. Why didn’t the disciples recognize Jesus after the resurrection? What is His appearance today? 519-2 - 17 - 7

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

CM suggested that one of the reasons the disciples did not recognize Jesus after the resurrection was because his beard was pulled out during the horrific beating inflicted upon Him. This was in fulfillment of Isaiah 50:6, "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting."

Psalm 22 provides a description of the horrors of the crucifixion. Isaiah 52:14, “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:”

So was the reason the disciples didn't recognize Jesus after the resurrection because he had no beard and/ or because he was so severely beaten that he hardly resembled a human being? No, I think it was simpler than that.

Even after spending 3 1/2 years with Jesus during His earthly ministry the disciple still hadn't internalize what Jesus said, Matthew 12:39-40, "39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The disciples didn't expect to see Jesus in the flesh and therefore they didn't see Him.

In writing about the seven mile Bible study on the road to Emmaus, Luke never mentioned a less than human appearance of Jesus. His fellow travelers didn't recognize him until he was breaking bread. I don't think it was necessarily the scars from the crucifixion, rather the breaking of bread took the blinders off.

Paul saw Jesus in his glory and was blinded by the sight. Again, nothing about Jesus looking like he had been beaten past recognition as a man.

As for what is Jesus’ appearance today, go to the source. Before the crucifixion, Matthews 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” Very similar to Revelation 1:13-15, “13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.” John saw the glorified Jesus, the Lion of Judah.

No scars for Jesus in my opinion. And this is what we have to look forward to, 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

And a favorite, Job 19:25-26, "25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:"

Scripture from KJV

King James Version of the Bible and ISD 519-2 -17 - 1

I’ve posted before that my preference is for the King James Version of the Bible as it is like a comfortable old friend. There is something very special about reading the words of the Lord when He says “Verily, verily I say unto thee.” Also, it is my understanding that any deficiencies in the KJV are well known.

My Kindle Fire, Galaxy Note 4 cell phone and PC are just the most recent in a long line of electronic tools that I use/ used with Bible software. Actually my first electronic Bible goes back a decade or so and was a Franklin Electronic Bible. I currently use e-sword with PC Windows and Strong’s with KJV by Trcarta with Kindle and Galaxy Android. There are several versions of the Bible available with both operating systems, however, the ISV is not one of them.

During Bible studies I usually keep my Kindle “turned” to the chapter being studied. I use the Galaxy as we flip from one relevant passage to another, much faster than flipping through the pages of a hard copy Bible. That’s the good news. The bad news is so far the only electronic Bible software that I have found with quick links to Strong’s is the King James Version of the Bible. So once more it’s the KJV for me the majority of the time.

The ISV has its strong points. Kindle format ISV has Footnotes embedded in the text and can be read by clicking on them. For example, Deuteronomy 34:5, "So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. 6" 6 34: 5 Lit. Moab, according to the word of the LORD Click 6 to return to the passage.

The following list of the uniqueness of the ISV is as quoted from The ISV Foundation Committee on Translation (2011-05-01). The Holy Bible: International Standard Version (Kindle Location 159). Davidson Press, LLC. Kindle Edition.

“1. The ISV is a New Translation, Not a Revision The ISV is a totally new work translated directly from the original languages of Scripture and derived from no other English translation.

2. The ISV is a Computer-Friendly Translation YES!

3. The ISV is Sensitive to Poetic Forms in the Original Text. The ISV treats subtle nuances of the original texts with special care.

4. The ISV is Sensitive to Literary Forms in the Original Text The ISV treats synoptic parallels with special sensitivity.

5. The ISV is Sensitive to Conservative, Modern Textual Scholarship The ISV includes the latest scholarly analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls

6. The ISV is a Literal-Idiomatic Translation

The goal of an idiomatic translation is to achieve the closest natural equivalent in modern language to match the ideas of the original text.”

Again, the KJV is my preference, however, as I use the ISV perhaps it will become a comfortable new friend. 

What was the significance of the prophecy on the line of Perez in Ruth 4? 513 - 7 - 7

As an interesting aside, King David’s lineage was encrypted in the Hebrew text of Genesis 38 in 49-letter Intervals. Boaz and Ruth, their son Obed, Obed’s son Jesse and Jesse’s son King David.

There was quite a scandal concerning the birth of Pharez to Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar. Judah had refused to allow his son Shelah to marry Tamar in keeping with Levirate marriage. Tamar tricked her father-in-law thinking she was a prostitute and a pregnancy resulted. 1 Chronicles 2:4, “And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.”

Genesis 38:29, “And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.” Pharez’s brother Zerah had the scarlet thread tied around his wrist before he pulled it back into his mother’s womb. Pharez was the first to be delivered but his brother had the scarlet thread. And a scarlet thread is woven throughout the Bible. These brothers born of a sort of incest would be considered to be illegitimate.  

Deuteronomy 23:2, “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.”

Ruth 4:12, “And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.” Perhaps a foretelling of the 10^th generation to come.

And these are the lineal descendants of Pharez. Pharez begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

King David was the 10th generation after Pharez so he could “enter into the congregation of the LORD.”

Nehemiah Chapter 11 has two referenced to Perez.

Nehemiah 11:4, “And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez”

Nehemiah 11:6, “All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight valiant men.”

Digging a little deeper, Boaz and Ruth, a Moabitess, were in the line of Jesus. Boaz was the son of Salmon and Rahab who was said to be a prostitute. Boaz and Ruth had a son they named Obed who had a son named Jesse and in turn Jesse had a son named David, later known as King David. So a prostitute and a Gentile were in the line of Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David; what an awesome God!

Personal lessons from the Book of Nehemiah and do they apply today 513 - 7 - 3

Personal lessons from the Book of Nehemiah and do they apply today? To Donald K. Campbell lists of 21 characteristics necessary for effective leadership that Nehemiah exhibited I would add one more, he was metaphorically a “child of Issachar.”

1 Chronicles 12:32, “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.”

From Nehemiah we learn that one person can make a difference. Nehemiah was a man for such a time as his. Due to his Jewish contacts he stayed informed of events in Jerusalem and due to his court position, Nehemiah had the ear of the king. Rather than rushing into the king's presence informing him of the sorry state of the wall and gates in Jerusalem, he prayed and waited for God's timing.

In a week 4 post I shared several characterizes listed by Donald K. Campbell of the many characteristics of effective leadership evidenced by Nehemiah. I have since added a few more.

Nehemiah prayed at crucial times. He had a sense of mission and was willing to get involved. As stated above he patiently waited for God’s timing. He knew that he had the support of God and displayed God’s confidence and his (Nehemiah’s) self-confidence overcoming obstacles. Nehemiah was an overcomer.

Romans12:21. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Nehemiah showed respect for the king and even though he was sad and “very sore afraid” he appeared before the King and respectfully answered a question with a question, "why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?" Thus Nehemiah set in motion the fulfillment of Daniel 9.

As an ambassador of God am I willing to get involve in witnessing? Today being a Bible believing Christian is becoming less and less popular and in many cases not tolerated. Do I have the courage Nehemiah had in approaching his earthly king as I served my heavenly King?

Do I respect others’ beliefs while witnessing? Recall Nehemiah did not argue with opponents. I have educated myself as to the falsity of Islam and Mormonism, however, engaging Muslims and Mormons in a discussion is not easily done.

For years I witnessed to my good friend Abdul but my best efforts were met with a smile and a homemade meal. Last year I heard Abdul was very ill and his wife had passed away. Sadly, neither seem to have come to faith in Jesus. Currently I have no interactions with those of the Islamic faith.

I summer in an area that is heavily Mormon. Here I am dealing with brainwashing from a very early age. In talking to a good friend I realized that she has combined Mormonism with the New Age as she feels that she currently is a goddess rather that waiting to become a celestial goddess.

Nehemiah courageously used the authority of his position provided by his earthly king. So again the important question, do I as a Christians use the authority given me by our heavenly King Lord Jesus?

As it was in the day of Nehemiah, so it is today in Israel 513 - 6 - 8

Nehemiah faced personal attacks, internal problems dealing with his own people and attacks from his enemies in completing the rebuilding of the walls and the gates of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 4:7-8, “7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” Nehemiah 2:19 details the ridicule Nehemiah had to deal with from his enemies as well as the accusation that Nehemiah was rebelling against the King.

Nehemiah had to deal with the nobles’ who not only would not participated in the work of rebuilding but also took financial advantage of their fellow Jews.

Nehemiah also had to deal with the deception from his enemies who claimed they wanted to help in the rebuilding of the walls. Nehemiah knew that would letting the fox into the hen-house and refused their offer.

Nehemiah's enemies tried to draw him out where he would be at their mercy and also tried to get Nehemiah to meet the temple. Neither of these was acceptable, the first because Nehemiah could have been dispatched had he left the protection of his fellow Jews. As for meeting in the temple proper, this would have gone against God's commandment.

Nehemiah and the men working on rebuilding the wall and the gates pretty much worked with a tool in one hand and a sword in the other. Nehemiah 4:17, “They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” So some stood guard as others work and the men slept where they worked. Nehemiah worked out a system such that should a work area be under attack a warning would be sounded and those in other work areas would join in their defense.

Remarkably the wall be finished in less than two months. Nehemiah 6:15, “So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.”

So how does this relate to Israel today? Israel is perhaps the most denigrated country in the world today. As an example, on November 25, 2015 – "The U.N. General Assembly’s 2015 session is adopting 20 resolutions singling out Israel for criticism — and only 3 resolutions on the rest of the world combined."

[http://www.unwatch.org/un-to-adopt-20-resolutions-against-israel-3-on-rest-of-the-world/.]

Israel is surrounded by her enemies and still she is a leader in technology, medical innovations and more. Rather like Nehemiah and his fellow Jews working while under constant harassment.

Israel is a tiny country having about 1/10 of 1% of the land of her enemies and still there is a constant cry for Israel to give up land for peace. Recall that Nehemiah's enemies tried to draw him out where he would be subject to attack. This is similar to expecting Israel to give up her high ground thereby undercutting her defenses. Also Jerusalem is to be divided which would be somewhat of an equivalency to Nehemiah entering the temple proper.

Israel has a number of liberals who do not support the current prime minister and his desire to protect his country.

Just as Nehemiah and the Jews of his day completed the wall in a short period of time, Israel came in to being in one day in accordance with prophecy.

The Feasts of Israel 513 - 6 - 6

The Feasts of Israel

There are three Spring Feasts, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and Feast of First Fruits.

There are three Fall Feasts, Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur and Feast of Tabernacles.

The Feast of Weeks occurs between the spring and fall feasts.

The spring feasts were fulfilled in the First Coming of Jesus. During the first Passover the blood of a lamb was smeared around the door so the Angel of Death would Passover the house and spare the lives of those inside. Jesus was our Passover Lamb; John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” There is no atonement for sin apart from the shedding of blood.

Genesis 4:3-4, “3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:” Abel brought a blood offering which was acceptable to God.

Leaven is a symbol of sin as it puffs up. The use of Unleavened Bread was a call to be a people set apart to holiness. Jesus was set aside in the tomb and his body knew no corruption, no puffing up.

The feast of First Fruits pointed to the resurrection of Jesus as the first fruits from the dead.

The Feast of Weeks, Shavuot, happened on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out. This Church was actually established on this day.

The Fall feasts are yet to be fulfilled.

The Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, is thought by many to point to the Rapture as The Rapture is associated in Scripture with the blowing of a loud trumpet. During 2015 and into early 2016 there were reports across the planet of sounds like trumpets. NASA has offered an explanation as rather background sounds, interesting.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Atonement, Yom Kippur, prophetically points to the Second Coming of Jesus when the Jewish remnant “shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son.”

Tabernacles, Sukkot, will be the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that He will once again tabernacle with His people as He reigns over The Millennial Kingdom from Jerusalem. 

 

God gives us prophecy not to divine the future but to confirm the source is supernatural; it is His authentication. 519-2 - 16 - 5

Prophecy is an invaluable witnessing tool. Prophecies in the Old Testament that were later fulfilled in the New Testament is evidence of the authenticity of a supernatural author who knew the end from the beginning.

2 Peter, 1:19-21, "19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

When witnessing to someone who refers to the Bible as a collection of fables I often cite the Septuagint, completed about 270 BC. I point out that a hundred plus prophecies found in the Septuagint were fulfilled by Jesus nearly 300 years later.

One prophecy that even the most argumentative unbeliever would have trouble discrediting is Michaeas (Micah) 5:1, "And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity."

[Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L.. English Translation of the Greek Septuagint, Including the Apocrypha]

I also like to point out the Dead Sea Scrolls and the 32 foot scroll of the Book of Isaiah. Again, prophecy after prophecy given by God to Isaiah have been fulfilled.

Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." 

The Valley of the Dry Bones, Ezekiel chapter 37, prophesies the emergence of the state of Israel which happened in May 1948.

Today with groups such as the New Apostolic Reformation the word prophet is used rather loosely.

Deuteronomy 18:22, "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." There are several meaning for the word afraid, however, the best fit here is "stand in awe." So we are not to stand in awe of false prophets.

My religion is carrying me 519-2 - 16 - 1

Paul couldn’t have made any plainer. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

My religion is carrying me. I accept and place my trust in Jesus secure in the knowledge that He is the propitiation that justifies me before a righteous God. 1 John 4:10, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Although Jesus cried “It is finished” from the cross many have bought into the necessarily to add works to assure their salvation. Matthew 15:9, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." In my opinion, members of The Roman Catholic provide an example of carrying their religion right into the fiction of purgatory as they follow “doctrines and the commandments of men.”

On a personal note, after mom’s conversion to Catholicism at the age of 90 I often reminded her of her early Christian upbringing. Although mom never owned up to it, I believe that her conversion to Catholicism was because her friends were Catholics and would make sure that she got to church.

In the RCC there are Mass cards that are bought and placed on the altar as well as the purchasing of indulgences, both cash cows. When my mother was dying I was appalled when well-meaning friends of hers gave her a scapular to hold in her hand as she passed over. It is my understanding that on the first Saturday after death a Roman Catholic saint will liberation one from purgatory if that person is buried with a scapular. Mom's ashes are in an urn along with her rosary and the aforementioned scapular. Somehow I think that God will understand.

But I digress. I rest in the knowing that through Jesus I am justified. I'm now in that phase of my life where I am working out my sanctification. Even while working out my sanctification, I’m still being carried. No self-mortification for sins already paid for by Jesus. Rather I try to be a worthy ambassador for God.

It’s as simple as John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

the nature and fabric of space 519-2 - 15 - 2

When I was in high school and didn't know what I didn't know I first started studying Einstein and his Special Theory of Relativity. Besides understanding that time was the fourth dimension, I realized that when nearing the speed of light objects underwent some massive physical changes. Since our nearest star, other than the sun, is four light years from Earth it just seem totally impractical that beings from other systems would visit our little blue planet.

For years I argued that there was no such thing as ET coming from another planetary system but rather beings coming from another dimension. Before I ever heard of fallen angels I intuitively understood that there was bleed through from other dimensions.

Now that I have 4 1/2 years of studying with CM I realize that my earlier thinking was very linear in nature and that I was limiting God.

God is in no way limited to my four dimensional thinking. String theory is something I would like to understand but not today. I now realize that God can create wormhole, wrinkles in the fabric of space, bend space and more. This certainly implies that space distances do not necessarily radiate in straight lines from Earth.

Some of my best (weird) thinking to come to me when I’m in that in between stage, neither asleep nor awake. I started thinking about the first and second dimensions and how do we know they exist. The first dimension is often represented by a straight-line on a piece of paper. Wait a minute that's not one dimension because the line drawn has a dimension to it. Then what we call second dimension would be using the same sheet of paper with lines and/ or circles drawn on it. Again there would be the thickness of the line, now a third dimension.

But I digress so what of the nature and fabric of space.

Job 9:8, “Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.” As an aside, Jesus “treadeth upon the waves of the sea” in Matthew 14:26.

Isaiah 64:1, “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence.” Rend, so space can be torn.

Psalm 102:25-26, “25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:” So "space can be worn out like a garment."

Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Again, God can create wormhole, wrinkles in the fabric of space, bend space and more.

The Gap Theory/ Interval Revisited 519-2 - 3 -

The Gap Theory/ Interval Revisited, a favorite topic for me. The only argument I would have against the gap theory is that, I really don’t have one and after digging deeper into the Word I believe that there is merit to it. Also, the Gap Theory/ Interval could represent a middle ground between the Young and Old Earth advocates. However and in my opinion, a major problem with this theory is most people would reject it along with fallen angels and the existence of descendants of those fallen angels. Easier to believe in ET!

By truncating footnotes I’ve taken some liberties with what I consider to be a unique and informative version of the Word, The Holy Bible Recovery Version. Left out are numerous passages cited by the authors in support of their footnotes.

1. God’s Original Creation 1: 1

Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Footnotes:

Genesis 1: 1 beginning, referring to the beginning of time. Time began at the creation of the universe and continues until the final judgment at the great white throne. Time is for the accomplishing of God’s eternal purpose, which God made in eternity past for eternity future.

Genesis 1: 1 Created here, denoting to bring something into existence out of nothing, differs from made and formed, not taking something that already exists and use it to produce something else. The motive of God’s creation was to fulfill God’s desire and to satisfy His good pleasure. The purpose of God’s creation is to glorify the Son of God and to manifest God Himself.

Genesis 1:1 heavens In the process of God’s creation, the heavens and the angels therein were created first, and the earth, probably with some living creatures, was created.

2. Judgment and Corruption 1:2

Genesis 1 2, “But the earth became waste and emptiness, and darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was brooding upon the surface of the waters.”

Footnotes:

Genesis 1:2 waste, whenever the words waste and emptiness are used together in the Old Testament, they denote a result of God’s. The darkness on the surface of the deep also is a sign of God’s judgment

Genesis 1:2 deep I.e., the deep water. In the Bible water symbolizes either life or death. The water here signifies death. As a result of God’s judgment on the preadamic universe, the entire earth was covered with deep water, signifying that the earth was filled with death and was under death.

Genesis 1:2 Spirit - ruach, variously translated spirit, wind, breath. This is the first mentioning of the Spirit in the Bible. The Spirit of God, as the Spirit of life, came to brood over the waters of death in order to generate life, especially man, for God’s purpose. In spiritual experience, the Spirit’s coming is the first requirement for generating life.

[Living Stream Ministry (2012-09-18). Holy Bible Recovery Version (contains footnotes)]

Genesis 1:1-2, "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. 2 But the earth was unsightly and unfurnished, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God moved over the water."

[Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L. (2010-09-05). English Translation of the Greek Septuagint]

God would not create a mess so this suggests that Satan rendered it “unsightly and unfurnished.” So a possible gap to between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2? I read somewhere that, the original Hebrew reads “And the earth became without form” implying that when Satan fell and took a third of the angels with him, he caused disorder on God’s creation. So “the earth became without form” so the Spirit of God once more had to move upon the face of the waters.

Nehemiah's approach to prayer 513 - 5 - 5

Hanani, one of Nehemiah's brethren shared with him that "the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire." Like Daniel, Nehemiah went to his prayer closet.

Nehemiah 1:4, “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,” Nehemiah said,” I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments.”

Nehemiah prayed without ceasing confessing “the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.” Nehemiah included himself as a sinner perhaps in keeping with Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Again drawing in part upon Donald K. Campbell list of 21 effective leadership exhibited by Nehemiah, several dealt with prayer.

5. He patiently waited for God’s timing.

7. He prayed at crucial times.

11. He took time (three days) to rest, pray, and plan.

21. He courageously used the authority of his position knowing that he was confronted with a situation he could not solve by himself. However, Nehemiah also knew that with God all things are possible.

Lessons learned include fasting is often done in combination with intense prayer creating a synergistic effect. Prayers are answered in God’s timing.  Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Prayers are to be passionate as in Nehemiah saying “I beseech you” and recognizing who God is, “the great and terrible God that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments.” Twice I cried out to God at crucial times after injuring myself. I reminded God that “with his stripes we are healed.” Twice I was healed, with God all things are possible.

Getting proper rest is a failing with me. I allow myself to become so tired that when I start to pray at bedtime, I fall asleep. That said, I pray often during the day, however, falling asleep on God? Resting in His protection.

The Nethinim 513 - 5 - 2

Set aside for service, compared to bastards in Talmudic times, brings to mind Psalm 69:12, “They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.”

In Luke 4:18 Jesus came as the suffering servant, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"

However, in verse 19 Jesus adds "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

The name Nethinim is a plural form derived from the verb נתן (natan) meaning to give. They are mentioned as early as 1 Chronicles 9:2, “Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.”

As for their genealogy, Ezra 2:43, “The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,” Ezra 2:58, “All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.”

They had their own city. Ezra 2:70, “So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. According to Nehemiah 3:26 the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel.

Surfing the Internet for "Who were the Nethinims" resulted in only about 20,000 hits.

“Nethinim (or Netinim, or Nathinites or Nathineans) (Hebrew: הַנְּתִינִים‎‎, "the given ones") was the name given to the Temple assistants in ancient Jerusalem. The term was applied originally in the Book of Joshua (where it is found in its verbal form) to the Gibeonites who converted during the time of Joshua, later in the Book of Ezra they include the Avdei Shlomo ("Servants of Solomon") the descendants of the remnant of the Canaanite people in the land.”

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nethinim]

“Nethinim, the name given to the hereditary temple servants in all the post-Exilian books of Scripture. The word means given, i.e., "those set apart", viz., to the menial work of the sanctuary for the Levites.”

[http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/nethinim/]

Not so kind was this description. “In Talmudic times the Nethinim were put on a level with bastards, and their descendants, male and female, were interdicted from marriage with Israelites for all time; this is said to have been established by David) or by Ezra. Nethinim were allowed to marry only proselytes, freedmen, bastards, and foundlings In tables of precedence they are reckoned very low, coming after bastards.” Interestingly, Jesus had two proselytes in His genealogy.

[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11451-nethinim] Talmudic references deleted.

Nehemiah permission from Artaxerxes and Daniel 9:25 513 - 4 - 2

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Nehemiah was given permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls and gates of the city providing protection for the temple.

The Decree of Artaxerxes March 14, 445 BC was a commandment to restore Jerusalem (walls) and marked the start of the 69 weeks calculated 173,880  days until The Triumphal Entry April 6, 32 AD of Jesus. [PDF, The Book of Daniel by CM]

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry was in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

Earlier Jesus looked down on Jerusalem and said: Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

And Jesus wept over the city and pronounced judgment: Luke 19:41-42, “41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.”

Israel was and is blinded and scattered among the nations. “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Israel became a state May of 1948 so the clock is ticking towards times of the Gentiles being fulfilled.

Less than a week after the Triumphal Entry Jesus was crucified (cut off) as prophesied by Daniel: Daniel 9:26, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Jesus was cut off “but not for himself.” Jesus was and is the propitiation for sin and without His sacrifice I would not be justified before a righteous God.

leadership qualities of Nehemiah 513 - 4 - 5

CM shared Donald K. Campbell concise list of the many characteristics of effective leadership evidenced by Nehemiah including:

7. He prayed at crucial times: The Book of Nehemiah opens and closes with prayer.

2. He had a sense of mission:

Psalm 137:1-4, "1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land? 5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. "

3. He was willing to get involved as 5. He patiently waited for God’s timing.

Nehemiah waited for four months, from Kislev (Nov-Dec) to Nisan (March-April) for an opportunity to appeal to the King concerning Israel. Nehemiah 2:2, “Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart."

6. He showed respect to his superior:

"Then I was very sore afraid,” and with good reason, appearing before the King with sadness might be interpreted as dissatisfaction. However, Nehemiah respectfully answered a question with a question, "why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?"

9. He was well prepared and thought of his needs in advance:

That Nehemiah knew the name of the man in charge of the King’s forest near Jerusalem implies that he had researched both problems and the possible solutions.

These are just a few of the 21 characteristics of effective leadership listed by Donald K. Campbell. As Christians do we have an equivalence in the Psalm, “Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth” if I forget….

As God’s ambassadors are we willing to get involve and do our research while being in prayer and waiting upon the Lord? Do we respect others’ beliefs while witnessing? Nehemiah did not argue with opponents.

Do we, as did Nehemiah, “display God’s confidence in facing obstacles and not become discouraged by opposition?”

Perhaps most importantly Nehemiah courageously used the authority of his position provided by his earthly king, do we Christians use the authority given us by our heavenly King Lord Jesus?

Isaiah 43:16 “a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters” 519-2 - 14 - 2

Isaiah 43:16-18, “16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”

Verse 17 seems to be a reference the parting of the Red Sea for the Israeli and the closing of same on the army, chariots and horses of Pharaoh.

Psalm 8:8, “The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.”

Matthew Fontaine Maury, the “Father of Oceanography,” took the Bible seriously. He noticed that in Isaiah 43:16 God spoke of “a path in the mighty waters” and in Psalm 8:8 “the paths of the seas.” Maury sensed a remez and sought to answer the question of the existence of pathways in the seas. He entered the Navy in 1825 as a midshipman. And eventually was in charge of the Depot of Charts and Instruments, later the U.S. Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office.

He gather information on maritime winds and currents and in 1848 he published maps of the main wind fields of the Earth. He produced charts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, a profile of the Atlantic seabed, and the first modern oceanographic text.”

A number of passages in the Bible imply technological advances. Oceanography is just one of these technological advances discussed in the teaching “Technology and the Bible,” one in a series of six in the “Beyond Series.” The other five teachings in the Beyond Series are Beyond Coincidence, Beyond Newton, Beyond Perception and Beyond Time and Space.

It is very exciting when technology confirms the Bible. 

“I am the First and the Last” 519-2 - 14 - 3

Exodus 3:14, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

"I the Lord, the first, and with the last" is found in Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12 and Revelation 1:11, 1:17, 22:13. "The Alpha and Omega" is found in Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, and 22:13. "The beginning and the end" is found in Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13.

It is said by many that Jesus never claimed to be God, not so. John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,Before Abraham was, I am."

Old Testament:

Isaiah 41:4, “Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.”

Isaiah 44:6, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

Wow! “Beside me there is no God, The great ‘I AM THAT I AM.”’ The great Jehovah God.

Isaiah 48:12, “Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.”

Isaiah 46:10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

New Testament:

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.” Jesus who was and is and to come.

Alpha is of Hebrew origin; the first letter of the alphabet and Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.

Revelation 1:11, “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: ……”

Revelation 1:17, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:”

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, "3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" Jesus that was and is. Jesus will come again as “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Revelation 22:13.

As with Jehovah God of the Old Testament, Jesus is the First and the Last. Jesus is fully man and fully God!