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Language, Mark, Teaching

Mark 13:1-8 – Let no one lead you astray

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As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.”

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This is the Gospel selection from the Episcopal Lectionary for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B 2018. In the numbering system that lists each Sunday in an ordinal fashion, this Sunday is referred to as Proper 28. It will next be read aloud in an Episcopal church by a priest on Sunday November 18, 2018. It is important because Jesus foretold of the destruction of Herod’s Temple, telling how nothing man creates – no matter how grandiose – can withstand the tests of time. Only God offers everlasting accomplishments and without God is destruction assured.

When one reads that “one of his disciples said to [Jesus], “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”’ he was marveling over the construction project that gave the Second Temple the nickname “Herod’s Temple.” According to the Wikipedia article on Second Temple, under the sub-heading “Herod’s Temple: Construction,” the following is written:

“Herod’s Temple was one of the larger construction projects of the 1st century BCE. Josephus records that Herod was interested in perpetuating his name through building projects, that his construction programs were extensive and paid for by heavy taxes, but that his masterpiece was the Temple of Jerusalem.”

By the time Jesus was in the final days of his ministry [he was in Jerusalem for his final Passover when this event occurred], the Temple beautification project initiated by King Herod [the Great] was in its forty-ninth year, having begun twenty years before Herod’s death. While much of the outer work might have been basically in place when one of the disciples pointed out the magnitude to Jesus, work on Herod’s Temple would continue until 63 A.D. [ref.], such that the rebuilding process stretched over eighty years. One should calculate that Jesus’ last Passover in Jerusalem [in the body of a living human being] was around 27 A.D., when he was about 33 years of age.

While in Jerusalem during the Passover at the onset of Jesus’ ministry, he had told pilgrims in Jerusalem, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19) That conversation was not recorded by the disciples of Jesus (neither Matthew nor  Mark), but three years later Jesus defined “Destroy this temple” as, “Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

This meant not simply the destruction that would be done by the Romans, but the ravages of time after that, especially when the Saracens [Arabians] spread into Palestine, becoming synonymous with Muslims. Stones of the temple ruins would have been utilized in other small building projects over five hundred years of time, and the transformation of the temple mount to the Dome of the Rock [691 A.D.] would be when “all will be thrown down” completely [except part of the Western wall, today called the Wailing Wall].

It is important to grasp the history, both the prior and future changes affecting the Second Temple and the two times Jesus spoke of the temple being destroyed. First of all, God never asked for a temple of stone, as He said He preferred to be mobile. That means the destruction of a brick and mortal temple that had become a monument to Herod the Great, not to God, would be replaced by Jesus Christ [the high priest] being reborn in true Christians [each a rebuilt mobile tabernacle].  That transformation would wait until after Jesus had died by execution and was dead for three days before resurrecting. Third, the complete erasure of Herod’s Temple and the rebuilding of a Muslim holy building on that same piece of real estate would simply be God’s way of saying, “I Am That I Am when I am written on the hearts of Apostles and Saints [The Ark of the Covenant within the Tabernacle], which are in the name of Jesus Christ.”  God cannot be made a shrine that pilgrims must visit once in a lifetime, as God is limitless, available to all who love Him dearly.

When we read, “When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,” the Greek written by Mark includes a comma, such that the literal translation says: “And sitting of him upon the mountain the [one] of Olives  ,  opposite the temple”. This is two segments of words, not one.  The second segment is then a helpful segment of words that is used to clarify which mountain or hill with olive trees that Peter [through Mark] was talking about.

This story is found also told in Matthew and Luke. Luke does not state where Jesus privately told the disciples when the temple would be destroyed. Matthew wrote that it was on the mount the [one] of Olives, but did not get specific about where that hill was, in comparison to the temple.  This means mark’s version adds truth that is helpful to the one carefully paying attention to Scripture.

The reason Mark made this clarification is there were two hills that were known for having olive trees. Only one had an olive oil press [Gethsemane], which was near the base of the Mount of Olives. Simply by capitalizing “Elaiōn” the implication was “Mount of Olives.” Still, there was also a hill outside the Essenes Gate that was known as a “hill of Olive trees.”  That was where Jesus would lead his disciples after the Passover meal. However, Mark was making clear that the private discussion Jesus had with his disciples was on the mountain of Olives that was “opposite the temple.”

When Mark then wrote that “Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,” it should be realized that neither Matthew nor Luke listed anyone specifically. Only Mark [Peter’s Gospel writer] wrote those names. Peter was the brother of Andrew and James and John were the sons of Zebedee. Those were the disciples first chosen by Jesus.  Peter was making it clear that the ones who raised the question: “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” were the ones who had served Jesus the longest and the ones who thought they were Jesus’ most trusted disciples. Therefore, they felt it was their right to know when to look for the signs of destruction that Jesus knew was coming.

The reading then follows with Mark writing, “Then Jesus began to say to them.” The Greek word “ērxato” is the past tense of “archomai,” meaning “to begin” or “to commence.” It also means Jesus, for the first time, established the “rule” by which the times of Jewish destruction, as a religion meant only for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [a biological subrace of the human race – see “Physiological race”], would occur.

As it was then, the radiance of Herod’s Temple stood as an outward glorification of Judaism. Rather than a simple reproduction financed by the Persian kings Cyrus the Great and Darius I, Herod the Great would enhance the old, so it spoke loudly for his greatness.  Still, the grander the temple complex became, the more it projected how a most powerful, singular God, made Israelites [under David primarily] and Jews a select people, amid the vast empirical holdings of those who worshipped many gods, but rose and sank over time: Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and then Romans. For as lasting as YHWH had proved His capability to keep the children of Israel intact [remnants that they had become], still adherents to Mosaic Law, Jesus began to tell of the destruction that would be the end of that favor.

To best understand the words that then came out of Jesus’ mouth, one must remember that Jesus was not speaking as a favored son of God. That would be how the elite of Judaism saw themselves: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the temple scribes and high priests. Jesus spoke as THE Son of God, which meant he only spoke the truth, which the Father was speaking through him. Therefore, Jesus then responded to the question posed by his disciples in the voice of God that flowed through him.

It was then God that told Jesus’ disciples, “Beware that no one leads you astray.” In actuality, the capitalized Greek word, “Blepete,” is a one-word statement of importance, separate from the words that follow by a comma [real or implied]. As a form of the root word “blepó,” the impact is placed on “Sight, Perception, Discernment, and Observance.” To “Beware” means to become “Aware,” by being “Watchful.”

Before anything else, Jesus said, “Look!”  This is then the importance of Jesus’ parables about “Vigilance” and staying “Awake.” The purpose of staying “Awake” means to not fall asleep, which is the danger of mortal death and the recycling of reincarnation, rather than the wakeful state of eternal life.

It is then the importance of that state of “Alertness” that has one prepared to wait for the bridegroom’s call [Parable of the Ten Virgins], “lest anyone you mislead.” Being misled is then forgetting to keep oil in one’s lamp, so the light of alertness will shine through the darkness of night [symbolic death]. This translates according to common language as “that no one leads you astray,” but in the same words says one is responsible for not letting others be misled through self-failure of “Being aware.” The “Wakeful” state keeps one from misleading others and being misled.  That is parallel to the five bridesmaids who saw they would run out of oil and asked the other five to share their oil.  The lamp oil is what keeps one awake and alert, thus it represents personal devotion to the Lord.  Each is responsible for preparing one’s soul for a marriage to God.

God then said through His Son, “Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.” This translation does not capture God as the voice speaking those words. The literal Greek states, “many will come in the name of me  ,  saying then  ,  I am  ,  and many will be misled  .” This needs closer inspection.

Jesus then prophesied that “many [lower-case] will come in the name of Jesus Christ [“mou” as “of me.”].” The word “mou” is a form of the Greek word “egó,” which means “I.” That is then a statement that “many will come” who will have sacrificed their “egos” [their “I”s] so they will assume the ego of Jesus Christ, where Jesus of Nazareth is a Son “of God.” Therefore, the Christ is the presence “of God” [“of me”] that “many will become” filled with love from.

This foretold of the advent of Christianity, where those “many” would be “then saying” or “speaking then” the truth of God, just as was Jesus of Nazareth. Rather than one man “speaking then,” who led a relatively small group of Jewish disciples [men and women], “many” would spread the breadth and scope of that Gospel.  Those who follow Jesus become reborn as Jesus Christ.

This spread of true Christianity will “then” lead “many” to “say” they are Christian [without the bold type], simply because it seems like the good thing to do. The problem that comes with those who “speak then” but do not tell the truth, is they do not say, “this voice comes from God as Jesus reborn.” Instead, they proclaim, “I am” a Christian, where the Greek word “Egō” is capitalized, showing there has been absolutely no sacrifice of self-ego for God. They proclaim they are gods, rather than acting as wholly subservient slaves of YHWH – “I Am That I Am.”

This is the Big Brain Syndrome that I speak of. People who say, “I am Christian,” often then say, “I am sure, if Jesus were here today, he would say the same things that I am saying. By admitting that I am Christian, I am then allowed to play god.”

God was then advising the disciples of His Son that “namely” [the viable translation of the Greek word “kai,” which commonly means “and”] is as “namely” does.  Using the “I” word then identifies those who will number “many,” such that through their claims of “I am” righteous “many will be misled.”

One has to see how God spoke through Jesus saying that the time was coming when the destruction of Judaism would be due to the improper leadership the people had. They would be misled into believing that “I am” was the ego of God’s chosen people. For that heresy, every stone of the renovations done to the Second Temple would be thrown down. Still, the errors of the Jews were foretold by Jesus to be repeated in the far distant future, when the stone foundations of Christianity would likewise come tumbling down. Any time that religious leaders mislead God’s children [false shepherds and false prophets], they will be exposed as liars and overthrown by God.

God then spoke through Jesus, saying “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.”

When one realizes Jesus spoke to his disciples in 27 A.D. [C.E.] that was still four decades before the Jewish revolt against Rome would begin [67 C.E.]. Prior to that there would be words of war, even rumors would spread that another Messiah had come [a warrior Christ], who would lead the Jews to independence and win the return of Israel into the world. By 70 A.D. [C.E.] that war would be won by Rome, with all the false prophets of Judaism killed and the grandiose temple in Jerusalem razed to the ground. However, even that many years after Jesus would be dead, resurrected, ascended and return in Apostles, “the end is still to come.”

The vision of God stretched well beyond that of ordinary human eyes. That “end,” from the Greek word “telos,” meaning the “conclusion” of the destruction of the religion of the One God Yahweh, that would be after “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines.”  That too needs closer inspection.

The Greek word “ethnos” is translated as “nation,” but it conveys a meaning of “the heathen world,” that of Gentiles. It is a statement that “race will rise against race.” We live now in a time when “race” is commonly used as a weapon of destruction. There is no longer a clear boundary that keeps the “races” of the world pure. The mixture of “races” dilutes that purity, so the “races” designed by God are forced to mingle, so pure blood become one global blob of humanity.  Then, none of the Gentiles stand out for their God-given superiorities. Likewise, the religions of the world have blended into misleading dogmatic rituals of meaningless sayings, because the “people rise against people” whose beliefs are impure [false].

The Greek word “basileia” means “kingdom,” which is different from the Israel under Herod the Great.  Judea had a governor that was appointed by an emperor, who reigned from Rome over many lands.  The segment of words that say “kingdom against kingdom” is then a vision that extended beyond the fall of the Roman Empire, to a distant time when the lands of Europe would be led by kings [and queens]. Those kings would be believed to have been descended from the holy bloodline of God’s Son, indirectly descended from Jesus of Nazareth. Those European “kingdoms” would then become the resurrection of the anger of brother against brother, or Can against Abel, since royal lines of “kingdoms” made them Apostles [regardless of gender] by holy blood. Eventually, all of those “kingdoms” would be reduced to governments of philosophies that lied to the people as if the will of all would rule a commonly elected few.

For God to state, “there will be earthquakes in various places,” this is a normal occurrence of shifting tectonic plates. Rather than have Jesus seem to state a forecast of common natural events, the Greek word “seismoi” should be understood as many violent “shakings” and “commotions” (from the root word “seismos”) on earth that will crumble the foundations of religious faith. These are then the philosophies of man that will introduce the concepts of democracy, equality among men [not always implying women too], and freedom, giving rise to all kinds of “–isms” that will shake belief in religions to their cores.

The statement, “there will be famines,” has nothing to do with the weather patterns that bring drought and failing crops. It has little to do with having billions of human beings on a limited space of land, where the land cannot produce enough food for that many people to be fed. It has no bearing on the desert environments of the world that have historically produced minimal numbers of plants and animals; and there is no correlation to global warming, pollutants caused by ignorant masses, or the extinctions of flora and fauna caused by an earth teeming with uncaring human beings. The “famine” God spoke of was due to a lack of spiritual food being available for a corrupted mankind to be fed. That lack of religious feeding will be most evident when the “end” time arrives.

Again, the evidence of all those signs stated by the mouth of Jesus are prevalent today. The people rise up against the people. The kingdoms have been reduced to political parties forcing their will upon the meek. The philosophies of the world are shaking religion just as the Romans destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem. The people are famished from lack of spiritual nourishment. Thus, we are ripe for the end coming.

When Jesus then said to his disciples, “This is but the beginning of the birthpangs,” his word “archē” (“beginning”) refers them [and the reader] back to his first statement of explanation, which Mark introduced by saying, “And Jesus began to say to them.” Jesus was telling them that the words of what to look for, which they would see, would only be “the beginning of the birthpangs” of the destruction of Judaism. The “birth” would produce Christianity, but “birthpangs” are always followed by death pains. We are all born mortal, bound to die.  Death’s pains occur at the end of life on earth. For that reason, one should be “Awake” when the end time comes.

While this ends the reading selection as chosen, the text of Mark adds one more verse to this section.  It repeats the capitalized “Blepete,” or “Take heed,” returning one’s focus to the same important one-word statement. This warning of vigilance was directed at the disciples themselves, where Jesus told them, “You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.” (Mark 13:9; NIV) Those signs will indicate the beginning of a new religion of self-sacrifice for devotion wholly to Yahweh. The deaths of the Apostles will bring the birthpangs of true Christianity into being.

As the Gospel selection for the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for the LORD should be underway – one is aware of the signs of the end times – the message here is to not be mesmerized by the wonders of a material world. Everything is in a state of change, which slowly builds up and slowly breaks down; it is often difficult to see how the world is crushing the life out of humanity. We have to know what signs to look for and we need to always be alert to the fact that Satan wants all human beings to be misled.

As American Christians, in a multitude of sects and denominations, just driving around town brings forth a reaction to the grandiosity of buildings of worship. They appear to strive, by design, to beacon to the passerby, “You need to come inside and see more!” This is akin to the disciples telling Jesus, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” We are easily distracted by bells and whistles, smoke and mirrors.

The problem with palatial buildings is the cost involved.  It should lead one to wonder, “To what end?” If there is so much pain and suffering in the world that needs donations and contributions, why is money being put into anything more than a tent with poles, folding chairs and some sawdust?

This is in addition to a monthly payment to his church’s Capital Campaign and normal Stewardship tithing.

The answer is profit. There has not been an American business man or woman yet that proposes spend a huge sum on freebies. The news in the past couple of years has been how the downtrodden of Houston, after a hurricane hit Texas, found chains put on the doors of Joel Osteen’s megachurch.  No public shelter there!  It seems he built it with money donated to him (not God) and he invested that money into a profit-making megastructure.  After what happened to the inside of the Superdome, following Hurricane Katrina, who can blame him wanting to avoid the renovation costs of being charitable?

[I do not name him specifically as the only one who has followed this model of profiting from selling religion to people willing to pay.  He is simply one of “many” – nothing more.]

Jesus replied to his disciples, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” He was not simply speaking about the beautification project of the Temple of Jerusalem. He was speaking of all who had, all who were, and all who would try to box God into permanent buildings. There has not been built one yet that can last as long as God. They will all find the same end that mortal human beings find – death and destruction of all that had been built over time. The only thing that lasts like God is the soul, but souls cannot return to God if they find a sense of self-pride in a magnificent building.

The private question the disciples asked Jesus – by Peter, James, John, and Andrew – were not much different than that asked by the young, rich ruler. Rather than, “What do I have to do to get to Heaven?” they asked, “When will Heaven come?” Such a question asked privately might mean those four disciples secretly either hoped for the destruction of evil, seen in opulent wealth and material objects of worship cast down, or they were most worried about when they should be careful of their lives, because the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem would mean a powerful enemy was at hand. Either way, there were inner doubts that they were trying to assuage by trying to get inside information about how much time Jesus was talking about.

It is important to remember that the disciples had not yet been filled with God’s Holy Spirit. They had not yet been given the Christ Mind, in exchange for their own self-egos. They are then the models of all Christians today, who know a thing or two about what Jesus did, but know nothing about the love of God and being adopted as His Son.

One has to imagine one’s own fears rising, as Jesus spoke for the Father about the fall of the religion the disciples had invested so much time and energy into believing.  Christians today feel exactly how the disciples felt. We are all still being taught to “Be aware!” “Stay awake!” “Be vigilant!” or be lost.

Jesus taught to his disciples in the same manner that parents teach their young children. They tell a child, “Do not touch the stove top burner, as it will hurt very much if you do.” Children trust their parents and listen to what they say. They do not have to touch the hot stove top to find out the truth, as the vividness of their imagination and having experienced pain and crying is enough to believe a warning from someone they know loves them deeply.

Jesus then told his disciples to always discern the truth. One has to see the truth with one’s own eyes, or belief will never convert into faith. By not testing the words of those who preach from a position of “I am!” humans return to that state of being as a trusting child. Humans do not want to take the time or put in the energy it takes to see a truth with their own eyes: what was really said and what that really means. This is the warning given by Jesus. If one does not test the many that will come and say, “I am speaking for Christ,” then those will be misled, fall asleep and miss the boat to Heaven.

I do not ask anyone to believe what I say. Believing what I say will make one a poor reproduction of me. If questioned about my life, anyone other than myself will turn and run away in fear. I demand that everyone who wants to become Jesus Christ resurrected test what Jesus said, as recorded in the Gospels.

If I am wrong, then tell me where I missed what you see.

Hebrews, Language, Teaching

Hebrews 10:11-25 – When one’s sins are no longer on God’s Mind

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Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. [And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds,”

he also adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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This is the Epistle selection from the Episcopal Lectionary for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B 2018. In the numbering system that lists each Sunday in an ordinal fashion, this Sunday is referred to as Proper 28. It will next be read aloud in an Episcopal church by a reader on Sunday November 18, 2018. It is important because Paul (once again) explained how an Apostle-Saint is the tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant is written on one’s heart.  It is within that chamber that Jesus Christ is the reborn high priest. One’s sacrifice of self, in service to God Almighty, brings forgiveness of sins past and brings on the true heart of faith.

Due to the length of this selected reading of Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, I will not dissect it into segments as I have been doing for shorter readings. While this process is important, this translation read aloud makes it easy to follow the intent. However, reading the Bible Hub Interlinear in a ‘side-by-side’ manner makes the message vividly clear, exposing the errors of the public translation.

Verse eleven is speaking of typical priests, as he knew them in Jerusalem, as well as in Greek and Roman temples. It was their daily rituals to make blood offerings to the gods. None of those offerings of animal sacrifice ever took away the sins of the people or the priests.  This then translates to all ministers, priests, pastors and preachers of Christianity, who have a college degree to memorize ritual and administer rites, with external laws of Moses forgotten [for Jews only] or misunderstood.

Verse twelve then does not specifically name Christ as read aloud. This is implied by the word “houtos,” which means “this one.”  That word implies a singularity not found in typical priests. One sacrifice, of Jesus of Nazareth himself, would last in perpetuity. That means the sins of all could be cleansed by that singular sacrifice. That singular sacrifice was not so Jesus would be raised into Heaven and then be seated [“sat down”] on a throne next to God, by His right hand]. That would mean God sacrificed His Son so His Son could be God II in Heaven [a ridiculous concept].  Instead, the Greek word “ekathisen” needs to be seen differently.  Rather than meaning “sat down,” it should be read as meaning “was appointed,” as in “given the official job” (“seated”) as God’s “right hand.” That “hand of God” was then given the authority to be the human sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world.  It is God’s right hand that extends from Heaven to the earthly realm.

You are sent by my right hand to be the lineage to my right hand man.

Verse thirteen then does not say that Jesus Christ sits in a throne waiting for his enemies to bow down before his feet.  Rather, it says that those who are sinners awaiting redemption (those who think they “should be fixed” by Jesus being sacrificed), without doing anything to show repentance and love of God, are acting as the enemies of God [and God’s “right hand”]. Such refusal to repent places them as the low of humanity, at the feet of God. “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)  One should realize that reaching for the right hand of God is more difficult when laying in the gutter, at the feet of God and Christ.

Verse fourteen then states that God allowing His Son to be sacrificed, Jesus Christ represents the perfect way to be made holy. Rather than others needing to be offered up as burnt offerings [death, followed by resurrection and ascension of the body and soul], one simply needs to sacrifice one’s own self-ego and submit to God.  Since this models just as Jesus of Nazareth did, that prototype of sacrificial perfection. That death of ego then allows the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ to be reborn within one’s flesh, which sanctifies each Apostle [i.e.: Saint]. It cannot get more perfect than that.

Instructions: Follow the real Jesus, not a dashboard model.

Verse fifteen [an optional verse, as well as are verses 16-18] confirms that it is the Holy Spirit that sanctifies one and clears the slate of all past sins. The translation that says “testifies” is actually the first word in verse fifteen, one that is capitalized as an important statement. The Greek word “Martyrei” is written, which better says “Bears witness.” This is the personal experience of the Holy Spirit, where one’s soul is baptized clean of sins, past, present AND future. One then “Bears witness” to the Christ Mind, as Jesus Christ resurrected. That Greek word is the root word for the English word “martyr,” which is then an important statement that “One has chosen to suffer death for religious purposes.” That “Death,” however, is not physical but mental, as the sacrifice of self.

Verse sixteen is then Paul quoting from Jeremiah 31:33, which fully states: “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” That quote says the presence of the Holy Spirit is known when the law is written in one’s heart by a profound love of God and it is written in their minds by the presence of the Christ. One “Bears witness” to all meaning of all Scripture … because of having sacrificed one’s brain, to stop holding one back from serving God.

Verse seventeen is a partial quote from Jeremiah 31:34, which fully states: “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” In this forgiveness of sins, one has to realize that God KNOWS ALL [He is omniscient].  This then means “remember” is not the best translation [although both Hebrew and Greek verses commonly use that translation]. Both languages allow for their respective words to also say, “call to mind.”  One’s sins will then never again (“no more”) “call [out] to [God’s] mind.”  The reason is there will be no more sins done by one filled by the Holy Spirit.  This is then a statement that once the Holy Spirit has come one with one’s soul, then there will never be any other sins that will call upon God’s mind for judgment.  God “remembers” the self-sacrifices of His beloveds.

This is then stated by Paul in verse eighteen, which is how the whole verse of Jeremiah says, “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me.” Knowing the Lord means being one with God, as a marriage union, such that ‘biblical knowing’ means making a baby. With God as the Husband, the baby that is born is Jesus Christ. When one is reborn as Jesus Christ, one will act exactly like Jesus did, so no more sins will ever need to be repented. Still, all Saints will always feel repentance for past sins; that is when they give thanks to God for having saved them from ruin.

Verse nineteen is poorly translated as it replaces Paul’s use of “brothers” with the generic and meaningless word “friends.” That misses the point of all Saints being the Son [a male designation] of the Father.  The “confidence” of which Paul wrote was not “to enter sanctuaries,” but the “boldness” that overtakes one, due to “the entering” of the Holy Spirit within their bodies.  That “confidence” immediately comes from the union of God with one’s soul. No longer were they disciples, they had themselves each been transformed into “sanctuaries,” which is better understood as those “sacred.”  This means the use here of “hagiōn” (translated above as “sanctuaries”) is repeating that stated in verse fourteen (“hagiazomenous“). They have each become tabernacles in which the high priest Jesus has entered, which is the blood of a human Saint infused with the Holy Spirit. This is the true meaning of Jesus telling his disciples, “Drink from [this cup of wine] all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Please take note how Jeremiah quoted God as having said the same thing.

Wine is wine. See how drinking of this ceremonial Passover cup of wine acts as a toast to seal the covenant with God that spiritually welcomes my holy blood within you.

Verse twenty then says that a Saint becomes like Moses, who had to wear a veil because the face of God shone upon his. A new Saint is a newly dedicated tabernacle of the Lord, one made of flesh that projects His Son through the “curtain” that is one’s flesh.  When one also sees a Saint being a new tabernacle that houses the Lord in one’s heart [the Holy of Holies place, behind the curtain], this is where only the high priest is allowed to go.  Visitors can only see the majesty of a phenomenal temple veil.

Verse twenty-one states that Jesus Christ is the great priest [high priest] that resides within that tabernacle of flesh.  Jesus Christ is the high priest that makes offerings to God above.

Verse twenty-two then says that this presence of the Trinity in each Saint draws one closer to Father [in our hearts] and the Holy Spirit [sprinkled clean] and Son [washed clean of evil]. In God one knows more than one believes, so Paul said each Saint has the full assurance of faith, through the experience of God’s love and loving God in return.

Verse twenty-three is confusing when “confession” and “hope” are the translations. The better statement means Paul said Saints will hold fast to their affirmations of faith. Rather than expressing hope for others (which is true), hope is best conveyed through “confidence,” which was first stated in verse nineteen. By demonstrating a fast hold on faith, from knowing God personally, others will find hope for them in the conviction of Saints.

Verse twenty-four says that each Saint should perceive each other as the same entity, which makes them all “brothers” [including women], because all are reborn as Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. By seeing one another in that way, the love of God within each is then stirred up for others in the name of Jesus Christ, which is the love of God shared with all who are likewise wearing the face of God. This is the most important commandment that Jesus told the scribe [two Sundays past]. All other commandments are then naturally subsequent to that love, due to God having written the laws on each Saint’s heart.

Verse twenty-five does not say that Saints should not neglect to gather together, as is the custom of Jewish synagogues. God does not extend His right hand to human beings so they will stay in one place and gather together, not as Jews, but as Christians. While Paul knew there were churches of true Christians, which included both Jews and Gentiles, the intent was not to create a new religion. Instead, Saints were to travel in pairs [not always the same partner] and spread the Good News to those who had not yet heard.

The “Gospel” is not simply that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, but more importantly it is one sharing with others their experience of God and Christ; to allow those who had never met Jesus of Nazareth to meet Jesus Christ in the body of a Saint. The role of Saints was (and is still) to recognize the Sabbath with strangers, in their churches or synagogues, staying as long as they were welcomed by those strangers. What Saints could not do was fail to encourage other Saints, those whose presence they knew prior [by encouraging them with loving letters], present [encouraging them with loving words], and future [teaching the meaning of Scripture with loving kindness]. This was to be done until those saintly souls were separated from their flesh on their “Day” of deliverance to God.

As the Epistle selection for the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for the LORD should be underway – one should be fluent in the words of Paul, as the Mind of Christ shows one how to speak in the tongues of God – the message here (as always with Paul) is to serve the Lord with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul, and with all one’s strength. Then, one should love all others who equally love God and wear the face of God wherever they go, just as one loves God.

For as often as Paul wrote what it takes to be cleansed of sins, it is the waywardness of Christians that has a false belief in what “confession” means, what “Jesus died for our sins” means, and what the Lord’s Prayer means. One has to be transformed by a profound love of God to understand Paul’s letters.

In the Episcopal Church [all “catholic” churches] there is recited aloud each Sunday a statement of Belief [Nicene Creed], a Confession of Sins, and the Lord’s Prayer.

Christians should have faith, which comes from knowing God personally. The Nicene Creed was originally written [after much debate] by Saints, or people very close to that sacred status. Many who recite the modified words of that Creed [read from a Prayer Book or a printed handout] pay little attention to what the words say and mean. Some might believe that saying those words, like saying the Pledge of Allegiance, means one is Christian. When one’s faith is written on the walls of one’s heart, one’s faith is stated by the glow of wearing God’s face [depicted in art historically as a halo].  Words cannot replace that glow.

As we learn from this reading from Paul, God will not have the sins of a Saint come to His Mind. Why, then, do people speak out loud, in unison in a church about how miserable they were to not sin? They proclaim boldly, “We are sinners!”  Certainly, Saints confess their sins every day, multiple times, but they do not get all ‘Pharisee’ about it and shout so everyone can hear them. They silently ask God to keep them from sinning, asking forgiveness for past sins they have come back into their minds … remembrances of how they once were. They thank God for having given them the strength of Jesus Christ, so they cannot sin again.

When the disciples went to Jesus and asked him to teach them to pray, rote memorization of the example prayer Jesus gave his students is not how a Saint speaks to God. How many times did Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and all the judges and prophets of Israel and Judah recite the Lord’s Prayer?  The answer is never.

In John 17, when Jesus prayed for himself, his disciples, and all believers, he did not say the Lord’s Prayer. That is a prayer taught to children. It leads one to establish a comfort in talking to God. Prayer is done in private, and if spoken, done so calmly, quietly, and sincerely. Jesus taught his children-disciples, “God is your Father. Address Him as such.” For that relationship to be true, one has to love God as His Son [regardless of human gender].

And that’s all I have to say about that.

#Hebrews101125 #Jeremiah313334 #John17 #Matthew2312

1 Samuel, Language, Teaching

1 Samuel 1:4-20 – A double portion of love offering

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On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”

As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.

They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”

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This is an optional Old Testament selection from the Episcopal Lectionary for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B 2018. In the numbering system that lists each Sunday in an ordinal fashion, this Sunday is referred to as Proper 28. If chosen, it will next be read aloud in an Episcopal church by a reader on Sunday November 18, 2018. It is important because the story of Samuel’s birth to a barren mother, as the answer to prayers to God, shows that Salvation is possible to all who swear devotion to God.

When we read, “On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion,” the “portions” given are animals sacrificed. The sacrifices were made yearly in Shiloh, where a Levite priest would perform the ritual of sin offerings. This implies that all had sinned, but because Hannah was barren, her sins were worth double portions being sacrificed. Elkanah was willing to offer those extra animals “because he loved [Hannah].”

When we read, “she used to provoke her,” this was Peninnah pointing out to Hannah that her sins, which caused her barrenness, were why their husband Elkanah had to sacrifice more than customary. Peninnah had given birth to multiple “sons and daughters,” which she would point out to Hannah as proof that she was viewed by God as the better wife. These bitter words “provoked [Hannah] severely.” Thus, as time went on, Elkanah came to find Hannah weeping, not eating, and with a heart full of sorrow.

When we read, “After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh,” several deductions can be made here, with some important information missing from verses one through three being omitted from this reading.

One is the family traveled to Shiloh yearly. The Passover was not commanded to be observed at any specific location, but the eating and drinking could be an indication of that timing of travel. Even though 2 Kings 23:22 states, “Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed,” that truth leaves open the possibility of Levites honoring it yearly, while reminding the local Israelites to do so, family-by-family. It was not a pilgrimage event to a Temple of brick and mortar, but a private observance in each home. Still, Levite priests might have originated that concept informally.

Second, verse nineteen says “to their house at Ramah,” but verse one states this clearly as being Ramathaim Zophim. This is a distance of roughly twelve miles west of Shiloh, or about a day’s journey [with lambs]. Both places were in the area set aside for the tribe of Ephraim.

Third, it can seem as if Elkanah did the sacrificing. He was a prominent Levite of Ephraim, thus a priest who was capable of offering sacrifices; but verse three says that the sons of Eli – Hophni and Phinehas – made the offerings to God that Elkanah brought. Eli and his sons were priests of the tabernacle in Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and all were Aaronites [Levites directly descended from Aaron]. Eli was both the judge of Israel [following Samson] and the high priest of the tabernacle.

Eli’s sons would later be exposed as bad priests, who kept the best portions for themselves, meaning what Elkanah’s family ate and drank quite possibly was part of the of their sacrificed lambs. This would have been eaten with wine, which might not have been the ceremonial Seder cups later established, but the act of getting drunk on wine into the evening could be what led Eli to think Hannah was drunk.

Seeing the depth of reality that this reading places one amidst, we then read that after eating and drinking, “Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord.” She went to the tabernacle to pray to the Lord, because “she was deeply distressed.” Eli was sitting outside the entrance to the tabernacle, in a seat next to a support pole for the tent of meeting. In the dark, Hannah must not have seen Eli, but Eli saw her come up, as she would have been lit into visibility by the fire still glowing from the altar of burnt offerings.

We are told the prayer of Hannah, which was silently communicated as she “wept bitterly.” In the vow Hannah made to God, she asked God to “remember me, and not forget your servant.” In the Epistle reading from Hebrews 10, Paul quoted Jeremiah 31:34, such that Yahweh said the time would come when “I will remember their sins no more.” That echoes back to the times of Hannah and Eli, when God remembered the sins of His people, expecting them to remember the connection a judge had with the Lord.  The high priest made sin offerings to God, in remembrance of past sins.  This method of atonement pleased God, so His judges were anointed to lead the people.

Seeing this expectation each Israelite shared, Hannah knew she had lived a life of devotion – to her husband, to her family [which included her husband’s other wife and children], and to her God. She should then be seen in the light of Job, who also was without sin and punished unjustly. Just as Job cried as he tried to get God to rescue him from a punishment he did not deserve, Hannah cried [silently], “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death.”

A “nazarite” is defined as, “An Israelite consecrated to the service of God, under vows to abstain from alcohol, let the hair grow, and avoid defilement by contact with corpses (Num. 6).” This was Hannah then saying her greatest sorrow was not from the hurtful things people thought, which her sister wife Peninnah said openly, but that she had failed God as a Levite wife. It was the duty of a Levite’s wife to give birth to a firstborn son, who would be dedicated to a lifetime of service in the temple – a nazarite. Because Peninnah was not Elkanah’s first wife, her firstborn son was probably exempt from that rule. Therefore, Hannah could not reward the love Elkanah showered upon his first wife by honoring his love with the redemption of the firstborn son [Pidyon haben], as commanded by God [Exodus 13:2].

Seeing Hannah’s lips moving as she wept bitterly, Eli’s first thought was she had drunk too much wine. When Eli said to Hannah, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine,” he was quite possibly making reference to ritual red wine being consumed as symbolic of sacrificial blood. Remembering God passing over the Israelites because the blood of firstborn male lambs was painted one the thresholds of their homes, would then have been done with wine. Consumed, it would mark them within as those who served the Lord as His priests. That event of memory would then explain why she cried to God, “remember me, and not forget your servant.”

We then read Hannah’s response to Eli presuming her to be drunk on wine, saying: “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.” She did not pour out red wine that would artificially intoxicate her and separate her from her grief. Instead, she poured out her soul. Her soul was the blood of the innocent that was painted over her flesh for the Angel of Death to see.

When Hannah then said to Eli, “Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time,” Eli immediately knew in his heart that the Angel of Death, sent by God to judge the worthless and spare the innocent, had spared Hannah. Hannah had been passed over.  Because Eli was a judge and high priest of Israel, he was able to discern God’s Will. It was then from that holy connection that Eli did not speak for himself, but for God, when he said to Hannah, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.”

For as holy a man as Eli was, his brain made errors of deduction. His faulty abilities to think what was going on, proved he was in no way capable to know what Hannah meant when she said to him [a stranger, basically], “I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Eli did not have permission to speak blessings for God, as if he felt being judge and high priest made him a powerful dude. Eli was, however, sacrificed of self so the Lord had total permission to use Eli’s voice to speak His Will through him.  Whereas a high priest had specific rules and regulations to follow, in order to maintain the dignity of the tabernacle, a judge had the freedom to speak without dogmatic procedure being a hindrance.

We do not read that Hanna jumped with joy after she heard Eli’s promise that God had granted her prayer and vow. We read she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” She was not a servant of Eli, which means she was responding to God, recognizing it was His voice that came from His servant Eli – a nameless figure in robes, sitting on a holy throne of the temple. Eli served the Lord as a judge.  Hannah then thanked God by asking Him to show her thanks for Eli, for the role he played as medium to her petition.

The joy that Hannah felt was then stated as, “Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.” Hannah was a changed person after having been assured her prayer would be answered. She was not praying for a baby, but a son who would be given to God out of devotion. She knew she could live a loved life without children of her own to raise. However, her heart was raised by knowing she could fulfill her role in maintaining the lineage of God’s servants in His tabernacle.

The real happy ending to this story is then stated as: “They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.” That happiness came from the rise of a new day, when the glory of the Lord shone brightly on Shiloh AND “they worshipped before the Lord.”

The naming of the baby Samuel says, “Heard Of God.”  He was the fulfillment of a prayer that was heard by God.  The name Elkanah was then lived up to: “God Has Redeemed” through a firstborn son kohen (priest).  The redemption of Pidyon haben had occurred.  The truth spoke by God through Eli was the fulfillment of his name: “God Is Me.”  Eli did not grant a prayer would be answered; it was God.  Hannah had been blessed as she prayed to be, living up to her name: “Gratuitous Gift.”  Her gift of a nazarite was God’s gift to her, as both gifts were of “Graciousness.”  Yahweh remembers His people for their service, more than for their sins.

As a final note, the Passover is always recognized on the 15th of Nisan, which is the first full moon of spring, with spring being when the Sun reaches the Vernal Equinox [a Northern Hemisphere event of rebirth]. Supposing Elkanan and Hannah went home to Ramathaim Zophim and “knew” each other on 17 Nisan, then the birth of Samuel would have been around 17 Tevet (nine months later, in the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar). That would have been around January 9th (Julian calendar), or the dead of winter. That would be symbolic of Samuel being a seed planted in Israel, to sprout, grow, and become a mighty oak tree in Israel’s history, when the judges would be replaced by kings.

As an Old Testament reading selection for the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for the LORD should be underway – one should have made a vow to God of self-sacrifice and service if God will allow one to give birth to Jesus Christ, the high priest “Heard Of God” – the message here is to feel the distress and “great anxiety and vexation” for not having yet delivered one’s soul into God’s hands. One needs to pour out one’s soul before the Lord.

The aspect of Elkanah giving twice as many animals to sacrifice for the sins of his wife Hannah has to be seen as him doing his priestly duty to bring a woman he loved dearly into favor with God. While it is not stated as why God answered Hannah’s prayer that specific time, knowing that verse three said this was a yearly time of sacrifice, Elkanah had sacrificed double portions each year. This has to be seen as the value of prayer for loved ones. All we can do is love one another and pray for the best for those we love, leaving everything in God’s hands and trusting He knows best.

The aspect of Eli sitting on a seat of honor outside the doorway to the tent of meeting makes him seem to be guarding the doorway, as only approved priests were allowed inside. That exclusion of common Israelites from the holy place, while positioned to watch anyone who entered the outer walls of canvas, into the outer courtyard, projects Eli as the Christian Church of today. He reflects all priests (ministers, pastors, or preachers), including bishops and others of hierarchical ranking, as he was the high priest of Israel.

The Church welcomes visitors (as Hannah was to Eli), but there is a line drawn that separates how far a priest can venture beyond the rules and bylaws of the Church, and how close the laity can get to a priest. Eli was an Aaronite, which means he was directly descended from Aaron and dedicated as a priest (even high priest) by birth. Such family connection to the institution of the tabernacle (the same with the Church) makes a high priest seem to be too high to associate with the commoners. As such, neither the tabernacle nor the Church [both holy buildings that attract God’s children to Him] can offer those institutions as substitutes to God. They are not allowed to be anything more than a place to offer sacrifices and prayers to the Lord.  A building cannot replace each heart’s need to connect to God directly.

It should be understood that the Israelites officially offered prayers three times a day: Morning; Afternoon; and Evening. Because Hannah showed up later than the evening prayer time, Eli thought a strange woman was not following normal visiting hours. Again, if drinking wine was a ritual practice during the ritual recognition of the Passover, as I have already stated, then Eli was led to think that a devoted Israelite had consumed her limit of wine, so he advised her: “Put away your wine.”  Wine acted as a false link to spirituality, which would have been the motivation Eli saw in a strange woman coming at a strange time to pray at the alter of burnt offerings.

That is how a Church that is not linked directly to God, through the Holy Spirit, makes poor decisions. It cannot know every woman’s heart that comes in crying and moving her lips. Instead, an institution becomes protective of its procedures, rules, and behaviors … because the public does not fully understand all that its own has to learn  and comply thereof.

Without the ability to cross the line that trusts only God and sees common humanity in more of a negative light (for self-preservation reasons), Eli was probably worried that a drunk woman might do some damage to herself or the altar of burnt offerings. That failure of a Church to hold every one of its members equally, as all being priests with full access to an order of brothers and sisters, will always (invariably) reject well-meaning people.  Some of the people are written off as the casualties of doing business for God.

That was the high priest Eli. However, Eli was also a judge. He had replaced Samson. The role of a judge of Israel was different than a high priest. It was not a position determined by birth or heredity. A judge was one within Israel who was anointed by God.

Samson, for example, was from the Tribe of Dan, close to where Israel bordered Philistia. Samson was also a nazirite, such that when Hannah promised God, “He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head,” Samson’s downfall was due to losing his strength from Delilah cutting his hair. Still, a judge was told by an angel of the Lord, “You’re it!” and they all had an ability to speak to God and know they were heard.

When the judge Eli spoke to Hannah it was not the same as the high priest Eli. He spoke to her as God having heard her vow, he was Eli the judge. Eli the high priest could only see her lips moving.

This has to be seen in terms of Elkanah double portion sacrificed. The reward sent by God was a double portion of Eli. If there had only been one portion set aside for Hannah’s need for fulfillment, Eli would have run her off as just another drunk woman that wandered into the tabernacle’s outer courtyard.  A single portion Eli would sacrifice one lamb to God and give an edible portion to Elkanah.  No more would be expected in return.  A double portion of Eli would be to call upon him as the judge.  The double portion was returned by the voice of the Lord being heard.

This reading should be seen by the reader as a test of one’s character. One does not get to choose only one of the characters that is closest to how one ordinarily acts or wants to be though of by others. Instead, one should see how all of the characters fit oneself. Do we set aside double portions of sacrifices for the special people in our lives? Do we cause anger in those who are less fortunate than us? Do we have anguish because we fail to serve God as much as we wish, feeling we are not giving as much as we should? Do we see strangers and think they are having a breakdown, when they are merely praying to God for help?

The most important characteristic we all should pray for is to speak the truth of the Lord as a judge. When that happens, we get a double portion of a priest and a judge. Jesus is the high priest that guards the tabernacle in our hearts. Jesus Christ is the voice of God that speaks through our lips.  Jesus Christ is the firstborn son we want born into us, so we can dedicate ourselves into God’s service forevermore.

That is when the Church and the people become equal and love flows eternal.

#1Samuel1420 #2Kings2322 #Exodus132 #Jeremiah3134

Daniel, Language, Teaching

Daniel 12:1-3 – A time of cold turkey

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The Lord spoke to Daniel in a vision and said, “At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

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This is an optional Old Testament selection from the Episcopal Lectionary for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B 2018. In the numbering system that lists each Sunday in an ordinal fashion, this Sunday is referred to as Proper 28. If chosen, it will next be read aloud in an Episcopal church by a reader on Sunday November 18, 2018. It is important because it is seen as a prophecy of the end times, making it fit the theme seen in the Gospel reading from Mark 12.

When we read, “The Lord spoke to Daniel in a vision,” this is not stated in verse one of chapter twelve. Daniel was a man of many visions sent to him by God. In chapter eleven the written text tells of a vision being shown to Daniel in the first year of Darius the Mede’s reign. After chapter eleven told of the future for Persia, that vision has continued into chapter twelve, with focus now being put on the people of Israel.

At an earlier time (as told in chapter eight), Daniel was shown the angel Gabriel. In chapter ten he first met the angel Michael. Now, he is being shown the angel Michael again, who will be sent by God in the future.  God is telling Daniel of the end times.

Certainly, this vision could be interpreted as predicting the downfall of the Persians by the Greeks, and then the downfall of the Greeks by the Romans. All of those subsequent events would make this a prophecy that came true. However, in the vacuum of three verses, alone without context, that segregation makes these words be not truly been fulfilled to this day. That means they are prophetic, telling of the great end of the world [as we know that as thought to be].

If one looks at the Bible Hub Interlinear for this reading, then one will see a link to a similar reading [if not the same message repeated], which is Revelation 1:1-3. In John’s book, there is no mention of the specific angel, Michael, although John did mention his revelation came by way of an “angel” of God. This specificity should not be overlooked as having meaning.

The name “Michael” is one that asks a question: “Who Is Like God?” When that name is then attached to the literal Hebrew that says, “the great prince who stands [watch] over the sons of your people,” the one who is like God is Jesus Christ. This deduction can then be affirmed by John, where the beginning of his Revelation states, “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” That specificity then matches the specificity of Daniel, such that Michael is the Christ Spirit, the prince of peace.

Because Daniel wrote of Michael that he was “the great prince,” this also affirmed the prophecy of Isaiah, who wrote: “For a child is born, unto us a son is given, unto us and will be born dominion upon his shoulders; and will be called his name wonderful, councilor, god [“el“], mighty father everlasting prince of peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) That element of peace must now be seen as that which “shall arise” or “shall stand up.” This strength that watches over the people of God [Christians, when Michael is understood as the Christ Spirit] will be called upon when “there shall be a time of anguish” or “times of trouble and distress.”

When Daniel wrote, “There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence,” this becomes a match to Jesus telling his disciple, “nation will rise against nation.” The oldest civilization dug up by archaeology points to the Sumerians, which was in the Fertile Crescent, post-Flood. Because Jesus spoke of when the beautiful buildings of the Temple of Jerusalem would all be overturned, as far as their private question asked by the disciples, the expected historic answer would relate to the history that occurred in 70 C.E.  Comparing those words of Jesus to Daniel’s makes it clearer to see how Jesus was not talking about a Great War, as much as he was telling of the time when religion [Christianity] would reach “times of trouble.”

Daniel wrote of this time being a first since any nations existed. The cornerstone for any worldly nation is its religion, from which priests are dedicated to the gods [for Israel one God], to ensure the life of each nation. Jesus had told the pilgrims and leaders of Jerusalem, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19) He was not referring to the physical destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, but the people being led away from the decadence and corruption that it represented. Likewise, he told his disciples Judaism would be thrown down [“not one stone will be left on another”] in similar metaphor. Daniel prophesied when the world would no longer have nations seeking to please spiritual deities; and John also wrote of those end times.

God does not seek pilgrims who might come to Him, as a majestic building.  God wants hearts to live within. Therefore, Jesus Christ was prophesied as the tumbling down of building being a substitute houses for God.

When Daniel is then said to have written, “your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book,” the better translation that does not paraphrase says, “at that time that shall be delivered  ,  your people everyone who is written in the book  .” More than a whole people being “delivered,” the “time that” has been prophesied as coming [“a time of anguish”] will be delivered. Once all people are amid terrifying times, then not only will “your people” be held accountable, but “everyone” whose name is written “in the book” shall find themselves removed from the world. That will not be a rapture of the innocent, but the time of final judgment for all mankind.

This “book” is then the Akashic Records, or the Book of Life. The possessive pronoun “your,” which is applied to the word “people,” can be read as meaning the Israelites, since Michael [the Christ Spirit] has been appointed by God to govern the righteous. Still, the possessive reflects back on God [Yahweh], as He is the one to whom all Israelite hearts should be married. Through the prince of peace – Jesus Christ being reborn in both Jews and Gentiles – who stands up as the one who watches over God’s people [from within their souls], all humanity will have been given the opportunity to receive the Christ Spirit and be protected from these end times. The Book of Life then records who shall be given eternal life, or life back in a world that can no longer sustain life as we know it now.

When Daniel was told by God, through Michael [Christ], “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,” “dust” should be read as metaphor of a body of flesh [“ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” such that the breath of life is blown into dust and then taken away through mortality]. The word “sleep” should be recognized as synonymous with death, but being mortal is being born of death. The word “awake” is then the realization of eternal life, which transforms the soul from that eternal spirit reincarnated repeatedly into dust that requires sleep into one that desires to forever be returned with God. The word “many” is then less a number of souls, but the suddenness that “greatly” falls upon mankind, during these times of distress. This is then all souls being awakened to the day of reckoning.

That judgment is then stated as, “some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This, again, is a paraphrase, where the literal Hebrew states: “these to life  ,  everlasting these and to shame and contempt everlasting  .” The great awakening is to “life,” which is the soul state. A soul cannot die, as it is “everlasting.”

There are no words written that distinguish “some” being given “everlasting life” and “some” who will find “shame and contempt everlasting.” ALL souls will find they will get to “sleep” as a mortal one last time. ALL souls then lose their illusion of material bodies and must face “life everlasting.” This is where the word “many” is the number of souls that will find the “shame” of having forsaken God Eternal for temporal pleasures. In return, their “life” will find “contempt everlasting” as God’s rejection of those souls.

When Daniel was told, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky,” this refers to those who accepted the protection of Michael [Christ] and stopped being souls led by human brains. They sacrificed their self-egos to be led by the wisdom of the Christ Mind. This means the ones who will “shine like the brightness of the sky” will have sacrificed their human faces to wear the face of God. Those will be the Saints reborn of Jesus Christ, having married God in their hearts.

When that voice went on to say, “those who lead many to righteousness [will be] like the stars forever and ever,” this means the Saints will be the ones who have been granted redemption and salvation to shine like the sun [a star that reflects the light and the true of Jesus Christ] forevermore. The purpose of a Saint is to “lead many to righteousness,” with “many” being the great unknown number of soul that will awaken from their earthly slumber saying, “Ruh roh.”

While many should allow themselves to be led to righteousness, many will prefer to sleep in the dust of the earth. Thus the saying “head in the sand” is born.

This includes all those who foresee a rapture of God-fearing Christians who have no presence of God’s love in their hearts for their fellow neighbors that call themselves Christians of a different variety. Christians today would rather strike down other Christians, as Gentiles against Gentiles [“nation against nation”], rather than receive the Holy Spirit and go into the world “leading many to righteousness.”

As an optional Old Testament reading selection for the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own ministry for the LORD should be underway – one should be trying to lead others to righteousness, rather than draw the contempt of God from persecuting true Christians and falsely claiming a right to speak for Jesus Christ – the message here is to wake up and see how the message always has been to see the lure of the flesh and the material realm is distracting one from a personal ministry for the LORD.  Life misleads a soul to self-worship and losing sight of God.

The Episcopal Church lectionary cycle is not some random schedule of Biblical readings. They were arranged with purpose and from spiritual insight making those choices be placed together. The Day of Pentecost [fifty days after the first full day of the Passover] represents when one has opened one’s heart to God and had Jesus Christ be resurrected within one’s flesh. The “after Pentecost” season [called “Ordinary Time”] is then when one’s ministry for the LORD should be underway. It is not alright to sit in a pew, year after year, lifetime after lifetime, never feeling one can risk material stuff for a gamble on God.

Advent is the dawning that rebirth must be a personal experience of Jesus born again. Christmas is the prophecy of that rebirth in oneself. Epiphany is the realization that one is too sinful to gain salvation. Lent is the purging of one’s addictions to sin, to make oneself acceptable to God in marriage. Easter is the willing sacrifice of self-ego so one can be raised by the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the Law being written within one’s heart, which releases Jesus Christ into a new Saint, which must minister to the needs of others, by passing on the Holy Spirit so the cycle renews.

The end times are then dependent on one receiving the Spirit from the readings each week. One needs to not hear meaningless stories, but be filled with the wisdom of discernment. The readings must have a personal connection for one to be self-motivated to begin the cycle all over again. Otherwise, one will be just like the many who will find life everlasting as a punishment for having wallowed in the sins that only exist in a material realm.

Try to imagine an addiction to heroin and then being locked into a void where nothing material exists. A soul will then crawl up and down imaginary walls for eternity, with no relief.

One does not need to know heroin personally to imagine such a scenario. One gets to fill in the blank as to what would be most distressful to lose, going “cold turkey” for eternity without _________.

Anything short of God filling that blank means eternal anguish.