Jesus said that the "volume of the Book (Old Testament) is written of Me!" 505 - 1 - 7

Genesis 1:3, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Jesus, the Light of the world.

Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The line of Jesus was the seed of the woman, Eve. The daughters of Zelophehad, Numbers 26:33, allowed for the virgin birth negating the blood curse on the line of King David through his son Solomon.

Genesis 4:10, "And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." Cain killed Abel because Abel’s offering was acceptable to God and Cain’s was not. Thousands of years later the Temple leaders brought about the death of Jesus.

Genesis 14:18, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” Jesus?

Genesis 18:33, “And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.” Abraham bargained with the Lord that Sodom and Gomorrah be spared.

Genesis 22, the offering of Isaac and the substitution of a ram. Later Jesus as the lamb.

Exodus 12: Passover lamb; The Lamb of God.

Exodus 12: Unleavened Bread, Jesus in the tomb,

Leviticus 23: First Fruits, the Resurrection of Jesus.

Exodus 13:22, “He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” The Shekinah Glory, protected the Israeli as Jesus does us.

 Leviticus 1:3, "If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord." So many blood sacrifices throughout the Book of Leviticus. Jesus, the ultimate blood sacrifice, cried from the cross, “It is finished.”

The layout of the camp as dictated by God in Numbers formed a near perfect cross.

Numbers 20:11, “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” Numbers 20:8 Moses was told to speak to the rock but he "smote the rock twice," and out poured the water of Meribah. The rock was a type of Christ, foreshadowing Calvary.

Numbers 21:8, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." Later Jesus was "lifted up" on the cross at Calvary.

So many more, Genesis 2:26, "Let Us," The Trinity.

Exodus 16:15. "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat." Manna in the wilderness. Jesus is the bread of life.

Scripture from KJV

The Importance of Names in the Bible, e,g, The Twelve Tribes of Israel 505 - 1 - 2

Names in the Bible are very important. CM has pointed out that the Gospel can be read into the names Adam through Noah in the genealogy of Genesis 5.

With thanks to Strong’s, the Patriarch Jacob means heel-catcher. A relevant name as Jacob was holding his older brother’s heel as they were birthed. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, “God prevails,” after a wrestling with an angel. Jacob had 12 sons whose names became the designations of the 12 Tribes of Israel.

Judah is of great importance as Jesus descended from his line so I decided to drill down on the meaning of his name via H3063 – “From H3034; celebrated;  H3034 – “A primitive root; used only as denominative from H3027; literally to use (that is, hold out) the hand; physically to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively to bemoan (by wringing the hands).” Perhaps a hint of something deeper, a Remez, the stone from Daniel 2:34?

 H3027 – “A primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from H3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote.” One can only share with an extended, open hand.

H3709 – “From H3721; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm tree); figuratively power.” H3721 – “A primitive root; to curve.” Paw, foretelling of believers being held in the curve of the paw of the “Lion of Judah?”

Joseph “H3130 Future of H3254; let him add; H3254 A primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbially to continue to do a thing).” Joseph saved his people by bringing them to Egypt. They came to Egypt as a family and came out a nation.

Reuben.  H7205 – “See ye a son; Reuben, a son of Jacob. H1121 - a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc.” However, Reuben lost his position as first-born, as the primary builder of the family name.

Simeon. ” H8095 - from H8085; hearing; Shimon, H8085 - A primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively to tell, etc.).” As James reminds us, we are to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Levi. H3878 – “From H3867; attached; H3867 - A primitive root; properly to twine, that is, (by implication) to unite, to remain; also to borrow (as a form of obligation) or (causatively) to lend.” The Levi had great responsibility as priests, unfortunately, they often failed to fulfill their obligations.

Dan. “H1835 - From H1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them." H1777 - A primitive root to rule; by implication to judge (as umpire); also to strive (as at law).” However, the tribe of Dan used poor judgment, Dan/ Judge, an oxymoron?

Naphtali "H5321 - From H6617; my wrestling; Naphtali. H6617 A primitive root; to twine, that is, (literally) to struggle or (figuratively) be (morally) tortuous."

Gad "H1410 - From H1464; also a prophet. H1464 - A primitive root (akin to H1413); to crowd upon, that is, attack, overcome. H1413 גָּ- A primitive root (compare H1461); to crowd; also to gash (as if by pressing into). Considerably different from CM’s list of “Troop”; “fortune.” That said, troops are attacked and pressed into.

Asher "H0836 from H0833 - A primitive root; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively to go forward, be honest, prosper."

Issachar “H3485 from H5375 and H7939; he will bring a reward; H5375 A primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, absolutely and relatively. H7939 payment of contract; concretely salary, fare, maintenance; by implication compensation, benefit.”

Zebulun "H2074 From H2082; habitation; H2082 A primitive root; apparently properly to in close, that is, to reside."

Benjamin “H1144 From H1121 and H3225; son of (the) right hand; H1121 a son (as a builder of the family name.

Above from Strong’s as quoted in the First Gospel Publications (2012-03-12). KJV 1611 King James Bible with Strong's Concordance (Student's Edition).

As for my name, Sally, a diminutive of SARAH

Means "lady, princess, noblewoman" in Hebrew.

[http://www.behindthename.com/name/sally]

Israel has an Unconditional Land Covenant with God, Something the World is Denying 521-2 - 22 - 5

In Genesis 15 God instructed Abram to construct an offering and then caused Abram to enter a deep sleep. God foretold of the time that the Israelite's would be strangers in a land not theirs. When they would come out of this time of enslavement they would be given an unconditional title to land as described in verses 18 through 21. This was a unilateral land covenant granted to Abram and his descendants.

Jeremiah 31:35-36, "35, Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: 36, If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever." God’s unconditional covenants are just that, unconditional.

The Land Covenant is being challenged by Islam and their claim that Ishmael was the son of promise, wrong! Genesis 17:20-21, “20, And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21, But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”

Today non-Islamic countries are supporting the false claims of Islam. Many calling themselves Christians claim that God’s covenants with Israel have passed to the church, the heresy of Replacement Theology. Within the Christian community there is a call for a two state solution and a relinquishing of part of Jerusalem to the Muslims. “When you deny something God has promised somebody, you are profaning His name.” God is not a liar and jealous of His name! In Zechariah 12:2-3 God says that He will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone, another promise He has kept.

As for the United States, again and again the POTUS and his minions fail to support Israel and actually undermine her in mockery of God’s Word. Isaiah 5:5, “And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:” So much for the hedge of protection around America. As America has done to Israel….

Members of the UN are blinded by Antisemitism and accuse Israel of human right violations. This insanity really manifested itself in the reaction of the UN to the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, also known as Operation Protective Edge. Israel protected herself and her enemy had more casualties than she did. This was called disproportionate by the UN.  

Is God growing impatience with the PC talk of “Land for peace” and a divided Jerusalem? Are we are hastening the day? Joel 3:2, "I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land." Dark days and growing darker.

Who is the Prince in Ezekiel? Why can it not be the Messiah? 521-2 - 21 - 6

Who Is the “Prince”? CM discusses three possibilities, the Messiah, King David or of the line of King David.

I remember watching the Lone Ranger on TV and as he would ride off into the sunset the town’s people would say, “Who was that masked man?” It seems rather the same with the Prince of Ezekiel 44. Far better minds than mine seem to have drawn a blank.

Ezekiel 44:3, “It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.” [KJV] Here the prince is sitting in the presence of the Lord and is allowed to eat bread in his presence. The Prince had to enter by way of a gate other than the East gate, reserved for the Lord and the Shekinah glory.

So rather than saying who the Prince is, it’s easier to say who he is not. The Prince is not the Messiah. The Prince has no priestly right unlike our Messiah who is our high priest. The Prince offers a sin offering when we know that Jesus was the propitiation for sin. Again, the prince cannot enter through the East gate which is reserved for the Lord.

What of other versions of the Bible?

Ezekiel 44:3, "As for the ¹Prince, He will sit in it as a prince to eat food before Jehovah; He will enter through the porch of the gate and go out the same way." [Living Stream Ministry. Holy Bible Recovery Version]

LSM Footnote ¹, Ezekiel 44: 3 ¹ Prince, “The Prince here is Christ as the King in the coming millennial kingdom. The word in vv. 1-3 indicates that Christ and God have an equal position, for only Christ can enter in and go out by the gate through which God has passed. Thus, God and Christ have a special, holy portion among God’s people.”

Here we have Jehovah, Jesus and the Shekinah glory, the Trinity?

Ezekiel 44:3, “The Regent² Prince³ will be seated there, ⁴ as Regent Prince, and will dine in the LORD’s presence, entering through the portico of the gate and exiting through it also.” [International Standard Version ISV]

ISV Footnotes:

2 44: 3 The Heb. lacks Regent; and so through chapter 48

3 44: 3 I.e. a ruler who will govern with a king’s authority in the name of one holding higher supremacy; and so through chapter 48

4 44: 3 Lit. will sit in it

Here the prince is in a management position with authority.

Could the prince be King David? Unlikely as Ezekiel often referred to King David and would likely have used his name and title. As for the line of King David, blood curse on David’s son Solomon’s line. King David’s son Nathan’s line, well maybe, Jesus born to Mary, a direct descendant of Nathan.

There are many descriptors of Jesus, a few favorites 521-2 - 21 - 2

John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This is the most indicting and denied descriptor of Jesus. This passage repudiate the claims of universality that all roads lead to God.

Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Yes, Jesus is and was and always will be, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

The book of Revelation has many descriptors of Jesus including those found in chapters two and three, the letters to the seven churches.

To the church of Ephesus, “These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.”

To the church in Smyrna, “the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.”

To the church in Pergamos, “He which hath the sharp sword with two edges”

To the church in Thyatira, “the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass”

To the church in Sardis write, “He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars”

To the church in Philadelphia, “he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”

To the church of the Laodiceans, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God”

These descriptors of Jesus are favorites as they relate to the churches throughout the ages. Although the early apostolic church was the first of the seven churches (stars, candlesticks?) and followed the teachings of Jesus, they got caught up in the letter of the law.

The early church suffered greatly but had the promise of life. Then came tolerance and degradation of the church through the marriage of the church to the world. The “the sharp sword with two edge,” the Word of God, was co-mingled with pagan beliefs.

This gave rise to the medieval church and to such horrors as the Grand Inquisition. Perhaps part of this descriptor of Jesus, “eyes like unto a flame of fire,” relates to the threat of this church going through the tribulation.

The Reformation was never completed and many of the churches are comatose. However, there still are “the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars,” a subject for which I need a refresher. .

Through the ages there have been multitude of Christian martyrs. Today, Christians throughout parts of the world are suffering persecution and death. These persecuted Christians are reminded that Jesus holds the key to the door to their eternal life.

As for the descriptor of Jesus with regard the church of Laodicea, I prefer the warning that Jesus will not tolerate lukewarm “followers.” He will spit them out.

There are many, many more descriptors throughout the Bible, however, the reminder that he is our shepherd is the most important to me. From that flows every good thing including living water.

Psalm 23 provides great comfort as “The Lord is my shepherd….”

John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” John 10:4, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”

What a great comfort it is that just as we know Jesus’ voice, He knows ours. Sometimes it’s that small still voice that guides us, the Holy Spirit, the comforter given us at Pentecost.

John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

He gave his life as a propitiation so that we can appear before a righteous God rather than face damnation. Just as John the Baptist had to decrease so that Jesus could increase, Jesus “returned to His place” so that the Holy Spirit could come to us.

John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” We Gentiles are “grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree”

 

Why is Isaiah 36 - 39 so important 519-1 - 12 - 2

God weaves His story throughout His Word.  These chapters detail three miracles including the appearance of turning back time, evocative of Joshua's long day.

Sennacherib king of Assyria taunted Hezekiah, blasphemed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and threated Judah.

Isaiah 36:3, “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.”

Reminiscent of Jonah who after his trip in the belly of the fish reluctantly preached as directed by God.  Jonah 3:4, “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

The king of Nineveh believed God and directed his people “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.” Jonah 3:8. As a result, the city was spared destruction for more than a hundred years,

Isaiah 37:14, “And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.” Hezekiah gave his troubles over to God.

Isaiah 37:20, “Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.” Hezekiah appealed to God and His Name.

Isaiah 37:35 “For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.” God is jealous of His Name, suggestive of Ezekiel 36:22, “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.”

God was very displeased with Sennacherib and said through Isaiah, “Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.” Isaiah 37:29. Here something of an equivalency to Ezekiel 38:4. The death angel slays 185,000 Assyrians and Sennacherib returns home only to be assassinated by his sons.

Later Hezekiah becomes ill and cries out to God. God heals him and extends his life another rather unfortunate fifteen years.

Isaiah 39:1, “At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.” Rather than asking for God’s guidance, Hezekiah bragged about his great wealth analogous to King David counting his people. That didn’t work out too well for either King David or Hezekiah.

Isaiah 39:7, “And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Manifested in the Book of Daniel.

Personal lessons learned from Hezekiah’s failure to take his problem to God 519-1 - 12 - 7

I was lying in bed yesterday morning thinking about all that I had to do. I’m stocking up on inventory for my summer shop that opens in three months, now where did I misplace a bag of strands of beads? What to do about my shop in a mini-mall that’s growing stale, reorganize it and add more inventory? What of all the wash I have piled up? The night before I was having problems updating my e-commerce carts from which I needed to delete items going to the mini-mall. And finally, finishing my assignments for Isaiah week 12 and starting the final. Then there is Ezekiel week 23. And to think I’ve been retired for years.

I was thinking about what I was going to do rather than letting go and asking God for guidance. I received a quick answer, the Wi-Fi went down so unplug it for a while and plug it back so that it would hopefully reset itself. Wow, do I need to unplug and reset! So after doing several loads of wash I was to spend a quiet evening watching TV, quiet that is until Gary Stearman’s show. Gary was interviewing author Michael S. Heiser whose book I ordered, “The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.” The book had me at the opening, now to find time to read it. Full disclosure, I also bought the audiobook so I can listen to it as well.

I was raised in a conservative Protestant church and later converted through marriage to the Episcopal Church. As a conservative Protestant I rather neglected the Word rather listening to the one Scripture the pastor spoke on each Sunday. In the Episcopal Church we followed a liturgy along with the priest. As I recall the only real difference between it and the Catholic Church is that it was in English. Thankfully as a very young child I had some exposure the Word at the local Baptist Church. The supernatural, a mystery or something to avoid?

In more recent years it’s been evangelical churches for me. First the local Baptist church and then the Assembly of God (AOG) Church. I find that I’m having difficulty adjusting to the Pentecostal service. I’m a quiet and reflective person and often when several people start speaking in tongues it sounds like babble to me. It is my understanding that one person speaks in tongues at a times and another person interprets. I have yet to hear an interpretation of anyone speaking in tongues. No interpretation, just everyone doing his/her thing. To me this marginalizes the gifts of the spirit rather than enhancing them.

I just seem to be out of step with my friends at the AOG or perhaps I just overthink our differences and exercise discernment where none is required. However, there does seems to be some tendency towards The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Nothing new here, just recycled Eastern religion that I was exposed to and rejected decades ago.

So I asked God for guidance and ended up doing some reflection as to where I’m going in my Christian life. Since I was led to Mr. Heiser’s book, perhaps it will help me sort it out with respect to the works of the supernatural.

As for personal lessons, reinforcement of the years this passage has keep me focused on what is really important, Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” [KJV]