It is the only miracle of Jesus which is recorded in all four Gospels.  In many ways it was the climax of His ministry of miracles, for shortly thereafter Jesus began the journey to Jerusalem.  It was designed to produce faith in His disciples.

Upon hearing where they were located a multitude came and Jesus had compassion for them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and healed many.  “When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late;  send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”  But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” (Mark 6:35-37)

“And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes….” (Luke 9:13).  In this account, Jesus is getting the disciples to acknowledge the impossibility of provision by human means alone.  “For they were about five thousand men” (verse 14a) and while not counting women and children the total number may have exceeded 10,000.

“And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company” (v. 14b) You know the rest of the story, but with hardly any food to serve can you only imagine what the disciples were thinking upon hearing these instructions?

I am reminded of such a daunting task when, in 1996,  Sons of Thunder Ministries first purchased the 10,000 acre farm in Zambia that founder Jerry Beall was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to use the land as a basis to “feed Africa physically and spiritually.”  And he has never forgotten the Lord’s instruction to him.

If you have not heard, the sub-Saharan region of Africa has been subjected to a brutal two-year drought that is reversing years of progress for almost 250 million affected.  Hunger is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the area and exceeding local government capacities.

Successive crop failures and poor harvests in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola and South Africa are taking a toll on agricultural production, and food prices are soaring.  As you can see in the January 2020 SPEI Drought Monitor map, Zambia is in the heart of this drought-stricken region.  In southern Africa, Zambia and South Africa traditionally provide 70% of the region’s maize production and due to the drought and below-average yields, 41 million are now suffering from “food insecurity.”  Maize is the staple crop for “nshima” a thick porridge made from corn meal (mealie meal) which is eaten daily.

Sons of Thunder Farm is located in southern Zambia and these consuming drought conditions are on its door step each day.  Fortunately, God has blessed Sons of Thunder greatly and the ministry adopted Farming God’s Way© non-till agricultural techniques years ago and is now complimented by water irrigation systems sourced by several drilled wells.  Recent harvests have been bountiful.  And this past summer SOT constructed the first of three aquaponic fish ponds to provide a source of additional protein.  (You can read more about this in prior blog posts dated July 17, 2019; June 12,2019 and December 12, 2018)

“The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25)

The SOT ministry has always held out a generous hand to its surrounding villages not only for feeding the hungry, but in providing medical and maternity services as well a renowned school for 400 children.  There are four churches located on the Farm and no one visits without hearing or experiencing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  As a result, many hundreds of people are streaming daily to the Sons of Thunder Farm in the midst of this horrible drought seeking humanitarian food and aid.

In the United States we have soup kitchens but early this year Sons of Thunder built an “Nshima Kitchen” on its compound for the same purposes.  A building was under construction and it was felt that God wanted to use it as a facility to feed the hungry. Today it is not uncommon that Zambians will walk 2-3 days to the Farm in order to obtain a meal at the Nshima Kitchen.  The first meal served was fish, nshima, and green beans.  In the first week alone 240 Zambians were served.  One woman walked with her children for two days having not eaten in three days.  The gratitude expressed only moves you to tears.

At left are photos from the first week of the “Nshima Kitchen.”

Sons of Thunder Farm is now attempting to use its technology to sustain food crops over a larger portion of the calendar year to help meet these needs and continues to use its facilities to host regional training seminars to educate on Farming Gods Way© techniques.

Needless to say, sustaining the Nshima Kitchen and feeding what is becoming thousands of people places a tremendous financial strain on Sons of Thunder Ministries.   It is for this reason I am asking you to consider making a donation to Sons of Thunder in the midst of this humanitarian crisis.

I am reminded in John’s account of the feeding of 5,000 that the very next day Jesus preached a sermon on the “bread of life” and received Him as they had the bread itself. (John 6:22-59)  Likewise, you can be assured that the gospel of Jesus Christ is extended each day to the hungry streaming into the Farm asking for food.  Having spent cherished time in recent years ministering at Sons of Thunder I can assure you that our Lord and Savior is exalted every day in its operation and the conduct of its leadership.  It is the support of people like you who can and will make a difference in the lives of many.  If you would like to learn more,you can click here to go to the Sons of Thunder website and make a donation.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.”  (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

The hit song Wichita Lineman was recorded by Glen Campbell in 1968, a song that manages to squeeze a lifetime of emotion into just three minutes.  Many have long speculated that behind its only 16 lines there was a hidden deeper meaning.  Many of Campbell’s songs were written by other composers, in this case Jimmy Webb, who later said the song was unfinished and he never intended it to be released or recorded in its form.

There are more miracles in the Book of Mark than any other gospel account even though it is the shortest of the four.  There is no genealogy in his account, he focuses on Jesus as Servant, it is the action gospel, it is an account of Christ’s power in action and it was written essentially to the Romans, a gospel for the Gentiles.  How do we know?  Mark’s purpose was to write down the Gospel just as Peter presented it to the Romans.  Six times he translates Aramaic expressions into Greek, twice he explains Jewish customs, and only quotes the Old Testament once.  He uses action words (i.e. “immediately, straightway, forthwith, etc.”) and verbs are in present tense 150 times.

“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

He sometimes shares details that are not seen in the other gospel accounts.  John was his Jewish name, Mark his Latin surname, otherwise known as “John Mark.”  He was the son of a wealthy woman (Acts 12:12) and many believe he was in fact the “rich young ruler” found in Mark 10:17-22.  For by his account alone, “And Jesus looking upon him loved him…” hinting at the possibility that young John Mark may have been that rich young man.

In the fifth chapter of Mark there are two beautiful miracles that Jesus performs but there are a few details that Mark provides that the other two accounts do not (Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56).  Do these details imply a deeper meaning?

Returning from the Decapolis (Gentile country), Jesus arrived back on the west side of the Sea of Galilee when he was approached by a man named Jairus, a ruler or chief elder of the local synagogue.  “And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue; and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house (Luke 8:41).  It is remarkable that a ruler of a synagogue (in what may have been Capernaum) would come to Jesus and this reflects that people in Galilee were beginning to acknowledge who Jesus was, that He is indeed the Messiah.  Jairus’s daughter lays dying at his home and he pleads for her life.  “….My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live” (Mark 5:23).

Luke estimates (8:42) and Mark confirms (5:42) that Jairus’s daughter was 12 years old.  Why did the Holy Spirit include this detail?

Jesus responded immediately and went with Jairus, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd or procession of people followed.  In route, two things occurred.  First, a story within the story unfolds. A woman who had suffered from constant bleeding for twelve years pressed into the procession and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment for the purpose of being healed.

“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:25-26)

It is interesting that the Holy Spirit imparts the suffering of this woman had gone for twelve years.  Was it a rhetorical device to suggest a link between the two stories?

“When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.  For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.  And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague” (Mark 5:27-29).

At this point, Jesus knew that power had flowed out from him and turning asks, “Who touched my clothes? (verse 30) And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing” (v.31).  His disciples seemed incredulous at the request given the throng around him.  Why did Jesus do this?  Was it to humiliate the person who did this?

With fear and trembling the woman came forward and fell down before him and told Jesus what she had done.  “And he said unto her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:34).  Instead of humiliating her, Jesus did two things, 1) He clears any possible misconceptions and confirms her healing, and 2) by doing so He explains that she didn’t “steal” a miracle from God but that it was her faith that healed her.

(And take note, it is the only time recorded in the Bible that Jesus bestows the name “Daughter” on anyone.)

And then suddenly, a second development: a servant from the home of Jairus arrives telling him that his daughter has died. Upon hearing this, Jesus turned to Jairus and said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

(In Hebrew, the name Jairus translates “God enlightens.”)

Amidst the mournful wailing, Jesus is met with scorn and laughter upon entering the home as if it is too late.  Along with Peter, James, John the brother of James, and Jairus and his wife, Jesus enters the room, “And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Tal’-i-tha cu’-mi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.  And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years” (Mark 5:41-42).

This is such a beautiful story, but what is the “linkage” you seem to imply by the two “twelve years” cited?

Consider first, Jairus’s daughter was 12 years old.  So, she was born at the time this woman’s bleeding issue began.  Coincidence?

Most Bibles depict the bleeding woman’s dilemma as a Jewish matter, and it was.  A woman of Israel with an issue of blood (vaginal bleeding) would have had to remain “outside the camp,” ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25-30). And for that matter, anyone who touched her would also be ceremonially unclean or defiled including her husband and children. It was terrible, the issue of blood makes one ceremonially unclean, anything/anyone she touched was ceremonially defiled (Leviticus 15:19-33; 18:19; 20:18).  By the very Law, she would have become ostracized from all society and therefore divorced from her husband. She would not have been allowed to enter a synagogue nor even approach a rabbi or ruler.  Then how was she able to press into the procession? The Jews were very observant of these matters. The physical evidence alone would have exposed her. The disciples generally tried to manage the crowds around Jesus especially in travel, how then was she able to touch Jesus’ garment?  Because she wasn’t a Jew, she was a Gentile!

As a Gentile, this woman knows that she could not have approached Jesus directly in any circumstance, and with her bleeding issue, it would have been impossible to approach Him in a synagogue and definitely not in a Jewish residence.  The only time she could have obtained access as a Gentile woman is while Jesus was traveling by foot in procession.  As a Jewish woman attempting to enjoin His traveling procession, she had no chance to join this crowd for she would have been quickly identified as lawfully persona non grata from a Levitical perspective and quickly turned away.

In his writings, the Christian historian Eusebius indicates the bleeding woman was a wealthy Gentile woman from Caesarea Philippi, an ancient Phoenician city, very non-Jewish then and inhabited by Greeks (today it is known as Banias).  He supposedly wrote that her name was “Veronica.”  In his Ecclesiastical History (Book 7, chapter 18), he wrote that, as was a customary Gentile practice, after being healed the woman built a statue of her kneeling before the Lord receiving the miracle healing and he had seen it himself years later at her residence.  It is interesting to note that if in fact her name was Veronica, her Greek name is translated from “bere nike” which means “bringing victory.”

 “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me. (Psalm 40:7).

Thus, consider the “story within the story,”

Jesus Christ is on His way to raise from the dead a daughter of Zion, and along the way a Gentile woman is healed through her faith in Him.

Now, consider the prophetic implications of that statement.

And…

Hosea 6:2….revive “us”? (Israel) (2^nd Peter 3:8)

Acts 15:13-18….”after this”? > (v.14)

Romans 11:25….”until” >one day a sum of totality will occur

I recently watched a humorous video of college students attempting to use an old rotary telephone.  Have you ever picked up an old antique piece and wondered, “how did this old relic actually work?” Or,” I wonder if they ever imagined what this old device would evolve into today?”  Similarly, most Christians today have little knowledge of the ancient Tabernacle of Moses.  But the Tabernacle and its priestly functions point to salvation in Christ in every way.  How?

On Mount Sinai, God instructed Moses to build a place of worship, or a Tabernacle, which was to be a visible emblem of God’s presence in the midst of Israel.  “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).  It would become known as the Tabernacle of Moses, the Tent of Meeting, or the Sanctuary.

The Tabernacle is different, and not to be confused with the Temple.  The first Temple was built by Solomon, the Tabernacle found in Exodus was the Tent in the Wilderness.  Many verses in the Old Testament apply to the New Testament in type, that is it prefigures a template that shows us a type.  Looking back through the lens of the New Testament we get an entirely different perspective of the Tabernacle in that it clearly points to Christ.  What did it look like?

Surrounded by the 12 tribes encamped in ordered formation, the Tabernacle was set up in rectangular shape with entrance into the Courtyard going east to west and managed by the priests.  The Tabernacle consisted of a tent that could be taken apart and moved from place to place. An artistically woven curtain or veil, which was held up by four wooden pillars overlaid with gold, separated the tent into two chambers: The front chamber was called the Holy Place, and the inner chamber was called the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed and where the glory of the Lord rested on the Mercy Seat above it. (Exodus 25-27.)

During the day, the Holy Tabernacle was always covered by a pillar of cloud, and in the night by a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:20-22). As long as the pillar of cloud rested over the Tabernacle, the children of Israel remained in the same place. When the cloud rose up, it was a sign for them to continue their journey. Thus, they camped and traveled according to the Lord’s command for 40 years.  How did it function?

Entering from right to left, just outside the Courtyard you would see greeting priests at the entrance into the Courtyard.  Just behind the entrance was the Brazen Altar so named because it was made of brass.  According to God’s instruction, it was upon this altar that various sacrifices could be offered by any of the Hebrews.  Generally, an animal sacrifice would be killed in front as the man slits its throat and the priest captures blood in a cup to be sprinkled on the Brazen Altar.  Women and the poor could sacrifice pigeons or doves in lieu of more costly lambs or oxen.

Behind the Brazen Altar was the Laver, which means a bath or wash basin for the purpose of washing.  It was here that the priests washed their hands and feet before entering and coming out of the Holy Place (Exodus 30:17-21). This beautiful laver was made from the bronze mirrors of the women and filled with water for the continual cleansing of the priests as they conducted ministry work of the Lord.  However, only priests could use the Laver, no one else.

Entering the Tent of Meeting, we are reminded the Tabernacle’s design physically represented a gradual increase in gradations of holiness, from the outer courtyard (meant to create a barrier from the profane realm) to the Holy of Holies (only entered once a year by the High Priest).  Only priests could enter the Holy Place.

Inside the Holy Place on the north side was the Table of Shewbread on which there were always two stacks of 6 loves of bake bread which represented the 12 tribes of Israel. On the south side was the Golden Candlestick, a menorah that was continuously lit by olive oil.

A little further in the center was the Altar of Incense standing before the vail of the Holy of Holies that the High Priest burned sweet incense every morning and evening.  The ornate Vail was a system of 10 different curtains of fine twined linen.  Inside was the golden Ark of the Covenant where God’s presence dwelt and that contained two Tablets of Testimony that Moses had received from God on Mount Sinai.  Only the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of the nation sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in a most precise and reverent manner.

With the New Testament in mind, how does the Tabernacle and its priestly functions point to Christ?

The Brazen Altar was always burning and continuously reminds us of the Penalty of Sin.  Jesus Himself bore the fire of God’s wrath on the altar of the Cross. Jesus said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:18). He chose to go to the place of total abandonment and humiliation and become a sin offering, the very object of all of Gods wrath. On the altar of the Cross a great exchange took place, the innocent for the guilty.

The Laver was a place for the priest to wash.  As the altar points to the death of Jesus, the Laver point to the life of Jesus.  Blood speaks of a life taken and water speaks of life given.  It was a place for Purification and reminds us of the rebirth and washing of the Holy Spirit, our Living Water.

Entering the Tent, the Table of Shewbread is on the right containing 12 loaves of bread in two stacks representing the 12 tribes of Israel.  Jesus referred to himself as the “Bread of life” and this bread was matzo, or unleavened bread, reminding us of the sinless life of Christ. It is also known as the table of the Presence.  Gods light forever shines on His people. The 12 baked cakes of bread spoke of God’s people who were one with Him as the priests joined together for the fellowship of eating the bread as one.  And just as Jesus said that “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”(Matthew 4:4)  It is interesting to note that the two stacks of six loaves reminds us that there are 66 books in the Bible.

The Golden Candlestick was a Menorah with three branches on each side (Exodus 37:17-24) and the center candle that has always been known to be the “Servant Lamp of the Menorah.”  This Menorah was intended to shed light on the Table of Shewbread continuously.  Each morning, a priest would enter the Holy Place to service the lamps and would usually find six lamps gone out, but the Servant Lamp would continue to burn.  This reminds us of Jesus prophesied as the “Suffering Servant” in Isaiah 53, a fulfilled Messianic prophecy. We also get of a view of Christ in Revelation, “in the midst” of seven golden lamps.  “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.  And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man….his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace…his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” (Revelation 1:12-16)

The Altar of Incense. The golden altar was used for burning incense, which twice every day was offered by the priest after he had tended the wick and oil on the holy lamps. (Exodus 30:34-38) The psalmist writes, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2).  Prayer and praise are integral to the Christ follower, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4)

The Vail represents that that separates us from God due to the Fall in the garden.  It is a wall of Purity as we cannot approach the Lord in our flesh.  In the time of Moses a person could only draw close to God through the priests.  But because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross we can now have a full and uninhibited relationship with God.  “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-51).  Thus, today the Vail might also represent the sealing of the Holy Spirit in believers.

God’s divine presence dwelt among the Israelites in the Holy of Holies on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  The Mercy Seat protected man from the judgment of God.  Because the blood that was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, man’s sin and guilt were washed away.  The Mercy Seat foreshadows the Lord Jesus Christ as He is our mercy seat and by His shed blood the curse of the Law has no effect on believers. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1^st Corinthians 3:16)

In every way, the Tabernacle pointed to the incredible plan of redemption that God would implement through His Son.  Hebrews 8:5 tells us this was a foreshadowing of what was to come:

“They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Like many others, my paternal ancestors came to America 280 years ago arriving in Philadelphia.  Two brothers from southwestern Germany unable to pay their passage fare entered into contract as indentured servants for a period of years before receiving their freedom.  Arriving at their initial destination, they waited for their ultimate destination. The Bible tells a story that shares some of these characteristics.

In the 16^th chapter of Luke’s gospel Jesus provides what appears to be two parables, one on stewardship and a second story on the rights and wrongs of wealth.  The first parable (verses 1-13) was spoken primarily to the disciples and includes a disturbing moment when the objectionable behavior of an unrighteous steward is commended.  The second parable below was addressed to the Pharisees because of their response (verses 14-18) to the first parable.  However, it isn’t really a parable!  The participants in parables don’t have names.  Not only is this an actual account of a real episode, Jesus shares significant insight into the afterlife and the construct of Hades, or hell.

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

In the Old Testament every reference to hell is the Hebrew word “Sheol” (Strongs H#7585) which means “subterranean retreat, or world of the dead, grave or pit.”  There are many passages in the OT that mention Sheol but it is never fully developed.  However, God reveals that there will be a resurrection of the dead (Isaiah 26:19) and that one day He will swallow up Death (Isaiah 25:8).  The faithful will be rewarded with everlasting life while the rest will experience eternal contempt (Daniel 12:2).

But there are hints of another aspect. When Abraham died he “was gathered to his people.” (Genesis 25:18) and the same words are used when Isaac died (Genesis 35:29).  It is repeated again with Jacob.  “And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.” (Genesis 49:33)

It is known as “Abraham’s bosom” or the upper chamber of Hades. The rich man was in Sheol, or Hades in Greek, and Lazarus was “far away” in another place or compartment of Hades.  The text says the rich man had to “lift up his eyes” to see it.  Was it also Paradise?

It is interesting that the name Lazarus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name that means “God is my help.”   And this is not the same Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead.  Also note that the emphasis of his name stands in deliberate contrast to the rich man who probably didn’t even know the beggar’s name.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, the repentant thief said to Him, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  And Jesus replied to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

Jesus died and went to Paradise with the thief that day and on Sunday morning He was resurrected and appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden.  “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.” (John 20:17).  Thus, Jesus had been in Paradise earlier, then Paradise cannot be Heaven where God dwells.   Since Jesus had “descended into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9), the Paradise He went with the thief was beneath the earth.

“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.” (Matthew 12:40)

It is interesting also that the rich man “saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23) which most likely means he was reclining with his head on Abraham’s chest.  This is pictured again when John leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper; “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23).

Where was the rich man?  He was in the general realm of the dead, those who did not have faith in God and who are kept in what appears to be a lower chamber of Hades that will be emptied at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).  The reminder is that “we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God” but what separates those to eternal damnation is their rejection of God’s perfect plan of redemption, His Son Jesus Christ who paid the penalty of our sins for all who would believe.

Why were the Old Testament saints there?  Ever since Adam there has been the promise of a Messiah who would come.  Acts 4:12 tells us there is salvation by no other Name and upon His descending into Hades Jesus preached to the spirits in Abraham’s bosom who were waiting for Him (1^st Peter 3:18-20).  Only after hearing and receiving the message of salvation through Jesus could they then enter heaven, the “train ascending on high.”

Today it is commonly understood among most theologians that this upper chamber region or “Abraham’s bosom” was emptied or evacuated after the cross and resurrection (Ephesians 4:8-10).  Christ was the Firstfruits “of them that slept” (1^st Corinthians 15:20).  As a result, for believers today Paul writes that apart from the body we are immediately in the presence of the Lord. (2nd Corinthians 5:8)  There is no “temporary” holding area for Christian believers today upon expiration.

On that Resurrection Sunday, on the Feast of Firstfruits,  Jesus proved that His power over death was not limited to Himself, but by offering the firstfruits to all future resurrections when “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53).

There are a number of accounts of this miraculous resurrection of the dead that were recorded by the early church fathers, including Clement of Alexandria in his Stromata.  For 40 days they walked among the Israelites of whom many were unnerved and at times terrified of the event.

“I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11).

Just as those indentured servants in our colonial times had to wait for their freedom, likewise the Old Testament saints and others (i.e. Matthew 12:41-42) had to wait for their salvation through Jesus Christ.  Only the indentured servants had to earn their freedom through their own wages, whereas the Bible tells us that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Jesus spoke more of hell than of the heaven.  It is a very real place.  C. S. Lewis wrote, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

Someone today who is presently bound for hell may cross your path.  It has been quoted, “you may be the only Bible that a person ever reads.”  As they cross your path, will they see you…..or the risen Christ in you?

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

In the late 1980s it was not uncommon to see counterfeit vendors on the street corners of New York.  They would unfurl carpets and blankets before you that would contain rows of fake Rolex watches, handbags and other items using counterfeit labels of fashionable names associated with haute couture.  The items were definitely counterfeit but they could easily fool the untrained eye.  What are the counterfeits that the Bible warns against?

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4) 

It is a recurring theme in the Bible to be on guard against deception of all types.  Jesus emphasizes this warning in the verse above and it is the only warning He repeats in the Olivet Discourse with the disciples regarding signs of His impending return. “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you ahead of time.” (Matthew 24:24,25)

But God’s word tells us there are other things of this world that can deceive us also, His instructions and rejoinders are clear in both the Old and New Testaments.

For example, you deceive yourself into thinking your bad friends won’t lead you astray.  (1^st Corinthians 15:33).

Likewise, we are not to be deceived by worthless things such as idols and riches, that if we are not careful can lead us to bow down and worship other gods. (Job 15:31; Deuteronomy 11:16; Matthew 13:22).

1^st John 1:8 warns us that if we say we have no sin, that we are deceiving ourselves.

Furthermore, being deceived by sin, the practice of sin, can cause you to live in rebellion against God.  Obadiah 1:3 says we can be deceived by our own pride, living in a lofty rock fortress of thinking in our minds.  Be careful.  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

Drugs and alcohol deceive us.  “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)

However, it is the false teachers and false prophets that the Bible emphasizes that we must avoid.  Romans 16:18 tells us that they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattery.  Hebrews 13:9 instructs us to stop being carried away by all kinds of unusual teachings.  Colossians 2:8 says we are to be careful that we are not taken captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human traditions.  Paul writes in 2^nd Timothy 3:13-14 that in the last days evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse as they deceive others and are themselves deceived.

One of the key deceptive doctrines that is preached around the world today is that of the Word Faith Movement and Wealth or Prosperity teaching which promotes the idea that godliness is a means to financial gain.  In sub-Sahara Africa this has morphed into false prophets who for the equivalent cost of 2-3 weeks of your monthly income, will come and prophesy success and riches upon you.  And if it does not materialize then it is due to your sin or lack of faith.

“…men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” (1^st Timothy 6:5)

Why does Jesus warn so emphatically about deceivers in the last days?

To examine this, consider for a moment who examines and protects the United States from counterfeit currency.  It is the U.S. Secret Service that is tasked with this responsibility and the long practice has been for its agents to consistently examine true U.S. currency so that the smallest variations found in counterfeit currency becomes easily identifiable upon examination.  Easily understood, right?  Know the “true” so you can spot the “fake.”

Thus, this analogy should prompt the same response from Christians.  If we study and examine the Word of God and build our Biblical acumen, this practice should enable us to be able to detect false teaching when we hear it.  But sadly, today Biblical illiteracy is rampant in our churches and is symptomatic of the Laodicean age we live spoken of in Revelation 3:14-22.

Genuine Bible studies are now hard to find in many churches, instead topical studies dominate.  They know their favorite football team’s record and stats, favorite celebrities, songs, enamored with emojis and memes, social media…but they don’t know anything about the Bible.  And because they don’t know, they are open to deception.

How then can we identify a false prophet if we hear one?  How do we know?

Several years ago, Bible teacher Dr. David Reagan wrote an article on this subject and I have chosen to condense a portion that speaks to this dilemma.  Here’s his checklist:

Peter and John also warned against the danger of false prophets. Peter asserted that false prophets would “introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master” (2 Peter 2:1). John exhorted his brethren to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

John proceeded to provide a test that should be given to prophets. He said they are to be asked to confess that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” and that He is from God (1 John 4:2). He went on to assert that anyone who refuses to confess that Jesus is from God has the “spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:3).

1) Does the prophet speak in the name of a god other than the true God revealed in Scripture?
If a prophet speaks in the name of another god, you can be assured that he is a false prophet. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

2) Does the prophet’s message pass the test of Scripture? (THIS IS CRITICAL)
Does the message align with what the Bible says?  “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8)

3) Does the prophet’s life manifest a commitment to holiness?
If a prophet lives a sinful life, his prophecies are to be doubted.

“Among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing; the committing of adultery and walking in falsehood… Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets, ‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood and make them drink poisonous water.’” (Jeremiah 23:14-15)

4) Does the prophet’s teaching produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?
If the prophet’s followers are motivated to worldly living, the prophet does not speak for God.

“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits… a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” (Matthew 7:15-16,18)

5) Does the prophet emphasize vain or sensational visions?

Be wary. “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by… taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.” (Colossians 2:18)

6) Does the prophet deliver only positive messages?
Think on this.  If the prophet never issues a call for repentance, he is to be suspect.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; they speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, ‘You will have peace…” They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’” (Jeremiah 23:16-17)

7) Does the prophet appear to be greedy for monetary gain?
If the prophet operates in a manner that makes it appear that his greatest interest is money, he is to be avoided.  (Jeremiah 8:10-11)

8) Does the prophet focus on the exaltation of Jesus?
If a prophet tries to bring attention to himself or focuses on the Antichrist or the sensational, he is to be questioned.

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)

(Excerpts from Dr. David Reagan, “How to recognize a false prophet” Aug. 7, 2015)

There is a movement underway throughout the world that is predicated upon beliefs that 1) the Bible is insufficient as the authority in what regards faith, doctrine, necessitating that a new revelation from God must come leaving the Scriptural canon inherited behind.  2) The word of God is not limited by the canon that is expressed in the Scripture, but goes beyond it.  3) Thus, they believe that within this new revelation “Sola Scriptura” cedes its place to “Sola Experience.” 4) There is heavy emphasis on “signs and wonders” and the “Second Apostolic Age” which includes “Super Apostles” who not only are equal to the original Apostles but express new revelations from God.  5) In large stadium events, in the style of rock concerts, there are men and women who are introduced as “Apostles” and “Prophets” who speak of a “third wave of the Holy Spirit.”  6) “Kingdom now” is spoken as a form of Dominionism, in that the Church must establish the Kingdom of God on earth itself before Jesus Christ can return.  Beware.

“For such are false prophets, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2^nd Corinthians 11:13-15)

In this era of artificial intelligence and quantum chip supercomputers it is assumed that there is no mathematical solution that cannot be solved.  In fact there is a proposed supercomputer that will be six billion times faster than a Cray-1.  So, could the birth of Jesus Christ have been calculated?  Could the event of His birth be mathematically simulated?  Just how precise is God?

There is a mathematical hint given to us in Matthew 1:17,

“ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.”

What we find is there is a watermark of God in Scripture, and it is…..a seal of 7.

In the Bible you will find over 600 passages with 7’s in it.  Some are overt, others are structural, and others are hidden.  What was first discovered by Dr. Ivan Panin (1885-1942) in the early 1900s and is now universally accepted is that there is a heptadic structure that is found in the Bible in both testaments when analyzing the Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek.  What does heptadic mean?  It refers to a heptad or seven-fold basis or structural foundation….a numeric structure found in the text of the entire Bible.  Does this work with any other books written in Hebrew or Greek?  No.

Also interesting: Greek and Hebrew are the only two languages that have a numeric value assigned to each letter.

Given the current season, the most poignant and obvious example to consider is that of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ almost 2,000 years ago.  Let us consider the genealogy of Christ found in Matthew 1:1-17 which I encourage you to review in your Bible.

Do you think it would be possible to simulate the genealogy of Jesus from “scratch” using the same parameters found in Scripture?  How would we go about creating a genealogy that would match the variables found in His?

Let’s start. Here is the formula:

The total number of words in this genealogy must be divisible by 7, evenly.  That is, with no remainders.

The number of letters must also be divisible by 7, evenly.  A little more difficult.

One rule of 7 is that you have only one chance of winning and six chances of failure.

But if you have two rules that is one chance in 7 squared or 49 chances.  That is, by randomness you have one chance in 49 that it comes out in the solution desired.  Do you see where this is going?

Also, bear in mind this has to be composed in Greek!  And the Greek language is a highly inflective language.  Every Greek word has to meet or communicate five conditions.  It is much more constructive than our English language and with much greater range and latitude in its meaning.  In other words, Greek has properties inherent to it that make it almost unsimulatable even with the aid of a computer. To simulate something means to imitate the appearance or character of.

Let’s keep going

The number of vowels and number of consonants must both be divisible by 7.

The number of words that begin with a vowel must be divisible by 7.

The number of words that begin with a consonant must be divisible by 7.

The number of words that occur more than once must be divisible by 7.

The number of words that occur in more than one form must be divisible by 7.

Those words that occur in only one form must be divisible by 7.

The number of nouns shall be divisible by 7.

Only 7 words shall not be nouns.

The number of names shall be divisible by 7.

Only 7 other kinds of nouns are permitted.

The number of male names shall be divisible by 7.

The number of generations shall be divisible by 7.

And this is the genealogy of Jesus Christ as found in Matthew 1:1-17.  These 16 verses meet all of these rules in the Greek New Testament.

You can’t imagine composing this by yourself, right? Especially in Greek which is so rigid.

The chances of this happening by statistical accident are phenomenal or that is, highly unlikely.

For 2  7² =  (7X7)                           49

For 3  7³ =  (7X7X7)                     343

For 4  7³  =  (7X7X7X7), etc      2,401

For 5  7⁵ =                                  16,807

For 6  7⁶  =                               117,649

For 7  7⁷  =                               823,543

For 8  7⁸ =                             5,764,801

For 9  7⁹  =                           40,353,607

Once you understand the statistical behavior, the more rules there are, the more unlikely that it will come about except by deliberate design.

How could you meet the challenge of simulating a solution using these rules?  Let’s consider your time needed to meet this challenge and use this to summarize your effort:

8 hours/day, 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year = 2000 hours/year, or 120,000 minutes/year.

7⁹ chances = 40,353,607 attempts @ average of 10 minutes/attempt=

403,536,070 minutes or 3,362 years!

But it gets worse!  Were there just nine variables represented in the passages?  No!

For in actuality there are a total of 34 variables of 7-fold solutions within these 16 verses.  What does that look like?

For 10 7¹⁰ =                                                            282,475,249

For 11  7¹¹ =                                                          1,977,326,743

For 12  7¹² =                                                        13,841,287,201

For 13  7¹³ =                                                        96,889,010,047

For 14  7¹⁴ =                                                     678,223,072,849

For 15  7¹⁵ =                                                    4,747,561,509,943

For 16 7¹⁶ =                                                  33,232,930,569,601

For 17  7¹⁷ =                                                232,630,513,987,207

For 18  7¹⁸ =                                              1,628,413,597,910,449

For 19  7¹⁹ =                                             11,398,895,185,373,143

For 20  7²⁰ =                                            79,792,266,297,612,001

For 21  7²¹ =                                           558,545,864,083,284,007

For 22 7²²  =                                        3,909,821,048,582,988,049

For 23  7²³ =                                       27,368,747,340,080,916,343

For 24  7²⁴ =                                      191,581,231,380,566,414,401

For 25  7²⁵ =                                  1,341,068,619,663,964,900,807

For 26  7²⁶ =                                  9,387,480,337,647,754,305,649

For 27  7²⁷ =                                65,712,362,363,534,280,139,543

For 28  7²⁸  =                              459,986,536,544,739,960,976,801

For 29  7²⁹  =                             3,219,905,755,813,179,726,837,607

For 30  7³⁰  =                          22,539,340,290,692,258,087,863,249

For 31  7³¹  =                         157,775,382,034,845,806,615,042,743

For 32  7³² =                        1,104,427,674,243,920,646,305,299,201

For 33  7³³ =                         7,730,993,719,707,444,524,137,094,407

For 34  7³⁴ =                       54,116,956,037,952,111,668,959,660,849

For those with mathematical minds it looks like this:

7³⁴ = ~5.4 X 10²⁸ tries would be needed.

There are ~3.15 X 10⁷ seconds/year

If with the aid of a supercomputer you attempted 400 million tries per second?

At 4 X 10⁸ tries/second, it would still take about

4.3 X 10¹² computer years:  which in simpler terms,

=1,000,000 supercomputers for 4,300,000 years to achieve this statistical outcome.

In other words, this genealogy as it is written, could not happen by randomness.  And the entire Bible, all 66 books, are composed with this heptadic structure in the original Hebrew and Greek.

This tells us that not only did God give Moses the Torah, but He gave it to him letter by letter.

If you pull one letter or “jot or tittle” out of the equation, the heptadic structure fails mathematically.

“Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.” (Psalm 119:164)

The recurrence of the number (7)-seven – or an exact multiple of sevens – is found throughout the Bible and is widely recognized by Bible Scholars world-wide. Seven is also the number of completion.  The Sabbath on the 7th day; the 7-years of plenty and the 7-years of famine in Egypt; the 7-priests and 7-trumpets marching around Jericho for 6-days but on the 7th-day, they marched 7-times around the same wall; the Sabbath Year (the 7th) of the land are well-known examples. Also, Solomon’s building the Temple for 7-years, Naaman’s washing in the river 7-times, and the 7-churches, 7-lamp stands, 7-seals, 7-trumpets, 7-bowls, 7-stars, and so on in the Book of Revelation, all show the consistent use of the number (7)-seven, from Genesis to Revelation. But why? And most importantly, How?

You ever hear the phrase, “you can’t make this up?”  Well it definitely applies to your Bible!

What we find is that the amazing numerical properties of the Biblical texts – both in the Greek of the New Testament and in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, are not only intriguing to discover, they also demonstrate an intricacy of design, a web, if you will of mathematical tapestry, which testifies to a supernatural origin, inspiration and design by the will of a Divine Author.

The numeric text, that is the signature of God, proves beyond doubt that the Bible is supernatural.  The Word of God is an immeasurable blessing to us, and there is absolutely nothing random about the Word!

As you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior this season, be reminded that the very day, hour and moment of His birth was perfectly planned and timed.  Likewise, so shall the time of His return be a perfectly timed moment.

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6)

Apart from Micah’s precise prophecy have you ever wondered why God chose Bethlehem as the place of entrance for His Son?  Does the Bible tell us if there were other reasons why this little village was designated to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ?  Why Bethlehem?  Why not Jerusalem? Or Hebron?

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

You may ask, “what was Ephratah?”  It was an ancient city located on the immediate outskirts of Bethlehem and more closely associated with the death of Rachel and the amazing prophecy that accompanied her burial.  For it was here that Rachel, wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph, that she also gave birth to her second son Benjamin before dying in childbirth.   The midwife told her she had a son (Genesis 35:17) and she named him “Ben Oni” which means “son of my sorrows.”  Afterwards, however, Jacob renamed the boy “Ben Yamin” or Benjamin which translates, “son of my right hand.”

For it was in Bethlehem Ephratah that Jesus was born who would one day go to the Cross as our sacrificial Lamb “despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).  And upon His resurrection three days later and ascension 40 days later He now “sits at the right hand of God.” (Ephesians 2:6).  David prophesied also in Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

Bethlehem in Hebrew translates “house of bread.”  How amazing then that in John’s Gospel, Jesus also referred to Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:48).

It is where Rachel is buried. And it was also in Bethlehem where the prophet Samuel anointed David as King (1^st Samuel 16:1-13).  But there is even more to this story involving Rachel….

“And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.  And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.  And Israel (Jacob) journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.” (Genesis 35:19-21)

It is remarkable that within these verses a location has been marked out for the future fulfillment of prophecy.  In Hebrew, the term “tower of Edar” is migdal eder. It literally means, “tower of the flock.”

“That the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem was a settled conviction.  Equally so was the belief that He was to be revealed from Migdal Eder; ‘the tower of the flock,’ This Migdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks which pastured beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem.  A passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, that the shepherds who watched over them were not ordinary shepherds.  The latter were under the ban of Rabbinism, on account of their necessary isolation from the religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance unlikely, if not absolutely impossible….”  (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, pp.186-187, by Alfred Edersheim)

What most people do not know is that the fields of Bethlehem were precisely where the sacrificial lambs were raised.   These were special flocks, for they were inspected to make sure they were perfect, not having any defect, to be suitable for sacrifice by the priests at the Temple.  The Temple shepherds were drawn exclusively for this ongoing work and there are some sources who state that the “swaddling clothes” cited in Luke 2:7  were the pieces of woven material that the Temple shepherds used to wipe off the newborn lambs prior to their inspection.

Based on the Biblical account there may have been more angels in Bethlehem that blessed evening than people!  Speculation, but we can only imagine that the angelic host probably all wanted to attend the birth of their Master.  After His birth, Mary’s thoughts surely must have drifted back to that night when Gabriel told her she was chosen to give birth to God’s Son.  We can be certain that she knew she was holding Deity in her arms.

The angelic host was jubilant and quickly came upon these Temple shepherds announcing the birth of this remarkable Lamb.  For it was to these shepherds who raised the perfect unblemished sacrificial lambs, that the angels declared the One who would one day not only offer His shed blood but render the need for future animal sacrifices unnecessary.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:8-18)

As suddenly as they came, the angels ascended and disappeared.  Luke tells us they went away “into heaven.”  Though startled by the heavenly visitation, the shepherds wasted no time going into the city to see the Christ child.

In addition, most Christians today are totally unaware of the connection between the Christmas story and the Book of Ruth detailing the love story of Ruth and Boaz.  What does their story have to do with the birth of Jesus?

The Book of Ruth is one of the most significant books of the Old Testament and for the Church it profiles the role of the “kinsman-redeemer.”  It is a pre-requisite in many respects for fully understanding Revelation 5.  Now, it is also the key link of Bethlehem to the line of David that is given to us by Ruth.  And it is precisely why Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem to register for the census and pay a Roman tax in the days of Augustus Caesar (see blog post dated 1/9/19).  This is yet another reason why Jesus was born in Bethlehem!

With just 4 chapters the Book of Ruth details how a Moabitess (Ruth) refuses to leave her Jewish mother-in-law (Naomi) after the death of her husband. They return to Judah and begin to work and sustain themselves by the harvest gleanings in the fields of Boaz.  The climax occurs when Ruth approaches Boaz in the middle of the night on the threshing floor when she asks him to redeem her and become her husband by covering her with his shul, or hem.  The next day Boaz fulfills his role as kinsman-redeemer in the city gate in Bethlehem concluding with his redemption of the land as well his Gentile bride.  Boaz confronts the “nearer kinsman” who is willing to redeem the property but is not willing to take Ruth as bride, so he yields his shoe as a customary practice to relieve the obligation.  Boaz step up and purchases the land for Naomi and “purchases” Ruth as his bride.

The prophetic symbolism is undeniable.  In Hebrew a “kinsman-redeemer” is a Goel. He must be a kinsman, must be able to perform legally and financially, must be willing to assume all of the obligations of the transaction.  Boaz, as a type of Christ, symbolizes The Lord of the Harvest and The Kinsman-Redeemer.  Naomi symbolizes Israel and Ruth is the Gentile Bride.  Now consider the implications:

In order to bring Ruth to Naomi, Naomi had to be exiled from her land.  What the Law could not do, Grace did.  Ruth does not replace Naomi.  Ruth learns of Boaz’s ways through Naomi.  Naomi meets Boaz through Ruth.  No matter how much Boaz loved Ruth, he had to await her move.  Boaz, not Ruth, confronts the “Nearer Kinsman.”

That this event took place in Bethlehem is not by happenstance. For the Temple shepherds raised their sacrificial lambs most assuredly in the same fields that once belonged to Ruth and Boaz.  There is nothing random about Bethlehem being the selected birthplace for our Savior and Kinsman Redeemer.

Merry Christmas!

Most of us appreciate the tease of a good riddle.  As an example, “Jim’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle and ____? “ (See answer below.) Sometimes the answer is veiled within a set of facts, and in some cases their answer contains the solution for yet another riddle that lingers behind.  Within the Bible there are riddles (i.e. the inscription prophecy of Zechariah 3:8-10) and other times we might view a matter as veiled, when the answer may be right in front of us.

(Answer: Jim)

The question becomes, who are the twenty-four elders found in the Book of Revelation?  Who or what do they symbolize?  This has produced various views and interpretations over time.  One of the most interesting things about the Book of Revelation is that it has a total of 404 verses and within them are almost 800 allusions or references (not illusions) found in the Old Testament.  In other words, these different elements/symbols found in Revelation are explained somewhere else in Scripture.  Many have said, you can’t understand Revelation unless you understand the Old Testament!

In fact, John would have expected his readers to know the Old Testament.

So what are the implications of 24?  Where do we find this in the Old Testament? Or in the New Testament?  Conjecture by some suggest the 24 elders are angels and others believe they represent the 12 Tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles, or the convenience of 12+12=24.  But Scripture does not seemingly support either of these conclusions.

How is the number 24 related to Christ’s rule?  It is interesting to note that Psalm 72 lists 24 things that Jesus Christ, as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, will do when He sits upon His throne and rules as King and Priest during His Millennial reign.

But the first major event surrounding the number 24 is found accordingly in 1^st Chronicles 24.  It is here in verses 1-19 that King David divides the Aaronic priesthood into 24 courses or 24 separate offices in order to conduct the house of God.  The Chronicler denotes the division of Aaron’s sons for the priesthood but it is not to be confused with the Levitical priesthood that supports them.  Aaron’s first two sons, Nadab and Abihu, died prematurely and had no sons.  Therefore, his two remaining sons Eleazer and Ithamar were called to execute the priest’s office.  King David divides the priesthood by lots among the 16 sons of Eleazer and 8 sons of Ithamar to govern the duties inside the Tabernacle or sanctuary of God.  Among these 24 courses it is interesting to note that the eighth is that of Abijah or Abia, which is mentioned (Luke 1:5) as the course which Zechariah was of, the father of John the Baptist.

What is the significance of this Old Testament event?  How does this apply to the Church?

What is notable is that every one of the 24 sons were assigned a specific duty within the priesthood.  No one was excluded and it is the first time we see 24 impaneled or governing senior leaders ruling or governing within the house of God.

Likewise, as Christian believers we know that the distribution of gifts by the Holy Spirit enables each of us to minister within the Body of Christ, and that by the diversity of these gifts there is not only a division of labor but unity in the Body.  No one is excluded, no one is dispensable.  Thus, we are all called into a royal priesthood: “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1^st Peter 2:5,9)

Okay, but how does this connect to the twenty-four elders found in Revelation?

 “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” (Revelation 4:4)

The word for “seats” is the Greek word “thronos” (Strongs G#2362) and it means “seats assigned to kings or judges, a stately seat or throne, seat of power.”  From this word is derived “throne.”

Thus, what is being depicted is that these elders are to some degree in a position of ruling.  As you read further in Revelation, we discover that these elders are not just observing.

As we are thrust into the throne room of Heaven with John, we are introduced to these elders and they appear to be a completed group.  The elders represent leadership of the Church.

What we understand they CANNOT BE are Tribulation believers.  How do we know that?  Because based on Revelation 7:13-14 they are positioned to explain who the Tribulation believers are to John the Apostle.  In effect, one of the 24 elders answers his own question in providing the explanation:

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

And from chapter 7 we also learn they CANNOT BE angels:

“And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God,” (Revelation 7:11)

So it is clear from this passage that the 24 elders are distinct from “all the angels.”

Nor can the 24 elders represent the Nation of Israel based on Revelation 7 & 12.

WHAT ARE THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE 24 ELDERS?

• They sit on thrones or seats of power. (Revelation 3:21; 4:4)
• They are clothed in white raiment (Revelation 3:5, 4:4)
• They are wearing crowns of gold. (Revelation 2:10; 3:11; 4:4)
• They sing the Song of the Redeemed (Revelation 5:8-10)
• They are called “Elders; Kings & Priests” (Revelation 5:10)

I encourage you to review these verses.  All of these characteristics are ones that we as Christian believers can identify with.

It is interesting to note that in the Bible there are only two “Kings and Priests”: Melchizedek and the Lord Jesus Christ who rules in the “order of Melchizedek.” (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7, 5:5-6).  And now we learn in verse 10 that these elders are made kings and priests as well.

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:8-10)

Now, take a look at verses 9,10.  Who has God redeemed by the blood of the Lamb?  US!  From where? From EVERY tribe, tongue, people and nation.  US!  That is what these 24 elders are singing in the Song of the Redeemed.

So, who are they?  THEY represent US, the REDEEMED.  The 24 Elders represent the complete CHURCH.

Now that is really interesting.  And it helps clarify what it means that “we will rule and reign with the Lord Jesus Christ during His Millennial Reign.”   But you said earlier sometimes an answer to a question or riddle can lead to the solution of another riddle.  What did you mean by that?

To conclude that the 24 Elders of Revelation represents the Church, the Bride of Christ it is important to understand that this leads to additional conclusions.  For one, we know that before the Seven Year Tribulation begins the 7 seal judgments, 7 trumpet judgments, and 7 bowl judgments have to commence in their order.  Before any of this happens, the scroll with seven seals must be opened first.

The scroll with seven seals is not opened until the Lamb of God receives it.

Where are the 24 Elders when Jesus receives the scroll?

^“But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

⁶ And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” (Revelation 5:5-7)

The Redeemed are already in Heaven, in the presence of the Lamb as He opens the scrolls with seven seals.  The Church has already gone before the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ and has received their crowns and bowing before Him casts their crowns before His throne. (Revelation 4:10) Thus, within these verses what we find is that the Rapture is a pre-Tribulation event.

Here in the United States in this season of our Thanksgiving holiday I am reminded that we should count our blessings and express our gratitude to our loving God.  Gratefulness is such an important component in our faith walk with the Lord, it is more a “heart condition”  to acquire than a behavioral attribute.  In that regard, as Christians every day is in fact a day of Thanksgiving.

Likewise, I want to express my gratitude to each of you for your prayers and financial support along with words of encouragement I have received from you.  Now in its 14th month, this blog is now being read by almost 3,000 across six different continents.  Seeking the Lord for every message I never know from week to week what will be written next, and for that matter, I consider it to be His blog and not mine.

I would like to ask you to pray for a little boy named Ethan who is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant.  It is believed a donor match has been found but there are complications that have arisen and have brought things to a temporary halt.  Please pray for God’s solution and healing of Ethan, and for strength and encouragement to his parents and siblings.  It has been a long road for them.

In addition, in this season of giving I would ask you to consider making a donation to Sons of Thunder, a five-fold ministry underway in Zambia.  God has used Sons of Thunder in mighty ways to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, to minister through its four churches, teach and train on agricultural techniques using Farming God’s Way©,  healing and saving lives through the Sons of Thunder Medical Clinic and Maternity Ward, and educate multitudes with excellence through the Grade School.  Zambia has suffered a terrible drought in the last year and your donations can help acquire additional mealy-meal for distribution to those hungry and malnourished who frequently seek help from SOT.  This ministry is near and dear to my heart and I love the Zambian people.  If you would like to learn more about Sons of Thunder here is the link and you can migrate to their donation page.

Finally, there is a transformation that God is bringing about in our lives as well.  Both my wife and I are excited and have peace about what the Lord is directing but there is an element of clarity that we are seeking from Him.  We would be grateful for your prayers in that regard.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)

Among Christians today there is a common view that the Jews that Jesus encountered two thousand years ago, even the disciples, were dull and ignorant of the Scriptures.  But the Dead Sea Scrolls give explanation that many years prior there was a series of events that influenced this mindset that ultimately rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah.  Could the Church today become susceptible to similar consequences?

It is comical for some, for others it is simply frustrating.  Those that use an Apple smartphone versus those that use an Android smartphone; although they both have a lot in common, there are distinct differences in the operation of both platforms.  Often you will see the users of one throw up their hands in frustration after trying to use the other brand.  Once you learn a certain system “a” there is a distinct adjustment required to entertain a new system “b” and the adjustment can be challenging.  As a result, surveys indicate once you adopt your favorite brand over another, you generally maintain your brand for the long term and reject the notion of ever adopting the other.

For the longest time there were the traditional accepted teachings of the patriarchs in Judaism, the system that gave interpretation of the Old Testament.  However, during the 400 “silent years” after Malachi’s prophecy there slowly developed three main Jewish factions that were present during the Second Temple period into the New Testament era: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes.  They were all Jews, but they held very wide differences in their belief systems.

“He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

‘“These people honour me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’

And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” (Mark 7:6-9)

What did Jesus mean in this Mark passage by “traditions?”

During the Hasmonean Dynasty a bloody civil war broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees between 90-80 B.C. They fought primarily over whether the kings should combine both the duties of priests and kings under their authority.  The Sadducees agreed with whatever the kings decreed, the Pharisees were emphatic that combining the duties was illegal and not aligned with the Law.  “Parisee” in Hebrew means “to separate” and they became known as the Pharisees.  Afterwards, the Pharisees invented a new form of teaching known as the “oral Law” (known today as the Talmud) and they rejected the teachings of the Patriarchs handed down over the ages.  This is where rabbinic Judaism departed from Biblical Judaism and is precisely what Jesus was addressing as “traditions” in the passage above.

It would be analogous today to our promoting footnotes and commentaries as more authoritative than the literal Word of God in our Bibles! In effect, what the Pharisees had helped produce was an apostasy within Judaism just prior to the first Advent of Christ.  As a result, this reinterpretation of the Old Testament confused several generations of people to the point they appeared ignorant or clueless in the season of their Messiah.  How did this “reprogramming” all begin?  By moving away from the literal Word of God.

“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-45)

However, there was a priestly sect of Jews in Israel known as the Essenes that were very expectant of the Messiah and they had separated themselves from the rest of Judaism.  They took copies of the Bible (Old Testament) with them to the wilderness along with sectarian texts and ancient Jewish writings settling in the mountainous area along the coastline of the Dead Sea, known as the Judean Wilderness.  Over the last 75 years over 1,000 of their scrolls have been discovered.   Using both radiocarbon and paleographic testing, the majority of Dead Sea Scrolls are dated between 150-100 BC, with some fragments dating to 225 BC.  All these writings were BEFORE the birth of Christ and therefore CANNOT BE early Christian writings.

The “Essenes” broke off from the Pharisees over this matter as they astutely upheld the teachings and prophetic writings of the Patriarchs.  In their writings you will find that their theology agrees with New Testament theology: One Messiah with two comings, Messiah as God incarnate and who would die to pay for the penalty of sins.  The Pharisees were looking for someone and something entirely different.  It was due in part to this “apostasy” in the Temple priesthood that helped totally alter the Jewish mindset to reject Christ.

After the split occurred, the Essenes state in their sectarian writings that the Spirit of God told them to separate from both the Pharisees and Sadducees completely and have nothing to do with their corrupt priesthood.   Moreover, they wrote that God told them to move to the Judean Wilderness and fulfill the Isaiah 40:3 prophecy, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’^” Thus, the Essenes moved to the harsh wilderness out of obedience to prepare for the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ.  There are many Bible scholars that cannot help but note that the theology of John the Baptist and his personal attributes were very similar to that of the Essenes and he baptized in the Jordan River very near Qumran.  As a footnote, the Essenes disappeared shortly after the resurrection and ascension of Christ.  Why?  Because they accepted Christ as Messiah almost immediately once they heard the testimony.  He was precisely who they were waiting for.

In Israel today there is general excitement on the one hand over the Dead Sea Scrolls for they serve to validate and legitimize Jewish claims to the Land based on historical evidence.  But on the other hand, there is real awkwardness and discomfort with the fact that the Dead Sea Scrolls reflect New Testament theology with incredible accuracy.  Thus, they write off the Essenes as a wacky, fringe group with strange beliefs.  It simply does not fit their “system.”

How does this relate to the Church today?

We cannot help but acknowledge that we are now living in the Laodicean age.  It is the seventh and final church age that is the “lukewarm” church.  Unlike the first six churches, this church is not named precisely but Jesus describes it in Revelation 3:14 as “the church of the Laodiceans” as if the people exercised some claim on the church.  In effect, it has come under the influence of the outside world and its values.  It is “neither cold nor hot” and seemingly accepts any doctrine for the sake of compromise as it denies the verbal and literal interpretation of Scripture.  This church believes it is rich and “in need of nothing” but the Lord says it is “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

Today, the Church has lost much of its identity as a transforming agent by allowing the influence of the world’s values to come inside.  Once the Church stood strong on so many social and moral issues but today is frequently seen bowing to secular pressures.  And finally, today the Church is losing its grip on the assured Word of God in its preaching and teaching. We live in a time when academic scholarship has seriously attacked the integrity of the Biblical text.  No generation in history has been more skeptical of the notion that the Bible is nothing more than a construct of folklore and traditions.  Biblical illiteracy is rampant in today’s churches.  Many evangelicals would say the “apostasy” is well underway.

Certainly not all churches today are Laodicean, and there are many churches alive and well that might better resemble the more desirable attributes of the church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13).  And our brothers and sisters in China, Iran, Egypt and North Korea might surely identify more with the persecuted church of Smyrna (Revelation 3:8-11).  But the reality of this Laodicean age remains as a general condition.

If ever there was a time that the Church needed to be reminded not to move away from the literal Word of God, it is today.