord
17:3.Brook Cherith. Probably this was a seasonal brook that flowed during the rainy season but dried up when the weather turned hot. It was located E of the Jordan River.
17:6 ravens brought. God’s supernatural provision, much like the manna and quail during Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Ex. 16:13–36).
17:9 Zarephath. A town on the Mediterranean coast about 7 mi. S of Sidon. Elijah was sent to live there, in a territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law, Ethbaal. In this way, he showed the power of God in the very area where the impotent Baal was worshiped, as He provided miraculously for the widow in the famine (vv. 10–16).
17:23 your son lives. Canaanite myths claimed that Baal could revive the dead, but here it was the Lord, not Baal, who gave back the boy’s life. This conclusively demonstrated that the Lord was the only true God and Elijah was His prophet (v. 24).
17:24 a man of God. See note on 12:22. A man of God has a true word from God.
1 Kings 18:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)
Elijah’s Message to Ahab
1 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”
2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria. 3 And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.
The following notes are from the MacArthur Study Bible, as shown in BibleGateway.com
18:2 famine. This was to give Ahab opportunity to repent. He was the cause of national judgment in the famine. If he repented, rain would come.
18:3 Obadiah. His name means “servant of the Lord.” He was the manager of Ahab’s royal palace and a devout worshiper of the Lord, who had demonstrated his devotion to the Lord by protecting 100 of the Lord’s prophets from death by Jezebel (vv. 4, 13) which had put him on tenuous ground with Ahab.
Luke 4:24-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
The following notes are from the MacArthur Study Bible, as shown in BibleGateway.com
4:25–27 Both the widow of Zarephath (1 Kin. 17:8–24) and Naaman the Syrian (2 Kin. 5) were Gentiles. Both lived during times of widespread unbelief in Israel. Jesus’ point was that God bypassed all the widows and lepers in Israel, yet showed grace to two Gentiles. God’s concern for Gentiles and outcasts is one of the thematic threads that runs through Luke’s gospel (see Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes).
Revelation 1:3-5 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
Note on 1:4 (MacArthur Study Bible)
1:4 seven churches which are in Asia. Asia Minor, equivalent to modern Turkey, was composed of 7 postal districts. At the center of those districts were 7 key cities which served as central points for the dissemination of information. It is to the churches in those cities that John writes. who is and who was and who is to come. God’s eternal presence is not limited by time. He has always been present and will come in the future. the seven Spirits. There are two possible meanings: 1) a reference to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the 7-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit (Is. 11:2); or 2) more likely, it is a reference to the lampstand with 7 lamps (a menorah) in Zechariah—also a description of the Holy Spirit (see notes on 4:5; 5:6; Zech. 4:1–10). In either case, 7 is the number of completeness, so John is identifying the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 1:7-9 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Note On 1:8 (MacArthur Study Bible)
1:8 Alpha and the Omega. These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. An alphabet is an ingenious way to store and communicate knowledge. The 26 letters in the English alphabet, arranged in almost endless combinations, can hold and convey all knowledge. Christ is the supreme, sovereign alphabet; there is nothing outside His knowledge, so as there are no unknown factors that can sabotage His second coming. (cf. Col. 2:3). the Almighty. “Almighty God” occurs 8 times in Revelation, underscoring that God’s power is supreme over all the cataclysmic events it records (see also 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:15; 21:22). He exercises sovereign control over every person, object, and event, and not one molecule in the universe is outside that dominion.
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 4:7-9 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
Note on 4:8 (MacArthur Study Bible)
4:8 full of eyes. See note on v. 6. Holy, holy, holy. Often God is extolled for His holiness in this 3-fold form, because it is the summation of all that He is—His most salient attribute (see note on Is. 6:3). Who was and is and is to come! See note on 1:4.
Revelation 11:16-18 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
Note on 11:16, from 4:4 (MacArthur Study Bible)
4:4 twenty-four elders. Their joint rule with Christ, their white garments (19:7, 8), and their golden crowns (2:10) all seem to indicate that these 24 represent the redeemed (vv. 9–11; 5:5–14; 7:11–17; 11:16–18; 14:3; 19:4). The question is which redeemed? Not Israel, since the nation is not yet saved, glorified, and coronated. That is still to come at this point in the events of the end. Their resurrection and glory will come at the end of the 7 year tribulation time (cf. Dan. 12:1–3). Tribulation saints aren’t yet saved (7:9, 10). Only one group will be complete and glorified at that point—the church. Here elders represent the church, which sings the song of redemption (5:8–10). They are the overcomers who have their crowns and live in the place prepared for them, where they have gone with Jesus (cf. John 14:1–4).
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Names Of God.” There, you will be able to locate the “Names Of God” 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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The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1 Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.
The following note is from the MacArthur Study Bible, as shown in BibleGateway.com
68:4 His name Yah. A shortened form of Yahweh, often translated Lord (cf. v. 16; Ex. 3:15). Other names for God in this psalm include God (Elohim, v. 1), Lord (Adonai, v. 11), Almighty (v. 14), Lord God (v. 18), God the Lord (v. 20), and King (v. 24).
5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
13 Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation;
And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.
21 But God will wound the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 That your foot may crush them in blood,
And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24 They have seen Your procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Your God has commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring presents to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
Psalm 68 Names of God Bible (NOG)
Psalm 68
For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.
1 Elohim will arise.
His enemies will be scattered.
Those who hate him will flee from him.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Let wicked people melt in Elohim’s presence like wax next to a fire.
3 But let righteous people rejoice.
Let them celebrate in Elohim’s presence.
Let them overflow with joy.
4 Sing to Elohim; make music to praise his name.
Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.
Yah is his name.
Celebrate in his presence.
The following note is from the MacArthur Study Bible, as shown in BibleGateway.com
68:4 His name Yah. A shortened form of Yahweh, often translated Lord (cf. v. 16; Ex. 3:15). Other names for God in this psalm include God (Elohim, v. 1), Lord (Adonai, v. 11), Almighty (v. 14), Lord God (v. 18), God the Lord (v. 20), and King (v. 24).
5 The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place
is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
6 Elohim places lonely people in families.
He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
7 O Elohim, when you went in front of your people,
when you marched through the desert, Selah
in the presence of the Elohim of Sinai,
in the presence of the Elohim of Israel.
9 You watered the land with plenty of rain, O Elohim.
You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10 Your flock settled there.
Out of your goodness, O Elohim,
you provided for oppressed people.
11 Adonay gives instructions.
The women who announce the good news are a large army.
12 They say, “The kings of the armies flee; they run away.
The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
13 Though you stayed among the sheep pens,
you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its feathers with yellow gold.
14 Meanwhile, Shadday was still scattering kings there
like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.”
15 The mountain of Bashan is the mountain of Elohim.
The mountain of Bashan is the mountain with many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains with many peaks,
at the mountain where Elohim has chosen to live?
Certainly, Yahweh will live there forever.
17 The chariots of Elohim are twenty thousand in number,
thousands upon thousands.
Adonay is among them.
The God of Sinai is in his holy place.
18 You went to the highest place.
You took prisoners captive.
You received gifts from people,
even from rebellious people, so that Yah Elohim may live there.
19 Thanks be to Adonay,
who daily carries our burdens for us.
El is our salvation. Selah
20 Our El is the El of victories.
Yahweh Adonay is our escape from death.
21 Certainly, Elohim will crush the heads of his enemies
and destroy even the hair on the heads
of those who continue to be guilty.
22 Adonay said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23 so that you, my people, may bathe your feet in blood
and the tongues of your dogs
may lick the blood of your enemies.”
24 Your festival processions, O Elohim, can be seen by everyone.
They are the processions for my Elohim, my Melek, into the holy place.
25 The singers are in front.
The musicians are behind them.
The young women beating tambourines are between them.
26 Thank Elohim, Yahweh, the source of Israel, with the choirs.
27 Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
next the leaders of Judah with their noisy crowds,
then the leaders of Zebulun,
then the leaders of Naphtali.
28 Your Elohim has decided you will be strong.
Display your strength, O Elohim,
as you have for us before.
29 Kings will bring you gifts
because of your temple high above Jerusalem.
30 Threaten the beast who is among the cattails,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations,
until it humbles itself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the people who find joy in war.
31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt.
Sudan will stretch out its hands to Elohim in prayer.
32 You kingdoms of the world, sing to Elohim.
Make music to praise Adonay. Selah
33 Elohim rides through the ancient heaven, the highest heaven.
Listen! He makes his voice heard, his powerful voice.
34 Acknowledge the power of Elohim.
His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.
35 Elohim, the El of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.
He gives strength and power to his people.
Thanks be to Elohim!
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Matthew 23 New King James Version (NKJV)
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ,and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
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!’ ”
Additional Video. The verse of Matthew 23:39 finds its place in the song. That verse has great significance as to the second coming of Christ to physically set foot on planet Earth in the city of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives., per Zechariah 14:1-15, Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-46; and Revelation 19:11-20-15.
Paul Wilbur Baruch Haba Blessed Is He Who Comes
Study notes.
23:2 Moses’ seat. The expression is equivalent to a university’s “chair of philosophy.” To “sit in Moses’ seat” was to have the highest authority to instruct people in the law. The expression here may be translated, “[they] have seated themselves in Moses’ seat”—stressing the fact that this was an imaginary authority they claimed for themselves. There was a legitimate sense in which the priests and Levites had authority to decide matters of the law (Deut. 17:9), but the scribes and Pharisees had gone beyond any legitimate authority and were adding human tradition to the Word of God (15:3–9). For that Jesus condemned them (vv. 8–36).
23:3 observe and do. I.e., insofar as it accords with the Word of God. The Pharisees were prone to bind “heavy burdens” (v. 4) of extrabiblical traditions and put them on others’ shoulders. Jesus explicitly condemned that sort of legalism.
23:5 phylacteries. Leather boxes containing a parchment on which is written in 4 columns (Ex. 13:1–10, 11–16; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21). These are worn by men during prayer—one on the middle of the forehead and one on the left arm just above the elbow. The use of phylacteries was based on an overly literal interpretation of passages like Ex. 13:9, 10; Deut. 6:8. Evidently the Pharisees would broaden the leather straps by which the phylacteries were bound to their arms and foreheads, in order to make the phylacteries more prominent. the borders of their garments. I.e., the tassels. Jesus Himself wore them (see note on 9:20), so it was not the tassels themselves that He condemned, only the mentality that would lengthen the tassels to make it appear that one was especially spiritual.
23:8–10 Rabbi…father…teachers. Here Jesus condemns pride and pretense, not titles per se. Paul repeatedly speaks of “teachers” in the church, and even refers to himself as the Corinthians’ “father” (1 Cor. 4:15). Obviously, this does not forbid the showing of respect, either (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11, 12; 1 Tim. 5:1). Christ is merely forbidding the use of such names as spiritual titles, or in an ostentatious sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God.
23:13 nor do you allow. The Pharisees, having shunned God’s righteousness, were seeking to establish a righteousness of their own (Rom. 10:3)—and teaching others to do so as well. Their legalism and self-righteousness effectively obscured the narrow gate by which the kingdom must be entered (see notes on 7:13, 14).
23:14 This verse does not appear in the earliest available manuscripts of Matthew, but does appear in Mark. See notes on Mark 12:40.
23:15 proselyte. A Gentile convert to Judaism. See Acts 6:5. a son of hell. I.e., someone whose eternal destination is hell.
23:16 it is nothing. This was an arbitrary distinction the Pharisees had made, which gave them a sanctimonious justification for lying with impunity. If someone swore “by the temple” (or the altar, v. 18; or heaven, v. 22), his oath was not considered binding, but if he swore “by the gold of the temple,” he could not break his word without being subject to the penalties of Jewish law. Our Lord makes it clear that swearing by those things is tantamount to swearing by God Himself. See note on 5:34.
23:23 tithe of mint and anise and cummin. Garden herbs, not really the kind of farm produce that the tithe was designed to cover (Lev. 27:30). But the Pharisees fastidiously weighed out a tenth of every herb, perhaps even counting individual anise seeds. Jesus’ point, however, was not to condemn their observance of the law’s fine points. The problem was that they “neglected the weightier matters” of justice and mercy and faith—the moral principles underlying all the laws. They were satisfied with their focus on the incidentals and externals but willfully resisted the spiritual meaning of the law. He told them they should have concentrated on those larger issues “without leaving the others undone.”
23:24 strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Some Pharisees would strain their beverages through a fine cloth to make sure they did not inadvertently swallow a gnat—the smallest of unclean animals (Lev. 11:23). The camel was the largest of all the unclean animals (Lev. 11:4).
23:25 you cleanse the outside. The Pharisees’ focus on external issues lay at the heart of their error. Who would want to drink from a cup that had been washed on the outside but was still filthy inside? Yet the Pharisees lived their lives as if external appearance were more important than internal reality. That was the very essence of their hypocrisy, and Jesus rebuked them for it repeatedly (see notes on 5:20; 16:12).
23:27 whitewashed tombs. Tombs were regularly whitewashed to make them stand out. Accidentally touching or stepping on a grave caused ceremonial uncleanness (Num. 19:16). A freshly whitewashed tomb would be brilliantly white and clean-looking—and sometimes spectacularly ornate. But the inside was full of defilement and decay. Contrast Jesus’ words here and in Luke 11:44.
23:30 we would not have been partakers. A ridiculous claim to self-righteousness when they were already plotting the murder of the Messiah (cf. John 11:47–53).
23:34 prophets, wise men, and scribes. I.e., the disciples, as well as the prophets, evangelists, and pastors who followed them (cf. Eph. 4:11).
23:35 Abel…Zechariah. The first and last OT martyrs, respectively. son of Berechiah. (Zech. 1:1). The OT does not record how he died. However, the death of another Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, is recorded in 2 Chr. 24:20, 21. He was stoned in the court of the temple, exactly as Jesus describes here. All the best manuscripts of Matthew contain the phrase “Zechariah, son of Berechiah” (though it does not appear in Luke 11:51). Some have suggested that the Zechariah in 2 Chr. 24 was actually a grandson of Jehoiada, and that his father’s name was also Berechiah. But there is no difficulty if we simply take Jesus’ words at face value and accept His infallible testimony that Zechariah the prophet was martyred between the temple and the altar, in a way very similar to how the earlier Zechariah was killed.
23:36 this generation. Historically, this was the generation that experienced the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple in A.D. 70. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem and His removal of the blessing of God from the temple (vv. 37, 38) strongly suggest that the sacking of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was the judgment He was speaking about. See notes on 22:7; 24:2; Luke 19:43.
23:37 I wanted…but you were not willing! God is utterly sovereign and therefore fully capable of bringing to pass whatever He desires (cf. Is. 46:10)—including the salvation of whomever He chooses (Eph. 1:4, 5). Yet, He sometimes expresses a wish for that which He does not sovereignly bring to pass (cf. Gen. 6:6; Deut. 5:29; Ps. 81:13; Is. 48:18). Such expressions in no way suggest a limitation on the sovereignty of God or imply any actual change in Him (Num. 23:19). But these statements do reveal essential aspects of the divine character: He is full of compassion, sincerely good to all, desirous of good, not evil—and therefore not delighting in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:32; 33:11). While affirming God’s sovereignty, one must understand His pleas for the repentance of the reprobate as well meant appeals—and His goodness toward the wicked as a genuine mercy designed to provoke them to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The emotion displayed by Christ here (and in all similar passages, such as Luke 19:41) is obviously a deep, sincere passion. All Christ’s feelings must be in perfect harmony with the divine will (cf. John 8:29)—and therefore these lamentations should not be thought of as mere exhibitions of His humanity.
23:38 Your house is left to you desolate. A few days earlier, Christ had referred to the temple as His Father’s “house” (21:13). But the blessing and glory of God were being removed from Israel (see 1 Sam. 4:21). When Christ “departed from the temple” (24:1), the glory of God went with Him. Ezekiel 11:23 described Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of the Shekinah glory in his day. The glory left the temple and stood on the Mt. of Olives (see notes on 24:3; Luke 19:29), exactly the same route Christ followed here (cf. 24:3).
23:39 you shall see Me no more. Christ’s public teaching ministry was over. He withdrew from national Israel until the time yet future when they will recognize Him as Messiah (Rom. 11:23–26). Then Christ quoted from Ps. 118:26.
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
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
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Matthew 4 New King James Version (NKJV)
Satan Tempts Jesus
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Study notes.
4:1 led up by the Spirit…to be tempted by the devil. God Himself is never the agent of temptation (James 1:13), but here—as in the book of Job—God uses even satanic tempting to serve His sovereign purposes. Christ was tempted in all points (Heb. 4:15; 1 John 2:16); Satan tempted Him with “the lust of the flesh” (vv. 2, 3); “the lust of the eyes” (vv. 8, 9); and “the pride of life” (vv. 5, 6).
4:2 forty days and forty nights. Similarly, Moses was without food or drink on Sinai for “forty days and forty nights” (Deut. 9:9), and Elijah also fasted that long (1 Kin. 19:8). See note on 12:40.
4:3 If You are the Son of God. The conditional “if” carries the meaning of “since” in this context. There was no doubt in Satan’s mind who Jesus was; but Satan’s design was to get Him to violate the plan of God and employ the divine power that He had set aside in His humiliation (cf. Phil. 2:7).
4:4 It is written. All 3 of Jesus’ replies to the Devil were taken from Deuteronomy. This one, from Deut. 8:3, states that God allowed Israel to hunger, so that He might feed them with manna and teach them to trust Him to provide for them. So the verse is directly applicable to Jesus’ circumstances and a fitting reply to Satan’s temptation. every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. A more important source of sustenance than food, it nurtures our spiritual needs in a way that benefits us eternally, rather than merely providing temporal relief from physical hunger.
4:5 pinnacle of the temple. This was probably a roof with a portico at the SE corner of the temple complex, where a massive retaining wall reached from a level well above the temple mount, deep into the Kidron Valley. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, this was a drop of nearly 450 ft.
4:6 For it is written…Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Note that Satan also quoted Scripture (Ps. 91:11, 12)—but utterly twisted its meaning, employing a passage about trusting God to justify testing Him.
4:7 It is written again. Christ replied with another verse from Israel’s wilderness experience (Deut. 6:16)—recalling the experience at Massah, where the grumbling Israelites put the Lord to the test, angrily demanding that Moses produce water where there was none (Ex. 17:2–7).
4:9 I will give You. Satan is the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and the “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4). The whole world lies in his power (1 John 5:19). This is illustrated in Dan. 10:13 (see note there), where demonic power controlled the kingdom of Persia, so that a demon is called the Prince of Persia.
4:10 For it is written. Here Christ was citing and paraphrasing Deut. 6:13, 14. Again, these relate to the Israelites’ wilderness experiences. Christ, like them, was led into the wilderness to be tested (cf. Deut. 8:2). Unlike them, He withstood every aspect of the test.
4:11 angels came and ministered to Him. Psalm 91:11, 12—the verse Satan tried to twist—was thus fulfilled in God’s way, and in God’s perfect timing.
4:12 John had been put in prison. John was imprisoned for his bold rebuke of Herod Antipas. See 14:3, 4.
4:13 leaving Nazareth. Some time elapsed between vv. 12 and 13. Jesus’ stay in Nazareth ended abruptly when He was violently rejected by the people of Nazareth, who tried to murder Him (see Luke 4:16–30). Capernaum. He settled in this important town on the trade route at the N end of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum was the home of Peter and Andrew (v. 18), James and John (v. 21), and Matthew (9:9). A comparison of the gospels reveals that Christ had already ministered extensively in Capernaum (see note on Luke 4:23).
4:15 Galilee of the Gentiles. This name was used even in Isaiah’s time because Galilee lay on the route through which all Gentiles passed in and out of Israel. In Jesus’ time, the region of Galilee had become an important center of Roman occupation. The prophecy cited by Matthew is from Is. 9:1, 2. See Is. 42:6, 7.
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach. This marks the beginning of His public ministry. Note that His message was an exact echo of what John the Baptist preached. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. See note on 3:2. The opening word of this first sermon sets the tone for Jesus’ entire earthly ministry (cf. Luke 5:32). Repentance was a constant motif in all His public preaching. And in His closing charge to the apostles, He commanded them to preach repentance as well (Luke 24:47).
4:18 two brothers. Jesus had encountered Peter and Andrew before, near Bethabara, in the Jordan region, where Andrew (and perhaps Peter as well) had become a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35–42). They left John to follow Jesus for a time before returning to fishing in Capernaum. Perhaps they had returned to Capernaum during Jesus’ earlier ministry here (see note on Luke 4:23). Here He called them to follow Him in long-term discipleship.
4:21 James the son of Zebedee. This James is easy to distinguish from the other men named James in the NT, because he is never mentioned in Scripture apart from his brother John. His martyrdom by Herod Agrippa I marked the beginning of a time of severe persecution in the early church (Acts 12:2). For information on others named James, see note on 10:2; Introduction to James: Author and Date.
4:23 teaching…preaching…healing. The 3 main aspects of Christ’s public ministry.
4:24 Syria. The area immediately NE of Galilee.
4:25 Decapolis. A confederation of 10 Hellenized cities S of Galilee and mostly E of the Jordan. The league of cities was formed shortly after Pompey’s invasion of Palestine (ca. 64 B.C.) to preserve Gr. culture in the Semitic region. These cities were naturally Gentile strongholds.
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This post is one of many others that you can find in this blog that deal with The Gospel Of Matthew. All posts in this series can be found under the category of Matthew. Please follow this blog so that you can receive updates automatically.
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
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
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name
Isaiah 7:14 New King James Version (NKJV) (Prophecy of Isaiah in 742 B.C., of our Savior, Who would be born in the year 4 B.C.)
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 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
14 Therefore Adonai himself
will give you people a sign:
the young woman* will become pregnant,
bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us].
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].
Yeshayah 7:14 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
14 Therefore Hashem Himself shall give you an ot (sign); Hinei, HaAlmah (the unmarried young virgin) shall conceive, and bear Ben, and shall call Shmo Immanu El (G-d is with us)
Luke 2:11 New King James Version (NKJV) (Christ is born (4 B.C.), as prophesied by Isaiah in 742 B.C.)
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord.
Luke 2:11 Names of God Bible (NOG)
11 Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city.
Lukas 2:11 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
11 Because hayom, in Ir Dovid, has been born to you a Moshia (Go’el, Savior, Oisleizer), who is Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach HaAdon. [YESHAYAH 9:5(6)]
Luke 2:21 New King James Version (NKJV) (
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Luke 2:21 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
21 On the eighth day, when it was time for his b’rit-milah, he was given the name Yeshua, which is what the angel had called him before his conception.
Luke 2:21 Names of God Bible (NOG)
21 Eight days after his birth, the child was circumcised and named Yeshua. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant.
Lukas 2:21 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
21 And when shemonah yamim were completed for his bris milah, YEHOSHUA was given as SHMO, which he was called by the malach, before he was conceived in the womb. [ZECHARYAH 6:11-12; 3:8]
Matthew 1:18-25 New King James Version (NKJV)
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.
Matthew 1:18-25 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh. 19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame. 20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanu El.”
(The name means, “God is with us.”)
24 When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of Adonai had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife, 25 but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.
Matthew 1:18-25 Names of God Bible (NOG)
18 The birth of Yeshua Christ took place in this way. His mother Mary had been promised to Joseph in marriage. But before they were married, Mary realized that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.
20 Joseph had this in mind when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Yeshua [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: 23 “The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. He took Mary to be his wife. 25 He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Yeshua.
Mattityahu 1:18-25 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
18 The huledet (birth) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was as follows. When Moshiach’s Em, Miryam, had been given in erusin to Yosef [ben Dovid], but before they came together, she was found with child through the Ruach Hakodesh.
19 Her shidduch, Yosef [ben Dovid], being a tzaddik and not wanting to humiliate her publicly, planned to deal with the get (divorce) in a private arrangement.
20 Now just when Yosef [ben Dovid] had thought through to this tachlis (purpose) hinei! A malach Hashem appeared to him in a chalom, and said, Yosef ben Dovid, do not shrink from taking Miryam in nisuim (marriage) as your [basherte (destined mate) aishes chayil (virtuous woman)] kallah (bride), because what has been conceived in her is through the Ruach Hakodesh.
21 And she shall bear BEN (Son) and you will call SHMO (his name, Zech 6:12) YEHOSHUA (Zech 6:11-12) because he will bring his people yeshuah (rescue, salvation, deliverance) from their peyshaim (rebellions).
22 Now all this occurred so that which was spoken by Hashem through the Navi might be fulfilled,
23 HINEI, HAALMAH HARAH VYOLEDET BEN VKARAT SHMO IMMANU-EL (Behold, the Virgin will be with child and will bear Son and will call his name Immanu-El—Isa 7:14; cf page vii), which translated means G-d is with us.
24 Then Yosef [ben Dovid], rising up from sleep, did as the malach Hashem commanded him and he took his kallah.
25 And Yosef [ben Dovid] did not know her until she bore BEN and Yosef [Ben Dovid] called him by name of Yehoshua [Ben Dovid][See Baba Bathra 8:6].
Philippians 2:5-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
7 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
And when he appeared as a human being,
8 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will acknowledge
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 Names of God Bible (NOG)
5 Have the same attitude that Christ Yeshua had.
6 Although he was in the form of God and equal with God,
he did not take advantage of this equality.
7 Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant,
by becoming like other humans,
by having a human appearance.
8 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
death on a cross.
9 This is why God has given him an exceptional honor—
the name honored above all other names—
10 so that at the name of Yeshua everyone in heaven, on earth,
and in the world below will kneel
11 and confess that Yeshua Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
Kehillah in Philippi 2:5-11 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua,
6 Who, though existing in the demut of the mode of being of Elohim [His etzem or essential nature, Yn 1:1-2; 17:5], nevertheless Moshiach did not regard being equal with G-d as a thing to be seized [BERESHIS 3:5],
7 But poured out and emptied himself [2C 8:9], taking the demut of the mode of being of an eved [YESHAYAH 52:13- 53:12 [T.N. see the AVDI TZADDIK TZEMACH DOVID MOSHIACH YIRMEYAH 23:5; ZECHARIAH 3:8], and was born in the likeness of Bnei Adam [Yn 1:14; Ro 8:3; MJ 2:14-17], and having been found in appearance as an Adam,
8 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach humbled himself and took the path of shiflut (lowliness), unto mishma’at (obedience 2:12) [cf. BERESHIS 3:17] even unto death [Yn 10:17; MJ 5:8; 12:2], and that, a death on HaEtz [the Tree, DEVARIM 21:23; 27:26; Ga 3:13; Pp 3:18].
9 Therefore, also Hashem exalted [YESHAYAH 52:13; 53:12; DANIEL 9:26; 7:14; Ac 2:33; MJ 1:3] Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and gave to him haShem [Ep 1:21; MJ 1:4] above every name,
10 That at haShem of Yehoshua, KOL BERECH (every knee YESHAYAH 45:23) will bow, of beings b’Shomayim and ba’Aretz and mitachat laAretz (in the world below),
11 And KOL LASHON (every tongue YESHAYAH 45:23) shall make hoda’ah (confession) with an Ani Ma’amin that is an open and public admission that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua (Yeshua) is Adoneinu, to the kavod of Elohim Avinu.
Should “that Name” be changed, even for the purposes of translation?
Philippians 2:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name
The letter “J” was not present in either the Hebrew or Greek alphabets, and was not added to the English alphabet until the time frame of approximately 1500 A.D. So, consider such significance, as it relates to two names that we find in the Bible, “Jehovah and Jesus.” Those two names, which many have been accustomed to using, are incorrect. When the New Testament was written, the Greek language was appropriate for that translation, due to it clarity. But, there was no reason for the name of our Lord to have been translated; it has brought about great confusion and error. Neither is there a reason to translate any other name. If a person’s name is “Bob,” such a name can easily be pronounced in any language of the world. Also, we don’t need someone to tell us about the meaning of “Bob.” There are people who live in Russia, and who are named Olga, Igor and Vladimir. If those people were to come to the USA, they would still be called, “Olga, Igor and Vladimir. Vlad may also be called Vlad, as a shortened form of his name. No one ever addressed our Lord as “Jesus.” Consider the following breakdown of one of our favorite passages, which gives us the name of our Christ our Lord. Remember that there was no letter, such as “J,” to be found in either the Hebrew or Greek alphabets. Yeshua and Yehoshua are correct names for our Savior, with Yeshua being the shortened form of Yehoshua.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English John 7:1-9
1 After these things, Yeshua was walking in Galilee, for he did not want to walk in Judea, because the Judeans were seeking to kill him. 2 And the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near. 3 And his brothers said to Yeshua: “Remove yourself from here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works that you do. ” 4″ For no man does anything in secret and wants it done openly. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For his brothers also did not believe in Yeshua. 6 Yeshua said to them: “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. ” 7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I am testifying about it, that its servants are evil.” 8 “You go up to this feast; I am not going up now to this feast, because my time is not yet finished.” 9 He said these things and he remained in Galilee.
Matthew 1:23-25 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.”
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.
Strong’s Concordance – 2424. Iesous
Iésous: Jesus or Joshua, the name of the Messiah, also three other Isr.
Original Word: Ἰησοῦς, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Iésous
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-ay-sooce’)
Short Definition: Jesus
Definition: Jesus; the Greek form of Joshua; Jesus, son of Eliezer; Jesus, surnamed Justus.
HELPS Word-studies 2424. Iesous (pronounced “eee sooos”)
2424 Iēsoús – Jesus, the transliteration of the Hebrew term, 3091 /Lṓt (“Yehoshua”/Jehoshua, contracted to “Joshua”) which means “Yahweh saves” (or “Yahweh is salvation”).
“Jesus Christ” is properly “Jesus the Christ.” “Jesus” (2424 /Iēsoús) is His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God (Mt 1:21,25, see also Lk 1:31) – the Christ, the divine Messiah (the second Person of the holy Trinity).
[Christ (His title) means “the Anointed One” (the eternal pre-incarnate, Logos, Jn 1:1-18).]
Strong’s Concordance – 3091. Yehoshua
Yehoshua: “the LORD is salvation,” Moses’ successor, also the name of a number of Isr.
Original Word: יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ
Part of Speech: proper name, masculine; proper name, of a location; proper name
Transliteration: Yehoshua
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-shoo’-ah)
Short Definition: Joshua
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from Yhvh and yasha
Definition
“the LORD is salvation,” Moses’ successor, also the name of a number of Isr.
Strong’s Concordance – 3444. yeshuah
yeshuah: salvation
Original Word: יְשׁוּעָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: yeshuah
Phonetic Spelling: (yesh-oo’-aw)
Short Definition: salvation
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from yasha
Definition
salvation
Aramaic Bible in Plain English John 7:1-9
1 After these things, Yeshua was walking in Galilee, for he did not want to walk in Judea, because the Judeans were seeking to kill him. 2 And the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near. 3 And his brothers said to Yeshua: “Remove yourself from here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works that you do.” 4 “For no man does anything in secret and wants it done openly. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For his brothers also did not believe in Yeshua. 6 Yeshua said to them: “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.” 7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I am testifying about it, that its servants are evil.” 8 “You go up to this feast; I am not going up now to this feast, because my time is not yet finished.” 9 He said these things and he remained in Galilee.
Strong’s Concordance – 3068. Yhvh
Yhvh: the proper name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יְהֹוָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yhvh
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw’)
Short Definition: LORD
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from havah
Definition
the proper name of the God of Israel
Strong’s Concordance – 5547. Christos
Christos: the Anointed One, Messiah, Christ
Original Word: Χριστός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Christos
Phonetic Spelling: (khris-tos’)
Short Definition: Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ
Definition: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ.
HELPS Word-studies
5547 Xristós (from 5548 /xríō, “anoint with olive oil”) – properly, “the Anointed One,” the Christ (Hebrew, “Messiah”).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chrió
Definition
the Anointed One, Messiah, Christ
NASB Translation
Christ (516), Christ’s (11), Messiah (4).
More example are available, but these should be sufficient for the purpose of this post.
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Eternity 