God’s Plan

Foretold Messiah 5 Old Testament pointing to John the Baptist and to Immanuel, Jeshua the Christ

March 2, 2020Marcus Ampe3 Comments

The Old Testament (OT), as we have seen in the previous chapters, points ahead to the person God was going to send for bringing an end to the curse of death. From the Hebrew Scriptures we also come to know that this special messenger of God, a prophet, would come to call people to return from their bad way of living and to return to the Only One True God, Who is One.

Hundreds of years before the birth of the Nazarene man Jeshua (Jesus Christ), numerous prophecies concerning him had been given and were preserved in the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the Old Testament). Christ’s fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy is often noted by New Testament writers as a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to his promises of salvation and as confirmation of the divine authority of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the ages, we can see that some people do not seem to desire to advance in the knowledge of God. But Jehovah God wants to give everybody the opportunity to get to know Him. For that matter, He sent out many prophets to tell about Him and to warn about future events. It were those Hebrew prophets, chosen ones from God, who also told about some Savour to come. Those leaders for the Chosen people of Israel spoke about signs to come, first so that people would come to know that a saviour would be at hand and secondly that people would come to see that the present sinful world would come to an end, by a great battle destroying the averse world and having the returned Messiah taking his throne in the Kingdom of God.

People got warned they had to look out for the man being called Immanuel.

14 For this, Jehovah he will give to you a sign: Behold, the virgin conceiving, and she will bare a son, and call his name Immanuel.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 7:14). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

We are told a child to be born and to grow up, without being contaminated by wrongdoing.

And thou, house of bread, of Ephratah, for being small among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth to me he being ruler in Israel; and his goings forth from of old from the days of eternity.
2 For this he will give them up even till the time she bearing will bring forth: and the remainder of his brethren shall turn back to the sons of Israel.
3 And he stood and fed in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God; and they shall dwell: for now shall he be magnified to the ends of the earth.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mi 5:1–3). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

15 Curdled milk and honey he shall eat, for his knowing to reject in evil, and to choose in good.
16 For before the boy shall know to reject in evil and to choose in good the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken from the face of its two kings.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 7:15–16). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

People could come to recognise him who is presented as a gift to mankind, by putting all ancient prophecy stories together, knowing him also to come from the Tribe of David.

5 For a child was born to us, a son was given to us, and the dominion shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Captain of Peace.
6 To the increase of his dominion and to peace no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to prepare it and to support it in judgment and in justice from now and even to forever: the zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.
7 Jehovah sent a word into Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 9:5–7). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

The Old Testament (OT) passages (Mal. 3:1 and Isa. 40:3) are furnished to show that John the Baptist and Jesus are to be understood in the context of the prophecies regarded by ancient Jews and Christians as Holy (or set-apart) Scriptures and divine revelation of God’s purposes. That is, in the writer’s view, neither Jesus nor John appeared “out of the blue” but, rather, as a fulfilment of God’s plan of redemption. This attitude, that the OT is a record of God’s work and plan and that Jesus must be interpreted as fulfilment of the work and word of God in the OT, is reflected throughout the New Testament (NT) writings and received continuing expression as the church used the OT writings as Scripture in its subsequent history. This view is, of course, formally reflected in the inclusion of the OT as part of the Christian Bible – a decision still accepted by all the major branches of Christianity today.

Behold me sending my messenger, and he looked upon the way before my face: and suddenly Jehovah whom ye seek shall come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in: behold him coming, said Jehovah of armies.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mal 3:1). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

3 The voice of him calling in the desert, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the sterile region a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the acclivity was for evenness, and the mountain ranges for a valley:

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 40:3–4). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

At the same time, there was spoken about another man who would prepare the way for the chosen one from God who would show the people the right path to the Kingdom of God. The voice of one calling out in the wilderness was pointing to John the Baptist. He announced that soon there would come someone more important than him, to prepare the way to the Elohim. That man of flesh and blood would take away the stumbling block for mankind and liberate them of the chains of death.

14 And he shall say, Lift ye up, lift ye up; clear the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 57:14). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

The apostle Matthew when he wrote his gospel had become totally convinced that John the Baptist and the Nazarene rabbi Jeshua were the ones spoken from old.

In these days John the Baptist is present, proclaiming in the desert of Judea;
2 And saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.
3 For this is he spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 3:1–3). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

The other disciples, like Mark, Luke and John were also convinced that in the scrolls was spoken about those who they knew and met in their lifetime.

2 As it has been written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his beaten paths straight.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mc 1:2–3). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

2 Upon Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests, the word of God was upon John, son of Zacharias in the desert.
3 And he came into all the country round about Jordan, proclaiming the immersion of repentance for remission of sins;
4 As it has been written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his footpaths straight.
5 Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mount and hill shall be lowered; and the crooked shall be into straightness, and the rough into smooth ways.
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Lc 3:2–6). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

6 A man was sent from God, the name to him John.
7 This came for testimony, that he might testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not that Light, but that he might testify for the Light.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 1:6–8). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

14 And the Word was flesh, and dwelt with us, (and we beheld his glory, as the glory of the only born of the father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John testifies for him, and he cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He coming after me was before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his completion we all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth were by Jesus Christ.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 1:14–17). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

Many people knew that it very well could be in their time that the Messiah would come and were curious if perhaps John was the man spoken of. Under inspiration, John applied Isaiah’s words about the voice in the wilderness to himself.

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem that they might ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he acknowledged, and denied not; and he acknowledged, That I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked, What then? Art thou Elias? And he says, I am not. Art thou a prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they to him, Who art thou? that we might give answer to them having sent us. What sayest thou for thyself?
23 He said, I the voice of him crying in the desert, Make ye straight the way of the Lord, as said Esaias the prophet.
24 And they having been sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said to him, Why immersest thou then, if thou art not Christ, neither Elias, neither a prophet?
26 John answered them saying, I immerse in water: but he stands the midst of you, whom ye know not;
27 This is he coming after me, who was before me, of whom I am not worthy that I might loose the strings of his shoes.
28 These things were in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was immersing.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 1:19–28). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

Several events would take place before the apostles came to see more and more how what happened with their master was in agreement with what was told in the ancient prophecies. For many, the entrance in Jerusalem should have been a final clear sign.

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king shall come to thee: just, and saying; he is humble and riding upon an ass, and upon an ass’s colt the son of asses.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 9:9). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

Many had been looking for the one shoot who would come out from the stump (Choter) of Jesse, and the branch (mig·Ge·za / Netzar) which will bear fruit out of his roots, [(Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12, Ezra 3:8) which give as Moshiach’s Namesake Yahushua/Yehoshua/Yeshua or Jeshua; compare Mt.2:23] shall bear fruit of his roots:.

5 Behold the days coming, says Jehovah, and I raised up to David a just sprout, and a king reigned and prospered, and he did judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days shall Judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell with confidence: and this his name which he shall be called: Jehovah Our Justice.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Jr 23:5–6). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

And a rod shall come forth from the stock of Jesse, and a sprout shall blossom from his roots:
2 And the spirit of Jehovah resting upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah:
3 His sweet odor in the fear of Jehovah: and not according to the seeing of his eyes shall he judge, and not according to the hearing of his ears shall he decide.
4 And he judged the powerless with justice, and he decided in straightness for the humble of the earth: and he struck the earth with the rod of his mouth, and by the spirit of his lips he will slay the unjust.
5 And justice was the girding of his loins, and truth the girding of his loins.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 11:1–5). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

14 Behold, the days coming, says Jehovah, and I raised up the good word which I spake to the house of Israel and for the house of Judah.
15 In those days and in that time I will cause the sprout of justice to spring up to David; and he did judgment and justice in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell with confidence; and this is what shall be called to her: Jehovah our Justice.
17 For thus said Jehovah, I will not cut off to David a man sitting upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 And to the priests, the Levites, I will not cut off a man from my face bringing up burnt-offerings, and burning the gift, and doing sacrifice all the days.
19 And the word of Jehovah will be to Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus said Jehovah, ….

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Jr 33:14–20). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

And thou, house of bread, of Ephratah, for being small among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth to me he being ruler in Israel; and his goings forth from of old from the days of eternity.
2 For this he will give them up even till the time she bearing will bring forth: and the remainder of his brethren shall turn back to the sons of Israel.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mi 5:1–2). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the great priest, thou and thy friends sitting before thee, for they are men of wonder: for behold me bringing my servant the Sprout.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 3:8). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

12 And say to him, saying, Thus said Jehovah of armies, saying, Behold the man, The Sprout his name; and he shall spring forth from his place and build the temple of Jehovah.
13 And he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall lift up the majesty, and he sat and ruled upon his throne: and he was priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them two.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 6:12–13). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

For those living at the time after the death of Christ, other writings should pull the attention and should make it clear that this man who was betrayed, nailed at the stake and after him being laid in a grave having risen, is that one spoken of in the OT.

23 In the beginning of thy supplications the word came forth, and I came to announce; for thou art desires: and understand thou in the word, and consider in the sight.
24 Seventy seventy were divided upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to close the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in eternal justice, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the holy of holies.
25 And thou shalt know and understand, from the going forth of the word to turn back and to build Jerusalem even to Messiah the leader, seventy weeks, and sixty and two weeks: and the street shall turn back and be built, and the ditch, in the trouble of the times.
26 And after sixty and two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, and not for him: and the people of the leader coming shall destroy the city and the holy place; and its end with an overflowing, and even to the end of the war desolations were determined.
27 And he made strong the covenant to many one week: and half the week he shall cause the sacrifice and gift to cease, and upon the wing of abominations laying waste, even to the completion, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolation.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Da 9:23–27). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

10 The rod shall not depart from Judah, and a leader from between his feet, till that Shiloh shall come: and to him the obedience of the nations.
11 Binding his colt to the vine, and to the purple vine the son of the she-ass; he washed in wine his garment, and his clothing in the blood of grapes.
12 The eyes flashing from wine, the teeth white from milk.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Gn 49:10–12). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

10 And I will take my rod Beauty, and I will cut it off, to break my covenant which I cut out with all the peoples.
11 And it shall be broken in that day: and the poor of the flock watching me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
12 And saying to them, If good in your eyes, give ye my hire; and if not, desist. And they will weigh my hire, thirty of silver.
13 And Jehovah will say to me, Cast it to the potter: a splendor of price which I was prized of them. And I shall take the thirty of silver and cast it in the house of Jehovah, to the potter.
14 And I shall cut off my second rod, Cords, to break the brotherhood between Judah and between Israel.
15 And Jehovah will say to me, Yet take to thee the vessels of a foolish shepherd.
16 For behold, I raise up a shepherd in the land, he shall not review those being concealed; the youth he shall not seek, and he shall not heal the broken, and he shall not nourish the standing firmly: and he shall eat the flesh of the fatling, and he shall break their hoofs.
17 Wo! to the empty shepherd forsaking the sheep; the sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye: and his arm being dried up, shall be dried up, and his right eye being dim, shall be dim.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Zach 11:10–17). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

6 My back I gave to those smiting, and my cheeks to those tearing out the hair: and my face I hid not from shame and spittle.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 50:6). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

7 And I a worm and not a man; a reproach of man, and the people despised me.
8 All seeing me will deride me: they will gape with the lip, they will shake the head.
9 He rolled upon Jehovah, he will deliver him: he will deliver him for he delighted in him.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 22:7–9). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

21 He watched all his bones: one of them was not broken.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 34:21). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

From birth to death, Jesus fulfilled numerous prophecies recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.

The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah anointed me to announce good news to the afflicted, he sent me to bind up to the broken of heart, to call freedom to the captives, and the opening of the prison to the bound.
2 To call the year of acceptance to Jehovah, and the day of vengeance to our God; to comfort all those mourning;

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 61:1–2). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

17 And the book of Esaias the prophet was given to him. And having unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for which he anointed me to announce good news to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim a remission to the captives, and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send away with remission the bruised,
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And having folded the book and given back to the servant, he sat down. And the eyes of all in the assembly were looking attentively upon him.
21 And he began to say to them, That this day has this writing been filled up in your ears.
22 And all bore him testimony and wondered at the words of grace going out of his mouth: and said, Is not this the son of Joseph?
23 And he said to them, Directly will ye say to me this proverb, Physician, cure thyself: what things we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Truly I say to you, That not any prophet is accepted in his country.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Lc 4:17–24). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

13 And having left Nazareth behind, having come, he dwelt in Capernaum, near the sea, in the boundaries of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be completed having been spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations:
16 The people sitting in darkness saw a great light; and to them sitting in the room and shadow of death, light has sprung up to them.
17 From then Jesus began to proclaim, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 4:13–17). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

Looking at the New Testament we shall come to see there are many more phrases which refer to what prophets said in the ancient days and words of Jesus which have to remind us about what is said in the OT for what is going to happen in the future, when the sings of the last days would be at hand. (When presenting the writings from Jesus’ disciples we shall discuss such referrals.)

Even today we see that lots of people still reject this given man of God, who has become the cornerstone of a (re)new(ed) people of God.

22 The stone the builders refused will be for the head of the corner.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 118:22). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

10 Also the man of my peace whom I trusted in him, eating my bread, magnified the heel against me.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Ps 41:10). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

18 I say not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the writing might be completed, He chewing bread with me lifted up his heel against me.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Joh 13:18). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

42 Jesus says to them, Have ye never read in the writings, The stone which the builders disapproved of, this was for the head of the corner? This was from the Lord, and it was wonderful in your eyes.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 21:42). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

10 And have ye not read this writing; The stone which the builders disapproved of, this was for the head of the corner:
11 This was of the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes?

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mc 12:10–11). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

17 And having looked upon them, he said, What then is this written, The stone which the builders disapproved of, this has been for the head of the corner?
18 Every one having fallen upon that stone shall be crushed, and upon whomsoever it should fall, it shall winnow him.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Lc 20:17–18). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

Like in old times, today as in the time of Jesus, many won’t see nor hear as is written in the OT.

9 And he will say, Go, and say to this people, Hearing, hear ye, and ye shall not understand; and seeing, see ye, and ye shall not know.
10 Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes, lest they shall see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart shall understand and turn back and be healed to them.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Js 6:9–10). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

13 For this I speak to them in parables: for seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And the prophecy of Esaias is filled up in them, saying, In hearing shall ye hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.
15 For the heart of this people has been thickened, and with their ears have they heard heavily, and their eyes have they closed; lest perhaps they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and turn back, and I should heal them.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Mt 13:13–15). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

The early Christians not only saw Jesus prefigured in certain OT prophecies of a coming redemption, but in addition, they regarded Jesus as the culmination of all God had done in the OT. In this sense, virtually everything in the OT seemed to have anticipated and pre–figured Jesus and thus gained its “fulfilment” in him.

What Jesus said and did, fulfiled many of the Hebrew Scripture prophecies. When we see how all those prophesies became fulfiled, we should understand that behind all those words written in those scrolls was a Particular Hand, mightier than any human being. As such we should be convinced that the “Old Testament,” had been given to the nation of Israel by God through the inspiration of his servants, and that his greatest servant is that Immanuel, God with us, Jeshua the promised Messiah (Jesus Christ).

The fulfilment of these above-mentioned prophecies and other prophecies proves that Jesus was the Saviour sent by God. In the Bible, the Old and New Testament, we have “all the counsel” or “the whole purpose (will) of God” for everyone to read. (Acts 20:27)

27 For I concealed not to announce to you all the counsel of God.

Smith, J. E. (Vert.). (1876). The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Hnd 20:27). Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.

Preceding

Out of the seed of Eve

Foretold Messiah 1 First mentioning

Foretold Messiah 2 a Voice giving The Word to His servants

Foretold Messiah 3 Bruised one to be taken into heaven as a servant and son of God

Foretold Messiah 4 From the seed of Noah and Abraham

Additional reading

Foretold Messiah 1 First mentioning

July 20, 2017Marcus Ampe9 Comments

Jewish and Christian literature since the time of Yeshua or Jeshua have pointed to Genesis 3:15 as the first reference to the Messiah in the Torah.

Genesis 3:15 NHEBJE I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

Here, because of the serpent’s seduction which brought separation between man and God, we see that God had already set in motion His grand plan for sending the Messiah (a seed) to redeem us back to Himself. This is what He tells the crafty serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [seed/ zera] and her offsprin g [seed/ zera]. He will pound your head, and you will bite his heel.” (Artscroll Tanach)

Banished from the garden with Adam and Eve, we follow Cain and his descendants to determine if he carries this promised seed. But as we emerge from the waters of the Great Flood, we find that they have perished.

Though the world had to be on the look out for a woman bringing forth a child, born under the law, all the descendants of Adam and Eve having flesh and blood in common, the child of that woman would also share those.

Hebrews 2:14 NHEBJE Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

That devil or adversary of God would become bruised, damaged in such way that each adversary of God would be able to recognise that they are wrong to go against the divine Maker of the universe. For that reason God provided the solution of a man proving that man can keep pure and honest to Its Maker unlike the first human beings (from the beginning of times) and many of their descendants.

1 John 3:8 NHEBJE He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Though the world had to see that this child of that woman would not receive everything like that. It also had to work for his living and had to be tempted like any body else. He also had to suffer, but this time even more than many other people. He was not the only one to be brought to death by others; He also would also not be the only innocent one to be brought to death.

God is an eternal Spirit Being Who can not be tempted, not be killed by any living being or something else. He is also a loving God Who had a wonderful Plan for mankind and wanted it to be fulfilled. Therefore he gave man a second chance, by providing some one with the same attributes as Adam, being created from the nothingness, made to be a living soul with flesh and bones and blood. Jesus said

Luke 24:39 NHEBJE See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”

Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother. {1 John 3:10} The one born from that woman showed the world he was righteous and loving, even so much loving the others, that he was willing to give his life as a payment for the sins of mankind.

1 John 3:7 NHEBJE Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Romans 2:13 NHEBJE For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified

Adam and Eve had heard God telling what they where allowed to do and what not. They heard His Law, but did not take it at heart. They were no doers of the law of God. It can well be that they were listeners, but their own inner voice was stronger for their heart than the Voice of God. they ignored His wish not to eat from the tree of knowledge.

By their disobedience sin came into the world and by it death came over them and their descendants. by their act of disobedience posterity was now also damned. But from their offspring would come some one who would have a stronger mind, a stronger will able to put his own will aside, for doing the Will of God.

Romans 5:12 NHEBJE Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.

Luke 22:41-42 NHEBME He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, (42) saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

In the hour of his death he may have had it not easy and could have preferred to avoid him to be taken prisoner and condemned to death, but much more the favour of the Most High Elohim, he gave himself to that Only One God, having faith in Him. And by himself offering himself up for others, the gift in favour of the one man, יהושע Messiah, overflowed to many.

Mankind has to know that the favourable gift is not as by one having sinned, for indeed the judgement was of one to condemnation, but the favourable gift is of many trespasses unto righteousness. Because the first Adam sinned or trespassed, the divine Maker kept to His warning that they surely would die. From that moment of taking the wrong decision man brought knowledge of good and evil to man but also knowledge of feeling fear, pain and death. By the first Adam death did reign over man but when the temptation was shown the real face of the righteous man, those who receive the overflowing favour and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the promised one, יהושע Messiah.

Romans 5:15-17 NHEBME But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Yeshua the Messiah, abound to the many. (16) The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. (17) For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Yeshua the Messiah.

Preceding articles

Out of the seed of Eve

First mention of a solution against death 4 A seed for mankind

First mention of a solution against death 5 Evil its law of death

First mention of a solution against death 6 Authority given to the send one from God coming out of the woman

First mention of a solution against death 7 Human sacrifice

Messianic prophesies 1 Adversary – Root of the first prophecy

Messianic prophesies 2 Adversary – Root of the first prophecy

Additional reading

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A solution for a damaged relationship 3 Insight and prophesies given

February 18, 2017February 14, 2017Relating to God14 Comments

Those people coming from the first man and woman in a certain way got infected by the wrong choice these people made.

See No Evil (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God gave a free will to the human beings He created. He did not want them to go wrong or to have it bad, but because they objected to His ruling or His position, He gave them the right to take care of the world themselves how they wanted to do it themselves. He had given them the free will and now they were totally responsible for all the choices they were going to make themselves.

God Himself does not causes bad things to happen to His people but He allows the things to evolve like man lets it evolve and as such allows also to happen things which are not so pleasant for man but are consequences of their acts, they had chosen themselves to do. God allowing such things, good and bad, to happen to man sometimes is to remind man of his position and to let them feel that sin has a price.

You should look at the Creator as a Father who does like any parent, wanting to have the best for his kids, also giving them instructions not to be mean, but to help them on their way of growing up. The omniscient God can see what the ravages of man’s sin looks like, and He desires to spare them for such bad things. For that reason He also gave His Word so that man could learn from it, could see how other people in the past lived their way in this world of good and evil.

God knew very well why it would not be good for man to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was not because He didn’t want them to taste something good or wanted to hold something good back from them. God was well aware of the destruction and devastation knowledge of good and evil could cause to man.

As children of those who chose the other way than God had prepared for man we still have to reap the effects of that choice today. Man should come to recognise that all he has to to endure in life is not placed on them by the Divine Creator God, nor by an extraterrestrial devilish being called Satan, but by our own choices and unwillingness to submit to God His direction for our life.

God does not hate man nor does He hate the world, but He would like it that man comes to love Him and comes to recognise Who He is and what He has done for mankind. Throughout history God always has been around and was always ready to be there for those who wanted Him to have Him nearby and helping them.

God has been very patient with man, but He also wanted to limit the time man would be going on his own stupidity. Therefore he offered mankind His Plan with the promise of a saviour, who would shown man Who God is and how to come closer to God. To give mankind a second chance, God provided what is called a second Adam. Again God provided a ‘new’ fresh ‘man‘ of flesh, blood and bones, who could proof that man was able to put his own man’s will aside to come to do the Will of God. Jesus is that promised one who managed to do that. He is the only begotten beloved son of God who is given to us to show us the Way to God and who made things told in the ancient times clear, giving insight to those who did not see yet.

In the next series we shall look how God kept His first promise made in the Garden of Eden, to bring forth a person who was to bring an end to the sting of death. We shall look how God repeated several times His promise of a solution against the curse of death and how He provided signs to which we could get to know when it was the moment that promise became a reality, so that nobody should doubt that the promise made in the garden had become into the flesh. (John 1:1)

In the next postings we shall show you how in the ancient times God prepared the way for that light for mankind to come and how hope could grow to come closer to the times of the coming Kingdom of God when the best theocratic system would be there to have this world organised in the best way, bringing peace to all people.

Preceding articles

A solution for a damaged relationship 1 All vegetation for food except one fruit

A solution for a damaged relationship 2 Sinful nature

Additional reading

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Creation of the earth and man #23 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #7 Corporeal and spiritual change

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016Christadelphians5 Comments

In the previous chapters we have looked at the corporeal change of those, who have first been morally renewed unto knowledge after the image of Him that had created them from “sinful flesh” into spirit, which is an absolute necessity, before they can inherit the Kingdom of God. After people get to know God’s Word and come to understand Who created the earth and Who had sent His son for the good of man they shall have to come to see that even when we still have to face death in this system of things we may live by the hope of something better to come.

Though we have the sleep in death and shall perhaps have to face very difficult times, even facing persecution we should be convinced not to sorrow as the others. We should not react like the unbelievers, who may react heavily because they do not have such a hope the followers of Jeshua have.
For if we have given ourselves to become disciples of the sent one from God believe that this son of God, Jesus, died and rose again, we do have our hope in him because knowing that God can not die, but the son of man Jesus really died, we have hope in this example God has given the world. This man of flesh and blood is really take out of the dead and taken up in the skies to sit next to God, not on God’s throne, but at His right hand.

These who take Jesus to be their god and think no man is capable to be sinless and doing God’s Will, make from God a cruel God Who created beings who were not capable to follow His commandments. They deny the resurrection of the dead and are refuting God’s Power to have man following His commandments. Those gainsayers are as such believing that man can only do his own will and not believing that man is capable to transform and to become changed into spirit, or immortalized, by the Son of Man, doing God’s Will.

The believers in Jeshua, him being the son of God and not making him into a god son, may comfort one another with the words which are given to us in the Bible.

It will be seen from this, that survivors of the dead were not consoled in the first age of Christianity for the loss of their friends as they are now by those who “improve the death” of the influential among them. In “funeral sermons”, the “immortal souls” of the deceased are transported “on angels’ wings to heaven”, and the living are consoled with the assurance that they are singing the praises of God around the throne; feasting with Abraham, and the prophets, with the saints and martyrs, and with Jesus and his apostles in the Kingdom of God; and they are themselves persuaded, that the souls of their relations, now become angels, are watching over them, and praying for them; and that when they die their own souls will be re-united with them in the realms of bliss.

Need I say to the man enlightened in the word, that there is no such comfort, or consolation, as this in the law and the testimony of God?

Such traditions are purely mythological; and come of the Nicolaitan dogma of saved “ghosts, and goblins damn’d” which has cancerously extirpated “the truth as it is in Jesus”.
No, the apostles did not point men to the day of their death, and its immediate consequents, for comfort; nor did they administer the consolations of the gospel to any who had not obeyed it. They offered comfort only to the disciples; for they only are the heirs with Jesus of the Kingdom of God. They taught these to look to the coming of Christ, and to the resurrection, as the time of a re-union with their brethren in the faith. At death, they should

“rest from their labours, and their works should follow them”;

and

“to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”. {a Heb. 9:28.}

Such were the practical and intelligible “words” with which the apostles comforted their brethren; but words which have become sealed and cabalistic, both to the unlearned and “the wise”.

The Unisphere, attributed to “uribe”/Uri Baruchin

In conclusion, then, as far as power is concerned, God could have created all things upon a spiritual or incorruptible basis at once. The globe could have been filled with men and women, equal to the angels in nature, power, and intellect, on the sixth day; but the world would have been without a history, and its population characterless. This, however, would not have been according to the plan. The animal must precede the spiritual as the acorn goes before the oak. This will explain many difficulties which are created by systems; and which will for ever remain inexplicable upon the hypotheses they invent. The Bible has to do with things, not imaginations; with bodies, not phantasmata; with “living souls” of every species; with corporeal beings of other worlds; and with incorruptible and undying men; but it is as mute as death, and silent as the grave, having nothing at all to say about such “souls” as men pretend to “cure”; except to repudiate them as a part of that “philosophy and vain deceit”, {b. Col. 2:8} “which some professing have erred concerning the faith.” {c 1 Tim. 6:21}

– Thomas, D. J.; Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed., pp. 45–46). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.

Notes & quotes

a Hebrews 9:28 (ESV): ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

b Colossians 2:8 (ESV): ⁸See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

c 1 Timothy 6:21 (ESV): ²¹for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
Grace be with you.

Preceding article:

Creation of the earth and man #22 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #6 Spirits, spiritual bodies and illusory perception

Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God

Bible, God speaking words profitable for doctrine, for reproof and for correction

Additional readings

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Further related articles

You believe in one God? Good, so do the other gods.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth
Bible, God speaking words profitable for doctrine, for reproof and for correctionSatan in the New Testament (2)
Satan in the New Testament (3): The Devil and his angels
Angels and Princes in Daniel 10
Bible, God speaking words profitable for doctrine, for reproof and for correction Was David “a man after God’s own heart”?
Jesus on hell (1)
Waiting
Kingdom Timing
…as is Israel’s eternal duty…
…as is Israel’s eternal duty. part 2.
On the Joy Train I Go!
Kingdom of God – river of lifeThe Kingdom of God and Non-Violence (Part 2)
The kingdom of heaven is the Christian disciple’s true home
The Kingdom’s Authority
Why We Shouldn’t Call Ourselves Born-Again Christians
New Creation: Here, But Not Yet
The Return of The Native
Next Scheduled Stop: The Judgment Seat of Christ (Part 3)
The faithful remnant
Unseen Servants
You’re not a Slave, You’re a Son
Have Courage!
Jesus’ First Sermon (Mark 1. 14-15)
Politics, Christianity, and the End of the World
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rhymer of God series (#3)
Not a Christian Bubble
The Poor in Spirit (Matt. 5:3)
(In)justice and (in)action
Kingdom of the Son
Go with the Flow
A Bus Called Heaven. Bob Graham
Stand Up For Jesus
Third Friday in Ordinary Time
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Are you Working to Fulfill Scripture?
Going Home
Quaker Faith & Practice for the 21st Century: IIj
God is Jehovah Jireh – The LORD Will Provide
Lay Your Burden Down And Let God Be God And Just Be Yourself
Michael Horton Differentiates Law and Gospel
The Subnormal Christian Life
14 How to Work Your Way to HellHow the World Got to Be the Way It Is, Conclusion. Really.

+++

What happened when Jesus rose from the dead? (tithebarn.wordpress.com)
Rabbi Schochet echoes Paul: dead are free from Law & resurrected born-again Jews live in new reality (roshpinaproject.com)
Christ’s Kingdom. Advent Midweek 3, 2015 (deprofundisclamaviadtedomine.wordpress.com)
What Did Jesus Say about Salvation? (godsbreath.net)
Wheaton, Islam, and the Christ-Centered University (pietistschoolman.com)
Islam, Islamic Terrorism and “Chrislam” (standupforthetruth.com)
Is Man Related to Something Infinite? (psychologytoday.com)
Decor Around the World: Day of the Dead (kirklands.com)
Food for Thought-Foolish Waiting and Advent Waiting (richardsfoodforthought.com)
Don’t Retreat. Stay, and Help with the Shouting (epistole.wordpress.com)

Messiah for all 2015 in review

January 14, 2016January 14, 2016Marcus Ampe8 Comments

Welcome

Dear reader,

Thank you very much for visiting this young site.

After a turbulent year in which the Belgian Christadelphians had to undergo several tests I decided to react to those Christians who called me dirty names and send me horrible things, accusing me of defiling Jesus name or God’s name.

It is a well-known fact that in Christendom and Christianity there are many denominations which do not like the sight of others. Many denominations are convinced they are the only ones who carry the truth and shall have their followers ‘going into heaven‘. In Christendom we also do find several fundamental Christians who threaten others with hell, a place of eternal damnation (according to them) where those who will not convert to their faith will be forever tortured by hell-fire. Because of so many accusations concerning our believe in and our relationship with Christ Jesus thrown at our face, we wanted to make it more clear what we think about the Nazarene rabbi Jeshua, who is today better known as Jesus Christ. At the sites where nasty things were written about me, my believes, my faith and the Christadelphians, I mostly was silenced and could not defend myself nor the Christadelphians, nor all the Christians who, like me do not believe in a Holy Trinity.

Reasons to start this blog

For that reason, wanting to bring a clear picture of the Biblical character Jesus, at the beginning of 2015 I started looking for a new platform to present texts which could justify our way of thinking and could open the eyes of others, offering them also the material from the Bible, the infallible Word of God, itself. In our eyes the Bible is the best tool to bring guidance and insight. After we shall have introduced general introductory texts, about the Word of God, presented in the Book of books, the Bible, and about the Creator and creation in general, we shall present more Biblical fragments by our explanations and when we shall come to the period of the New Covenant and New Testament we shall go step by step through the Messianic Writings (or Kethubim Bet or Kethuvim Bet), using the words of those Godly writings to show who Jesus is, what he has done and what he is still going to do, plus what he means for us, for mankind and for the whole creation.

More than once we have been and still are accused of being haters of God and being haters of Jesus, which made it so important to proof to you and the world that we carry our heart on the right place and do love Christ with all our heart, really appreciating what he did and acknowledging his position as sent one from God, who liberated the world from the curse of death. with this website we want to show you and those who come along that we are a loving group of worshippers of God who live peacefully as united people under Christ, being part of his body and not belonging to this world but to the world of Christ and the world of God, the Divine Creator.

Getting away from the starting bloc

Having tried out several starting blocs we are now on our way with WordPress. – Pressure-sensitive starting blocks at the start line of the 100 metres at the 2007 Pan American Games in João Havelange Olympic Stadium.

After looking at and trying out several systems of blogging I came to chose the trusted WordPress system and published my first article on February 10, 2015 looking back at several try outs, with the title “A beginning with many false starts”.

Many Christians do believe that Jesus created the earth and several of them also are convinced that this creation process exactly took six 24 hours periods, whilst many atheists are convinced everything started from something (or nothing: Something from nothing) with a big bang. To get to know more about the creation and What or Who is behind it we started looking at the world from its conception. To uncover all the creation myths we started from the Book Genesis (Genesis Among the Creation Myths) and continue from there onwards. the whole proces also brings us to look at gods or a god and The God of gods (The very very beginning 1 Creating Gods)

Some may say

“The Eternal Laws of Creation are exact to the minutest detail because they are the expressions of the perfect Will of the Almighty! Where uncertainties and imperfections are found they only arise from man’s limited understanding and application!” {Eternal Laws of Creation #8…..likes repel, opposites attract!}

This uncertainty often frightens man. The not knowing for sure brings up many questions, doubts and lots of insecurities. We are very limited in our thinking and handling. But we should trust more in the given Word to humanity. With this blog we want others also to see how we as human beings fit in the whole universe and in the Plan of God. We want to show how Christ is The Way to God and the Way to life and how we do have to become in Christ to become a whole person and not a split one in this world full of controversy.

By the Will of God

There exist the the popular belief that creation and everything in it (its fullness thereof) exist through the Will of a Creator (variously known as Supreme Intelligence, the Light-Cause, the Almighty, God, etc.) and supervised by the Laws of the Creator! {Eternal Laws of Creation #2…….Omniscience and eternal laws!}

Usually, Light messengers, prophets, masters, etc. mediate or, hand down rules and observances to guide their followers in living aright! Without doubt, these rules have beneficial spiritual relevance especially if they are received from Luminous Heights like the Biblical Ten Commandments! They are infallible guidelines for the human spirit living on earth and in the immediate beyond but, not meant for the literal, one sided interpretations many believers give to them! {Eternal Laws of Creation #2…….Omniscience and eternal laws!}

Man has taken himself many leaders, guides and people who presented lots of dogma‘s they were willing to accept as part of their belief, because they think we otherwise would not comprehend God. Many Christians do thrive on dogmatic teachings. We may have many scholars and theologians in this world but may not forget the promised Spirit to enlighten us.

Man can not do anything without god letting it happen. this is also for the work we try to do to get the work of God be known at more places on the earth. the first ten months of the existence of this blog we could find readers in 66 countries. Most visitors came from The United States (1048). United Kingdom (111) & Australia (88) came before Belgium (62) and the Netherlands (16) which became behind Canada (64), India (35) and the Philippines (27).

With His Will God spans everything, maintains everything, and furthers everything from out of the Living Law which brings to each individual that which he deserves, i.e., that which he wove for himself! {Eternal Laws of Creation #2…….Omniscience and eternal laws!} And we want to knit some good duvet to keep us warm in cold Winters (figuratively speaking). In the times coming we do know we are going to enter a hard time, coming closer to the end times.

Writings and Readings

In the ten months this blog existed in 2015, there were 76 new posts, not bad for the first year!

Coming nearer to the end the messages we want to send in the air are necessary. Jesus asked his followers to go out into the world to preach the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. Bringing that Gospel of the Kingdom of God we, with several writings, want to bring your thoughts to the teaching of Jesus, remembering the days that our father Abraham rejoiced that he would see Jeshua’s day. (John 8:56). Throughout the years we do hope to present our writings in such a way that you and others might come to “see” the coming day.

Remembering what Paul told the Corinthians

“we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

we dare to ask our readers to look beyond our writings. We want to challenge you and our other readers to go looking in your own or their Bible and to compare what is said in that book and what you believe at the present or believed in the past.

We sincerely hope throughout the years we shall be able to build up some followers and find more people coming to the Biblical Truth. As such we also do hope that in our readings (followed by meditation) of God’s Word, we shall be able to be “clothed with gladness” – a gladness that flows out from the relationship we have developed with our Lord.

Invitation

Therefore we do invite you to looking with us at the Source of joy. Our most commented on post in 2015 was The very very beginning 2 The Word and words. In it we looked at the Bereshith, the book of the Beginnings or Genesis where is not said “gods” created, but is spoken of a Singular Person Who speaks and Makes or brings into being. He is the Supreme Being of beings. The One Whose Words we want to resound all over the world, not just in those few countries we are reaching at the moment.

We commit our selves and want others also to commit themselves to the trustworthy Creator, coming to see man’s plans prevailed by God’s purpose.
As many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus let us going over the texts presented here and looking at the Bible passages mentioned see the bigger picture.

As our world falls apart – more and more – we are going to need to sense the importance of becoming active partakers of the Body of Christ. As we are trying to do our best in the name of Jesus we want you to work with us to “work together with him” (2 Corinthians 6:1), that the Most High Lord His Guiding Hand is there and our

“times are in His hand”.

Looking towards 2016 and beyond

We hope to find you back here more than once and hope you too may have your heart in the right place and have like us a brightly burning faith.

In the Bible we have the assurance that we may have good hope and that God preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Let us therefore be strong, and let our and your heart take courage, all you who wait for Jeshua, the Kristos or Christ to return!

In the meantime have a look at our statistics for 2015, the first ten months we presented this blog and offered our readers 76 posts.

***

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,700 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 28 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Please do find additional reading:

Also of interest

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Further related articles

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Muslim God, Christian God (theamericanconservative.com)
12-18-2015 Jesus, More Than Meet The Eye (fellowshiproom.org)
John 13 & The Distinguishing Mark of a Christian (2cherish2commend.com)
How the world looked when Jesus was born, according to Roman geographers… (atlasobscura.com)
Will the USA Be the Arena of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? (spiritualmagazine.co.uk)
The Messiah in the Manger (hillsbiblechurch.org)
Scientists Use New Technology To Reveal What Jesus Really Would Have Looked Like. See The Photo… (americanoverlook.com)

Parsha Bo: Creation, Exodus and the Rescue from Oblivion (Exodus 10:1-13:16)

April 10, 2015April 10, 2015Christadelphians1 Comment

Lots of people do want to divide God in different entities and different characters, and then so called have a figure which is beyond human comprehension.

But the God of gods is a God of clarity and order, who ordered everything, giving it a place, having it to become ordered by the end of the present times, coming into its coming to entirety at the end of times.

We should be happy that God continues to work at His Plan, which in the end shall come to be finished like He wants it to be, whatever man might do. Until then He is patient and lets human beings try out things and lets them bungle, in the hope man would learn form their mistakes and shall try not to blunder over God’s creation.

God has given His message of love to the world, now its time for the world to do something with that message of hope.

To remember:

read Bible long enough => begin to see patterns ><<= biblical gematria

certain themes keep repeating themselves

an archetype or instance found in Tanach will repeat itself much later in the life of Jeshua or his apostles

== fractal aspect to Scripture = Seemingly divergent and disconnected parts resemble each other, and a part resembles the whole

Scripture = fractal. Nature = fractal.

Genesis 1:2 “tohuva’bohu” = “without form and void” or “waste and welter” > presents some interesting questions as to the cosmology described in Genesis 1.

Genesis 1 plausible translation by Robert Alter:

“When God began to create heaven and earth, and the earth then was welter and waste and darkness over the deep and God’s breath hovering over the waters, God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light.”

> story mysteriously starting with the world in the state of mess and ruin.

God in Bereshith is taking this Tohu va’bohu and reforming it into something very good.

In same sense Hashem brings humanity out of the waste and welter of the primordial chaos he brings Israel out of Rameses and Egypt and us out of the chaotic world system.

==> Creation is our exodus from oblivion

+++

The Origins Of Human Beings According To Ancient Sumerian (thecontroversialfiles.net)
When in the height heaven was not named, And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name, And the primeval Apsu, who begat them, And chaos, Tiamut, the mother of them both Their waters were mingled together, And no field was formed, no marsh was to be seen; When of the gods none had been called into being, And none bore a name, and no destinies were ordained; Then were created the gods in the midst of heaven, Lahmu and Lahamu were called into being…
Sumerian mythology claims that, in the beginning, human-like gods ruled over Earth. When they came to the Earth, there was much work to be done and these gods toiled the soil, digging to make it habitable and mining its minerals. The texts mention that at some point the gods mutinied against their labour.
One of the ‘secrets’ being discussed in my new book… (docjp.wordpress.com)
How careful we are on the Earth to keep our records private, when everything we do is public knowledge on the Astral region. Just one more thing most people do not realize about the Reality of Life. But perhaps more people should be aware of this… what do you think?
Why are we on earth? (meditationscatholiques.wordpress.com)
To be a human being means to come from God and to go to God. Our origin goes back farther than our parents. We come from God, in whom all the happiness of heaven and earth is at home, and we are expected in his everlasting, infinite blessedness. Meanwhile we live on this earth. Sometimes we feel that our Creator is near; often we feel nothing at all. So that we might find the way home, God sent us his Son, who freed us from sin, delivers us from all evil, and leads us unerringly into true life. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6).
Passover: Liberty & Freedom are the Inalienable Rights of Every Human Being (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
I have been blessed with many different seder experiences that exemplify this notion of “liberty” and “freedom”. Not long after Glasnost and Perestroika, I went to the Former Soviet Union for two years with congregants during Pesach. We brought in much needed medical supplies, taught about Pesach and led Pesach seders in Minsk, Vitebsk, Gomel and Mogilev (all in Belarus). After the first seder, one woman approached us with tears streaming down her face, “I am 40 years old and this is my first Pesach seder. Thank you!” Up until then, the Jewish community had not been allowed to celebrate, and there was no one who knew the rituals.
Bible lesson # 17: There are male shrine prostitutes who promote idols (ivarfjeld.com)
Men like to brand prostitution like trade in sexual favors. Buying and selling of sex. But God of the Bibles have a different view on this, and explains to us that prostitution is much more than buying and selling of unlawful sex. The Bible speaks about Spiritual prostitution. This kind of adultery towards God starts with making an image or an idol. The moment you brand such production as anything but sin, you have become a member of a prostitution racket.
Your Body, your Health, your Responsibility (reve-pavilion.co.uk)
We are informed that the average length of people’s life is getting longer. The main factors that account for the fact that the average age to which people live has increased since Victorian times are also multiple. Many more babies survive thanks to medical improvements than used to be the case. Improved living conditions, housing, safer working conditions, clean water, better management of waste and improved diets have played a good part.
Stop Using God To Justify Hate And Discrimination (benniewiley.com)
Will God judge America for gay marriage and abortion? And if He does, when will God do it? Fundamentalist, evangelicals and conservatives on the religious right are quick to tell us that “God will judge America for gay marriage and abortion”. Apparently they believe God loves fertilized human female eggs more than God loves many of the “little bastards” after they are born and become real living human beings.

But if God decides to judge America for gay marriage and abortion, isn’t there a longer list of atrocities and abominations for which God might judge America before God gets around to judging America for gay marriage and abortion?
The grain of wheat must die to bear fruit the human being is always already beyond (manilatimes.net)
The ancient Filipinos have a saying: Madali maging tao, mahirap magpakatao – It is easy to be born, it is difficult to become human. To struggle to become oneself is the struggle to free oneself from various forms of alienation which seek to annihilate the self, make one conform to everybody else, to betray oneself, and to be destroyed spiritually.

There is always the consciousness of incompleteness in us – we are not only what we are, we are also that which we are not, everything that we still lack. And so we strive to fill the realm of possibilities we find before ourselves.
What does the Bible say about racism, prejudice, and discrimination? (don-overton.newsvine.com)
The first thing to understand in this discussion is that there is only one race—the human race. Caucasians, Africans, Asians, Indians, Arabs, and Jews are not different races. Rather, they are different ethnicities of the human race. All human beings have the same physical characteristics (with minor variations, of course). More importantly, all human beings are equally created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to lay down His life for us (John 3:16). The “world” obviously includes all ethnic groups.

Necessity of a revelation of creation 4 Getting understanding by Word of God 2

April 4, 2015April 4, 2015Christadelphians31 Comments

Like God had given His manna to His people in the desert, He still continues to give spiritual manna to the people in the world. Throughout history several people came to understand that God was guiding them and giving them spiritual nourishment. King David was not so pride to hide that he received knowledge from God and wrote down many psalms for his Sovereign Master. Like any other man David also made faults. After he repented (doing a work of faith) he was pardoned by God Who exalted him.

God had told the world He would make His words known to the people because He has called, though many did not want to or refused to listen. God even has stretched out His Hand and no one has heeded, because man has ignored all God’s counsel and would have none of His reproof, and therefore Jehovah God also will laugh at our calamity and will mock when terror strikes the world.

Pro 1:20-33 NSB Wisdom calls you! She raises her voice in the streets and marketplaces. (21) She calls in the streets, in the opening of the gates: in the city she utters her words. She says: (22) »How long, you simple (stupid) (foolish) ones, will you love simplicity (foolishness) (stupidity)? The scoffers delight in scoffing. Fools hate knowledge! (23) »Listen when I reprove you. I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you. (24) »I called you! I stretched out my hand to you. You paid no attention to me. (25) »You have ignored all my counsel. You accept no correction. (26) »I also will laugh at your trouble. I will mock when your fear comes. (27) »Trouble and distress will surround you like a whirlwind, like a great storm. (28) »You will ask for my help, but I will not listen. You will search, but you will not find me. (29) »You have no use for knowledge and you refuse to respect Jehovah. (30) »You rejected my advice and paid no attention when I warned you. (31) »Now you will get what you deserve for what you have done. Your own advice will make you sick. (32) »Sin and self-satisfaction bring destruction and death to stupid fools. (33) »Whoever listens to me will be secure and will be free from the fear of evil.«

For ages, centuries, many people would not want to see that it is not good or not right to reject the counsels of wisdom. God gave council to the world but His given wisdom was not liked by man, though it is quite clear and evident in Solomon’s teaching that true wisdom is from God and that the understanding of His words is something that is given and not innate to human nature.

Job 21:14-15 NSB »They say to God: ‘Leave us alone! We do not desire to know your ways.’ (15) »Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what do we gain if we pray to him?

Job 22:17 NSB »They said to God: ‘Leave us alone.’ They asked: ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

Isa 30:11-14 NSB »‘Get out of our way! Stop blocking our path! Get the Holy One of Israel out of our sight.’« (12) This is what the Holy One of Israel says: »You have rejected this warning, trusted oppression and deceit, and you leaned upon them for support. (13) »For that reason your sin will be like a high wall with a bulging crack, ready to fall. All of a sudden it will fall. (14) »It will break like pottery. It will be smashed. Nothing will be left of it. No piece will be big enough to carry live coals from a fireplace or to dip water from a reservoir.«

They hated knowledge coming from a place unknown to them and did not choose the fear of the Maker of everything, despising all His reproof. Therefore those people shall have to abide in the consequences. Even though the words are so strident and even harsh, it is actually a kindness for wisdom to rebuke so sharply in accord with justice — it is life itself which is at stake. The chiefest of our duties as creatures of God Most High is to fear him; thus, it is the height of rebellion to despise the reproofs of wisdom that comes from him.

Rom 1:28 NSB They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, so God gave them over to a reprobate (depraved) mind, to do things that are not fitting.

Pro 6:23 NSB For the commandment is a lamp. The law is light. Reproofs for instruction are the way of life.

Psa 19:7-11 NSB The law of Jehovah is perfect. It gives new life. The testimony of Jehovah is dependable. It makes the simple wise. (8) The statutes of Jehovah are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The commandments of Jehovah are radiant. They make the eyes shine. (9) The reverence of Jehovah is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of Jehovah are true. They are completely fair. (10) They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb. (11) They warn your servant. There is a great reward in following them.

Psa 119:151-152 NSB You are near, O Jehovah. All your commandments are truth! (152) Of old I have known from your laws that you have founded them forever.

From the beginning of times there were the Laws of God. Adam and Eve got to hear them. They heard the things they could do freely and got to hear their restrictions. They did not obey God’s commandments. When they were cast out of the Garden of Eden it did not make an end to those commandments.

God had set out rules for a certain reason. It is also to protect ourselves. Following those rules we shall be able to have lesser problems in life than those who do not want to know about God’s commandments. As time went by God had to add certain laws, but His Word did not change like He did not change at all. He is, was and always shall be the same eternal God Who made heaven and earth and Who has a Plan with creation.

Some may find God’s Words and His commandments not so clear, but often it is because they have not yet opened their ears for that Word of God fully. The understanding of His words shall also come in the time of God. As God likes it He will see what is in the heart of a person and shall provide accordingly.

Deu 8:1-2 NSB »Be careful to do all the commandments I commanded you today! You will then live and multiply and go in and possess the land Jehovah promised to give to your forefathers. (2) »Remember the forty years Jehovah your God led you in the wilderness. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know what was in your heart. Whether you would obey his commandments.

Jer 17:9-13 NSB »The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately corrupt. Who can understand it? (10) »I, Jehovah, search the heart and examine the mind (inner man). I give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds. (11) »A person who gets rich dishonestly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay. During his lifetime, he will lose his wealth. In the end, he will be a wicked fool.« (12) From the very beginning our sanctuary was a glorious throne on high. (13) You will put to shame all that forsake you, O Jehovah, the hope of Israel. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, for they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living water.

Jer 11:20 NSB O Jehovah of Hosts, you are a fair judge. You test motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them. For that reason I presented my case to you.

Jer 20:12 NSB Yet, O Jehovah of Hosts you test the righteous. You see the mind and the heart. Let me see your vengeance on them for to you I have revealed my cause.

Lots of people thought to have wisdom in them, but it was more their pride that let them think they had wisdom. they also forgot that everything a man has he receives from God. When a person can do something it is because God allows it to happen. It is not said that it would be good or would be bad. Some things may look bad at one moment but turn out for the better at a later stage. Those getting pride in what they know or in what they can do should remember that wisdom is not innate to human nature. It is also not said we are all born stupid or without any wisdom. But by birth we lack a lot of things, because we have been formed by imperfect beings, our parents also being the result of a copulation of two not so perfect beings. By time the faults in the human genes got multiplied. Man lost also the feeling with creation, becoming less connected with fauna and flora.God wants His creation to be in unity with each other. Man has drifted away from that good relationship which was there in the Garden of Eden. That good relationship is also what God wants to be restored and has provided for His theocratic reign, the future Kingdom, where there will be no death, because that is something He hates. Jehovah views death as an enemy.

1Co 15:26 NSB The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. (Revelation 20:14)

God brought it over Adam and eve and their offspring. Straight ahead in the Garden of Eden He promised for a solution and throughout He let His people know He did not like this situation with suffering and death. He has a longing to conquer that enemy, to undo death by means of the resurrection. He yearns to bring back those who are in his memory and to see them live on earth again.

Job 14:14-15 NSB »If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my change (release) to come. (15) »You will call and I will answer you! You will long for the creature your hands have made.

God feels for us when we suffer, wants others to know how He is with His people and shall protect them and provide hope that all suffering will end.

Zec 2:8-11 NSB »Jehovah of Hosts proclaims: ‘He sent me after glory! He sent me to the nations that plundered you. For he that touches you touches the pupil of his eye.’ (9) »Behold! I will shake my hand (power) over them, and they will be a spoil to those who served them.« Then you will know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me. (10) »Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For I am coming, and I will dwell in the midst of you,« said Jehovah. (11) »Many nations will join themselves to Jehovah in that day, and will be my people! I will dwell in the your midst, and you will know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me to you.«
Psa 37:9-13 NSB For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who wait for Jehovah will inherit the land. (10) A short time from now the wicked man will be no more. You will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. (11) The meek (gentle) (mild) (humble) will inherit the earth and will delight in the abundance 0f peace. (12) The wicked plots against the righteous and grinds at him with his teeth. (13) Jehovah laughs at him, for he sees that his day will come.

But man shall have to be patient until the Day of God shall come. even Jesus did not know when that day would come. In the meantime man should consider how Jehovah God feels when His people are cruelly mistreated. (About the past times the Bible says that Jehovah was distressed because of “those who were treating them abusively.”)

Jdg 2:18 NSB When Jehovah established judges he supported each judge. He delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days the judge lived. He had compassion for them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.

God provided man to lead, judges, priests and kings, but most of all His Word, written down by men could trust and was willing to provide with His wisdom.It was at God’s time that things were written down and so not directly whilst he events took place. After the events took place but the prophesies where written down years and years long before those events took place. About certain elements it was not yet necessary to have them written down at the time because the people who hear about it had also been witnesses of the events. Before the Gospels were written, the gospel message was still known because people preached it (e.g., Matthew 28:19-20). The eyewitnesses who were alive at the time could verify and vouch for the validity of the message that was being preached (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; 1 John 1:1-4). When the original eyewitnesses (especially the inspired ones [John 14:26]) of the events the Gospels describe were reaching the end of their lives and would soon no longer be able to orally verify that accounts of Jesus’ life given in teaching and preaching were true (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 1:1-4). The writers of the Holy Scriptures have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among them. They felt the Hand of God and were seriously aware of the necessity to report everything truthfully, without hiding their own deficiencies. In Scriptures you may find the writers their own imperfections or flaws. They show us how they were guided and got wisdom from God’s Word and how necessary it is for us to take heed. With what they wrote down we should be able to come to more wisdom. Many do not know the scriptures or the power of God, but those who are opening their mind to read it and learn from it can find answers in their head. The sent one from God, Jeshua, Jesus Christ, tried to get the people to understand easier the Word of his heavenly Father. He too had to open the eyes of his pupils, like other prophets before him.

Luk 24:45 NSB He opened their minds that they might understand the scriptures.

It are also those Scriptures which tell us what happened and what still shall come. They show us how God provided a solution against death and who that solution is. But to see what the solution is people have to come to hear the testimony which that Nazarene man gave. as soon as the time was indicated by God that son of man testified of his heavenly Father; for the works which the Father had given him to finish, bear witness of him, that the Father has sent him and that it was not like some think God Himself coming down to earth. Scripture tells us that people shall have to hear that it was the Heavenly Father Who sent Jesus and testified of this man telling no lies to the world and saying to all those around Jesus that he is His son.

Mat 3:17 NSB Then a voice from heaven said: »This is my Son whom I love and whom I have approved.«
Joh 12:28-30 NSB »Father, glorify your name.« A voice came from heaven: »I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.« (29) The crowd near him only heard thunder. Some said an angel spoke to him. (30) Jesus said: »This voice came for your sake and not for mine.

Today also for us it is impossible to see Jesus or to see God. We also cannot say with certitude we heard God His Voice as such or seen His form. Though we can hear God’s Voice by what Jesus has brought over the world and by the Comforter Jesus asked God to sent to this world. The ones who refuse to read the Bible or to listen to words of it shall not find God’s Word abiding in them, for they do not believe Jesus whom the Most High Elohim has sent. They may search the Scriptures, because in them they think that they have eternal life or they may dream of a separate element being taken out of their body, which they call their soul going up to heaven. What we see in this world that many of those still prefer like in the old times to keep to traditions, to keep having part in the pagan celebrations. Some of them may even say they love Jesus, but they do not want to see and take Jesus for what he really is and for what he really has done. In a certain way they refuse to come to Jesus so that they may have life, becoming children of God in a restored New World. We should not be like those who do not believe that Jesus is the sent one from God. We should believe the words like they are given in Scriptures and have to come to believe that Jesus receives glory from Jehovah God, from Whom he comes. We should accept and put our hope in the fact that Jesus has come in his Father’s name. We do have the Old and the New Testament to teach us and to guide us and to make it clear how everything happened and who is who. From Scriptures we shall come to see on whom we have to set our hope. We should believe Moses, Isaiah and other prophets and have to believe in Jesus’ words.

Joh 5:36-47 NSB »The testimony I have is greater than that of John. The works I do are the works the Father gave me to accomplish. They testify that the Father has sent me. (37) »The Father who sent me testifies about me. You have not heard his voice nor seen him at any time. (38) »You do not have his word dwelling in you. This is because you do not believe in the person he has sent. (39) »You search (investigate) (study) the Scriptures because you think that in them you have everlasting life. These Scriptures testify about me. (40) »And yet you will not come to me that you may have life. (41) »I do not accept glory from men. (42) »I know that the love of God is not in you. (43) »I came in my Father’s name and you did not receive me. If another came in his own name you would receive him. (44) »How can you believe? You seek praise and glory from one another? Why do you not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (45) »Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Moses on whom you have set your hope is a plaintiff against you. (46) »It is a fact! If you believed Moses you would believe me. He wrote about me! (47) »If you do not believe his writings how will you believe my words?«

Preceding articles:

Next: Necessity of a revelation of creation 5 Getting understanding by Word of God 3

Additional reading:

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On other WordPress blogs:
Psalm 23 A Love Song
Dig for Wednesday the 25th of March…..we are blessed because of God’s love for His son…..2 Samuel 9:1
Listening to Your Spirit

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The historic/Jewish people’s emergence/radically different from/story told. (eagleman6788.wordpress.com)
Following 70 years of intensive excavations in the Land of Israel, archaeologists have found out: The patriarchs’ acts are legendary, the Israelites did not sojourn in Egypt or make an exodus, they did not conquer the land. Neither is there any mention of the empire of David and Solomon, nor of the source of belief in the God of Israel. These facts have been known for years, but Israel is a stubborn people and nobody wants to hear about it.
Those Other Christians and Their Weird Beliefs (danspulpit.wordpress.com)
The Lord regularly promised spiritual and other kinds of prosperity to the leaders of Israel and Israel themselves if they walked in His ways. His blessings then and now are conditional. Many today in our self-centered, greasy grace time in history have the idea that they somehow should receive the blessings of God just because of His love for them. But if you read from Genesis to Revelation you find that God’s blessings are indeed conditional, whether we like it or not.
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We are told there are 38,000 Christian denominations on the earth today that differ in theology, how they do worship and church stuff. Some of these denominations t really believe some pretty off the wall stuff and some of them do some pretty crazy stuff. But there are God lovers in all of them. I am weary of believers throwing the baby out with the bath water. Your don’t have to spend much time on line to find believers condemning pastor so and so’s entire ministry because of a doctrine or practice they don’t agree with. How arrogant it is to believe you or I are completely correct on every doctrine and every practice. We all have a few things wrong, but just haven’t realized it yet. Preachers and believers with good fruit should be respected even if we don’t completely buy everything they believe or practice. We are exhorted repeatedly to keep the unity of the Spirit in the church and love one another and to be one just as Jesus and the Father are one. This includes crossing denominational and theological lines. In 1 Corinthians Paul condemns the divisions that so easily quench what God intends in the church. From God’s perspective, there is one church and no denominations. Believers are believers. God lovers are God lovers. Good fruit is good fruit.
When That Which Is Hidden… (michaelgurley.wordpress.com)
It’s a fearful thought that who we “were” and what we hope to never be “revealed” will somehow come to the light of day. However, there is a way to assuage the guilt, to erase our sin. A single scriptural principle.The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! (Psalms 111:10 ESV)

This word “fear” should be better interpreted as “moral reverence” – it is not the fear that leaves us quaking from the boogey man. Rather, it’s the reverence we have for the moral superior. It’s respect. Almost like the feelings we get when we are around somebody we want to rub shoulders with, but are perhaps afraid of getting too close to them.

Revere. Respect. Even worshipful. It’s almost as if we expect this special one to see right through our thin veneer.
Proverbs 1 (cutpaste.typepad.com)

Imagine God said that to you. What would you ask for? Solomon asked for wisdom. He recognized his desperation for wisdom.

We would be wise for us to recognize the same. It will do us no good to read through the rest of the book of Proverbs unless we first recognize our need for wisdom.
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Wisdom does not come with age. There are plenty of old people living like fools. Neither does wisdom come with experience. It’s possible for us to have experiences and rather than learning from them we just continue making the same mistakes. Wisdom comes from God. And since it comes from God alone, there is only one place to turn when we need it.
Open Heavens Sunday, 29 March 2015 : Emmanuel (emmanuelayeni.com)
One reason why the Holy Spirit caused the Gospel of Matthew to be written is to show that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah. One of such prophesies is found in Isaiah 7:14 which says,
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
This prophecy was shown to be fulfilled by Jesus in our Bible
The Passover eclipse blood moon prayer (mobile.wnd.com)
Today, when people express the opinion that eclipses do have meaning, they are generally interpreted as a sign or omen of bad news rather than good. It has always been this way throughout history. In fact, this view may have saved Chrisopher Columbus’ life back in February 1504 when on his fourth and final voyage, he used his knowledge of a coming total lunar eclipse to scare the local natives into providing his men with much needed supplies and protection. The account says that Columbus met with the island chief that day, proclaimed that God was angry with him and his people for treating his men poorly and pronounced that a sign wouldbe coming to prove it. (Eclipse tables had been invented recently, so he knew one was coming that very night). Then, as the lunar eclipse went all the way to the blood-red stage, Columbus entered into prayer, coming out of his cabin just as the phase was ending and pronouncing loudly, “God has forgiven you.” Needless to say, relations with the island natives immediately improved!
Sermon: Greater Days Are Ahead (grantspasschurchofchrist.com)
Solution for Willing hearts filled with gifts (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)

Necessity of a revelation of creation 2 Organisation of a system of things

April 1, 2015April 1, 2015Christadelphians37 Comments

In the beginning there was only emptiness and the Untold Greatness of the Supreme Adonai (a title of reverence for God, serving also as a substitute pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton יהוה {Jehovah}) Elohim Creator God of gods. His Voice echoed in the universal space and thus arose the things that He had formed. We wished His Voice echoed through eternity as He is infinite. He spoke and something came from nothing into life and the Divine Creator wished that His creation would hear His voice.

When He had created man in His own image, and blown His breath in the nostrils of this man, the 1° Adam came into life with blood running through his veins, and could hear His creation talking to Him, giving him the surroundings to live in and to give names for all the things man could find in his life. Though not so happy on his own man requested a partner, so God provided a mannin (the female, part of the red blooded man) out of his rib. This woman, Eve, also could hear the Voice of God and live with her partner in the Garden of Eden, which was a perfect world. This female creature got a dignified role in the creation, and had to bring forth other human beings to populate the earth.

We may understand God expected man and mannin to be been a faithful to each other and to Him. He had organised the system, having created space, heavens, planets, solar systems, time and as such an organised system of things and asked them also to organise their life by first calling the things by name. They had to take care of mother earth.

God created things with the appearance of age. This allows a specific ‘literal’ interpretation of Genesis 1, 2. It is suggested that miracles such as the turning of water into wine indicate that the miraculously provided wine was created with an apparent age. This idea is extended for example to God creating trees with apparent annual rings that God had fabricated. God organised the whole system so that everything would become clear as soon as man got more insight in those things. Several different combinations of radioactive isotopes in the rocks independently indicate an age of several billion years, that way people can come to place the things in the time indication they are following, which can be different now from one group of humans to an other. Today we may find the Gregorian calendar, the Jewish, an Islamic and Julian calendar in use, making it that for each of these population we are in ‘an other time’.

God normally provided sun, moon and darkness to provide a time indication. This a lunisolar calendar is still being followed by the Jews. The time indication given by God for man is different than God’s time indication for Himself, being one day a thousand years.

Gen 1:5 NSB God called the light day. He called the darkness night. There was evening and there was morning, one day.

2Pe 3:8 NSB Do not forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (Psalm 90:1, 4)

Psa 90:4 NSB In your sight a thousand years are like a single day, like yesterday, already past like an hour in the night.

In the time span of God man could live freely but had to respect the days of God. By time passing, days were added and as such man was requested to organise special days for God. These holy days could be determined by the the dates on that calendar of the People of God or Hebrew calendar. With it people can organise for Jewish holidays and for Christian holidays, to get the dates right for the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits, and daily Psalm readings, among many ceremonial uses. In Israel, it is still used for religious and for civil purposes, providing also a time frame for agriculture. Although the civil calendar usage has been steadily declining in favour of the Gregorian or Western calendar also sometimes called the Christian calendar, which is internationally the most widely used civil calendar.
The Julian Day calendar, introduced by the authority of Julius Caesar in 46 bce, brings a system of astronomical dating allowing the difference between two dates to be calculated more easily than conventional civil calendars with their uneven months and is still used by used by some Orthodox Churches. Dates in the Julian calendar are sometimes designated “Old Style.”

God gave preparation days and special days to remember and to take rest. For mankind it had to be followed and to be a “legacy,” or “inheritance” (nachala) (Time (of) Year) Later in history we shall see that the Roman emperor Constantine organised the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, one of the key concerns was to determine a date for celebrating Easter that would be the same across the board for all Christians and in accordance with the celebration of the god of fertility Eostre, the namesake of the festival of Easter. Constantine wanted to have all the Christian festivities falling together with those of the Romans and having the Christians to accept the Roman tri-godhead celebrations in their meetings. The determination of a dating method for the pagan feast which later became a holiday in many Christian communities called Easter, got all the different Christian communities who came to accept the tri-une godhead to celebrate Easter on the exact same day, whilst the other true Christians kept on celebrating God’s Days but got it more difficult to know which day had to be celebrated. As such the Romans and those who got more power from emperor Constantine hoped they would not be able to follow God’s holidays and soon would join the public holidays.

But before the adversaries of God had taken most in control god took care that His Word would keep sounding all over the world at all times. The order and organisation offered to man by god was rejected by the man and mannin, they questioning His right to govern everything and to decide everything, being Master over everything and especially over the Knowledge of good and evil (with the Tree of good and evil). The order of hierarchy became damaged and God had to provide a new world order with man having now given the right to organise everything himself. After the fall, the first sin of man, the human beings could receive all the robes in their hands to arrange life.

Man and mannin were cast out of the perfect world which was all the time in harmony. Now they came in the outer boarders where God had allowed the world continually to develop. From then onwards people would feel the creation evolving with among others the movement of the earth’s liquid interior causing earthquakes and volcanoes as lava is forced to the surface and the plates of the earth shift. However, movement of the earth’s liquid core also creates the magnetosphere, a magnetic field shielding the earth from cosmic rays. This all made part of God’s Plan but now man got more knowledge of it and had to bear the consequences of their actions contrary to the Will of God. Whilst at the beginning, man had not to fear volcanoes, they now came to fear them for their destruction. Instead of gaining the knowledge they had hoped for, becoming equal with or even higher than God they lost their innocence and their inner peace, coming not to see straight ahead what possible benefits such eruptions of volcanoes could have. Volcanoes are part of the earth’s carbon cycle, regulating temperature and carbon balance so that life can survive and flourish.

God had everything placed so nicely in His system, but man wanted to be master over their own system. Now they got it. Perhaps the Garden of Eden was such a sacred place where there would not have been any problem with the further development of the universe that the movement of the earth’s surface plates over-there would not have created deadly earthquakes and tsunamis. Spread out over the earth’s surface people had to find places to live which perhaps were not provide for such conditions at first, but with man moving to the wrong places, making the wrong decisions to live somewhere they came to suffer by those actions of the earth were the movement of these plates is also essential to life on earth and were the streams of water are also necessary for the development and fertilisation of the soil.

The God of order had everything in His ‘head’ and enclosed in His ‘heart’ and had everything foreseen for His human beings. The divine Creator is the One to Whom belongs Rulership and awe. Dominion and fear are with Him. He establishes order in the heights of heaven and He makes peace in His high places.

Job 25:2 NSB »Rulership and awe belong to God. He establishes order in the heights of heaven.

Adam and Eve were created perfect. We do believe, unlike most trinitarian Christians, that God made His creation perfect and that Adam and Eve had everything to be and to stay perfect. God was not a cruel god who imposed laws he knew man could not keep. The Divine Creator did very well know that the Laws or Commandments He gave to the human beings could be followed by every human being. In case Eve had listened to God and not driven her own will, there would not have been any problem. Now she got judgement over her and got damned with suffering. With her the 1° Adam also was taken into to temptation and into the damnation of the fall. Man became consigned to perdition, being made from dust he was to return to dust again.

Gen 2:7 NSB Jehovah God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The man became a living being.

Gen 3:12-19 NSB Adam said: »The woman you put here with me gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.« (13) Then Jehovah God said to the Eve: »What is this you have done?« The woman answered: »The serpent deceived me, and I ate.« (14) So Jehovah God said to the serpent: »Because you have done this you are cursed above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. (15) »And I will put enmity (hostility) (hatred) between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers. He will bruise (overwhelm) (crush) you in the head, and you will bruise (overwhelm) (crush) him in the heel.« (Romans 16:20) (16) He said to the woman: »I will greatly increase your pains in childbirth; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.« (17) He said to Adam: »Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. (18) »It will produce thorns and thistles for you. You will eat the plants of the field. (19) »You will eat your food by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground. You came from the ground. For dust you are and to dust you will return.«

Job 34:15 NSB »All flesh would perish and man would return to dust.

Psa 90:3-10 NSB You turn men back into dust and say: »Return, O sons of men!« (4) In your sight a thousand years are like a single day, like yesterday, already past like an hour in the night. (5) You sweep mortals away in the sleep of death. They sprout again in the morning like grass. (6) In the morning they blossom and sprout. In the evening they fade and wither away. (7) Your anger consumes us. We are troubled by your rage. (8) You set our sins in front of you. You put our secret sins in the light of your presence. (9) Indeed, all our days slip away because of your fury. We live out our years like one long sigh. (10) The days of our lives are seventy or eighty years if we are in good health. But the best of them bring trouble and misery. Indeed, they are soon gone, and we fly away.

The God of order and love presented an ending to the suffering, an end to the misery by the end of life. But this end of life does not fit the Plan of god and therefore He provide a solution to return the consequences of disobedience in the hope more human being would come to obey His orders and be prepared to honour Him as the Only One God.

To help them to find the right way to restore the damaged relationship He continued to give His Word with the people in the world.

Preceding articles:

Continues with: Necessity of a revelation of creation 3 Getting understanding by Word of God

Additional reading:

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Ides of March: What Is It? Why Do We Still Observe It? (fromthetrenchesworldreport.com)
Aside from its historical connection, the concept of the Ides of March would have resonated with English citizens in 1599, the year Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar was probably performed, Ziegler said.

“This whole business of the Ides of March and timekeeping in the play would have had a strong impact on audiences,” she said.

“They were really struck by the differences between their Julian calendar [a revision of the Roman calendar created by Caesar] and the Gregorian calendar kept in Catholic countries on the continent.”

Because the two calendars featured years of slightly different lengths, they had diverged significantly by the late 16th century and were several days apart.
Fisher: The coming of spring (themorningsun.com)
Anxious people stop me on the street and at parties. I can tell by their expression that they are worried. I clasp their hand firmly in both of mine. “What is wrong, friend?” In a hushed tone they respond, “When is Easter coming?” “Why, the first Sunday after the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox,” I assure them.

We orbit the Sun every 365.24+ days each year. Think of a clock face, with the Winter Solstice at 12 o’clock, and the Summer Solstice at 6 o’clock. Our planet moves counterclockwise on the clock face. Earth is now very near 9 o’clock, the spring, or Vernal Equinox for the Northern Hemisphere. It will occur at 6:45 p.m. on March 20. (The Southern Hemisphere reverses these: they are entering their fall.)

Cultures throughout history have celebrated the coming of spring, thanking the gods for delivering them from the miseries of winter. Sacrifices, feasts, wild parties and lots to drink were accessories to this time. It was important to understand when spring arrived so farmers knew when to plant their crops. The atmosphere was one of joy and rebirth.
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Among the oldest such festival is Passover, April 3 this year, a Jewish celebration of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. Christian Easter, the most important celebration in their calendar follows from this. Jesus was crucified after the Passover feast of Seder, in 30 CE. Easter is a moveable feast, which means that it does not occur on the same date every year.

Necessity of a revelation of creation 1 Works of God and works of man

March 31, 2015September 25, 2015Christadelphians36 Comments

The Divine Creator of heaven and earth wanted His creation to know Who He is and wanted to be worshipped by them. When man revolted against His Wishes He had to make it clear to them that He is and always shall be the Most High. Loving His creation He knew that they were miserable in making the wrong choice. Therefore He provided a solution but demanded His creation to come to know Him better and to restore the broken relationship.

He had a plan with His creation, but by the choice man made this plan was interrupted. To come back to the point were man went wrong there had to come a second Adam who would proof the world that it is possible for man to keep to the commandments of God and to fulfil God’s Wishes. The world had to come to see who that man of salvation is and why God has imposed such Laws unto man. At the same time the one sent from God (Jeshua from the lineage of King David) would come to declare the works of God and show the world Who his heavenly Father is and what He wants from the human beings. This man to be born in Bethlehem would have to reveal the Divine Creator.

The whole world should come to see the necessity of a Revelation to make known the origin, reason, and tendency of things in relation to man and the world around him — An intelligible Mystery, and the only source of true wisdom; but practically repudiated by the Moderns.

Man in the world may have forgotten Who is behind everything, but it are the lovers of God who should bring them back on track and show the world the light of Christ and the Way to the Most High Supreme Power.

Man may be lost in the amount of things around him. He might consider him just an element in a universe about which we still do not know much. Though some may think they know a lot of that universe. When looking at it they may see the world or earth revolving upon its own axis, and describing an ample circuit through the boundless fields of space, a planet of the solar system bearing upon its surface a population of over a thousand millions subject to sin, disease, and death.

Dr John Thomas wrote in the 19th century:

This orb of the starry heavens shines with a glory similar to that of its kindred spheres. Viewed from them, it is seen sparkling “like a diamond in the sky”; and with the rest of the heavens, declares the glory of God, and shows forth the handiwork of Him that did create it.
This celestial orb, which is a world or system of itself, is styled The Earth. It is the habitation of races of animals which graze its fields, lurk in its forests, soar through its atmosphere, and pass through the paths of its seas. At the head of all these is a creature like themselves, animal, sensual and mortal. He is called Man. He has replenished the earth and subdued it, and filled it with his renown. His crimes, however, rather than his virtues, have illustrated and distinguished him with an unhappy pre-eminence above all other created things. His heart is evil; and, left to its uncontrolled impulses, he becomes licentious, merciless, and more cruel than the fiercest beast of prey.
Such is the being that claims the independent sovereignty of the globe. He has founded dominions, principalities, and powers; he has built great cities, and vaunted himself in the works of his hands, saying, “Are not these by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” He repudiates all lordship over him, and claims the inalienable and inherent right of self-government, and of establishing whatever civil and ecclesiastical institutions are best suited to his sensuality and caprice. Hence, at successive periods, the earth has become the arena of fierce and pandemoniac conflicts; its tragedies have baptized its soil in blood, and the mingled cries of the oppressor and the victim have ascended to the throne of the Most High.
Skilled in the wisdom which comes from beneath, he is by nature ignorant of that which is “first pure, and then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy”. This is a disposition to which the animal man under the guidance of his fleshly mind has no affinity. His propensity is to obey the lust of his nature; and to do its evil works, “which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, sects, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like”. All these make up the character of the world, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life”, upon which is enstamped the seal of God’s eternal reprobation. “They who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” but “they shall die”.
Such is the world of human kind! The great and impious enemy of God upon the earth. Its mind is not subject to His law, neither indeed can it be. What shall we say to these things? Is the world as we behold it a finality? Are generations of men, rebellious against God, and destroyers of the earth, to occupy it successively through an endless series of ages? Are men to repeat the history of the past for ever? Is the earth always to be cursed, and sin and death to reign victorious? Who can answer these inquiries? If we survey the starry canopy, thence no sign or voice is given expressive of the truth. They declare the eternal power and divinity of their Creator, but they speak not of the destiny of the earth or of man upon it. If we question the mountains and hills, the plains and valleys, the rivers, seas, and oceans of the earth, and demand their origin, why they were produced, to what end they were created; their rocks, their strata, their fossils, or deposits, afford us no response. Turn we to man and ask him, “Whence comest thou, and what is thy destiny? Whence all tile evil of thy nature, why art thou mortal, who made thee, who involved thee in the wide-spread ruin and calamity on every side?”
Ask an infant of days the history of the past, and he can as well detail it, as man can answer these inquiries without a revelation from Him who is before all, and to whom is known from the beginning all He intends shall come to pass. So true is it, that, unaided by light from heaven, “since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what is prepared for him that waiteth for him”; but, adds the apostle in his comment upon these words of the prophet, “God hath revealed these things unto us by his spirit … which things we (apostles) speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the holy spirit teacheth; interpreting spiritual things in spiritual words.”
To the Bible, then, all must come at last if they would be truly wise in spiritual things. This is a great truth which few of the sons of men have learned to appreciate according to its importance. A man may be a theologian profoundly skilled in all questions of “divinity”; he may be well versed in the mythology of the heathen world; be able to speak all languages of the nations; compute the distances of orb from orb, and weigh them in the scales of rigid calculation; he may know all science and be able to solve all mysteries,—but if, with all this, he be ignorant of “the things of the spirit”; if he know not the true meaning of the Bible; he seemeth only to be wise, while he is, in fact, a fool. Therefore, the apostle saith, “let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men”. If our contemporaries could only attain to the adoption of this great precept, “let no man glory in men”, they would have overleaped a barrier which as a fatal obstacle prevents myriads from understanding and obeying the truth.
But while God lightly esteems the wisdom of the reputed wise, there is a wisdom which He invites all men to embrace. This is styled “the wisdom of God in a mystery”; it is also termed “the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world which none of the princes of this world knew”. It is said to be hidden in a mystery, because until the apostolic age, it was not clearly made known. This will appear from the following texts: “Now to him that is of power to establish you according to the revelation of The Mystery, which was kept secret (χρόνοις αἰωνίοις) in the times of the ages, but now (in the time, or age, of the apostles) is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” “By revelation God made known unto me, Paul, The Mystery, which in other ages (former ages under the law of Moses) was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto the holy apostles and prophets by the spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.”

Here is “the knowledge of God”, in which are contained “exceeding great and precious promises”, the understanding of which is able to make a man wise, and “a partaker of the divine nature”. Now, although these hidden things have been clearly made known, they still continued to be styled the mystery; not because of their unintelligibility, but became they were once secret. Hence, the things preached unto the Gentiles, and by them believed, are styled by Paul, “the mystery of the faith”, and “the mystery of godliness”, some of the items of which he enumerates; such as, “God manifest in the flesh, justified by the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory”. Thus an intelligible mystery characterizes the once hidden wisdom of God, and becomes the subject matter of an enlightened faith. This, however, is not the case with regard to religious systems which are not of the truth. Unintelligible mystery is the ultima ratio for all difficulties which are insoluble by the symbols of ecclesiastical communities, whose text of universal application is, that “secret things belong to God, but the things which are revealed, to us and to our children”. This is true; but, then, these things which were secret in the days of Moses, have been revealed by God to the apostles and prophets for our information.

– Thomas, D. J. (1848-1849/e-ed. 1990). Elpis Israel: a standard work of the Christadelphian community and exposition of the kingdom of God with reference to the time of the end and the age to come, available at the Christadelphian bookshop.

Preceding articles:

To be continued: Necessity of a revelation of creation 2 Organisation of a system of things

Additional reading:

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Our Father In Heaven By: Joe Stowell (christianmotivations.weebly.com)
What do we know about God as our Father? According to Jesus’ prayer, we know that our Father in heaven is available and attentive to us. It is also clear that He provides for us. He forgives us and protects us from evil (vv.2-4).
Some Sins Indeed Result In Greater Judgment (planet.infowars.com)
, if Christians are guilty of the criticism of which they have been charged, isn’t that tendency in part the result of the way the Biblical narrative presents itself?
Man who raised God as son (wordignite.wordpress.com)
just like God had a plan for Joseph, God has a plan for each one of us. The plan does not need to be more than that He wants us to be upright and righteous. He wants us to be loving parents, loving husbands and wives. God wants us to follow the law – observe the commandments. But, just like Joseph, we may feel that we don’t have anything to contribute: that we are nothing but simple carpenters…we may feel insignificant, that we have nothing to offer. Still, God has a plan for us. God gives us dreams and speaks to us in our dreams.
Follow Me (heartfixxer.wordpress.com)
With Christ being alive and with us we can do all things if we trust in him. He has a place picked out for us in his heavenly kingdom, filled with God’s presence.
David “A Man after God’s own Heart | How God Chooses in 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (wordsforliving.org)
Some may wonder why we would even bother to spend time on a man who has been dead some three thousand years. The short answer to that is this: David achieved in his life something that God wants each of His children to achieve. David achieved something that many of us fail to accomplish. David became a man after God’s Own heart and a study of his life can teach us how to do that too.
Sermon: The Heart of God Seeks Unity (grantspasschurchofchrist.com)
The Civil War left a tragic aftermath of bitterness, hatred, and resentment in America. The wounds inflicted by the war were deep and painful. Though the guns fell silent, the angry recriminations went on. Many could not forget or forgive what had been done. Exchanges between former enemies rarely rose above the level of angry accusations and scornful denunciations.
Gospel, 21 March, Lent, Year B (jessicahof.wordpress.com)
Chrysostom adds that the Pharisees neither knew the fullness of the Law, neither did they do what it commanded, for it said that no man should be killed without being granted a hearing. But it is clear, from the testimony of Nicodemus, that not all the Pharisees were blind. He knew, from his own experience, the power of the words of Jesus, but he is silenced, as Peter will be later, by fear of the wrath of the Pharisees. Like us, he is weak and fearful. Authority on earth is a powerful thing and can drive us into silence. Can we summon the courage to confess Him in such circumstances?
1 Samuel 26 (asorensen.wordpress.com)
David knows good and well it is not God who wants him dead. So he calls on Saul to wake up and realize that he is listening to bad advice and direction from his men.
March 9 – peace (cohdailyprayer2014.wordpress.com)
Heavenly Father, help us purge ourselves of those attributes which make not for peace but which set the stage for war.
Lord hear our prayer, and grant us your peace.
Vayikra after its opening word וַיִּקְרָא, which means and He called (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)
For the Jews this Shabbat is the last of the Four Parashiot that have special Torah readings in preparation for Pesach (Passover), which is only two short weeks away! For Jews and Christians it should be the most important day of the year.

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1

March 16, 2015Guestspeaker32 Comments

The Aeon Eye with Alexander Rivera looks also at the very beginning of the Bible and the Torah where we are presented with the idea of the origins of mankind in the Primordial Garden of Eden that we first see in the Book of Genesis, the Bereshith.

Alexander Rivera remarks:

The traditional Orthodox reading of this story, of course, presents the age-old legend as literal evidence for the claim of mankind’s original sin and subsequent fall from primordial perfection and divine grace, as if God was still holding an eternal grudge against mankind for eating a fruit that he created in the first place, and still cursing mankind and the world for a multitude of generations after the fact. From this disobedience to God, alienation was given rise from the creator and humanity was once again condemned under the Law that God later gave to Moses at Mt. Sinai. In this reading, humanity is specifically condemned because of their inherently wickedness due to their rebellion and disobedience. And so the story goes, God had to send his innocent Son to die a cruel death to shed his blood to atone for the transgressions of a sinful and destitute humanity. Yet, beneath this callous, misanthropic reading lies a deeper layer of spiritual truth.

In the previous Readings from the Scriptures we could see how the female got tempted to get to know more about good and evil and how there was a delight to the eyes, the tree to be desired to make one wise. When she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat she wanted her partner also to be part of her disobedience to the Elohim. She lured him into eating of it as well, though God had prohibited them to touch the tree.

By eating of this tree of the forbidden fruit the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Suddenly the innocence of nakedness made place for an uncomfortable feeling. Their discomfort being so naked for each other and for the rest around them gave them a bad feeling.

Throughout history the story of the beginning of sin got merciless made in a weapon to unconscionably threaten people with demons, un-heavenly creatures who would damage the human soul and torture the human beings who got tempted by their words and actions. Their living quarters being deep under the ground in the burning alcoves of the underworld.

In the Bereshith, the Tanakh, the Holy Jewish and Christian Bible the adversary of God, could be any tempter, but people wanted to see not themselves in it but preferred to see an extra-terrestrial being in it, giving the noun satan (adversary) the surnames Satan and Lucifer. We do not know if it is like Alexander Rivera thinks that this interpretation would have come into the picture much later with the Book of Wisdom (2:23-24) revealing in this version:

For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.

Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons, writes in Against Heresies 5.23, which started the ball rolling for the Orthodox exegetic interpretation:

But that God was true, and the serpent a liar, was proved by the result, death having passed upon them who had eaten. For along with the fruit they did also fall under the power of death, because they did eat in disobedience; and disobedience to God entails death. Wherefore, as they became forfeit to death, from that [moment] they were handed over to it.

Originally the serpent was the metaphor for the creeping evil, the danger that could come up to man, and by moments could have been very beautiful and attractive, very cunning. In life we can encounter slyness and man has found ways to use subtlety and tricks to bring deceit, not always playing clever or subtle games.

In the Revelation of John 12:9, the serpent is equated with a dragon, a devil or satan, which many people take to be a specific figure with the name Satan or Lucifer:

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

In the Book Wisdom is told that God created man unto His own likeness without corruption. Nevertheless through envies of the devil, the inner-thought of man going against the given purity of the Master Creator, came death into the world. Everybody in the creation of the Most High has elements of Him in him or her and by this gift of God has the possibility to feel the essence of the Creator in themselves. It are the wicked thoughts which separate from God and do come into the mind of those who think themselves wise or want to test God. Eve clearly wanted to test the Elohim. Therefore the Power of Jehovah had to come to her to condemn her. It was His Spirit Which filled the world but has all the right to give and take and man doubted His rights.

Wis 1:1-7 WEBA Love righteousness, all you who are judges of the earth. Think of the Lord with a good mind. Seek him in singleness of heart, (2) because he is found by those who don’t tempt him, and is manifested to those who trust him. (3) For crooked thoughts separate from God. His Power convicts when it is tested, and exposes the foolish. (4) Because wisdom will not enter into a soul that devises evil, nor dwell in a body that is enslaved by sin. (5) For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and will depart from thoughts that are without understanding, and will be ashamed when unrighteousness has come in. (6) For wisdom is a spirit who loves man, and she will not hold a blasphemer guiltless for his lips; because God bears witness of his reins, and is a true overseer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue: (7) Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said.

Wis 2:21-24 WEBA Thus they reasoned, and they were led astray; for their wickedness blinded them, (22) and they didn’t know the mysteries of God, neither did they hope for wages of holiness, nor did they discern that there is a prize for blameless souls. (23) Because God created man for incorruption, and made him an image of his own everlastingness; (24) but death entered into the world by the envy of the devil, and those who belong to him experience it.

For to the light of day succeeds night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail (Wisdom 7:30) Adam and Eve having had evil thoughts of God by giving heed to their wish to know as much as God knows. They were not not ashamed concerning their soul and now it was to late to hide for God. Sirach 7:1 tells us not to do evil so will no evil overtake you. Now the relationship between God and man got disturbed and they knew very well that they had done wrong.

That satan and lucifer are not wicked beings, can also been seen in other places in Scriptures where the evangelist John equates Jesus Christ with Lucifer, the Latin word for “light-bearer” which stems from the “Latin Vulgate” Bible, produced by Jerome, commissioned by Pope Damascus in 382 A.D. In Revelation 22:16, “Jesus” proclaims that:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

In the verses about the penalty coming over the man and female, the 1° Adam and Eve, the Creator offers a solution and talks about the evil being crushed by the foot of the send one, the darkness eliminated by the light. The ‘Light” spoken off in the Bible refers then to the promised one, who got born in Bethlehem out of the tribe of God’s servant King David.

Of course, the Latin “Lucifer” (“Lux Ferre”) was associated with the planet Venus, which is called “Phosphoros”, the “morning star” or “dawn-bringer”, who was both a minor god in Greece and Rome, who according to the Greek Historian Diodorus Siculus, was a:

…son of Atlas, who was fond of astronomy, and once, after having ascended Mount Atlas to observe the stars, he disappeared. He was worshipped with divine honours, and regarded as the fairest star in the heavens. (Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.) {Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden (Part 1)}

We have goodness in us but there is also badness which “lies in wait to turn things that are good into evil” (Sirach 11:31). When Jehovah’s Word came into the world everything got created and out of chaos came order, but that does not mean that disorder would have gone for ever. In the Plan of God everything should stay in good order, but man got the right to order things themselves as well. Jehovah God is a God of order. Normally man had to be the seal of full measure, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Man was placed in the beautiful Garden of Eden, the Garden of God.

To dwell in the awesome presence of a perfect and holy God, many would agree that those being there in the Garden of God had to be perfect. What went wrong is seen in the reaction of the woman ignoring God’s commandment. there was light that made an end to darkness, which was set up on the holy mountain of God. This light is also called “Lucifer” in Scripture who also fitted the name, ‘Son of the Morning’ being perfect in its ways from the day that it was created, until unrighteousness was found in it. (Ezekiel 28:2-19)

A "Son of Light" bad and good. Lucifer the evil one. — A “Son of Light” bad and good. Lucifer the evil one.

Man got its insides filled with badness, a violence against the Will of God, and this the Bible calls sin. We come to hear in the Scriptures that splendour and beauty did not last forever. It is told that Lucifer while ministering, began to consider his own position of prominence and became prideful, believing that he deserved more than what he already had. He wanted to become like the Most High. This is the main problem of what went wrong in the Garden of Eden. This is also still the problem of today. There were those who wanted to be like God in a bad sense of having the same power as God, wanting to be God. This became the reason to cast them out as ‘wrongoers’, ‘wrongdoers’ or sinners as profane ‘out of God’s mountain’.

Lucifer was also known by the Greeks as the Titan Prometheus, the son of Iapetus. (As a side-note compare this description of Phosphoros with Isaiah 14: 13-14: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high”). {Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden (Part 1)}

Man was stripped of his beauty, his position, and his rights to heaven. The lucifer got his light dimmed. Lucifer’s name, ‘son of the morning,’ was given to a far more deserving individual, the Son of God. He is the seed of the New Generation, the beginning of the New World. Jesus Christ is called the ‘Bright and Morning Star’ (Revelation 22:16).

Today, the one promised in the Garden of Eden, who was in the dark for a long time, has become the light of the world again and is now back close to God, seated at the right hand of the Most High Divine Creator. The 2° Adam is now dwelling in the presence of the Almighty. Christ’s words hold true, even ‘in the account of Satan’:

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

In what has happened in the Garden of Eden we have an example which we should seriously take at heart. We shall have to look deep in our heart and question ourselves which position we do want to take in. We should see and understand what the 1° Adam and Eve did wrong and how we can avoid falling in the same trap as they did. We should come to understand that recalcitrance and aversion to God will make us weaker and defenceless. The rebellious attitude will bring us only in the dark, like it did with Adam and Eve being brought in a grim world.

We should know that still today the adversary of God is willing to control the world, therefore it is also said that ‘Satan’s attempt’ to control this world system is nothing to take lightly.

Preceding articles:

The very very beginning 2 The Word and words

Genesis – Story of creation 5 Genesis 3:1-12 Eating of the fruit-tree of knowledge

Genesis – Story of creation 6 Genesis 3:13-24 Enmity and curse

Additional reading:

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Vos on Creation (greenbaggins.wordpress.com)
If the creation history is an allegory, then the narrative concerning the fall and everything further that follows can also be allegory. The writer of the Pentateuch presents his work entirely as history (Reformed Dogmatics, volume 1, p. 161).
Imagination: What does the Bible say? (endtimesprophecyreport.com)
they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward
Did Plato influence the Book of Genesis? (lionoftheblogosphere.wordpress.com)
the belief among Orthodox Jews is that the book of Genesis is very old, but as the web page points out, there are no outside historically dated references to the book of Genesis until the second century B.C., which is two hundred years after the founding of Plato’s Academy.
We Will Always Be Tempted (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
The devil is as dangerous to us as he was to Adam and Eve. Peter refers to him as “a roaring lion…seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet.5:8). According to Jesus, he is the prince of this world (John 12:31). We must remember, however, that the devil rules as a usurper.
Servants of God (christopherjmoorewriter.wordpress.com)
if we choose to put ourselves above God, then ultimately we will join Satan in the eternal fires of hell. It’s our choice. Jesus, in allowing himself to be crucified for our sins provides another way.All we have to do is repent of our pride, put Christ as the centre of our lives and be his servant – feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, comfort the sick and dying. These charitable acts provide us with the opportunities to be servants of God. And we don’t have to travel to distant lands to perform them, just look around you, the area where you live. There are plenty of God’s children who need and deserve your help.
Where Are You? (psychologytoday.com)
God doesn’t rage or leave. God simply responds by asking the first question of the Torah: “Ayeka?”Translated literally, Ayeka means, “Where are you?” and upon first pass, that question seems silly for a Higher Power to be asking. First, why does it matter where they are hanging out? Second, shouldn’t God “know” anyway?
By Faith? (hiwaychristian.wordpress.com)
Take note as to how all the creatures involved in creating what is creation, did not hear the reason until some distance into the building. And even while salvation among men is in full swing, the angels still long to look into these things. Unless the translation is wrong, I noticed that Peter did not use the past tense of the word “long”.Remaining obedient though we have no clue, is not only essential now, it is a pattern of behavior for all God’s creatures for eternity. And this ought to renew our devotion to serve without full understanding. Frankly folks, that will be our state of affairs forever.
Psalm 80 (embodiedtorah.wordpress.com)
The theology of this verse reminds me of the comment on the first verse of Genesis by the medieval French commentator Rashi, in which he explains that the purpose of beginning Torah with creation, rather than with the first mitzvah given to Israel in Exodus 12, is to remind us that the world belongs to God. In this Psalm, God is a gardener and the world is God’s garden.
The Fear of Man is a Trap (codybateman.org)
Nearly everyone has heard of Abraham and his faith in God. What most do not realize is that he struggled with Fear. You see, Abraham had a drop-dead gorgeous wife and he knew it too. Because of her beauty, he feared that the wicked ruler of the land they were passing through, might kill him in order possess his wife.
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Today, the whole world remains blessed by the faithfulness of God toward Abraham. How so? Because our Savior, Jesus Christ, eventually came from that same line of Abraham and his beautiful wife!

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Messiah For All

Presenting Jesus Christ our Saviour

Foretold Messiah 5 Old Testament pointing to John the Baptist and to Immanuel, Jeshua the Christ

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Foretold Messiah 1 First mentioning

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A solution for a damaged relationship 3 Insight and prophesies given

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Creation of the earth and man #23 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #7 Corporeal and spiritual change

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Messiah for all 2015 in review

Welcome

Reasons to start this blog

Getting away from the starting bloc

By the Will of God

Writings and Readings

Invitation

Looking towards 2016 and beyond

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Parsha Bo: Creation, Exodus and the Rescue from Oblivion (Exodus 10:1-13:16)

Necessity of a revelation of creation 4 Getting understanding by Word of God 2

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Necessity of a revelation of creation 2 Organisation of a system of things

Necessity of a revelation of creation 1 Works of God and works of man

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Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1

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Welcome

Reasons to start this blog

Getting away from the starting bloc

By the Will of God

Writings and Readings

Invitation

Looking towards 2016 and beyond

Please do find additional reading:

Also of interest

Further related articles

Related articles

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