March 2018 – Eternity

126 – Resurrection Sunday

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Passion Week has come and gone. The earth has been rotating on its axis at about 1,000 miles per hour, speeding east to west, and has brought Sunday to the areas of the Pacific Ocean that are “just west” of the international date line. Sunday’s sunrise will grace Auckland, New Zealand at 6:33 A.M., which will be about 17 hours before dawn’s first light is seen in the central time zone of the USA. In our study, which began a week ago, we saw Christ triumphantly entering Jerusalem on a donkey. This particular Sunday will dawn with a surprise for many saddened followers of Christ. The women return to his burial tomb, “at first light.” Their plan is to complete the preparation of the lifeless body of Christ for His Burial. But! Christ is not in the tomb where the women last saw Him, “dead!” Instead of seeing the dead body of Christ, they are shocked by the vision, and the statements, of two angels; “He is risen!” (Luke 24:6).

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1,19). Jesus’ resurrection is most worthy of being celebrated (see 1 Corinthians 15). While it is appropriate for Jesus’ resurrection to be celebrated on a Sunday, the day on which Jesus’ resurrection is celebrated should not be referred to as Easter. Easter has nothing to do with Jesus’ resurrection on a Sunday. (See more of this discussion by clicking onto the following link: https://www.gotquestions.org/Easter-Sunday.html)

Author’s note. “Resurrection Sunday” is the correct term for the day that Christ resurrected from death. Easter relates to a pagan festival. See “Easter” in Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Also see “Don’t Say Easter” in my post, 115, https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/115-the-jewish-prophet-jonah-a-glimpse-of-passover/ See also https://www.gotquestions.org/Easter-Sunday.html

Passion Week’s Lead Up To Resurrection Sunday

John 12:1-11, Saturday, Christ in Bethany
John 12:12-13, Christ Enters Into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-44, Palm Sunday, The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem
Luke 19:45-48, Monday, Christ curses the fig tree and cleanses the temple
Luke 20:1-21:38, Tuesday, Christ’s debates with the religious leaders. The Olivet Discourse
Luke 22:1-6, Wednesday, The entry into Judas Iscariot by Satan
Luke 22:7-53, Thursday, The Passover meal and betrayal of Christ by Judas
Luke 22:54-23:55, Friday, The crucifixion of Christ
Luke 23:56, Saturday, Sabbath Rest

Resurrection Sunday

Luke 24:1-53, Resurrection Sunday

Note. Our salvation comes from the finished work of Christ on the cross.

John 19:30 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Scriptures in this study are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, and gathered from Bible Gateway. The Bible Gateway link is https://www.biblegateway.com/ Bible Gateway has basic and expanded (Bible Gateway Plus) study notes. Whenever scripture passages are lengthy, in this study, a link will be provided to show those verses.

Sunday Verses

Luke 24:1-53 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+24%3A1-53&version=HCSB

Clarifying a prophecy of Christ

There has been a matter of confusion and misunderstanding, not to mention disagreement, about the day of the crucifixion of Christ. The prophecy by Christ, as related to an incident in the life of the Jewish Prophet Jonah will be discussed, thereby clearing up the matter.

Let’s consider the verse.

Jonah 1:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

17 Now the Lord had appointed a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.

The controversy: “three days and three nights.”

Comment. MacArthur Study bible. 1:17 a great fish. The species of fish is uncertain; the Heb. word for whale is not here employed. God sovereignly prepared (lit. “appointed”) a great fish to rescue Jonah. Apparently Jonah sank into the depth of the sea before the fish swallowed him (cf. 2:3, 5, 6). three days and three nights. See note on Matt. 12:40.

Comment. Reformation Study Bible. 1:17 three days and three nights. Jesus referred to the Book of Jonah in order to communicate truths regarding His own message and mission (Matt. 12:38–41; 16:4; Luke 11:29–32). He speaks of the “sign of the prophet Jonah” not only with reference to the three days and three nights that Jonah was in the fish (Matt. 12:39, 40), but also with regard to the efficacy of Jonah’s preaching. Without benefit of a miraculous sign, the Ninevites recognized Jonah’s message as one with divine authority, and they responded in repentance.

The prophecy of Christ:

Matthew 12:40-41 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!

The controversy: “three days and three nights.”

The confusion: Christ was crucified on Friday afternoon and buried prior to sunset. Christ was alive early on Sunday morning. When we consider “three days and three nights,” in today’s world we can look at our Timex, Bulova or Rolex, and come to the conclusion that “there is no way” that seventy-two hours elapsed between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Of course, culture enters into the conversation.

Words of Christ, “the third day,” relating to His resurrection.

Luke 9:22 New International Version (NIV)

22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

In 9:22, Christ uses the words, “the third day.” Such wording removes”seventy-two hours” from the conversation. Other verses that also state, “the third day,” in the same context are: Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 27:64. Luke 18:33, 24:7, 24:21, 24:46. Acts 10:40. 1 Corinthians 15:4.

Consider the words of the seminary instructors, concerning Matthew 12:40.

Reformation Study Bible. Matthew 12:40. three days and three nights. An emphatic way of saying “three days.”

The New American Commentary. Craig L. Blomberg, Author. Matthew 12:40. “Three days and three nights” represents a Semitic idiom for any portion of three calendar days.”

Holman New Testament Commentary. Stuart K. Weber, Author. Matthew 12:40. By Jewish reckoning, a part of a day was considered to be a whole day. And it was common Jewish idiom to refer to even a part of a day as “a day and a night.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary. An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, General Editors. Matthew 12:40. The Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for “three days and three nights.”The Jews reckoned part of a day as a full day.

The Moody Bible Commentary. Matthew 12:40. The THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS causes some concern since Jesus only spent Friday and Saturday night in the tomb. But, Jewish people regarded even a part of a day as “a day and a night.” (see 1 Sam 30:12-13; 2 Chr 10:5, 12; Est 4:16; 5:1).

Ryrie Study Bible. Matthew 12:40. three days and three nights. This phrase does not necessarily require that 72 hours elapse between Christ’s death and resurrection, for the Jews reckoned part of a day to be as a whole day. Thus, this prophecy can be properly fulfilled if the crucifixion occurred on Friday. However, the statement does require an historical Jonah who was actually swallowed by a great fish.

Holman Christian Standard Bible. Matthew 12:40. Re: Jonah 1:17: His prayer compared his experience to being in a grave. Thus, Jonah’s experience was analogous to Jesus’ resurrection of being interred for three days. Since Jesus’ resurrection occurred on Sunday, some may have argued that the reference to three days and three nights requires a Thursday or Wednesday crucifixion. However, 1 Samuel 30:12-13 suggests that “three days and three nights” could be idiomatic for a span of time that covered all of one day and parts of two others. Thus, Jesus’ interment late on Friday and His resurrection early Sunday counts as three days.

MacArthur Study Bible. Matthew 12:40. three days and three nights. Quoted from Jon. 1:17. This sort of expression was a common way of underscoring the prophetic significance of a period of time. An expression like “forty days and forty nights” (see note on 4:2) may in some cases simply refer to a period of time longer than a month. “Three days and three nights” was an emphatic way of saying “three days,” and by Jewish reckoning this would be an apt way of expressing a period of time that includes parts of 3 days. Thus, if Christ was crucified on a Friday, and His resurrection occurred on the first day of the week, by Hebrew reckoning this would qualify as 3 days and 3 nights. All sorts of elaborate schemes have been devised to suggest that Christ might have died on a Wednesday or Thursday, just to accommodate the extreme literal meaning of these words. But the original meaning would not have required that sort of wooden interpretation. See note on Luke 13:32.

Luke 13:32 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

32 He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look! I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete My work.’

MacArthur Study Bible. Luke 13:32 today and tomorrow, and the third day. This expression signified only that Christ was on His own divine timetable; it was not meant to lay out a literal 3-day schedule. Expressions like this were common in Semitic usage, and seldom were employed in a literal sense to specify precise intervals of time. See note on Matt. 12:40. be perfected. I.e., by death, in the finishing of His work. Cf. John 17:4, 5; 19:30; Heb. 2:10. Herod was threatening to kill Him, but no one could kill Christ before His time (John 10:17, 18).

The conclusion: When we consider the words of Luke 23:54-56, and the above discussions that show the cultural usages of “three days and three nights,” we can see that the dead body of Christ was placed in the tomb on Friday afternoon, and was raised from death on Sunday morning.

Scriptures in this study are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, and gathered from Bible Gateway. The Bible Gateway link is https://www.biblegateway.com/ Bible Gateway has basic and expanded (Bible Gateway Plus) study notes. Whenever scripture passages are lengthy in this study, a link has been provided to show those verses.

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased (Editor, Ryrie Study Bible)
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

About Dr. R.C. Sproul, Drs., Ph.D., Deceased (Editor, Reformation Study Bible)
https://www.ligonier.org/about/rc-sproul/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._C._Sproul

About Dr. John F. MacArthur (Editor, MacArthur Study Bible)
https://www.gty.org/about/john

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog so that you will not miss any future posts.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

125 – Saturday Of Passion Week

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Saturday of Passion Week had entered our world’s earliest time zone. Luke 23:55 shows the women at the burial tomb of Christ on Friday afternoon, prior to sunset; they had planned on preparing the body of Christ for burial. But, per Luke 23:56, the women did not finish that process, because sunset would be the beginning of the Sabbath Day. Per Exodus 20:10, the women returned to their homes and rested on the Sabbath. The Sabbath would end at sunset on Saturday, while the day of Saturday would continue until midnight. It was during the time after sunset on Saturday that the women will purchase more spices for preparing the body of Christ for burial; they will return to the tomb early on Sunday morning to complete that preparation.

Saturday Of Passion Week

Luke 23:56 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Consider the comments from the Ryrie Study Bible.

23:54 “It was about the preparation day.” Friday, the day Jesus died, was the time of preparation for the Sabbath, which began Friday at sunset. 23:56 “according to the commandment.” i.e., not to work on the Sabbath (Ex 20:10).

Consider the comments from the Reformation Study Bible.

23:55, 56 There was not time on Friday to do all that Jesus’ followers would have liked for His burial. The women took note of where the body was laid, evidently to know where to come when the Sabbath was over to complete the burial. Joseph and Nicodemus placed a considerable quantity of myrrh and aloes with the body as they laid it in the tomb (John 19:38, 39), but the women wanted to make their own contribution.

Consider the comments from the MacArthur Study Bible.

23:55 observed…how His body was laid. According to John 19:39, Nicodemus brought a hundred pounds of spices and aloes (probably obtained while Joseph was negotiating with Pilate for Jesus’ body), and he and Joseph wrapped the body with linen and the spices. These women, from Galilee, were probably unfamiliar with Joseph and Nicodemus, who were Judeans. After all, both men were associated with the Jewish leaders who orchestrated the conspiracy against Jesus (v. 50; John 3:1). So the women were determined to prepare Jesus’ body for burial themselves. So they returned (i.e., went to their homes) to prepare their own spices and perfumes (v. 56). They had to have Jesus’ body placed in the tomb before sunset, when the Sabbath began, so they were not able to finish preparing the body. Mark 16:1 says they purchased more spices “when the Sabbath was past,” i.e., after sundown Saturday. Then they returned Sunday morning with the spices (24:1), expecting to finish the task that had been interrupted by the Sabbath.

Passion Week/Holy Week

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday. Saturday of Passion Week is the last Saturday prior to Resurrection Sunday; it is the seventh day of Passion Week, after Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy Week.

Holy Saturday is the name given to the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Some Christians recognize Holy Saturday, the seventh day of Holy Week, as the day on which Jesus “rested” from His work of providing salvation. As Jesus died, He called out, “It is finished!” There was no further price to pay; sin had been atoned for. (Per, https://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Saturday.html)

Note. Our salvation comes from the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Consider the following verse, which is the only verse of scripture that relates to the Sabbath Day of Passion Week.

Saturday

Luke 23:56 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

The purpose of this Passion Week study is not to conduct a verse-by-verse study of the scriptures. To the contrary, the focus of this study will be on the major events of each day in the week that led up to the crucifixion of Christ, ”on Friday.” The Friday of the death of Christ on the cross has come to be known by many as “Good Friday.” But! How great the hypocrisy has become! On each Good Friday, people who attend the liberal churches that see nothing wrong with killing unborn babies in the wombs of their mothers, flock to the Good Friday services that take place in their liberal church buildings! If there is a need for a detailed study of the scriptures of Passion Week, a search of this blog will provide such exegesis and hermeneutics.

Exegesis means “exposition or explanation.” Biblical exegesis involves the examination of a particular text of scripture in order to properly interpret it. Exegesis is a part of the process of hermeneutics, the science of interpretation. A person who practices exegesis is called an exegete. (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Biblical-exegesis.html)

Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles and methods of interpreting the text of the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 commands believers to be involved in hermeneutics: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who . . . correctly handles the word of truth.” The purpose of biblical hermeneutics is to help us to know how to properly interpret, understand, and apply the Bible. (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Biblical-hermeneutics.html)

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased (Editor, Ryrie Study Bible)
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

About Dr. R.C. Sproul, Drs., Ph.D., Deceased (Editor, Reformation Study Bible)
https://www.ligonier.org/about/rc-sproul/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._C._Sproul

About Dr. John F. MacArthur (Editor, MacArthur Study Bible)
https://www.gty.org/about/john

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog so that you will not miss any future posts.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

124 – Passover

At the equator, the earth is spinning on its axis at about 1,000 MPH, as the sunset of Friday, and the beginning of the Sabbath and Passover are approaching the international date line in the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand is in close view, and Australia is not far behind. As we see in the video, Jewish families all around the world will be celebrating the Sabbath and the beginning of the eight days of the feasts of . Passover and Unleavened Bread.

The year that the Jews began their travel out of Egypt was approximately 1445 B.C. The Passover, as shown in Luke 22, was dated 30 A.D. Jews celebrate Passover each year. Let’s consider the verses of scripture that explain the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. But, it is important to keep in mind that the names of Passover and Unleavened Bread are often used interchangeably. Passover is probably the most commonly used name for the eight-day feast. This year, Passion Week is on the way out, and Passover is on the way in.

Leviticus 23:5-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. 6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’”

Consider some other Passover and Feast Of Unleavened Bread Scriptures

Passover, Exodus 12:1-13, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+12%3A1-13&version=NASB

Feast Of Unleavened Bread, Exodus 12:14-20, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+12%3A14-20&version=NASB

The Passover-Unleavened Bread Festival, Deuteronomy 16:1-8,
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deu+16%3A1-8&version=NET

Passover, Matthew 26:17-20, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt+26%3A17-20&version=NKJV

“Passover is found 25 times in the gospels. Matthew (5); Mark (4); Luke (7); John (9).

Passover And Passion Week

John 19:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”

Note. Ryrie Study Bible. “preparation for the Passover.” Friday of Passover week. In verse 31 “preparation refers to Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath. See Luke 23:54

Luke 23:54 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

Note. Ryrie Study Bible. “It was the preparation day.” Friday, the day that Christ died, was the time of the preparation for the Sabbath, which began on Friday at sunset.

John 19:31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Note. Ryrie Study Bible. “that day was a high day.” i.e., the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread fell that year on a Sabbath, making it a “high” or “special” festival.

A key to understanding the relationship of the Preparation Day to the Sabbath, is that (in yesteryear) many people would use Saturday as a day to get ready for church on Sunday. It’s the same thing with the Day of Preparation being used to get Jews ready for the Sabbath. This relationship of Preparation Day to the Sabbath shows that Christ was crucified and buried on Good Friday, prior to the sunset that brought in the Sabbath.

The fulfillment of Passover is found in 1 Corinthians 5:7,
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+cor+5%3A7&version=NASB

The fulfillment of the Feast Of Unleavened Bread is found in 1 Corinthians 5:8
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+cor+5%3A8&version=NASB

The following information comes from a Jewish website. It explains that the reason for the feast of Passover is to remind Jews that God delivered the Jews from their slavery in Egypt.

Passover 2018 will be celebrated from March 30 – April 7.

The first Seder will be on March 30 after nightfall, and the second Seder will be on March 31 after nightfall.

Passover is celebrated by eating matzah (unleaven bread) and maror (bitter herbs).
For the duration of the 8 (or 7 days in Israel) of Passover, chametz (leaven) is strictly avoided.

What Is Passover?

The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan, March 30-April 7, 2018. Passover (Pesach) commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.

In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G‑d passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.

The above information comes from the Jewish website Chabad.ORG https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/871715/jewish/Passover-Pesach-2018.htm

The following video uses a good technique for teaching the basics of Passover.

Passover! || Mayim Bialik

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog so that you will not miss any future posts.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

123 – Friday Of Passion Week

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Friday of Passion Week had entered our world’s earliest time zone. The opening video covers all of Luke Chapter 23. Friday’s activities begin with the denial of Christ by Peter in Luke 22:54, and continue through Luke 23:55. The video ends with the women leaving the tomb on Friday afternoon (due to the approaching of sunset) for the observance of the Sabbath (Luke 23:56). The Sabbath begins on Friday at sunset, and lasts until Saturday at sunset. The women will return to the tomb early on Sunday morning.

On Friday, Christ was mocked and beaten in Luke 22:63. In verses 66, through the end of chapter 22, Christ is taken before the Sanhedrin. Friday continues with Christ being taken to Pilate in the opening verse of Chapter 23. The video stays with the events of Friday through verse 55, when the women follow the body of Christ to His burial tomb. During those fifty-five verses of Luke 23, Christ is taken before Pilate, and then before Herod. Christ appears again before Pilate. The crucifixion and burial of Christ follow. Luke 23, Verse 56, shows the women leaving the tomb because the Sabbath (Sunset on Friday) is approaching. So, it is on Friday afternoon that the crucifixion of Christ takes place. His body is taken to the tomb before sunset of Friday. Still, a very significant part of this last Friday deals with the call of the crowd in verse 18, “Away with this man (Christ), and release for us Barabbas!”; and, in verse 21, “Crucify, crucify, Him”(Christ)! So, who was Barabbas? And, why would the crowd of Jews want Barabbas to be released, instead of Christ? Let’s give this matter some serious thought. We need also to consider, “the Jews.” There were “believing Jews,” and unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem that day. “Believing Jews” were those whom had accepted Christ as Messiah; unbelieving Jews, “had not.” “Believing Jews” would not have called for Christ to be crucified.

As a nation, Israel had been under the oppression of other countries and world empires, going back to 722 B.C. Such empires were the Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman. The Jews of 30 A.D. were looking for someone to free them from the oppressive Roman government. They saw Barabbas as being a rugged Jewish freedom fighter, always riding a mighty horse, trying to rid their land of the cruel Romans. He was in jail for insurrection against the Roman government, and for the murder of Romans in the insurrection (Luke 23:21-25; Mark 15:7.)

Consider the comment of John MacArthur on Mark 15:7. {15:7 Barabbas. A robber (John 18:40) and murderer (Luke 23:18, 19) in some way involved as an anti-Roman insurrectionist. Whether his involvement was motivated by political conviction or personal greed is not known. It is impossible to identify the specific insurrection in question, but such uprisings were common in Jesus’ day and were precursors of the wholesale revolt of A.D. 66–70.}

In his commentary of Mark, Dr. R. C. Sproul (Deceased) makes the comment: “Perhaps Barabbas was a hero of the people for his opposition to Rome (the very thing they had looked for in Jesus).”

There was a movie that was made about Barabbas. In the movie, Barabbas was seen as being a very rugged man, whom had a great hatred for the Romans. You can check out the trailer video for the movie in the following link.

Needless to say, the reason that Barabbas was released for Christ is a subject that has not been given serious attention. After all, the Jews in Jerusalem saw Christ, “the King of the Jews,” riding into town on a donkey, having already said, “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39).

The following link leads to a very informative article that also discusses Barabbas. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Barabbas

Passion Week/Holy Week

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday. Friday of Passion Week is the last Friday prior to Resurrection Sunday; it is the sixth day of Passion Week, after Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Holy Week.

Good Friday, also known as “Holy Friday,” is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. (Per, https://www.gotquestions.org/Good-Friday.html)

Consider the following verses, by link.

Friday

Luke 22:54-23:55 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+22%3A54-23%3A55&version=HCSB
Matthew 26:57-68 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt+26%3A57-68&version=HCSB
Matthew 27:1, 11-56 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt+27%3A1%2C+11-56&version=HCSB
Mark 14:53-65; 15:1-47 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14%3A53-65%3B+15%3A1-47+&version=HCSB
John 18:13-24; 28-40 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+18%3A13-24%3B+28-40&version=HCSB
John 19:1-42 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+19%3A1-42&version=HCSB

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

About Dr. R.C. Sproul, Drs., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.ligonier.org/about/rc-sproul/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._C._Sproul

About Dr. John F. MacArthur
https://www.gty.org/about/john

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog so that you will not miss any future posts.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

122 – Thursday Of Passion Week

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Thursday of Passion Week had entered our world’s earliest time zone. The video covers all of Luke Chapter 22, but Thursday’s activities begin at 38 seconds into the video, immediately after Judas Iscariot consents to betray Christ. The video stays with the events of Thursday until 15:03 in the video, immediately before the denial of Christ by Peter. You may want to review the second paragraph of “Wednesday Of Passover Week” in relation to the betrayal of Christ by Judas.

During Thursday of Passover Week, the following events take place: The preparation for Passover. The Passover meal, with the washing of the feet of the disciples by Christ. Christ predicts His betrayal. A dispute among the disciples over whom would be the greatest. The Apostles’ reward during the Millennium. Christ foretells Peter’s denial. Christ warns the disciples of coming conflict. The agony of Christ in the garden. The betrayal of Christ by Judas.

Passion Week/Holy Week

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday. Thursday of Passion Week is the last Thursday prior to Resurrection Sunday; it is the fifth day of Passion Week, after Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday, also known as “Holy Thursday,” is the Thursday of Passion Week, one day before Good Friday (the Friday before Easter). Maundy Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. Two important events are the focus of Maundy Thursday, which are the Passover meal, and the washing of the disciples’feet, to include Judas in both.

The word Maundy is derived from the Latin word for “command.” The “Maundy” in “Maundy Thursday” refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another. (Per https://www.gotquestions.org/Maundy-Thursday.html)

John 12:1-11, Saturday, Christ in Bethany
John 12:12-13, Christ Enters Into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-44, Palm Sunday, The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem
Luke 19:45-48, Monday, Christ curses the fig tree and cleanses the temple
Luke 20:1-21:38, Tuesday, Christ’s debates with the religious leaders. The Olivet Discourse
Luke 22:1-6, Wednesday, The entry into Judas Iscariot by Satan
Luke 22:7-53, Thursday, The Passover meal and betrayal of Christ by Judas
Luke 22:54-23:55, Friday
Luke 23:56, Saturday
Luke 24:1-53, Resurrection Sunday

Consider the following verses, by link.

Thursday

Luke 22:7-53 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+22%3A7-53&version=HCSB
Matthew 26:17-56 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+26%3A17-56&version=HCSB
Mark 14:12-50 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+14%3A12-50&version=HCSB
John 13:1-14:31 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+13%3A1-14%3A31&version=HCSB
John 15:1-18:3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+15%3A1-18%3A3&version=HCSB

Note. The day of Satan’s entering into Judas for the purpose of the betrayal of Christ is one of differences of opinion. In Charles Ryrie’s Wednesday comment on Luke 22:3, he states that Satan entered into Judas twice. Dr. Ryrie refers to John 13:27 as being the second occurrence. John 13:2 shows, at the Thursday evening Passover meal, that Satan had already entered into Judas prior to the Passover meal. In keeping with the Ryrie Study Bible outline of Passion Week, I will show Wednesday and Thursday as being the two times that Satan entered Judas.

The purpose of this Passion Week study is not to conduct a verse-by-verse study of the scriptures. On the contrary, the focus will be on the major events of each day in the week that led up to the crucifixion of Christ,”on Friday.” The Friday of the death of Christ on the cross has come to be known by many as “Good Friday.” But! How great the hypocrisy has become! On each Good Friday, people who attend the liberal churches that see nothing wrong with killing unborn babies in the wombs of their mothers, flock to the Good Friday services that take place in their liberal church buildings! If there is a need for a detailed study of the scriptures of Passion Week, a search of this blog will provide such exegesis and hermeneutics.

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

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121 – Wednesday Of Passion Week

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Wednesday of Passion Week had entered our world’s earliest time zone. The video sermon of John MacArthur on Luke 22:1-6 is lengthy, but contains a wealth of information that pertains to the entry of Satan into Judas Iscariot on Wednesday of Passion Week.

The aspect of “God’s Sovereign Clock” is key to understanding the two times that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, and the subsequent betrayal of Christ by Judas. The first entry of Satan into Judas took place on Wednesday of Passion Week (Luke 22:1-6); the second entry occurred on Thursday during the Passover Meal (John 13:1-5). Notice that Christ not only included Judas when he fed the disciples (Luke 22:14-22; Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:17-26); Christ also washed the feet of Judas, along with the other disciples (John 13:5). The betrayal took place on Thursday, after the Passover Meal (Luke 22:47-48).

After the verses for Wednesday of Passion week, other verses will follow that relate to “God’s Hour,” and His sovereignty. Each of the verses will point to the fact that God was in control of every aspect of the crucifixion of Christ, to include the things that led to the crucifixion, and the things which followed. The sovereignty of God rules over the things which still occur in our world (Psalm 103:19).

Passion Week/Holy Week

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday. Wednesday of Passion Week is the last Wednesday prior to Resurrection Sunday; it is the fourth day of Passion Week after Palm Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of Holy Week.

John 12:1-11, Saturday, Christ in Bethany
John 12:12-13, Christ Enters Into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-44, Palm Sunday, The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem
Luke 19:45-48, Monday, Christ curses the fig tree and cleanses the temple
Luke 20:1-21:38, Tuesday, Christ’s debates with the religious leaders. The Olivet Discourse
Luke 22:1-6, Wednesday, The entry into Judas Iscariot by Satan
Luke 22:7-53, Thursday
Luke 22:54-23:55, Friday
Luke 23:56, Saturday
Luke 24:1-53, Resurrection Sunday

Consider the following verses, by link.

Wednesday

Luke 22:1-6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A1-6&version=HCSB

God’s Hour and Sovereignty

Matthew 26:45. Mark 14:35, 14:41. Luke 22:53. John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 12:27, 13:1, 17:1, 11:49-52. Acts 2:22-24, 3:18, 4:27-28.

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

About Dr. John F. MacArthur
https://www.gty.org/about/john

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog so that you will not miss any future posts.
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120 – Tuesday Of Passion Week

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Tuesday of Passion Week had entered our world’s earliest time zone. The opening video shows a narration of the authority of Christ being raised by the chief priests, scribes and elders of the Jews (Luke 20). The following video opens with “the widow’s mite.” The Olivet Discourse continues with the teaching of Christ on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem that would take place in the year 70 A.D. A discussion on the end times continues. The year of this prophecy of Christ was 30 A.D. (Luke 21).

Passion Week/Holy Week

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Also included within Passion Week are Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Passion Week is so named because of the passion with which Jesus willingly went to the cross in order to pay for the sins of His people. Passion Week is described in Matthew chapters 21-27; Mark chapters 11-15; Luke chapters 19-23; and John chapters 12-19. Passion Week begins with the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday on the back of a colt as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9. (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Passion-Week.html)

Holy Tuesday is the last Tuesday prior to Easter Sunday; it is the third day of Holy Week after Palm Sunday and Holy Monday. Depending on the denomination, this day may or may not be celebrated at all. Those that do observe Holy Tuesday, such as Eastern Orthodox churches, typically mark it with readings of particular passages of Scriptures and the singing of relevant hymns.

According to common interpretation of the Bible, Holy Tuesday is when Jesus was issued various challenges by the Pharisees and Sadducees over subjects such as marriage in heaven, paying taxes to Caesar, and the source of His authority (Matthew 21:23—23:39; Mark 11:27—12:44; Luke 20:1—21:4). By this same interpretation, this is the day Jesus commented on the widow’s donation (Mark 12; Luke 21) and was approached by a number of God-fearing Greeks (John 12:20–36). Tuesday would also be the day Jesus spoke His eight “woes” against the Pharisees (Matthew 23:13–36) and the evening on which He delivered the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24—25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5–36). (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Tuesday.html)

John 12:1-11, Saturday, Christ in Bethany
John 12:12-13, Christ Enters Into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-44, Palm Sunday, The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem
Luke 19:45-48, Monday, Christ curses the fig tree and cleanses the temple
Luke 20:1-21:38, Tuesday, Christ’s debates with the religious leaders. The Olivet Discourse
Luke 22:1-6, Wednesday
Luke 22:7-53, Thursday
Luke 22:54-23:55, Friday
Luke 23:56, Saturday
Luke 24:1-53, Resurrection Sunday

Consider the following verses, by link.

Tuesday

Luke 20:1:1-21:38 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+20%3A1-21%3A38&version=HCSB
Matthew 21:23-23:39 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A23-23%3A39&version=HCSB
Matthew 24:1-25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+24%3A1-25&version=HCSB
Mark 11:27:12:40 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+11%3A27-12%3A40&version=HCSB
Mark 13:1-37 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+13%3A1-37&version=HCSB

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

119 – Monday Of Passion Week

At the time of the beginning of the writing of this article, Monday Of Passion Week had entered our world’s earliest time zone. The opening video shows Christ cleansing the temple in Jerusalem, and the reaction of the chief priests and scribes. This is the second cleansing of the temple by Christ; the first one occurring in John 2:12-21. The second major event that took place on this particular Monday was that of Christ cursing the fig tree. No suitable video could be found for the cursing of the fig tree.

Passion Week/Holy Week

Holy Monday is the last Monday prior to Easter Sunday; it is the second day of Holy Week after Palm Sunday. Some denominations celebrate Holy Monday, and some do not. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes the day, typically marking it with Bible readings and certain hymns.

According to tradition, Holy Monday is the day on which Jesus cleansed the temple, was praised by local children, and cursed the fig tree (Matthew 21:12–22). It is the day following Palm Sunday, when Jesus came to Jerusalem in the triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1–11). The following day is sometimes referred to as Holy Tuesday, the third day of Holy Week. (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Monday.html)

Consider the following verses, by link.

Monday

Luke 19:45-48 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+19%3A45-48&version=HCSB
Mark 11:12-18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+11%3A12-18&version=HCSB
Matthew 21:12-19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+21%3A12-19&version=HCSB

(Note. Additional scriptures have been added for Sunday in the Palm Sunday post.)

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

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https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

118 – Passion Week – Palm Sunday

At the time of the writing of this article Sunday, Palm Sunday, has entered into many time zones around our world. The opening video shows Christ entering into Jerusalem, on Palm Sunday, with the acceptance of “rock star status.” Oh! How quickly things will change. During the next six days, Christ will see his “approval rating” dropping greatly! By Friday, the call of the crowds is, “crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22, Mark 15:13, Luke 23:21, John 19:6).

Passion Week/Holy Week

Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday). Also included within Passion Week are Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Passion Week is so named because of the passion with which Jesus willingly went to the cross in order to pay for the sins of His people. Passion Week is described in Matthew chapters 21-27; Mark chapters 11-15; Luke chapters 19-23; and John chapters 12-19. Passion Week begins with the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday on the back of a colt as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9. (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Passion-Week.html)

Palm Sunday is the day we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1–11). As Jesus entered the holy city, He neared the culmination of a long journey toward Golgotha. He had come to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and now was the time—this was the place—to secure that salvation. Palm Sunday marked the start of what is often called “Passion Week,” the final seven days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Palm Sunday was the “beginning of the end” of Jesus’ work on earth. (Per the following link, https://www.gotquestions.org/Palm-Sunday.html)

Each day’s activities of Passion Week is identified, by day of the week, in the Ryrie Study Bible (Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Deceased. See bio below). Dr. Ryrie chose the Gospel Of Luke to show, day by day, the things that happened during Passion Week. He also used the other three gospels for supportive information. It is also important to see that which was written about Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday. It was on that particular Saturday that Christ was in Bethany at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus (six days before Passover), and when Mary anointed the feet of Christ. It was on the next day that Christ and His disciples entered Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). Consider the following outline.

John 12:1-11, Saturday, Christ In Bethany
John 12:12-13, Christ Enters Into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-44, Palm Sunday
Luke 19:45-48, Monday
Luke 20:1-21:38, Tuesday
Luke 22:1-6, Wednesday
Luke 22:7-53, Thursday
Luke 22:54-23:55, Friday
Luke 23:56, Saturday,
Luke 24:1-53, Resurrection Sunday

Consider the following verses, by links.

Saturday – The anointing of Christ by Mary

John 12:1-11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+12%3A1-11&version=HCSB

Sunday – The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem

Luke 19:28-44 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+19%3A28-44&version=HCSB
John 12:12-19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+12%3A12-19&version=HCSB
Matthew 21:1-17 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A1-17&version=HCSB
Mark 11:1-11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+11%3A1-11&version=HCSB

About Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

Thanks for being a friend. Please follow my Equipping blog.
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117 – Jewish Sabbath – Prophet Joel (Future)

As this article is being written, the Jewish Sabbath has entered into many of the world’s time zones. Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday of each week, and continues until sunset of the following day, Saturday.

Shabbat Information

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.

The above Shabbat information comes from the Jewish website Chabad.ORG https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/633659/jewish/What-Is-Shabbat.htm

Joel, The Jewish Prophet

The date of Joel’s prophecies is 835 B.C. (Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D., deceased)

This study of the Jewish prophet Joel relates to prophecies that will be fulfilled in times that are futuristic. The previous study of Joel discusses prophecies that are historic, going as far back as 722 B.C. Check the following link for the introduction to Joel and the discussion of the historic fulfillment of the prophecies of Joel.

https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/16/116-the-jewish-prophet-joel-the-day-of-the-lord/

Prophecies Futuristic

From Bible Gateway. MacArthur Study Bible notes. Holman Christian Standard Bible verses.

Joel 1:1-14 The Plague Of Locusts – This was a literal invasion of locusts. The locusts (v 4) were descriptive of the future destruction in “The Day Of The Lord.” The historic prophecy was fulfilled in the immediate destruction of the locusts. However, the futuristic fulfillment will occur in the Great Tribulation. The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joel+1%3A1-14&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

Joel 1:6 “For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number;
its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness.”

My note. The land is God’s land, Israel.

MacArthur note. 1:6 a nation. A literal invasion of locusts pictured the kind of destruction and judgment inflicted by human armies.

Terms: The rapture of the church/the catching up of the believers In Christ (John 14:1-6). Left behind unbelievers going through the total tribulation (Revelation 6:1-16:21, being directed by God on left-behind unbelievers; Rev 6:1; 8:5; 16:1). Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). Second Coming Of Christ to Earth (Matthew 24:29). Judgment Of Christ on the gentile nations (the unbelieving gentiles that were left behind from the rapture); those whom had not shown compassion on the Jews during the tribulation (Matthew 25:31-46).

Joel 1:15-20 The Plague Of Drought – “The Day Of The Lord” indicates that the destruction will come from God. The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joel+1%3A15-20&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

Joel 1:15 Woe because of that day! For the Day of the Lord is near and will come as devastation from the Almighty

MacArthur note. 1:15 the day of the Lord is at hand. This is the first occurrence of the theme, “the Day of the Lord” (the occasion when God pours out His wrath on man) results in blessing and exoneration for God’s people and judgment toward Gentiles (Is. 13:6; Ezek. 30:3), but here Joel directs the warning toward his own people. The Day of the Lord is speedily approaching; unless sinners repent, dire consequences await them. destruction from the Almighty. The Heb. term “destruction” forms a powerful play on words with the “Almighty.” The notion of invincible strength is foremost; destruction at the hand of omnipotent God is coming.

Joel 2:18-27 The Promise Of Restoration – This prophecy began its fulfillment after the Jews were given permission by the Persian King Cyrus to return to their homeland from their Babylonian Captivity (538 B.C.). Therefore, in relation to the time of Joel’s prophecy, it is discussed in a futuristic sense. The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joel+2%3A18-27&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

MacArthur note. 2:18—3:21 With the advent of v. 18, the text makes a decisive transition, devoting the remainder of the book to restoration. It assumes an interval of time between v. 17 and v. 18 during which Israel repented. As a result of her repentance, the 3 major concerns of 1:1–2:17 are answered by the Lord: physical restoration (2:21–27), spiritual restoration (2:28–32), and national restoration (3:1–21).

The final restoration will occur after the second coming of Christ, when he is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:6), and when He rules over the whole world during the 1,000 year millennium.

Joel 2:28-32 The Promise Of The Holy Spirit – On the Day Of Pentecost (30 A.D.), the apostle Peter made reference to Joel 2:28-32, in response to the events of Acts 2:1-14. In Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:15-21) he made reference to the Joel prophecy, but it was clear that its total fulfillment had not yet come. Many Jews accepted Christ as Lord and Savior on the Day Of Pentecost. But, the nation of Israel, “as a nation,” to include its religious leaders, failed to accept Christ. The ultimate repentance of Israel, and its acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior, will occur as prophesied in Zechariah 12:10-13 soon before the second coming of Christ to Earth. This prophecy will be revealed to include supernatural revelation, miraculous events in the heaven and earth, and opening the day of salvation to all who will call on the Name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joel+2%3A28-32&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

MacArthur notes

2:28 afterward. The abundance of material blessings would be followed by the outpouring of spiritual blessings. When coupled with the other temporal phrases within the passage (“in those days” [v. 29] and “before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the Lord” [v. 31]), the term points to a Second Advent fulfillment time frame. all flesh. Since the context is “your sons and your daughters,” “all flesh” best refers to the house of Israel only. The nations are the recipients of God’s wrath, not the effusion of His Spirit (cf. 3:2, 9ff.).

2:30, 31 Before…day of the Lord. Unmistakable heavenly phenomena will signal the imminent arrival of God’s wrath in the Day of the Lord (cf. v. 10; see note on 1:15).

2:32 whoever calls. Quoted by Paul in Rom. 10:13. remnant. In spite of the nation’s sin, God promised to fulfill His unconditional covenants (Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and New). A future remnant of Jews will inherit God’s promised blessings (cf. Is. 10:20–22; 11:11, 16; Jer. 31:7; Mic. 2:12; Zeph. 3:13; Rom. 9:27).

Joel 3:1-3 – This prophecy will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ (Matthew 25:31-46), with the Judgment of the nations taking place. The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joel+3%3A1-3&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

MacArthur note. 3:1–21 Joel notes the national restoration of Israel, in which the people will be regathered to Palestine (Is. 11:15, 16; Matt. 24:31).

Joel 3:9-15 This prophecy will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ. The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joel+3%3A9-15&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

MacArthur note. 3:9–17 Joel resumes the theme of vv. 1–3, the gathering of the nations to the earthly courtroom, the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The sentence has been handed down and the Judge orders His agents to ready the scene for the execution.

Joel 3:16-21 – This prophecy discusses the blessings that will come from God on Israel in the end times, leading up to and during the time of the Millennium. The promises relate to the redeemed people of Israel, as opposed to those Jews whom had rejected Christ. Judah will inhabit Jerusalem forever. The blessings will come before and after the second coming of Christ, when He is known as “the” King of Kings and, “the” Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16). The verses can be seen by clicking onto the following link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joel+3%3A16-21&version=HCSB

Related scriptures and comments

3:15, 16 The sun…moon. Cf. 2:10, 30, 31. These are signs that precede the coming eschatological Day of the Lord at the end of the Great Tribulation (cf. Matt. 24:29, 30).

This event does not relate to the rapture of the church/the catching up of the saints (John 4:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

About the contributors

About Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Deceased
https://www.moodypublishers.com/authors/r/charles-ryrie/

About Dr. John F. Walvoord, Deceased
https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord

About Dr. John F. MacArthur
https://www.gty.org/about/john

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The Aaronic Blessing

Numbers 6:22-27 King James Version (KJV)

The Aaronic Blessing

22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

Matthew 28:16-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

116 – The Jewish Prophet Joel – The Day Of The Lord

“I also gave them My Sabbaths to serve as a sign between Me and them, so they will know that I am Yahweh who sets them apart as holy.” Ezekiel 20:12-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) (Israel is the object of God’s gift of holiness. The sabbath is an eternal sign between God and the Jews, per Exodus 31:12-17.)

Exodus 31:12-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Observing the Sabbath

12 The Lord said to Moses: 13 “Tell the Israelites: You must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am Yahweh who sets you apart. 14 Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you….” 16 The Israelites must observe the Sabbath, celebrating it throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign forever between Me and the Israelites, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”

Scriptures in this study are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, and gathered from Bible Gateway. Notes that are taken from the MacArthur Study Bible, are also gathered from Bible Gateway. Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible. The Bible Gateway link is https://www.biblegateway.com/ Bible Gateway has basic and expanded (Bible Gateway Plus) study notes. Whenever scripture passages are lengthy, in this study, a link will be provided to show those verses.

Introduction To Joel Teaching

The prophecies of Joel are organized in the following order: future, history, future, history, and future. Past events relate to the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions of Israel, as well as to the atrocities that came upon Israel by the Greeks under the hand of Alexander the Great (336-323 B.C.). The Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. Those ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, also known as Israel and Samaria, were deported to Assyria. Soon after the deportation of the Jews from their homeland, the Assyrians began moving pagans into those vacated Jewish lands. Those northern tribes of deported Jews are often known as “the lost tribes of Israel.” https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-lost-tribes/
The northern tribes were dispersed, and became absorbed into the surrounding pagan cultures. There was a small, nearly invisible, remnant that continued to maintain a form of Jewish identity, many of whom migrated south into the Kingdom of Judah. As a pure Jewish entity, the lost tribes never returned to their covenant land. The Babylonians invaded the Southern Kingdom of Israel in 586 B.C., and deported those Jews to Babylon. Those tribes of Judah and Benjamin had occupied the land that surrounds Jerusalem, which was known as Judah. The united empire of Media-Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. In 538 B.C., the Persian King Cyrus allowed the captive Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Israel/Judah to return to their covenant home land. However, most of those Jews chose to remain in Persia. It is from that time forward (538 B.C.) that the prophecies of Joel, which lead to the final restoration of Israel, began to develop. However, all of prophecy began after the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15), and will find its completion in the new heavens, new earth and new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-5).

Of key significance in the study of Joel is the order of dates. Per the date of the Book Of Joel (835 B.C., Ryrie Study Bible), the prophecies that are identified as being historic, “to us,” were actually futuristic to the prophet Joel. For instance, Joel’s prophecy of the Assyrian invasion of the Northern Kingdom of Israel was given 113 years prior to the 722 B.C. invasion. Additionally, Joel’s prophecy of the Babylonian invasion of the Southern Kingdom was given 249 years prior to the 586 B.C. invasion. Also, the prophecy that dealt with Alexander The Great, of the Greek Empire, was given 499 years prior to the reign of that Jewish oppressor, whose reign lasted from 336 B.C. to 323 B.C. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gkru/hd_gkru.htm The time until the final restoration of Israel in the Millennium is yet unknown. But, that teaching is still pertinent to the prophetic teaching of Joel.

All too often sermons, and other teachings, have no bearing on the prophecies that are the main thrust of Joel’s prophecy. More often than not, the teachings of Joel are put in a context of daily life in the church, with no mention being made of the facts of prophecy. It is because of such a lack of proper teaching of Joel, and other books of prophecy, that most Christians are biblically ignorant of most prophetic facts.

The Scofield Study Bible divides the Book of Joel into three parts:

I. The Present Chastisement And Its Removal (Joel 1:1-2:27).

II. The Promise Of The Spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

III. The Future Deliverance In The Coming Day Of The Lord (Joel 2:30-3:21).

The following sources of information are useful in the study of the Book of Joel.

Dr. David E. Malick

I. TITLE OF THE BOOK

A. In Hebrew the title comes of the prophetic author, lway , the combination of two names of God–Yahweh & Elohim. The affirmation is probably “Yahweh is God.” This is the reverse of Elijah (“God is Yahweh”)

B. In Greek the title is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew IWHL

II. AUTHOR: Joel

A. Nothing is know about Joel other than his being the son of Pethuel (who is also unknown) 1:1

B. He was from Judah

C. Perhaps references to Jerusalem indicate that he was from Jerusalem

The above excerpt comes from an article that was written by Dr. David E. Malick
https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-joel

About David Malick bio https://bible.org/users/david-malick

Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Deceased

Excerpts from Ryrie Study Bible

Book Of Joel

Date 835 B.C.

The Day Of The Lord – “The Day of the Lord, the major theme of Joel’s prophecy, involves God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history.”

About Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Deceased
https://www.christianbook.com/page/christian-authors/charles-ryrie?event=Bibles|1001890

Dr. John F. Walvoord, Deceased

Excerpts from Every Prophecy of the Bible, by Dr. John F. Walvoord

About Dr. John F. Walvoord, Deceased https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord

About source document

The Day Of The Lord – The Day Of the Lord may refer to a specific day, or to an extended period of time. Such a time-frame extends from the Rapture of the Church, to the end of the millennial kingdom (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; 2 Peter 3:10-13).

Equipping Outline

The prophecies of Joel will be discussed as they relate to events of the past, or to those that will be reveled in the future. Prophecy scriptures will be grouped in this study, by History or Future.

Prophecies Historic

Joel 2:1-11 The Day Of The Lord – This was fulfilled in the Assyrian Captivity (722 B.C., 2 Kings 17:1-6).
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joel+2%3A1-11&version=HCSB

Joel 2:12-17 The Day Of The Lord – This was fulfilled after the Babylonian Captivity. (586 B.C. 2 Kings 24:1-25:11). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joel+2%3A12-17&version=HCSB

Joel 3:4-8 This prophecy was fulfilled by Alexander The Great, in the fourth century B.C.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joel+3%3A4-8&version=HCSB

Prophecies that are futuristic will be discussed in the next post.

Please follow this blog https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

Biology Teacher Robert Crosland Feeds Live Puppy To A Snapping Turtle In Idaho? Why Wasn’t He Stopped? – World Animal News — “OUR WORLD”

http://worldanimalnews.com/biology-teacher-robert-crosland-feeds-live-puppy-snapping-turtle-idaho-wasnt-stopped/ By Lauren Lewis – March 13, 2018 In its most simple definition, a teacher is one whose occupation it is to teach or instruct. But there is nothing simple about being a teacher; a provider of knowledge and insight; a mentor; a motivator; or any of the other many ways to describe someone who […]

via Biology Teacher Robert Crosland Feeds Live Puppy To A Snapping Turtle In Idaho? Why Wasn’t He Stopped? – World Animal News — “OUR WORLD”

57 Muslim Nations Urged to Besiege Israel by Ergogan — Absolute Truth from the Word of God

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM! Keep looking up, brethren – our Redemption Draws Nigh. From wnd.com 57 Muslim nations urged to besiege Israel A Turkish newspaper close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party is urging 57 Islamic nations to build a joint army specifically to attack Israel, notes a new report in Joseph […]

via 57 Muslim Nations Urged to Besiege Israel by Ergogan — Absolute Truth from the Word of God

115 – The Jewish Prophet Jonah – A Glimpse Of Passover

Buddy Greene – Jonah and the Whale [Live]

Book Overview – Jonah – Scofield Reference Notes

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/srn/jonah.html

The Prophet. His name means “done,” and he is the son of Amittai. His home was Gath-hepher, a village of Zebulun, and he, therefore, belonged to the ten tribes and not to Judah. He is first mentioned in 2 Kings 14:28, where he prophesied the success of Jeroboam II, in his war with Syria, by which he would restore the territory that other nations had wrested from Israel. He very likely prophesied at an early date, though all attempts to determine the time of his prophecy or the time and place of his death have failed.

The Prophecy. It differs from all the other prophecies in that it is a narrative and more “the history of a prophecy than prophecy itself”. All the others are taken up chiefly with prophetic utterances, while this book records the experiences and work of Jonah, but tells us little of his utterances. The story of Jonah has been compared to those of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17-19, and 2 Kings 4-6).

Although full of the miraculous element, the evident purpose is to teach great moral and spiritual lessons, and it is unfortunate that its supernatural element has made this book the subject of infidel attack. But the facts, though extraordinary, are in no way contradictory or inconsistent. Indeed, Mr. Driver has well said that “no doubt the outlines of the narrative are historical.” Christ spoke of Jonah and accredited it by likening his own death for three days to Jonah’s three days in the fish’s belly. It is the most “Christian” of all the Old Testament books, its central truth being the universality of the divine plan of redemption. Nowhere else in the Old Testament is such stress laid upon the love of God as embracing in its scope the whole human race.

Equipping Comments:

Date Of Jonah – 760 B.C. (Ryrie Study Bible)

Additional Date Considerations: https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-jonah

III. DATE: During the pre-exilic period and perhaps during the Life time of Jonah (first half of the eighth century B.C.)

A. The date needs to fall between the reign of Jerobaom II (793-753 B.C.) to the fall of Ninevah (612 B.C.)25

Author of above article: Dr. David Malick, https://bible.org/users/david-malick

The Location Of Nineveh:

“Today, the ancient ruins of Nineveh are located just opposite of the present day city of Mosul.” (…taken from the section of the above link, “the Assyrian Empire;” check out the map to see the location being in northwestern Iraq. Mosul was a hot bed of news reports after the 911 attack on the Twin Towers in New York City.) http://www.bible-history.com/biblestudy/nineveh.html

“Three Days And Three Nights ”

The following verse of scripture, in the Book of Jonah, is the one that Christ used to tell of his death, burial and resurrection, “Three Days And Three Nights” is explained in this article.

Jonah 1:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

17 Now the Lord had appointed a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1,2 -10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Jonah’s Prayer

1 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish:

2 I called to the Lord in my distress, and He answered me …..

10 Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

1:17 a great fish. The species of fish is uncertain; the Heb. word for whale is not here employed. God sovereignly prepared (lit. “appointed”) a great fish to rescue Jonah. Apparently Jonah sank into the depth of the sea before the fish swallowed him (cf. 2:3, 5, 6). three days and three nights. See note on Matt. 12:40. MacArthur Study Note.

In the following verses, Christ uses the account of Jonah 1:17 to tell of his death, burial and resurrection. The audience was that of Jewish religious leaders.

Matthew 12:38-41 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!

MacArthur Study Note

12:40 three days and three nights. Quoted from Jon. 1:17. This sort of expression was a common way of underscoring the prophetic significance of a period of time. An expression like “forty days and forty nights” (see note on 4:2) may in some cases simply refer to a period of time longer than a month. “Three days and three nights” was an emphatic way of saying “three days,” and by Jewish reckoning this would be an apt way of expressing a period of time that includes parts of 3 days. Thus, if Christ was crucified on a Friday, and His resurrection occurred on the first day of the week, by Hebrew reckoning this would qualify as 3 days and 3 nights. All sorts of elaborate schemes have been devised to suggest that Christ might have died on a Wednesday or Thursday, just to accommodate the extreme literal meaning of these words. But the original meaning would not have required that sort of wooden interpretation. See note on Luke 13:32.

The Ryrie Study Bible breaks down the activities of each of the days of Passion Week. The events of Passion Week show the fulfillment of Jonah 1:17. This particular time of the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread occurred in 30 A.D. (Passover, Leviticus 23:4-5; Unleavened Bread, Leviticus 23:6-8).

Palm Sunday: Luke 19:28-44 (The Sunday prior to the crucifixion of Christ; The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem)

Monday:Luke 19:45-48. (The Cleansing Of The Temple. This is the second cleansing of the temple by Christ; see John 2:13-25 for the first cleansing.)

Tuesday: Luke 20:1-21:38. (The Questioning Of Christ By The Jewish Leaders)

Wednesday: Luke 22:1-6. (Judas Agrees To Betray Christ)

Thursday: Luke 22:7-53. (The Passover Meal)

Friday: Luke 22:54-23:55 (key is 23:53-56). (The Crucifixion) Notice that:

vs 54: “it was the Preparation Day (Friday afternoon), and the Sabbath (Sunset on Friday) drew near.

A more detailed look at vs 55-56 provides a closer view of the happenings of that Friday afternoon.

Luke 23:55-56 New King James Version (NKJV)

55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Mac Arthur Study Bible comment follows. Please read it carefully.

My note: The women saw the body of Christ being laid in a burial tomb. It was Friday afternoon, prior to sunset, when the women saw the body of Christ being taken from the cross to the tomb. Without a doubt, the women saw Christ being crucified on Friday. Without a doubt, the women saw Christ being placed in a burial tomb on Friday, before the beginning of the Sabbath. Without a doubt, Christ was not crucified on any day of the week, except Friday.

Saturday: Luke 23:56.(The Sabbath)

Luke 24:1-12 (Resurrection Sunday; Don’t say Easter; See comment below).

Bio, Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, https://voice.dts.edu/article/dr-charles-c-ryrie-1925-2016-tribute/

Key elements of Friday of Passion Week is discussed in the Gospel of John, Chapters 18-19.(Ryrie Study Bible).

The Arrest Of Christ: John 18:1-11.

The Trial Of Christ Before Annas: John 18:12-23.

The Trial Of Christ Before Caiaphas: John 18:24-27.

The Trial Of Christ Before Pilate: John 18:28-19:1-16. (19:14 identifies Friday as being the “Day Of Preparation,” which precedes the onset of the sunset arrival of the Sabbath). (Luke 23:54 shows the sixth hour of the day as being Noon).

The Crucifixion Of Christ: John 19:17-37 (from the sixth until the ninth hour, noon until three P.M.). 19:31: It was the Day Of Preparation (Friday); the bodies on the cross would have to be removed and buried prior to the onset of the Sabbath (Friday at sunset). 19:31: the day preceded the Sabbath Day, a High Sabbath; i.e., the first day of the Feast Of Unleavened Bread fell that year on a Sabbath, making it a “high” or “special” festival. (Ryrie Study Bible)

The Burial Of Christ: John 19:38-42. (vs 41-42 explain the importance of the burial tomb being close to the place of crucifixion, with the crucifixion having taken place on the Day Of Preparation, prior to sunset on Friday). (Ryrie Study Bible)

In the year 760 B.C., God saved Jonah, “a Jew,” from bodily death. In the year 30 A.D., Christ, also a Jew, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), saved Jonah from the eternal death of body, soul and spirit; this was done through His finished work: “Christ on the cross,” “it is finished” (John 19:30).

Don’t Say Easter!

Nowhere in the gospel accounts is there a statement that the day that Christ rose from death was called Easter. Nowhere in the books of Acts through Revelation is there a statement that the day that Christ rose from death was Easter. It is only in the King James Version that Easter is used, but not to relate to the resurrection of Christ. In the King James Version, Acts 12:4 erroneously uses “Easter” to relate to Passover. The resurrection of Christ is remembered by followers of Christ, one day each year, in honor of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread extend for eight consecutive days, celebrating God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Easter relates to a pagan celebration.

Acts 12:4 King James Version (KJV) (42 A.D., Scofield Study Bible)

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Even the New King James Version uses the word, “Passover.”

Acts 12:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

The context of Acts 12:4 shows nothing of the glorious resurrection of Christ, but of the persecution of believers of Christ.

Acts 12:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)

Herod’s Violence to the Church

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Easter: Consider the following from Unger’s Bible Dictionary.

“The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honor sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the 8th century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.”

Consider the following information that comes from the discussion of Patheos, which has a discussion of pagan holidays.

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD “EASTER” AND THE NAMING OF THE SPRING EQUINOX OSTARA (first paragraph)

Consider the following information on Easter.

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD “EASTER” AND THE NAMING OF THE SPRING EQUINOX OSTARA (first paragraph after the egg and rabbits)

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/2013/03/eostre-easter-ostara-eggs-and-bunnies/

According to the British historian Bede (673-735 CE) the word “Easter” comes from the name of a Germanic fertility goddess named Eostre, whose name was given to an entire month “Eostur-month,” and then eventually to one specific holiday occurring in that month, the one we now call Easter.

So, as previously stated: Don’t say Easter! “Resurrection Sunday” explains the truth of the day that Christ arose from death.

Scriptures: Book Of Jonah: Jonah 1:1-4:11

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jonah+1%3A1-4%3A11&version=HCSB

A Symbol Of Freedom – The United States Military

“To The Shores Of Tripoli” was a movie that was made about World War II, during that war. The Marines who are shown in the video are examples of those who train to fight for our nation. World War II was a very critical period of time in our nation’s history. To see the Marines as they are marching, is to also see, “freedom on parade.” If you will notice, Randolph Scott is the Marine Gunnery Sergeant who is leading the other Marines of lesser rank. The left heel of each Marine can be seen striking the ground, at the same time, in perfect cadence, at the beat of the drum. Watch how the marines make that “wide right turn,” with no one getting out of cadence, or “out of place.” Wow! Such an example of training and disciple! I have watched this video, many times, without ever getting tired of it. I love the beat of the drum!
(As said above, Randolph Scott is the actor playing the Marine Gunnery Sergeant. John Payne is the actor playing the Marine, “Private Winters.”)

The Axis Powers of Germany, Japan and Italy had plans to conquer the world for their cause of world domination. Without the entry of the United States military forces into World War II, the objectives of the Axis powers would have been achieved. Consider some of the related facts that are included as a part of this post.

Marines Raise Flag Over Iwo Jima 1945 United News Newsreel; World War II

Consider the Marines on Iwo Jima as they “raised a flag” in honor of their defeat of the Japanese armed forces. The Japanese attack on American forces in Hawaii took place on the morning of December 7, 1941. The American forces took the island of Iwo Jima on February 9, 1945. Consider the importance of paying honor to the flag of the United States Of America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima

The Attack On Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_powers
The axis powers of the world, being led by Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), and Hirohito (Japan), had their declared intent of taking over the whole world. Hitler was already overrunning much of Europe. Great Britain was the last significant military force that Hitler was trying to overthrow. France had it’s “resistance,” but had no military force to oppose Germany. After the Japanese attack on American forces in Hawaii, on Dec 7, they attacked American forces in the Republic of the Philippines on the next day, Dec 8, 1941. Japanese forces began their plan of overthrowing all nations and forces in the south Pacific.

Consider the allied forces, of which the United Sates assumed leadership.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II

After the United States of America was drawn into the second world war, American military forces also began engaging axis forces in Europe and North Africa. Other nations of Allied support followed the lead of the United States to stop Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito as they brutalized the citizenry and military of the nations that were on their map of world domination. As stated above, without the entry of the United States into World War II, Hitler would have overthrown Russia and Asia, through its attack from the West, with Hirohito advancing from the East, and Mussolini attacking from the South. Could any nation have succeeded in defending itself from such a three-front attack? Consider the numbers of Russian civilians and soldiers that died at the hands of Hitler’s soldiers, minus the forces of Japan and Italy.

Soviet military dead and missing, 8.7 million

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties_of_the_Soviet_Union

Consider the Blitzkrieg, of Britain by German aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz

The importance of the presence of U.S. forces in the battle against the axis powers can not be overstated. Without the defeat of the forces of Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito, the freedom of America, and other free countries, would not have been saved.

Group of American and British prisoners are marched through streets under German …HD Stock Footage

(U.S. And British POWs being marched by German soldiers through a French city. Notice how the French citizens mistreat the POWs.)

Hitler had a strong-hold in North Africa, and would have marched southward, until all of Africa would have flown the flag of Nazi Germany. Germany, Italy and Japan would have continued their assault on Asia, until the flags of those nations would have flown no more. The nations of the Pacific, to include the continent of Australia, would have been easy prey for the assault of the axis forces, with the result of many more Nazi flags flying in the lands of the Nazi-led conquest.

After the attack on Hawaii, there was great concern that the west coast of the United States would also come until Japanese attack. There was also a fear that sympathizers of Japan living in the United States would begin attacks on the mainland of the United States. Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reacted to the fear of attack “from within” the USA, by the internment of citizens of the USA, who were of Japanese ancestry.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-ushers-in-japanese-american-internment

Concerns of the President were found to be valid when a German u boat was sunk off of the east of coast of the USA, and was found to have loaves of bread from a local bakery stored in the boat.

The military forces of the USA was at a weakened state of readiness when the Japanese attacked Hawaii. Without a national resolve to defend our country, and defeat the axis forces in other parts of the world, the USA would have been the starting point of axis entry into North, Central and South America, where the Nazi flag would have been planted. The success, liberty and tolerance that we have as great fortune in the United States of America, would have been replaced with the Nazi desires for our country, as well as for the rest of the world. There would be no NFL, NBA, MLB, or multi-millionaire contracts for athletes. Every other aspect of our lives would be totally different, whether it would be employment, hobby, relaxation, recreation, or religious.

The Liberation of Dachau

Notice the American Soldiers liberating the German concentration camp at Dachau. The prisoners were Jews of the Holocaust.

https://ww2.kqed.org/lowdown/2017/05/25/interactive-american-war-deaths-by-the-numbers/
Notice the numbers of American War deaths.

405,399 Americans of our armed forces lost their lives in World War II. They died in their support for our flag, and to keep it flying.

LEE GREENWOOD GOD BLESS THE USA

Many of us have known members of the armed forces who gave their lives in defense of our nation. My friends, who were such brave and honorable patriots, were those of the Vietnam War era. There is a bible verse that sheds rich thought on such brave and honorable people. “The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.” (John 15:13)

I am proud to be an American, and proudly salute our flag.

The United States Air Force (USAF) turned 70 years-old on September 18, 2017. On September 18, 1947, Chief Justice Fred Vinson swore in Stuart Symington as the first Secretary of The Air Force, officially founding a new branch of the U.S. military. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz became the USAF’s first chief of staff eight days later on September 26, 1947.

I am also very proud to be, “United States Air Force, Retired.”

God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood

Please follow my Equipping blog.

https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/

For The Saluting Marine

Notice the correct position of the Marine’s right hand as he holds his salute.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Citizens should stand upright and place the right hand over the heart while reciting the pledge. Men not in uniform should remove any nonreligious head covering.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Pledge-of-Allegiance-to-the-Flag-of-the-United-States-of-America

114 – Jewish Festival Of Purim 2018

The Story of Purim || Mayim Bialik

The Jewish Festival Of Purim has recently come and gone. Most people have no awareness, or understanding, of Purim, or of any of the other feasts that Jews know as: “the Feasts of G-d, and the appointed times of the Lord.” Please consider the following discussion of the feast that explains much of the never-ending story of the many attempts to destroy the people of Israel, and to negate their land. Jewish feasts are important to Jews, and should also be important to anyone having any kind of relationship with a Jew.

The year was 474 B.C. Jews were living in Persia; they had been deported there from The Southern Kingdom of Israel. Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar took those Jews to Babylon, in three deportations, over a period of time that ran from 605 B.C. to 586 B.C.; those two southern tribes were known as Judah and Benjamin. Israel’s northern ten tribes, known as The Kingdom of Israel, had previously been deported to Assyria in 722 B.C., by the Assyrian King Shalmaneser. Soon after the northern tribes were removed from their lands, the Assyrians began moving gentiles/pagans into that vacated land. The Jews of the northern kingdom never returned to their lands. In 539 B.C., the Persians conquered Babylon. In 538 B.C., the Persian King Cyrus allowed the Jews, those still living in exile in Babylon, to return to Jerusalem/Judah. However, most of the Jews chose to remain in Babylon. Now, let’s get back to the story of the video, which tells of how a plan was thwarted which would have exterminated all of the Jews who were living in Persia (present day Iran). We will continue to the discussion that is provided by chabad.org, a Jewish organization.

The following discussion of the Jewish feast of Purim comes from the following link.

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/645309/jewish/What-Is-Purim.htm

What Is Purim?

The jolly festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). Purim 2018 begins on Wednesday night, February 28, and continues through Thursday, March 1 (March 2 in Jerusalem). It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day,” as recorded in the Megillah (book of Esther).

The Story in a Nutshell

The Persian Empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he arranged a beauty pageant to find a new queen. A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen, though she refused to divulge her nationality.

Meanwhile, the Jew-hating Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews (and Esther’s cousin), defied the king’s orders and refused to bow to Haman. Haman was incensed, and he convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar, a date chosen by a lottery Haman made.

Mordechai galvanized all the Jews, convincing them to repent, fast and pray to G‑d. Meanwhile, Esther asked the king and Haman to join her for a feast. At a subsequent feast, Esther revealed to the king her Jewish identity. Haman was hanged, Mordechai was appointed prime minister in his stead, and a new decree was issued, granting the Jews the right to defend themselves against their enemies.

On the 13th of Adar, the Jews mobilized and killed many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar, they rested and celebrated. In the capital city of Shushan, they took one more day to finish the job.

Read the complete story of Purim.

Why Is It Called Purim?

Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme. You can pronounce this name many ways. In Eastern tradition, it is called poo-REEM. Among Westerners, it is often called PUH-rim. Some Central-European communities even call it PEE-rim. (WARNING: Calling this holiday PYOO-rim—as English speakers are sometimes wont to do—is a surefire newbie cover-blower.)

My ending.

The Jews were dispersed from their home land again in the year 70 A.D. The Nazi holocaust awaited the Jews, which took place from 1939-1945. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005469

See the video in the link; it is mind shattering.

Yes! There was a holocaust.

113 – Jewish Prophets Of The Divided Kingdoms Of Israel And Judah

Paul Wilbur – Shalom Jerusalem

Jewish Prophets Of The Divided Kingdoms Of Israel And Judah

The prophets of the Old Testament were Jews. They received inspired messages from God that relate to Jews. Too many verses of scripture that were written by the Jewish prophets are understood by many to be specific to those whom are “other than Jews.” A verse’s context is important, and must be understood. With such a contextual understanding, a verse’s application can be properly understood. Consider the misapplication of the following verse.

Ezekiel 34:26 New King James Version (NKJV)

26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.

Consider the proper application of Ezekiel 34:26

34:26 My hill. A reference to Jerusalem and Zion in particular, where the Jews will come to worship the Lord. showers of blessing. Cf. the “times of refreshing” in Acts 3:19, 20, when the curses of Deut. 28:15–68 are lifted. (MacArthur Study Bible note. Provided by Bible Gateway)

The song, “Showers Of Blessing,” is sung each week in many Christian churches, with the thinking that the verse relates to the church, without having an understanding of the context of the verse to which the song relates. However, as the reference note states, the verse specifically relates to Israel during the millennium. Believers in Christ, whom will also be present during the millennium, will also benefit from God’s blessings to the Jews, whom are “God’s chosen people” (Deuteronomy 7:6). But, the key application of the verse is that of God’s blessings for Israel.

It is important for any reader of the Bible to know that without having an understanding of the books of Old Testament prophecy, no sense can be made of the remainder of the Bible, whether Old or New Testaments. Anyone can read from Genesis 1:1 through Exodus 20:26 without encountering too much confusion. But, once the reader begins at Exodus 21:1, and reads forward, the world of prophecy is immediately encountered. There is a definite prophetic path of scripture that begins in Genesis 3:15 and carries forward to Revelation 21:1-22:21, but that path is grossly ignored in many sermons and lessons. All too often, whenever sermons or lessons are taught from Old Testament books of prophecy, the design of the teaching is that of a church setting. The primary focus of a lesson, that is based on a book of prophecy, should be one of Jewish prophecy. Because of the lack of proper teaching on prophecy, there are many people whom are greatly ignorant of the application of such scriptures.

In the year 1000 B.C., preceding the deportation of God’s chosen people from their home lands, God gave the message of the Song of Solomon, through King Solomon, to be a love letter to the Jews. The message used the love in marriage, of a man and woman, to tell about the love of God for the Jews. Please understand that the Song of Solomon is not a “marriage how to do it book.” The common expression that is often seen in the faces of Christians whenever the Song of Solomon is mentioned, is that of a “smirk!” Please understand that God’s Holy Word is just that, “Holy!” There should never be “smirking” whenever God’s Word is read or discussed. People had been having children for the 3,000 years before the “Song of Solomon” was given by God to Solomon. Families had been having children, “quite well,” during those preceding years; nobody needed a technical manual on love. God knew that Israel would be dispersed from their home lands after the death of King Solomon. He knew of the dysfunction that would enter their lives and nation leading up to the first deportation of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. God also knew of the final deportation of the Southern Kingdom which would take place in 586 B.C. God knew that His chosen people would not return to their promised land until after the time of the rapture and tribulation. God chose prophets to encourage the Jews while they living in exile in foreign lands. His written Word is still used to encourage Jews, as well as believers in Christ, as to His plan for the New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:22; Revelation 21:1-2).

As was the case in Song of Solomon, the prophets of Israel were used as instruments of delivering God’s Holy Word to the Jews. Especially, while the Jews were dispersed, the love of God for “His chosen people” (Deuteronomy 7:6) was the key to their encouragement. Consider the following passages of scripture that God spoke to “his chosen people” through the prophets, “Isaiah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah”)

“I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 41:17, 712 B.C.)

“I will bring you back” (Zephaniah 3:20, 630 B.C.)

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;” (Jeremiah 31:3, 606 B.C.)

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land (Ezekiel 36:24, 587 B.C.)

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again spread out through prosperity. The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 1:17, 520 B.C.)

It will be during the millennium that the covenant land of Genesis 15:18-21 will actually be occupied by Israel.

In the following Words of Christ (Matthew 24:29-31), He tells of the regathering of the Jews, which have been scattered throughout the world; the time frame is that of the second coming of Christ to Earth. The audience of people are His Disciples/Apostles on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The teaching relates to the Jewish people who will be present on Earth at the end of the great tribulation; they will have missed the rapture. “His chosen people” (Jews, vs 31)” are identified in Deuteronomy 7:6. In essence, this discussion is, “to Jews, about “Jewish things.” The passage of Matthew 24:29-31 is not about the rapture of the church.

Jews, of whom accept Christ as Messiah prior to the rapture, will be caught up to the Presence of God at the time of the rapture, and will be eternally secure in their holiness of body, soul and spirit (John 14:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54); they will spend eternity in the Presence of God in the New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2). Jews, of whom have not accepted Christ as Messiah prior to the rapture, will go through the tribulation. If any of those Jews are alive at the end of the tribulation, they will enter the time of the millennium. It is during that thousand-year reign of Christ that they will have the opportunity to accept Christ as Messiah. From that point in time, forward, those millennial Jews will be given a glorified body, soul and spirit and will also spend eternity in the Presence of God.

Matthew 24:29-31 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

29 “But immediately following the trouble of those times, the sun will grow dark, the moon will stop shining, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in heaven will be shaken.

30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a great shofar; and they will gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

During this study, there will be a focused study of each of the prophets that are listed below. The focus will relate to the prophecies that God gave to each prophet. It is important to know that all of the prophets are Jews, and that they prophesied about things that relate to Jews. The effects of the fulfilled prophecies will affect everyone in the world.

Israel is the area where the ten northern tribes settled under the Kingship of Jeroboam in 931 B.C.

Judah is the area where the two southern tribes of Israel settled under the Kingship of Rehoboam in 931 B.C.

A discussion follows that relates to the prophets of Israel during the following time periods:

Diaspora, Pre-Exile, Exile, Post-Exile

Diaspora

Diaspora relates to the dispersion of Jews from their Northern and Southern homelands, beginning in 733-722 B.C. In many discussions, the term “exile” relates specifically to the time that the Jews of the southern kingdom were expelled from Judah/Jerusalem during the time period of 605-586 B.C.

After Cyrus, the Persian King, allowed the Judeans to return to their homeland in 538 BC, most Jews chose to remain in Babylon.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-diaspora

The book of Esther discusses the plight of the exiled Jews that remained in Babylon, after it was overrun by the Persians in 539 B.C. In 549 B.C., the Persian King Cyrus united Persia and Media. The Persian empire lasted from 539-331 B.C. Persia became present day Iran in 1935. In Esther 3:7 (474 B.C.), there was a plot to kill all of the Jews residing in Persia. Queen Esther, a Jewess, intervened and saved the Jews from being exterminated. Therefore, the Jews in Persia were saved by the courage of a Jew, whom God put in the position of Queen of that pagan country (Esther 2:16-17, 479 B.C.)

Pre-Exile

The Pre-Exile is a period of time that is often described to precede the 605-586 B.C. expulsion of Jews from Judah/Jerusalem to Babylon. However, the diaspora of Jews, as described above, is also included in the times of Jewish diaspora of 733-722 B.C. Prophets of the time of pre-exile are listed below the discussion of “Israel And World Empires.”

Exile

The term “exile” is normally used in relation to the time of the deportation of the Jewish tribes to Babylon, from Judah and Benjamin, of the southern kingdom of Israel. The forces of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar used three deportations to remove the Jews of the area that was better known as Judah; the deportations lasted from 605 B.C. to 586 B.C. (2 Kings 24:1-25:21; 2 Chronicles 36:5-20; Jeremiah 52:27-30). The period of Jewish exile was prophesied by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah to last for seventy years (2 Chronicles 36:21; Jeremiah 29:10). In 597 B.C., Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiled Jews in Babylon. The letter told of God’s prophecy of the seventy year period of the exile. The exile of the Jews lasted until they were allowed to return to their home land. Prophets of the time of exile are listed below the discussion of Israel And World Empires. It must also be remembered that the Jews of the northern kingdom were captive during their time of Assyrian exile. Soon after the Jewish dispersal, the Assyrians began moving gentiles into the vacated lands of the northern kingdom.

The land that God to the Jews, whom are the covenant seed of Abraham, is shown in Genesis 15:18-21. That land mass is far greater than that which is shown on maps of our day. (See Ryrie Study Bible note)

Post Exile

The term “post-exile” relates to the time of the decree of the Persian King Cyrus, for the captive Jews to be allowed to return to their homeland. Jews began returning to Judah/Jerusalem in 538 B.C. The temple, and the walls of Jerusalem, had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:9-10). The returning Jews rebuilt the temple, finishing it in 515 B.C. under the leadership of the Jewish prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1-2; 6:13-14). Under the leadership of Ezra, the Jewish scribe and priest, and Nehemiah the Jewish Governor, the rebuilding of the walls of the city was finished in 445 B.C. The prophecy of the exiled prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:25; approximately 538-534 B.C.) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, found beginning fulfillment in Nehemiah 2:3-8 (444 B.C.); that is when Persian King Artaxerxes commissioned Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. The prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:25) found its starting point in 444 B.C. The seventy weeks are “weeks of years.” The prophecy provides a timeline that leads to the coming of Christ to Jerusalem shortly before His crucifixion, and the later tribulation. Prophets of the time of the post exile are listed below the discussion of Israel And World Empires.

Israel And World Empires

World Empires Of The Bible In The History Of Israel (Every Prophecy of the Bible, Dr. John F. Walvoord (Dec), copyright 1990, 1999, Chariot Victor Publishing, formerly The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook.)

Egypt – Genesis 46 – Deuteronomy 34. Jacob and his family resided in Egypt until the Exodus.
Assyria – 726 B.C.- 605 B.C. The northern ten tribes were taken into Assyrian captivity.
Babylon – 605 B.C. – 539 B.C. The two southern tribes were taken into Babylonian captivity.
Medo-Persia – 539 B.C. – 331 B.C. The captives in Babylon returned to Jerusalem and Judah. (Southern Israel) in 536 B.C.
Greece – 321 B.C. – 63 B.C. Israel was under the control of Syria.
Rome – 63 B.C. – 70 A.D. Israel was under the control of Rome. Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome in 70 A.D. The decline of Rome occurred during the church age. Rome will be revived after the Rapture.

Daniel’s prophecy shows the world empires of Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Christ (Daniel 2:36-45; 7:1-28). (See Scofield Study Bible notes)

Jewish Prophets During Gentile World Empires. (See notes in MacArthur, Scofield and Ryrie study bibles. Everyone should own these three study bibles.)

Pre-Exile: Assyrian World Empire –

Jonah (790-770 B.C.)

Joel (790-770 B.C.)

Amos (780-740 B.C.)

Hosea (760-720 B.C.)

Isaiah (745-695 B.C.)

Micah (740-700 B.C.)

Zephaniah (639-608 B.C.) .

Nahum (630-610 B.C.)

Exile: Babylonian World Empire

Jeremiah (626-586 B.C.)

Habakkuk (606-586 B.C.)

Ezekiel (592-570 B.C.)

Obadiah (586-583 B.C.) .

Daniel (606-534 B.C.)

Post-Exile: Persian World Empire

Haggai (520-516 B.C.)

Zechariah (520-516 B.C.)

Malachi (450-400 B.C.)

Post-Exile:

Greek and Roman World Empires. There are no writings of Jewish prophets during the years of the Greek and Roman empires. Christ and His disciples were Jews. After the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ to heaven, disciples/apostles wrote the books of the New Testament about the teachings of Christ. The last apostolic writing was that of the Apostle John. His writing of “The Revelation,” which he received from the risen Christ, was transcribed in about the year 96 A.D.

The Jews were dispersed from their home land again in the year 70 A.D. The Nazi holocaust awaited the Jews, which took place from 1939-1945. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005469

See the video in the link; it is mind shattering.

Yes! There was a holocaust.

Billy Graham Memorial Service – Who Was Missing?

Who was missing from the Billy Graham memorial service? CNN wasn’t there; neither was MSNBC. C-Span was there, as were Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel. It should be of no surprise that the two liberal cable news and information networks would absent themselves from a memorial service that honored a man who preached the message of the Bible that honors Israel, and speaks against homosexuality, same-sex marriage and abortion on demand. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and NBC support the liberal agenda of the democrat party of using the force of law to allow unborn babies to be killed in the mother’s womb, up until the time of birth. Those liberal networks also support the liberal agenda of the democrat party of using the force of law to force same-sex marriage on America. Those liberal networks oppose the nation of Israel, as does the democrat party; consider the opposition of democrats to moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with Jerusalem being the capital of Israel. Parents have a responsibility to teach the things of Godly righteousness to their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-7). But, when the “unGodly” reports of the liberal news media are seen in households on a daily basis, the messages against things of God are consumed and are soaked into the minds of those expecting such news reports to be truthful, and not in opposition to the Word of God. Parents are the caretakers of their children. Through their guidance, their children will find their eternity in the Presence of God (Revelation 21:1-2), or in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

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