BIBLE STUDY –  John Hunter

April 19, 2011 – John 19

Much of our court system is like what happened in Jesus’ time.

Place of Jesus Trial: According to later Church tradition the Praetorium was here at the Antonia Fortress where Pontius Pilate judged Jesus.  Many scholars favor the Antonia Fortress because of the balconies overlooking the Temple Court. There is also mention in John 19:13 of "the pavement" as the site of the trial.  The Via Dolorosa assumes that the Antonia Fortress is the site of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate.

When Pilate brought Jesus before the people, he said, “Behold the Man”.  Latin, “Ecce Homo”.

Tiberius is disappointed with Pilate.  There is much here involving politics and pleasing the Jewish people as well as Caesar.

Pilate brought Jesus out to the Stone Pavement [Gabitha], the Antonia Fortress.

Passover in the Old Testament points to Christ.  The time of the sacrifice at Passover is the same as the time Jesus died.

The lamb at Passover was without blemish, kept until the 14th day, and hyssop was used to spread the blood over the door posts and top – symbol of the Cross.

When sacrificing lamb at Passover, no bones could be broken; at the cross, none of Jesus’ bones were broken, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Jesus, the Lamb, was without blemish; hyssop was used to dip vinegar and give to him when He said, “I Thirst.”

Jesus had had no sleep for 24 hours, He knows what is yet to come [crucifixion].  As God is revolted by sin, Jesus takes on the sins of the world and will have to drink the cup of judgment from past, present and future. 

Aramaic [language Jesus spoke]:  Golgotha.  Latin [language spoken by Romans]:  Calvary.

When suffering on the cross, Jesus sees his mother, Mary, his sister, 2 Marys and John.  Jesus says to Mary, “Behold your son.”  He says to John, “Behold your mother.”  He has John take care of His mother as his own brothers and sisters do not yet believe in Him.

“It is Finished!” – In Aramaic, means your bill is paid in full, there is no more sacrifice for sins.

Darkness was over all the earth when Jesus died.

                God “dimmed” sun – darkness was a sign of judgment

                Earthquake – broke the rocks in two; tore the veil in two from top to bottom in the Holy of Holies;           there is now no more need of a priest – we have open access to God.

                At the resurrection, the graves were opened and people appeared and walked over all Jerusalem.

Four feasts are about Jesus’ first coming; the other three feasts are about his second coming.

John only was at the foot of the cross; no other disciple could be found…they all had run away.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin who voted “no” on the charges of Jesus, came in secret to request the body of Jesus.  Nicodemus, also, came in secret with burial spices according to the burial custom of the time.

 

 

HISTORICAL INFORMATION:

The Antonia Fortress

In ancient Israel during the time of Jesus Christ there were immense valleys surrounding and protecting Jerusalem, on every side except the north. In fact the north side was the only way of approach if an army were to attack Jerusalem. This is one of the reasons why Jerusalem was considered impregnable. Another reason was because the architect king Herod the Great built the mighty Antonia Fortress on the north side of the city, its vulnerable side. It was intended to be a mighty fortress palace overlooking the Temple of Jerusalem and even the entire city.

In 35 B.C. King Herod rebuilt the Baris, a strong fortress to protect the Temple Mount and the primary military fortification of Jerusalem. He must have built it before the defeat of Antony by Octavian in 31 B.C. or else it would have been foolish to name it Antonia, Octavian’s rival.

Name:  King Herod actually rebuilt an existing fortification known as the "Baris" (Heb. Bira "fortress). It was called the Fortress of Antonia and named in honor of Herod the Great’s friend and military associate, the Roman Triumvir Marcus Antonius also known as Mark Antony. Herod had owed his rule over Judea exclusively to Mark Antony, who had requested that the Senate make Herod King of Judea as an eastern boundary to the Empire. The name Antonia was not used in the Bible but referred to as the "barracks" (see Acts 21:32-36). In Greek it was "to anastema tes Antonias".  In Latin it was "turris Antonia".

Location:  The Antonia Fortress was located on the northwest corner of the Temple Mount overlooking the Temple area and the city of Jerusalem. In ancient times there were very deep valleys surrounding Jerusalem on every side except the north. This made it impossible to attack Jerusalem from any direction except the north side. Herod the Great had determined that the north side needed to be heavily protected. The Antonia Fortress was built on the north side of the Temple in order to protect the vulnerable north side of the city.

The Antonia Fortress overlooked the Temple and the city of Jerusalem and became another of Herod's landmarks. Herod had no doubt used this as his palace for many years, since he did not build his new palace on the west side of the city until around 23 B.C. At some point the Romans took over the Antonia Fortress and placed a garrison there.

Size and Description: The Fortress of Antonia was partly surrounded by a deep ravine 165 feet wide. It functioned as headquarters for the Roman soldiers, a palace and a barracks. Herod constructed a secret passage from the fortress to the Temple and Josephus described that this is where Aristobulus was killed.

The Fortress of Antonia was built on a rock hill, which was much higher than the Temple area (75 feet), on the northwest side. The castle’s 4 walls were interesting:  The western wall was built upon the edge of the cliff overlooking the Tyropoeon Valley.  The north wall was directly across the hill Bezetha and there was a deep mote between them. The rock hid the Temple from view on this side according to Josephus.  The southern wall one could see over the entire Temple area.  The eastern wall overlooked the Pool of Bethesda and the Kidron Valley.

Josephus is the authoritative source for the description of the Antonia Fortress and he wrote about its interior. It is described as a small city, a palace for a king and a barracks for many soldiers. There were apartments, cloisters, baths and large courtyards. There were also stairs that led down from the Fortress to the porticoes of the Temple court at the extreme north side. It is also written that there was a deep passageway underground, which went from the fortress to the Court of Israel, mainly for uprisings and emergencies.  When Titus initiated his extreme assault into the Temple area it was from the Antonia Fortress.

Roman Soldier Barracks: While overlooking Jerusalem, the Antonia Fortress was garrisoned with 600 Roman soldiers, who watched over the Temple courts in order to preserve order. The Bible spoke about the Antonia Fortress as a barracks (Acts 21:37), and it was here that Paul gave an address to the people (22:1-21). Paul was held in the fortress in protective custody until a military escort took him to Caesarea (Acts 23:12-24,31-35). 

Acts 21:32-36:  Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out," Away with him!"

History:  An earlier tower constructed on this site may possibly go back to the time of King Solomon. According to Josephus Herod the Great built the Fortress of Antonia upon the site of an earlier Maccabaean fortress that was built by John Hyrcanus I (135-105 B.C.). The Hasmonean rulers had resided at the Baris (fortress) when they were performing priestly duties in the Temple. Pompey destroyed it in 63 B.C. Earlier Nehemiah had built a fortress at this site when he had rebuilt Jerusalem (Neh 2:8) and it was referred to as the "Tower of the Hundred" in Nehemiah’s wall (Neh 3:1). There can be no doubt that king Solomon had also built a fortress at this site, because the northwest corner of the Temple area was the only hill, which rose high above the Temple area.

Place of Jesus Trial? According to later Church tradition the Praetorium was here at the Antonia Fortress where Pontius Pilate judged Jesus, but it is also possible that Jesus was judged at the Herodian fortress on the opposite end (NW) of the city near the modern Jaffa Gate. Herod's palace was the official residence of the Roman procurator's when they came to Jerusalem during the major Jewish festivals.  Many scholars favor the Antonia Fortress because of the balconies overlooking the Temple Court. There is also mention in John 19:13 of "the pavement" as the site of the trial.  The Via Dolorosa assumes that the Antonia Fortress is the site of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate.

The statements of Josephus are very convincing that the headquarters of the Roman procurator were at Herod's palace. See International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.  The Bible also mentions that Paul the Apostle was arrested in the Temple Court where the angry Jewish mob tried to kill him. He asked for permission to speak to the crowd from the steps leading up from the Court of the Gentiles into the barracks of the Antonia Fortress (Acts 21:31-22:29). When Paul stood before the Council the following day he once again needed to be rescued and was taken up the stairs into the barracks (Acts 22:30 23:10). The soldiers later took him secretly at night from the Antonia Fortress to Caesarea (Acts 23:23 35).

High Priest's Robes: The holy ceremonial robes of the High Priest were kept in one of the four guard towers of the Antonia Fortress and were worn only on Passover, Yom Kippur and other important religious feast days. The Romans had realized the tremendous power of the office of the High Priest and had taken custody of the garments as a precautionary measure. In the century before the Roman occupation in 63 BC, the king of Israel had also been the high priest and both offices had been hereditary. The Romans had abolished the kingship and had made the office of high priest appointive, always subject to their approval. Nonetheless, in Jesus' day the high priest remained the most powerful figure in the Jewish nation.

Destroyed in 70 A.D.: Titus Vespasian attacked the city of Jerusalem from the north side in 70 A.D., and overcame it. The legions of Rome slaughtered over a million Jews and 95,000 Jewish captives were taken away as prisoners.  According to Josephus it was the 5th and 7th Roman legions that had destroyed the Antonia Fortress.

Aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, according to Josephus:  " And as for those that are already dead in the war, it is reasonable we should esteem them blessed, for they are dead in defending, and not in betraying their liberty; but as to the multitude of those that are now under the Romans, who would not pity their condition? and who would not make haste to die, before he would suffer the same miseries with them? Some of them have been put upon the rack, and tortured with fire and whippings, and so died. Some have been half devoured by wild beasts, and yet have been reserved alive to be devoured by them a second time, in order to afford laughter and sport to our enemies; and such of those as are alive still are to be looked on as the most miserable, who, being so desirous of death, could not come at it. And where is now that great city, the metropolis of the Jewish nation, which vas fortified by so many walls round about, which had so many fortresses and large towers to defend it, which could hardly contain the instruments prepared for the war, and which had so many ten thousands of men to fight for it? Where is this city that was believed to have God himself inhabiting therein? It is now demolished to the very foundations, and hath nothing but that monument of it preserved, I mean the camp of those that hath destroyed it, which still dwells upon its ruins; some unfortunate old men also lie upon the ashes of the temple, and a few women are there preserved alive by the enemy, for our bitter shame and reproach. Now who is there that revolves these things in his mind, and yet is able to bear the sight of the sun, though he might live out of danger? Who is there so much his country's enemy, or so unmanly, and so desirous of living, as not to repent that he is still alive? And I cannot but wish that we had all died before we had seen that holy city demolished by the hands of our enemies, or the foundations of our holy temple dug up after so profane a manner."  Source: "The Wars of the Jews; Book 7, Chapter 8, Section 7, translated by William Whiston.

Modern Site:  Today in Jerusalem’s old city the street that begins at St. Stephen’s Gate passes directly above the traditional site of the Antonia Fortress. There is a Convent and a Church resting upon the north half of the site.  There is still remaining at the site a large area of the central courtyard of the fortress (165 sq. feet). The original pavements of stones are still in place (about 1 foot thick). Their channels made the rainwater to flow into cisterns as they do today. It is interesting that the soldiers’ scratching from various games into the pavement stones is still visible.

Titus and the Roman legions had completely destroyed the fortress. Later the Temple area and the Antonia Fortress area were the location of two fora in the Emperor Hadrian’s forum (Aelia Capitolina), which was built over the ruins of Jerusalem 100 years after its destruction. Many of the remains on the site of the Antonia Fortress are traced to Hadrian’s forum. The exact location is not conclusive and according to experts some of the remains of columns, capitals, etc. in the area of Antonia come from Herod’s time and some from the time of Hadrian (117-138 A.D.)

Antiquities of the Jews – Flavius Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews, Book 15, Chapter 11, Vs. 4:

"Now on the north side [of the temple] was built a citadel, whose walls were square, and strong, and of extraordinary firmness. This citadel was built by the kings of the Asamonean race, who were also high priests before Herod, and they called it the Tower, in which were reposited the vestments of the high priest, which the high priest only put on at the time when he was to offer sacrifice. These vestments king Herod kept in that place; and after his death they were under the power of the Romans, until the time of Tiberius Caesar; under whose reign Vitellius, the president of Syria, when he once came to Jerusalem, and had been most magnificently received by the multitude, he had a mind to make them some requital for the kindness they had shewn him; so, upon their petition to have those holy vestments in their own power, he wrote about them to Tiberius Caesar, who granted his request: and this their power over the sacerdotal vestments continued with the Jews till the death of king Agrippa; but after that, Cassius Longinus, who was president of Syria, and Cuspius Fadus, who was procurator of Judea, enjoined the Jews to reposit those vestments in the tower of Antonia, for that they ought to have them in their power, as they formerly had. However, the Jews sent ambassadors to Claudius Caesar, to intercede with him for them; upon whose coming, king Agrippa, junior, being then at Rome, asked for and obtained the power over them from the emperor, who gave command to Vitellius, who was then commander in Syria, to give it them accordingly. Before that time they were kept under the seal of the high priest, and of the treasurers of the temple; which treasurers, the day before a festival, went up to the Roman captain of the temple guards, and viewed their own seal, and received the vestments; and again, when the festival was over, they brought it to the same place, and showed the captain of the temple guards their seal, which corresponded with his seal, and reposited them there. And that these things were so, the afflictions that happened to us afterwards [about them] are sufficient evidence. But for the tower itself, when Herod the king of the Jews had fortified it more firmly than before, in order to secure and guard the temple, he gratified Antonius, who was his friend, and the Roman ruler, and then gave it the name of the Tower of Antonia."

Wars Of The Jews – Flavius Josephus – The Wars Of The Jews, Book 5, Chapter 5, Vs. 8:

"Now as to the tower of Antonia, it was situated at the corner of two cloisters of the court of the temple; of that on the west, and that on the north; it was erected upon a rock of fifty cubits in height, and was on a great precipice; it was the work of king Herod, wherein he demonstrated his natural magnanimity. In the first place, the rock itself was covered over with smooth pieces of stone, from its foundation, both for ornament, and that any one who would either try to get up or to go down it might not be able to hold his feet upon it. Next to this, and before you come to the edifice of the tower itself, there was a wall three cubits high; but within that wall all the space of the tower of Antonia itself was built upon, to the height of forty cubits. The inward parts had the largeness and form of a palace, it being parted into all kinds of rooms and other conveniences, such as courts, and places for bathing, and broad spaces for camps; insomuch that, by having all conveniences that cities wanted, it might seem to be composed of several cities, but by its magnificence it seemed a palace. And as the entire structure resembled that of a tower, it contained also four other distinct towers at its four corners; whereof the others were but fifty cubits high; whereas that which lay upon the southeast corner was seventy cubits high, that from thence the whole temple might be viewed; but on the corner where it joined to the two cloisters of the temple, it had passages down to them both, through which the guard (for there always lay in this tower a Roman legion) went several ways among the cloisters, with their arms, on the Jewish festivals, in order to watch the people, that they might not there attempt to make any innovations; for the temple was a fortress that guarded the city, as was the tower of Antonia a guard to the temple; and in that tower were the guards of those three (14). There was also a peculiar fortress belonging to the upper city, which was Herod's palace; but for the hill Bezetha, it was divided from the tower Antonia, as we have already told you; and as that hill on which the tower of Antonia stood was the highest of these three, so did it adjoin to the new city, and was the only place that hindered the sight of the temple on the north. And this shall suffice at present to have spoken about the city and the walls about it, because I have proposed to myself to make a more accurate description of it elsewhere."

 

Pontius Pilate and Jesus

A major socio-political development during the reign of Tiberius and Sejanus was the Judean governorship of Pontius Pilate, and the emergence of Jesus Christ and the Christian religion that followed. Not only would the story grow into the most overwhelming religious force in the western world, but it also provides an important indication of the independent power of Sejanus and the contrasting imperial policy of Tiberius' tenure.

While evidence of Pilate's youth and career prior to Judaea is limited, the historical record indicates that he was appointed in or around 26 AD. Named Prefect (incorrectly called Procurator by Josephus) to replace Valerius Gratus (who had been Tiberius' first appointment) Pilate was very likely named by Sejanus, and not Tiberius, to govern the Jews. At this point Tiberius had very likely already withdrawn to Capri, leaving Sejanus in virtual charge of the empire. Even had Tiberius directly appointed Pilate, its quite clear that Sejanus would've had considerable influence over the selection. This could be of significant importance to the history of early Christianity and Jesus, because Sejanus was oft-accused of anti-Semitism in the ancient sources. Of course, those sources, Josephus and Philo of Alexandria, wrote from a Jewish perspective, but they paint a vivid portrait of Sejanus position towards Jews. Pilate too falls largely under the same accusations, even though there is evidence to the contrary. Coinage issued by Pilate seems to indicate a happy tolerance of both Paganism and Judaism, but the writers tell a different tale.

Sejanus' involvement is important to Pilate's behavior in the discussion of the Jesus mystery because it helps to corroborate at least some parts of the gospels, and other historical evidence. If Sejanus had direct authority over Pilate, which he would've after 26 AD regardless of Tiberius' initial involvement, then his feelings towards the Jews would likely have become part of the imperial policy. Though the Romans were generally smart enough to attempt appeasement, Sejanus was not necessarily a man who worried about appeasing anyone. He was a manipulator whose tactics seem very similar to those of Pilate's in Judaea. According to Philo, Sejanus planned to destroy the Jews completely. It would stand to reason that his governor would follow suit. In part at least, it seemed that he did. Pilate used a methodology of baiting the people to incitement, using their own protests as an excuse to force his will, and likely that of Sejanus.

According to Josephus, Pilate's first major act was that he ordered Roman standards brought within the walls of Jerusalem (a direct violation of the sanctity of the Jewish faith honoring false gods). The Jews reacted expectedly, but on this occasion Pilate only threatened to kill them (assuredly after at least some small punitive actions had been taken), before agreeing to removing the standards. Pilate also used money from the Temple treasury to construct an aqueduct. When the Jews assembled outside his quarters to protest, this time Pilate did not relent. He ordered soldiers to dress like the Jews and mingle among the crowd. When the trap was set Pilate sprung it by signaling his men to draw clubs hidden in their clothes, beating and killing many Jews. Pilate's behavior was largely one of disdain for the people he governed, but events were about to take place which would change that entirely. Under normal circumstances, it seems that Pilate would likely have cared little about instigating violence among the people, and seemed to rather encourage it. Why then would he later give up Jesus in the famed, yet completely unrecorded events (from a Roman perspective) surrounding the trial and crucifixion of Jesus? At a minimum, Pilate's behavior clearly changed after the fall of Sejanus.

In 31 AD, after Tiberius had roused from his deference to Sejanus, and had him executed for treason, the situation all over the empire changed dramatically. Pilate had much to fear from Rome as Tiberius set about eliminating Sejanus' supporters over the next few years. In erasing the attitudes of Sejanus, Tiberius also reversed the general policy of the empire towards the Jews. While under Sejanus the Jews were poorly treated, Tiberius by contrast, and simply to counter Sejanus (as Tiberius was no lover of Judaism himself), ordered that the Jews be tolerated. This imperial policy shift probably caused a great deal of consternation for Pilate. If the gospels are to be believed Pilate was soon faced with a dilemma that would not only challenge his authority, but if not handled correctly, could cost him his life. Despite his own personal feelings towards the Jews, his fear for Roman social status and survival would dictate his behavior. Normally Pilate would've resisted any attempt by the Jewish leadership to influence him, and in fact might have openly opposed their wishes. Had the Jews been incited to violence, this could offer an opportunity to go on the offensive, shrouded in the necessity to maintain order. With Tiberius back in charge, however, Pilate, and everyone else had to tread a very fine line. The Jews, it seems, were also very much aware of this.

Sometime after 32 AD and prior to Tiberius death in 37 AD, Jesus was brought before Pilate for treason against Rome. As the story goes, which is told most importantly in the Gospel of Mark, by Josephus and also by Tacitus, the Jewish leadership wished Jesus killed essentially for being a blasphemer against their faith and against them personally. Jesus and his teachings were subversive to ancient Jewish culture, and they had to have him removed in order to preserve their tradition and authority. However, only Pilate had the authority to address the matter, and Pilate, as has been suggested, was normally in position to oppose Jewish desires at any opportunity. Pilate's attempts to free Jesus, regardless of any numerous false stories regarding divine intervention, likely only stemmed from his desire to boost anyone who opposed the Jewish leadership. Jesus was just such a man to continue stirring the Roman policy of incitement. However, what Pilate was ultimately faced with was the potential for the treason trials of Tiberius back in Rome.

Despite several attempts to resist demands of Jesus death, Caiphas and the Jewish leadership wisely invoke the use of the term 'Amicus Caesaris' against Pilate to get their way. This term 'friend of Caesar' were not just theoretic words of friendship but practically functioned as a title. Losing that title, in Pilate's case by not following Tiberius' new Jew-favorable policies, might not only cause him to lose his job as Prefect, but potentially his social standing, and at worst his life. The Jews with full knowledge of Roman politics, because of Pilate's previous behavior and relation to the known traitor Sejanus, knew exactly how to force their will. Faced with a man accused of being 'King of the Jews', a crime against Tiberius himself, Pilate had no choice but to relent, and crucified Jesus in order to preserve the peace, and his own skin.

Though the facts of the historical Jesus and the life of Pilate are debatable, it is quite clear that had Jesus lived, he would've faced crucifixion after the fall of Sejanus. By late 36 Pilate had been recalled to Rome, though perhaps fortunately for him, Tiberius died while he was en route. By that reasoning the historical Jesus must have been crucified between 32 and 36 AD. Regardless, of the 'truth' of the matter, the story of the Christ spread from this point and throughout the Roman world. Initially under the missions of men such as James and Paul, the fledgling faith spread first among the Jews than into the eastern provinces. Under Peter, Christians began to appear in Rome and within approximately 400 years, the cult that started under mysterious circumstances during the reign of Tiberius, and Sejanus, was the dominate faith of the western world. As for Pilate, after his recall from Rome, virtually no evidence exists of his fate. Stories of his conversion to Christianity, suicide out of guilt or to avoid punishment are completely unverifiable and Pilate disappears from the historical record with the passing of Tiberius.

 

 

PROPHECY OF THE SEVEN JEWISH FEASTS

In Leviticus 23, we find that the Festivals of the Lord were appointed times established as yearly rehearsals that taught both historically and prophetically the whole plan of God concerning the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of man. The first four feasts have been fulfilled and the Jewish community celebrates them historically. They are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. These four Spring Feasts are considered to be an interrelated whole where Pentecost is the completion of the process begun at Passover.

1.            Passover – pictures the Death of Jesus Christ

2.            Feast of Unleavened Bread – pictures the Burial of Jesus Christ

3.            Feast of First Fruits – pictures the Resurrection of Christ

4.            Pentecost – pictures the Descent of the Holy Spirit & the Birth of the Church

While the first four Festivals occur in close proximity, an entire season passes before the Fall Feasts begin. This long period represents the dispensation of grace that we now live in. The last three feasts (Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles) are celebrated in the Fall season and are yet to be fulfilled so they remain prophetic in nature.

5.            Feast of the Trumpets – pictures the Rapture of the Church

6.            Feast of Atonement – pictures the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

7.            Feast of Tabernacles – pictures the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ

The final three feasts are also known as Rosh HaShanah (Feast of the Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Feast of Atonement), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).

The Feast of Trumpets may soon find its prophetic fulfillment. Here are some reasons why the Rapture may occur during this Festival:

All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, and on the exact day of the feast. All the Fall Feasts picture the Second Advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the rapture.  The Feast of Trumpets is when the "last trump" of the rapture of 1st Corinthians 15 is blown.

The Feast of Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah, and the Church is the Bride of Christ, and the rapture is when the Church is caught up to heaven to be wed with Christ.

The Feast of Trumpets happens on the "new moon", which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. "Of that day or hour no man knows" is an expression referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture.

"Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked when his wedding will be. He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time. Again, the wedding pictures the rapture.

The "Open Door" of the rapture in Matthew 25, and Revelation 3, & Revelation 4:1 is a symbol of the Feast of Trumpets. [Ezekiel 46:1] "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened”.   We are told that the new moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Colossians 2:16-17. Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note.

There are seven days of awe in between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These picture the seven years of Tribulation. Atonement pictures Satan being defeated and cast away at the end of the Tribulation. If you add the two-day Trumpets feast, and the Day of Atonement, the 7 days of awe are "ten days of tribulation" which might be referred to in Revelation 2:10.   In the Jewish Wedding, the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night" to take (sieze / rapture) her away and into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the coronation of the Messiah, when He will start reigning as king, thus the beginning of the "Day of the Lord", which includes the Tribulation. God’s plan for humanity is clearly found in Leviticus 23 through the establishment of the Seven Feasts. The number seven throughout the Bible represents completeness. Just as seven days finish a weekly cycle, so could seven festival occasions complete the work of God on Earth.

Further information from Jeffrey Johnson – Israel Today Ministries:

Two thousand years ago it was difficult for many religious Jews to see Jesus on the cross as anything but an execution.  In terms of seeing Jesus as a sacrifice it was problematic as there was no altar, no priest officiating, the cross being away from the Temple (the only place valid for sacrifice), and outside of the city walls. 

 

Paul, understanding the challenge of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18) connected the dots for Jews in the first century.

 

1.  Jesus was "our paschal lamb" who was sacrificed (1 Cor. 5:7).  Here he made the connection between Passover and the crucifixion.

 

2.  Paul retold the story of the Last Supper (the Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples, (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

 

Here Rabbi Shaul (Paul), spoke in sacrificial terms.  He quotes Jesus, "the new covenant in my blood" reminding readers of the words of Moses as he made a sacrificial offering (Ex. 24:8).  The blood ratifies the covenant.

 

Paul also quotes Jesus using the word "remembrance", a technical term used for a special type of Temple sacrifice, the Memorial offering. Paul goes out of his way to drive home the point that a sacrifice of blood creates a communion with either demons or God (1 Cor. 10:16-21).

 

3.  In Ephesians Paul makes further reference to Jesus' sacrifice, "Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" (Eph. 5:2).  This verse also connects Jesus with valid sacrifice (Lev. 1,2,3; Num. 15).

 

Finally, the writer of Hebrews concludes the connecting of the dots in stating that Jesus is the final sacrifice for our sins, and the ultimate expression of God's love (Heb. 7:27; 9:11-12, 26-28; 10:10).

 

As we celebrate the resurrection this Sunday please remember the Passover connection.  Jesus is our Passover Lamb offered upon the altar for our redemption.

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

April 26, 2011 – John 20

Three uses / meanings of “SAW”

John 20:1             First day is Sunday.  Mary Magdalene (Luke 8) is from Magdal at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus cast out 7 demons from her. Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus, very devoted, one of three Marys at the foot of the cross.

There were other Marys: Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary’s sister, Mary, wife of Cleophas and 1 disciple, John.  All the other disciples left.

“SAW”:  Mary Magdalene took notice.  John focuses on encounter Mary Magdalene has coming from the tomb.

v.2          John was the disciple Jesus loved.  Jesus told disciples all that would happen to Him, including He would rise on the third day.  They didn’t get it..

vs. 3-4   Peter and John went together.  John outran Peter.

v.5          John stoops in, looks, but does not go in. Burial cloths are still there.

vs. 6-7   Peter went right in.  “SAW” – observed, saw something unusual – put theory together. Kerchief [face cloth] was not lying there but folded – rolled up and put in a different place.

v.8          John went in and “SAW” – he perceived and understood. Jesus passed through burial clothes. 

John 11:5-44:  in Bethany, Jesus loved visiting with Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  When Lazarus died, Jesus knows, but disciples [v.12] thought he was just sleeping.

v.15        Jesus performed the miracle so you will believe, and it would be authenticated.

v.16        Thomas [Didymus] [twin] was a pessimist, wanted to go and die with Lazarus.

v.35        Jesus could see their sorrow

v.44        Lazarus was bound from head to foot.  Custom was to use linen strips, tied up and one could not be freed, and a napkin on the face.

John 20:8             John saw and believed.  He still didn’t understand Jesus must rise again from the dead. Peter and John went home, not to Galilee like Jesus said, but to Jerusalem.

v.11        “But Mary” [Mary Magdalene] “SAW”, observed intently. The last time she saw Jesus was when He was taken down from the cross.

v.15        “Gardner”.  People suppose a lot about Jesus.  People say He was a teacher, Rabbi, person, not the Son of God, Savior of the world, Lamb of God.  Mary Magdalene was willing and devoted so much; she wanted to take Him away.

v. 16       Mary Magdalene called Jesus “Rabboni”, or Master. Jesus knows His sheep by name. Mary Magdalene knows beyond doubt it is Jesus.  She knows Him.

v.17        Jesus’ earthly ministry is not quite over – in 50 days He will ascend.

v.18        Mary Magdalene is the first one to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, that He rose again from the dead.  Matthew, Mark and Luke – disciples would not believe Mary Magdalene. It seems Thomas was not the only one who doubted.  In Jewish culture you would not choose a woman as a witness.  Here Mary Magdalene was chosen to first give the news about the resurrection.

In His early ministry – Jesus calls people His disciples, followers of the Rabbi.  At the Passover, He calls them friends.  After paying the price for their sins, He calls them brothers.

v.19        Disciples in a locked room – possibly the home of John Mark.  They were fearful – Pharisees may next be after them.  Jesus, in His resurrected body now appears to them but can still be touchable, Jesus eats and drinks.  He says, “Peace be with you” – Jewish term is “Shalom”.  This is a true peace between God and man.  Jesus paid the price, reconciling man to God by His death on the cross.

v.21        “Even so send I you.”  God sent Jesus to do His will.

v.22        “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”  Jesus now sends disciples to do what they are to do – Jesus enlightens them, helps them, and imparts the Holy Spirit to disciples.

v.23        “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained”.  He is not giving disciples power to absolve sins; He is now saying as a Christian, you can go directly to God to forgive you of your sins, no longer having to go to a priest.

vs.24-28               Thomas doubted.  Christ drew out the unbelief of Thomas a certain and sure testimony of His resurrection.

v.26        Eight days later, the disciples were again in a locked room and Jesus appears in the room.

v.27        “Be not faithless, but believing.”

v.28        Thomas answers “My Lord and my God.”

v.29        Jesus gives a special blessing:  “Thomas, because thou has seen me, thou has believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

vs.30-31               Many other signs Jesus did in front of His disciples, which are not written in this book.  Fifty years after Jesus’ death, John wrote his account in 90 AD.

v.31        John’s purpose of what is written:  “That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name.

I Corinthians 15:12-20 – Read the verse, then read the notes to go with the verses:

v.12        The first argument to prove that there is a resurrection from the dead:  Christ is risen again, therefore the dead shall rise again.

v.13        The second argument by an absurdity:  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen again.

v.14        If Christ be not risen again, the preaching of the Gospel is in vain and the credit that you gave to it is vain and we are liars. There is no true Christian faith without the resurrection, and no hope of forgiveness, or salvation, or eternal life. Life would be totally most miserable.

v.16        Faith is in vain if the resurrection of Christ be taken away.

v.17        First:  seeing death is the punishment of sin, in vain should we believe that our sins were forgiven us, if they remain; but they do remain, if Christ did not rise from death.

v.18        Second:  unless this can be certain that Christ rose again, all they which died in Christ, are perished.  So then what profit cometh of faith?

v.19        Third:  Unless there be another life, wherein such as trust and believe in Christ shall be blessed, they were the most miserable of all creatures because in this life they are the most miserable.  But Christ HAS defeated death, our sins ARE forgiven, those asleep in Christ ARE awaiting us, and we also SHALL be resurrected to eternal life, so therefore, of all men, we are most blessed!

v.20        Conclusion:  Therefore Christ is risen again.  We, the faithful, shall rise again. 

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 3, 2011 – John 21

John 21 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible.  John wrote this book so we can:  read and believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus had a supernatural entrance and exit to this world.  Chapter 21 gives us answers to Chapter 20.

v.1          Jesus appeared again in His resurrected body. Jesus had to reveal Himself to people. Sea of Tiberias – Herod Antipas built the City of Tiberius; part of the city is built on graveyard.  Jesus never stopped by Tiberius.

v.2.         Jesus appeared to many disciples.  Nathaniel – Bartholomew of Cana [where the first miracle happened – turning water into wine], sons of Zebedee – James and John and 20 others.  Why were they there?  Matthew 28:16 – the disciples went to the mountain Jesus told them to.

v.3          Peter supposed to be waiting; he goes fishing and others followed.  They fished all night, catching nothing.

v.4          Jesus stood on shore – He had not yet revealed Himself to them – they “didn’t know it was Jesus.”  The disciples followed Peter who decided his own will.  When we obey we are blessed; when we do not obey, we are cursed.

v.5          Jesus calls them “children”

v.6          Jesus told them what to do; they obeyed and could not haul in so many fish.

v.7          John [the disciple Jesus loved] had to tell Peter, “It is the Lord!”  Peter is getting to Jesus by throwing himself into the sea.

v.9          Jesus sets breakfast for them on shore – already had the fire going, fish and bread waiting.

v.11        153 fish, yet the net was not broken.  Peter brought it to shore.

v.12        Jesus said “Come and dine”; the disciples didn’t dare ask who He was.

v.13        Jesus took the bread … [like He did in the Last Supper]

v.14        For the 3rd time Jesus was revealed, capping off v.1.

vs. 15-17   Jesus said, Do you even love [PHILEO] me?”  [Lovest thou me?]  “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus asked Peter twice whether he loved Him with AGAPE love [true selfless devotion to the one loved]. Peter answered that he did love Him, but with PHILEO love [brotherly kindness].  This third time, Jesus also used PHILEO, and Peter was grieved.  He finally recognized that the thrice-repeated question was intended to remind him of his thrice-repeated denial of the Lord. Further, the Lord had not addressed him as Peter [the Rock] but by his old name, Simon.  Jesus wanted to bring him back to the point where he would not just go fishing [21:3] but would “Feed my lambs” and “Feed my sheep” [21:15-17]. Lesson here: on our own, we can’t AGAPE love; when we trust Jesus and Holy Spirit dwells, He creates AGAPE love.

v.18-19   Jesus said in v.18:  “Verily, verily [truly, truly] I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.”

                Peter will be crucified – this foretells his future. Peter was so arrogant.  He said he would die for Jesus; he denied Jesus 3 times; he brought shame on himself; he slept while Jesus prayed.

v.18        There is a great promise in this verse.  Jesus says Peter will have a second chance.  Love me, follow me and die for me.

v.19        “Follow me” – don’t go your own way, go MY way. Abide in Me.  Stay close to Me.

v.22        “What is that to you?  Peter, you follow me.  Stop worrying about others or what my plan will be.

v.24-25     John was always committed to Jesus.  This is the testimony of John.

v.25        The world could not contain the books…, nothing more, nothing less and nothing else!

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 10, 2011 – Matthew 1:1-17

 

Matthew wrote this book primarily to the Jewish audience.  Matthew had been a publican, or tax collector, before Jesus called him. This profession was considered sinful by the Jews, since the publicans [or Publicani] often exacted heavy taxes from Rome’s subjects, keeping the excess for themselves.  Any Jew collecting for the Romans would be hated.

Matthew was different; he would very likely have been a follower of John the Baptist before John told his own disciples to follow Jesus.

The genealogy of Christ is given here.  The Jews had very detailed records of all ancestors.  In 70 AD, all records in the temple were destroyed.

The Abrahamic Covenant: The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant. God made promises to Abraham that required nothing of Abraham: [1] The promise of land; [2] The promise of descendants; and [3] The promise of blessing and redemption.  This covenant  is yet to be totally fulfilled.

The Davidic Covenant: This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever

v.1          Establishes Jesus’ lineage.  The 12 tribes came out of this.  Jesus IS the Christ; anyone after 70 AD can’t be the Messiah.  Jesus is the Christ or no one is!

v.2-16    Beginning of genealogy of Jesus.  He really lived and in addition to the Bible, Jesus is mentioned by Tacitus [a Roman historian], Josephus [a Jewish historian], Pliny the Younger and many others.  Genesis 49:8-10 points to the promised King through the line of Judah.

v.11        Jesus did not come from Joseph, but from the “seed of the woman” [Mary].  Mary had no human seed, but from God.  The legal lineage of Joseph comes through Solomon [Matthew 1:7-15] and Mary through Nathan [Luke 3:23-31].

v.16        Joseph is not called “Father” but the “husband of Mary”.

v.17        All the generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations; from David to the carrying away into Babylon are 14 generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are 14 generations.

TAMAR is the first of four women listed in the kingly genealogy of Jesus Christ – read Genesis 38:1-6. 

The other women we will study will be Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba.  This, among other factors, is a testimony of God’s grace.  Tamar had twin sons, the youngest of which, Phares, was the one in the royal line.

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 17, 2011 – Joshua 2:1-24

THE FAITH OF RAHAB

v.1          Joshua sent out two men to spy, view the land, even Jericho and stayed at Rahab’s house.

•             God had plans for Rahab – providence of God

•             A prostitute would know more about the city and could give information to men.

•             No one would ever think to look in Rahab’s house for the men.

v.2-3      The king was told about the two men then asked Rahab to bring out the men.

v.4-6      Rahab hid the men then told the king the men came [truth] but I don’t know where they are [lie].  Rahab brought the men up to the roof to hide them with the stalks of the flax.

                Flax was the most important plant fiber in Bible times because it was used to make linen. All clothing was made either of linen or wool. While its production has declined in recent years due to the superiority of cotton that is more easily handled by machines, flax remains one of the most important fiber plants in the world because of the long, strong fibers found in the outer layers of the stem. These are removed by a kind of controlled decay called retting. One of the common forms of retting is allowing the cut stalks of flax to remain in the dew until the fiber containing layers separate from the stem. This is probably why Rahab had bundles of flax on her roof. After retting, the fibers are cleaned and then bleached in the sun.

v.11        Rahab acknowledged Jehovah is her God.  [Note] It is remarkable that Rahab, living in a pagan culture all her life, had enough knowledge about the true Creator God to recognize Him as the God of Israel, even exercising saving faith in Him [Hebrews 11:31] which gave her courage to stand alone against her countrymen.

v.12        Rahab is looking for a way to save herself and her family.  Like in Noah’s ark – only inside the ark could you be saved.  Like Christ, only in Him is the only way to be saved.

v.14        Joshua’s men said we will deal kindly with you.

v.18        The men told Rahab to bind this line of scarlet thread in the window and you will be saved.  [Note] this is the only place “line” is used.  This thin scarlet line, the scarlet color perhaps speaking of the blood of sacrifice, was Rahab’s only hope of freedom for herself and her family. All the others in Jericho perished when the children of Israel conquered it several days later [found in Joshua 6:16-27].  Now for the “Rest of the Story” – the Fall of Jericho.

In Joshua 6:17, “Only Rahab shall live”.  In vs. 22-23, Joshua’s two spies were told to get Rahab and her family to safety.  In vs. 25, she dwelt in Israel even unto this day because she hid Joshua’s messengers who spied on Jericho.  There is no more mention of Rahab until Matthew 1 in the genealogy of Christ.

In Joshua 6:22 [Note]: Excavations at Jericho revealed that one portion of the wall remained standing when the other walls fell down. Rahab’s house was built upon a town wall [Joshua 2:15].  Presumably the portion of the wall left standing was that part where Rahab and her family were gathered.

Back to Joshua 2:

v.19        Don’t tip off the king or all bets are off.

v.21        Rahab made a verbal agreement with the two men & she bound the scarlet line in the window.

v.22-25 – The Faith of the Spies – the men returned and told Joshua all that had happened to them.

•             Old Testament:  The Lord is God; New Testament:  Jesus is Lord; Jesus is God.

•             Hebrews 11:30-31 in the “Hall of Faith”:  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

God saved Rahab.  When we are called to Christ, we are called to live a different life.

 

 

 

TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

Sons of Jacob     Meaning of Name           Mother                Birth Verse

1.            Reuben                See, a son           Leah      So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely seen my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me." Gen 29.32

2.            Simeon Hearing                Leah      Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. Gen 29.33

3.            Levi        Joined; attached              Leah      She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. Gen 29.34

4.            Judah    Yah be praised  Leah      And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise Yahweh." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Gen 29.35

5.            Dan        Judge    Bilhah (Rachel's servant)               Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. Gen 30.6

6.            Naphtali               My wrestling      Bilhah (Rachel's servant)               Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called him Naphtali. Gen 30.6

7.            Gad        Troop; invader; good fortune     Zilpah (Leah’s servant)  Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. Gen 30.11

8.            Asher    Happy   Zilpah (Leah's servant)   Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. Gen 30.13

9.            Issachar                Man of hire        Leah      Leah said, "God has given me my hire [wages] because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. Gen 30.18

10.          Zebulun               Dwelling               Leah      Leah said, "...now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. Gen 30.20b

11.          Joseph  Increaser             Rachel   So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son." Gen 30.24

12.          Benjamin             Son of the right hand     Rachel   As her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-Oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Ben-Jamin. Gen 35.18

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 24, 2011 – Ruth – chapters 1 - 4

 

THE STUDY OF RUTH. Ruth was from the land of Moab, descendants of Lot, and whose people were almost perpetual enemies of Israel, the chosen people.  Ruth also appears in the genealogical ancestry of Jesus [Matthew 1:5], having married Boaz, who was the great-grandfather of King David.  Ruth is beautiful and inspiring.

Even in the turbulent time of the judges, God was providentially looking after His people, and yet was also still concerned about those individuals in other nations [even Moab] whose hearts were open to Him.  It also provides a striking type of Christ in the person of Boaz, who became the “kinsman-redeemer” for Ruth [4:1-12].  He brought her into the family of God’s people by paying the price for her redemption, just as Jesus purchased us with the price of His shed blood [Ephesians 1:7] in order that we might become part of the eternal family of God.

Ruth means “friendship”. Orpah means “stubborn”.  Boaz means “in him is strength”.  Naomi means “pleasant”.  Naomi’s sons:  Mahlon means “sick”, and Chilion means “pining.”  Naomi’s new name, “Mara” means “the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me”.

1:16-17 “Thy God my God”.  Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi dearly even after their husbands, Mahlon and Chilion were dead.  Orpah chose to return to her pagan nature-gods; Ruth demonstrated true conversion to the God of creation by taking God as her own Savior and by going with the people of God and entering the family of God’s people.

2:2-3      “gleaned”.  The custom of gleaning [collecting what had been missed by the reapers] was a divinely ordained provision for the poor of the land per Levitical law.  Boaz was considered a relative of Elimelech, the father of Ruth’s first husband.  In Matthew’s genealogy, Boz is from the family of Rahab.

2:17        “ephah”.  An ephah was ten omers, and an omer of manna [bread] was adequate for the daily needs of one man.  Boaz’s generosity is measured by the fact that the “handfuls” [v.16] Boaz left for Ruth were ten times her daily need.

3:1-5      Naomi seeks redemption for Ruth.  Naomi tells Ruth what to do with Boaz … proposing a Levirate marriage between herself and Boaz.  Boaz knew that Ruth was a virtuous woman.  He considered it a blessing that she came to him instead of a younger man [3:10].

3:13        “Kinsman” is described in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Boaz desires to redeem Ruth.

4:1-22    Boaz takes Ruth as a wife.

v.6          “cannot redeem it”.  The redeemer must not only be a kinsman, but must also be willing, free and have the necessary price.  As our great Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ indeed fulfills all the conditions.

v.8          “drew off his shoe”.  This act symbolized the fact that he was no longer able to walk on the tract of land under discussion and was giving up his right as kinsman to claim it for himself.  By doing this, the man was telling Boaz, “Buy the land for you”, therefore obtaining Ruth in the process as well, for his wife.

v.15        Boaz was a restorer of life.  Ruth was no more the “Moabitis” but was now a “daughter in law”.

v.16        Naomi is redeemed and receives a new family.

v.17-22 David is to Descend from the Lineage of Ruth.  Ruth and Boaz had Obed, who had Jesse, who had King David. 

v.20        Salmon married Rahab, the converted harlot, sometime after the fall of Jericho, and Boaz was their son.

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 31, 2011 – 2 Samuel 11

 

THE STUDY OF BATHSHEBA. Saul is the 1st King.  David is the 2nd King.  David is descended from Boaz and Ruth.  Jerusalem is now called the City of David; Jerusalem is always in the forefront of God’s eye, the City of Zion.  Saul, a miserable king, had a son, Jonathan, whom David loved. Jonathan had Mephibosheth, crippled in an accident in 2 Samuel 4:4.  Mephibosheth, in a sense, can be considered a type of the helpless sinner, saved by grace, and raised from his helpless condition to sup at the table of the King [David] all because the great King David loved the Friend [Jonathan] who died.

 

Chapter 11 – David Sins with Bathsheba.  War breaks out.  While his men were out fighting, David tarried still in Jerusalem in the Spring of the year.  Kings always stayed with the men in battle, but not this time.  David sent Joab out, the enemy had retreated into Rabbah, and David is in the palace.  David was not where he should have been.

v.2          David sees Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.  Uriah means “Light of the Lord.” the Hittite had been one of David’s “mighty men”, yet Uriah was the man whom David murdered after committing adultery with his wife.  The fact that Uriah’s house was adjacent to the king’s house would indicate that Uriah himself was quite prominent in Israel.  The further fact that his beautiful wife, Bathsheba, must certainly have known that she could be seen bathing from the king’s roof may suggest that she had ambitions to acquire an even more prominent husband than Uriah.

vs.4-5    David acted on his thoughts; Bathsheba is pregnant. According to Leviticus 20:10, David could be stoned for adultery and had to come up with a plan.  This is the downfall of King David – he suffers and his entire family suffers the consequences of this sin.

vs.6-8    Plan A – Coverup.  Plan A fails.

vs. 9-13 Plan B – David pretends to care for Uriah.  Plan B fails.

v.14        Plan C – David commands Uriah’s murder.  Uriah is to take a sealed note [his death sentence] to Joab.  Plan C succeeds.

vs.15-17               Plan D – David plans to kill Uriah and marry Bathsheba; Joab puts David’s plan into action.  Joab is more loyal to David than David is to the Lord.

vs.18-25               David is told of the battle and of Uriah’s death. He tells the messenger to tell Joab not to worry about things, and to encourage him. 

vs. 26-27              David takes Bathsheba as his wife.  After the adultery, Bathsheba is called the “wife of Uriah”.  There was an official period of formal mourning, probably seven days.  David wanted to marry Bathsheba as quickly as possible, so that the coming child would not so obviously be the product of adultery.  One can choose one’s sin; but one cannot choose whom that sin will hurt.  Chapter 12 unfolds this statement:

12:1-12 Prophesy of the Sword.  Nathan, the prophet tells David a story. In v.6, David’s pronouncement of a “fourfold” restoration against Nathan’s hypothetical sinner came back on his own house:  [1] David’s first child dies [12:18]; [2] his son Amnon raped David’s virgin sister, Tamar [13:1, 14]; [3] his son Absalom murdered Amnon [13:28-29]; and [4] Absalom’s treason and death [18:9,14].

vs. 13-14              David repents.  God forgives David; nevertheless, there will be consequences. God will not always take away the consequences.  Psalm 32 – David is clearly in agony.  All sin is ultimately against the Lord, thought many others may be hurt as well. Nevertheless, David’s attitude of confession and repentance is the God-ordained route to forgiveness and restoration [Psalm 32:1-5; 1st John 1:9].

vs.24-25               David’s wife is once again called Bathsheba. Their 2nd son is Solomon.  In Matthew’s genealogy:  Obed  Jesse  David  Solomon by the wife of Uriah. David’s child born of their adultery died, but their sorrow and love and repentance were genuine, and God forgave. Their second son was chosen by God to be David’s successor and the ancestor of the Messiah.

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 7, 2011 – Matthew 1:16-25; 22:41-46

JOSEPH AND MARY

We don’t know much about Joseph or Mary.  Jesus, who is called Christ, comes from the bloodline of Mary.  Joseph is not called the father of Jesus, but the husband of Mary. Jesus comes from a very large family.

v.16        Matthew did not say that Joseph “begat” Christ as he did other ancestors of Jesus.  Jesus had the legal right to the throne of David.

v.18        According to Jewish law, the espousal was almost equivalent to marriage, except for consummation. 

v.19        When Mary was found “with child”, Joseph was a “just man” who loved Mary, and was unwilling to have her humiliated even by a public divorce.

v.20        Joseph was not sure what to do; an angel reminds Joseph of who he is [son of David].

v.21        “bring forth A son” – not Joseph’s son.  Abraham foretold this 1,000 years before Christ; David 1,000 years before; and Isaiah 700 years before [Isaiah 7:14].  The Hebrew for “JESUS” means “Jehovah Saves.” This is the first use of “save” in the New Testament.

vs.22-25   It was rare that an angel communicated messages from God. Joseph is to fulfill prophecy and the angel confirms it.  Joseph immediately claims Mary and takes her home … like Boaz immediately took Ruth.

 

The betrothal and Jewish marriage is like Jesus and His Bride, the Church

Jewish Marriage Components:

1.            Shidduch.  The Shidduch is a contract between a man and a woman where they mutually promise to marry each other at some future time and the terms on which it shall take place. Abraham found a bride for Isaac.

2.            Ketubah.  Before the wedding ceremony begins, a Ketubah (marriage contract) is signed.  The Ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract, was originally formulated to protect a Jewish bride (Kallah) in the event of divorce or her husband's death.

3.            Mohar.  This is sometimes called - the Bride price. It is a gift paid by the groom to the bride's family - but ultimately belongs to the bride. It changed her status and set her free from her parent's household.

4.            Mikveh – or Ritual Immersion.  To prepare for betrothal it was common for the bride and groom to separately take a ritual immersion. This was symbolic of spiritual cleansing.

5.            Kiddushim – “sanctification" or "set apart. The couple are to set side to prepare themselves to enter into the covenant of marriage.

6.            Chuppah – Ceremony.  While the groom builds the new home, the bride waits and wears a veil. This shows she belongs only to the groom. She prepares for her wedding by making blankets, etc. She also shows gratitude to her family for raising her and she mends hurt relationships. No matter what, she had to be ready because he would come at night.  According to Jewish wedding customs at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the bridegroom came at a day and hour that his bride did not know. As he came, the friend of the bridegroom went before him and shouted, “Behold, the bridegroom comes.” This shout would be accompanied by the blowing of a shofar—a trumpet made from a ram’s horn. As the shout was heard, the bridegroom would get his bride and take her back to his father’s house, where the ceremony and celebration would take place.

 

Christ spoke of His return with many Wedding Analogies

Jewish Marriage:              Christ and His Bride, the Church:

The Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and traveling to the home of the prospective bride…         Jesus left his Father's house in heaven and traveled to earth, the home of His prospective Church, over 1900 years ago.

The Jewish bridegroom came to the bride's home for the purpose of obtaining her through the establishment of a marriage covenant…       Jesus came to earth for the purpose of obtaining the Church through the establishment of a covenant.  He would establish a new covenant through the shedding of His blood on the cross.

The Jewish groom paid a price to purchase his bride…     Jesus paid a price to purchase His Bride, the Church. The price that He paid was His own life blood.

The Jewish bride being declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for her groom once the marriage covenant was established…     The Church has been declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ.

A cup of wine served as a symbol of marriage covenant through which the Jewish groom obtained his bride…    The cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the Church.

The Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house after the marriage covenant had been established…     Jesus returned to His Father's house in heaven after He had established the new covenant and risen from the dead.

In correspondence with the period of separation between the Jewish groom and bride….            Christ has remained separate from the Church for over 1900 years. The Church is now living in that period of separation.

The Jewish groom prepared living accommodations for his bride in his father's house during the time of separation…                Christ has been preparing living accommodations for the Church in His Father's house in heaven during His separation from His Bride.

The Jewish groom came to take his bride to live with him at the end of the period of separation…             Christ will come to take the Church to live with Him at the end of His period of separation from the Church.

The taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the groom's father's house to the home of the bride…             The taking of the Church will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from Christ's Father's house in heaven to the home of the Church.

Analogous with the Jewish bride not knowing the exact time of the groom's coming for her…     The Church does not know the exact time of Christ's coming for her.

In the same way that the Jewish groom's arrival was preceded by a shout…         So Christ's arrival to take the Church will be preceded by a shout.

Similar to the Jewish bride's return with the groom to his father' house after her departure from her home…     The Church will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven after she is snatched from the earth to meet Him in the air.

In the same manner as the Jewish wedding party found wedding guests assembled in the groom's father's house when they arrived…    Christ and the Church will find the souls of old Testament saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls will serve as the wedding guests.

The Jewish groom and bride entered into physical union after their arrival at the groom's father's house, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier…               Christ and the Church will experience spiritual union after their arrival at His Father's house in heaven, thereby consummating their relationship that had been covenanted earlier.

In correspondence with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for a period of seven days after arrival at the groom's father's house…      The Church will remain hidden for a period of seven after arrival at Christ's Father's house in heaven. While the seven year Tribulation Period is taking place on the earth, the Church will be in heaven totally hidden from the sight of those living on the earth.

Just as the Jewish groom brought his bride out of the bridal chamber at the conclusion of the seven days with her veil removed, so that all could see who his bride was…           Christ will bring the Church out of heaven in His Second Coming at the conclusion of the seven year Tribulation Period in full view of all who are alive, so that all can see who the true Church is.

 

Matthew 22:41-46 – Confrontation between Jesus and Pharisees:

v.42        Christ has to be the Son of David

v.43        Calls Him Lord [and Quotes Psalm 110:1]

v.44-45   “If David then calls Him Lord, how is he his son?” With a single word [“Lord”} Christ silenced the Pharisees, just as He had said [“I AM”] to refute the Sadducees. David had spoken of Him as “my Lord,” citing Psalm 110:1, written by David and acknowledged by the Jews to be prophetic of the coming Messiah.  The Messiah would be of the see of David [2 Sam. 7:12-16].  The only way such prophecies could be fulfilled was for God to become a man.

                It is clear that, for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Scriptures were God’s Word, having full and final authority.

v.46        No man was able to answer a word.  Jesus is claiming to be God.  “I AM”  “I AM” – The Jews hated the fact that in their eyes He blasphemed.

Jesus’ First Coming          –             Suffering Servant – Humble

Jesus’ Second Coming   –             Sword of Judgment – All People Will Bend the Knee! – Philippians 2:1-11

 

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 14, 2011 – Matthew 2:1-23

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

v.1          A more detailed report of Jesus’ birth can be found in Luke 2:1-7.  “Bethlehem of Judea” – this was a very specific area, and this verse fulfills the prophecy of Micah 5:2 given some 700 years earlier.  “Wisemen” – they were actually magi, members of the priesthood in Persia, who were experts in astronomy and astrology, and well-versed in the Old Testament.

v.2          Herod came from the line of Esau and people hated him. He was vicious and cruel.  He didn’t want to hear of another “King of the Jews,” as he considered himself to be King of the Jews.  “His star” – the magi, through study and religious beliefs, knew a new king had been born.

v.3          Herod was troubled – this new King could be a threat. The Jews knew a Messiah was coming; they were troubled too.

v.4          Herod assembled all the religious leaders and legal men, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

vs.5-6    Herod gets his answer, as foretold in Micah 5:2.

v.7          Herod summons the wise men and questions them for the exact time the star appeared.  Evidently, the star appeared to the wise men only while they were still “in the east” (v.2). They probably knew Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, but would travel first to Jerusalem as a courtesy to the king.

v.8          Herod wants to “come and worship him also” – this is a lie – Herod wants to kill the child.

v.9          “the star” – this is a glorious appearing. The star “goes before them”, the same shikina glory as the star the shepherds saw. Paidion means a young child. Mary, Joseph and Jesus had now gone from the stable to a house [oikia].

v.11        “child was with Mary” – Jesus is always mentioned first. “Treasures” – were brought in a box or “casket”.  They are:

Gold      Offering to a King – Christ’s Deity – a spiritual symbol of Kingship on earth

Frankincense     Incense – sweet smelling;  Fragrance of Christ’s Life, a spiritual symbol of priesthood

Myrrh   Burial ointment [embalming] – a spiritual symbol of Christ’s death; this fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 60:3.

The Four Divine Warnings to Joseph – by an Angel of the Lord

1.            Matthew 1:20-21.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph not to fear to take Mary as your wife.

2.            Matthew 2:12.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to take the young child and Mary to Egypt.

3.            Matthew 2:19-20.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph Herod is dead; go to land of Israel.

4.            Matthew 2:22-23.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to dwell in a city called Nazareth.

vs.14-15               The whole nation of Israel was called out of Egypt as God’s young “son”.  For a time, they had to leave it and live in the pagan land of Egypt for a while before being brought back home by their Father.  This prophecy is found in Hosea 11:1.

v.16        Herod was made a fool by the magi and was in a rage. He calculated how old Jesus would be and killed all males in Bethlehem two years and under. 

vs.22-23               “by the prophets” – no one prophet is mentioned here by name; this may be a generic summary of the teaching of the prophets that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected of men”.  In the Old Testament, Nazareth is not mentioned by name.  In Hebrew, Nazareth  means “branch”; Nazarene is a term for people of Galilee. Jews – top notch Jews – considered anyone from Galilee, Nazarenes.  Jesus would be called a Nazarene, despised by religious people, fulfilling Isaiah 53:3.

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 21, 2011 – Matthew 3:1-10

STUDY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST – Part 1.  John the Baptist  was called the John the Baptist or John the Baptizer because he baptized the people. He came forth as a preacher and reformer. He was the subject of prophecy (Isa 40:3 Mal 3:1); his birth was announced by an angel; he was of a priestly family, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary. He was now about thirty years old. Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest man ever born up to His day [Matthew 11:11].  He was the first Christian, the first Christian witness, the first Christian preacher, prophet and martyr. He was the first to baptize converts and could even have started the first local church, since the disciples of Christ were already largely organized and ministering together under John the Baptist before they were instructed to follow Christ.

John the Baptist preached two things:  “Repent” – we are to radically change, understand the seriousness of sin.  If we sin, we should feel guilty.  God knows what we have done and we need to ask God’s forgiveness, make a life change and turn from that sin.  ADMIT IT, QUIT IT, AND CHANGE IT!

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” – This particular phrase occurs 32 times and is found only in Matthew. In Mark and Luke, it is called “the Kingdom of God”.  It has a spiritual aspect, a present aspect and a future aspect but it always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitants. They both mean the same thing.

Phases of the Kingdom:

•             Prophesied Kingdom.  In Old Testament there is a Kingdom coming where God will rule.

•             “At Hand” Kingdom.  King of the Kingdom is here [“at hand”]

•             Interim Kingdom.  Because Jews rejected, Jesus is seated in Heaven and because of what He did for us, the church is the Interim Kingdom where God rules over our hearts.

•             Millennial Kingdom – can be found in Revelation 20.

•             Eternal Kingdom – can be found in Revelation 22.

v.3    Prophecy fulfilled.  Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1 – the prophets Isaiah and Malachi both predicted the coming of John, just as they did that of Christ.  John the Baptist is a type of Elijah.  John the Baptist has a mission:  Announce the Kingdom!  No Old Testament prophet saw Jesus – John the Baptist got to see Jesus.

v.4          John the Baptist wore the exact same thing as the prophet Elijah.  2 Kings 1:8: “…he was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins…”  John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey.

vs.5-6    John the Baptist went to Jerusalem, all Judea and all region about Jordan.  “Baptized” in the Greek, is “baptize”, which means to “dip” or “immerse”, symbolizing the death, burial and resurrection.  Read Acts 19:1-7.

v.7          Preaching of John the Baptist.  The Jews do not like this news that John the Baptist is preaching.  They feel they are the chosen of God and were in the Kingdom – not so.  The Pharisees had become legalistic hypocrites; the Sadducees denied the resurrection.  Both John the Baptist and Christ did not speak kindly with them at all.

vs.8-9    John’s baptism was conditioned on repentance – a genuine change of mind and attitude toward God … a washing away of fleshly sins as well as a new life following death to the old life.  Without these things baptism was meaningless.

v.10        John the Baptist gives a warning.  Read Matthew 7:19.

Fruits of Repentance:  [1] Hate sin … Hate what God hates; [2] Have a love of God and a new love for each other;  [3] Love the Word of God, read it and obey it;  [4] Reject evil and embrace good – too many are sold out to Satan;  [5] Be totally humbled by the Cross;  [6] Eagerly await Christ’s return … Christ could come today;  [7] Ability to discern spiritual truth; and [8] Pray and get prayers answered.

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 28, 2011 – Matthew 3:11-17

STUDY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST – PART 2

John the Baptist means “Gift of God”

v.11        “baptize you with the Holy Ghost”.  This is the first promise of the Holy Spirit and His baptism.

                “and with fire”.  There are 3 types of baptism:

a.            Baptism of repentance.  John the Baptist immersed.

b.            Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Supernatural transaction, sealing forever.

c.             Baptism of Judgment.  Occurs with fire [Revelation 20, Great White Throne Judgment, thrown into the lake of fire].

When you are baptized, you are identifying with the death, burial and resurrection – an outward sign to an inward change [Romans 10:9-10].

v.12        “wheat and chaff”.  This is a picture of the coming Christ.  Baptism with water for repentance – symbolic for the person repenting and confessing.  John would submerge them into the river, cleansing.

v.13        “Then cometh Jesus”.  Heralding of His public ministry.  When Jesus comes, John the Baptist  begins to diminish.  Jesus only does what God the Father tells Him.  Jesus walks from Nazareth to the Jordan River to John the Baptist.

v.14        John the Baptist asks Jesus, “You’re coming to me?”

v.15        Jesus had no need for repentance or forgiveness, but was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.  It was right for men to be baptized, and Jesus would leave us “an example, that ye should follow His steps [1 Peter 2:21].

v.16        “out of the water”.  The wording here shows clearly that Jesus was immersed in the waters of the river, going up “out of the water,” not out of the river.

“like a dove”      The dove is only a symbol of the Holy Spirit, of course, but it was vital that the people get some confirmation here at the start of Christ’s public ministry, that John’s promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit would surely be fulfilled.  The voice from Heaven would provide this assurance from God Himself.

v.17        “a voice from Heaven”.  With the Father’s voice from Heaven testifying of the Son, and the Spirit testifying through the dove, all three Persons of the Trinity were present at Jesus’ baptism.

“my beloved Son”. Jesus here was proclaimed as the Son of God for the benefit of the world in which He had come to dwell for a time. He did not become the Son of God at His baptism, however, as some have assumed, for the Father had loved the Son “before the foundation of the world” [John 17:24].  This heavenly testimony reflected that of Psalm 2:7:  “the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son.”  His anointing by the Spirit reflected the testimony of Isaiah 42:1 – “Behold my servant, whom I uphold . . . I have put My spirit upon Him.”  He had eternally been the beloved Son, but had not come to be also the suffering Servant.

Definition of Baptism: The New Testament contains four related words; two verbs and two nouns[citation needed]:  baptein – to wash something; baptizein – to wash, often a person in a ritual context; baptismos – Jewish ritual washing; and baptisma – the new Christian rite

John the Baptist adopted baptismal immersion as the central sacrament in his messianic movement, seen as a forerunner of Christianity.

 

Our Triune God

The Trinity is an unfathomable, and yet unmistakable doctrine in Scripture. As Jonathan Edwards noted, after studying the topic extensively, “I think [the doctrine of the Trinity] to be the highest and deepest of all Divine mysteries” (An Unpublished Treatise on the Trinity).

Yet, though the fullness of the Trinity is far beyond human comprehension, it is unquestionably how God has revealed Himself in Scripture—as one God eternally existing in three Persons.

This is not to suggest, of course, that the Bible presents three different gods (cf. Deut. 6:4). Rather, God is three Persons in one essence; the Divine essence subsists wholly and indivisibly, simultaneously and eternally, in the three members of the one Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (We considered the deity of Christ last Thursday, in this post .)

The Scriptures are clear that these three Persons together are one and only one God (Deut. 6:4). John 10:30 and 33 explain that the Father and the Son are one. First Corinthians 3:16 shows that the Father and the Spirit are one. Romans 8:9 makes clear that the Son and the Spirit are one. And John 14:16, 18, and 23 demonstrate that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one.

Yet, in exhibiting the unity between the members of the Trinity, the Word of God in no way denies the simultaneous existence and distinctiveness of each of the three Persons of the Godhead. In other words, the Bible makes it clear that God is one God (not three), but that the one God is a Trinity of Persons.

In the Old Testament, the Bible implies the idea of the Trinity in several ways. The title Elohim (”God”), for instance, is a plural noun which can suggest multiplicity (cf. Gen. 1:26). This corresponds to the fact that the plural pronoun (”us”) is sometimes used of God (Gen. 1:26; Isa. 6:8). More directly, there are places in which God’s name is applied to more than one Person in the same text (Ps. 110:1; cf. Gen. 19:24). And there are also passages where all three divine Persons are seen at work (Is. 48:16; 61:1).

The New Testament builds significantly on these truths, revealing them more explicitly. The baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19 designates all three Persons of the Trinity: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” In his apostolic benediction to the Corinthians, Paul underscored this same reality. He wrote, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14). Other New Testament passages also spell out the glorious truth of the Triune God (Romans 15:16, 30; 2 Cor. 1:21–22; Eph. 2:18).

In describing the Trinity, the New Testament clearly distinguishes three Persons who are all simultaneously active. They are not merely modes or manifestations of the same person (as Oneness theology incorrectly asserts) who sometimes acts as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit. At Christ’s baptism, all three Persons were simultaneously active (Matt. 3:16–17), with the Son being baptized, the Spirit descending, and the Father speaking from Heaven. Jesus Himself prayed to the Father (cf. Matt. 6:9), taught that His will was distinct from His Father’s (Matt. 26:39), promised that He would ask the Father to send the Spirit (John 14:16), and asked the Father to glorify Him (John 17:5). These actions would not make sense unless the Father and the Son were two distinct Persons. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit intercedes before the Father on behalf of believers (Rom. 8:26), as does the Son, who is our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Again, the distinctness of each Person is in view.

The Bible is clear. There is only one God, yet He exists, and always has existed, as a Trinity of Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (cf. John 1:1, 2). To deny or misunderstand the Trinity is to deny or misunderstand the very nature of God Himself.

 

 

Extra Study

 

The Apostles' Creed – circa 300 A.D.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

 

Why does The Apostle's Creed refer to the holy 'catholic' Church? – by Tony Warren

The question is often asked, why did the early Church fathers refer to the Church as Catholic? Particularly, the Apostle's Creed which is truly an ecumenical symbol of faith and is dated to about a century after the New Testament was completed. It is important to understand that the term “catholic Church” simply refers to the universal Church of believers. It is in no way referring to Roman Catholicism.

To fully understand this, we need to look at the original languages.

The word Creed is from the Latin [credo] meaning “I believe”, thus the apostles creed was a statement of Christian beliefs. Some people have the mistaken idea that the word 'catholic' belongs to the Roman Church. But simply because Rome claims to be the catholic church, doesn't make it so.

The word catholic is simply a form of the Greek word [katholikos] which means, "of the whole." Taken from two root words [kata], meaning “pertaining to”, or “about”, and the word [holos], meaning the “whole”. i.e., it means the whole or Universal Church.

Before those grounded in sound Biblical Theology broke away from the dominant Roman Church in protest (thus they were called, protestants) of that Churches slipping into idolatry and unscriptural practices, they were of the one whole (universal) Church. They still are. Rome can claim ownership of the word, but that is mere semantics. For they are not holy, nor catholic, nor in the real sense, the Church. In the false sense, they are a church, but they have long ago left being under authority of God.

The name catholic in our day has come to denote a denomination rather than its true meaning. But in the early Church it was the title denoting its universal nature, and had nothing to do with a denomination in Rome. Denominations are an invention of man. There is only the universal Church, not a Roman Church and a Protestant Church, but one holy universal Church.

In the big picture, this hasn't really changed today. The true Church of God is the Universal (catholic, in Greek) Church, no matter what label man puts upon it by denominational edict. There is one Holy Universal Church fulfilling its commission to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel. And it exists all over the world and has gone by many denominational names. It has nothing to do with what is the Roman Catholic Church today.

The truth is, since we don't speak Greek, we could just as easily translate it: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Holy Universal Church, the communion of saints…”  Every educated scholar of course knows this. But because Reformed Churches are steeped in tradition, and have a high regard for their creeds (nothing inherently wrong with that) it is still rendered (usually) the holy catholic Church. And really, there is no good reason to change it. Why should we? No denomination can usurp a word as exclusively their own. Just so long as we all understand that the word simply means universal.

We should also be aware that it is not called "The Apostles' Creed," because it was written or authored by any of the Apostles, it is called this because it is actually an excellent brief synopsis of what they taught. Moreover, it sets forth the Christian gospel in a concise, though pertinent fashion, with proper reverential and liturgical high regard.

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

July 12, 2011 – Matthew 4:1-17

The First Temptation of Jesus – vs. 1-4.  Jesus has just been baptized and will now be led by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness. Jesus personally told Matthew, Mark and Luke about this – it is first-hand testimony.

v.1          This is the will of God that Jesus needs to be tested. The purpose of the temptation by Satan: [1] it is a test confirming righteousness of Christ.  Jesus proves to us He is the sinless Savior; and [2] He will show the devil a thing or two. Jesus was God incarnate, and “God cannot be tempted with evil” [James 1:13].  Both Father and Son knew that He could not sin, yet He must be “tested” so that the world and the devil would also know.

                “devil”.  The devil had tempted Eve and [indirectly] Adam with a three-fold temptation:  [1] in body “good for food,” [2] soul “pleasant to the eyes,” and [3] spirit “make one wise,” and they both failed the test. Also see I John 2:16 – “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”.  Jesus was subjected to the same three-fold testing and passed the test, believing and applying the resources of Gods Written Word.

v.2          Satan doesn’t tempt during the 40-day fast.

v.3          Jesus is starving and Satan tells Jesus to “...command the stones be made bread.”

v.4          Jesus answers with Scripture – the Word, which was written by Jesus.

The first testing [Mt. 4:4] targeted His urgent physical need – Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, the very words of God, providing also a strong proof of inerrancy of Scriptures.

                The second testing [Mt. 4:6] appealed to His human desire for recognition and approval – Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16.

                The third testing [Mt. 4:9] offered the immediate attainment of His spiritual goal of making the entire world His own kingdom of peace and love, but He again quoted from Deuteronomy 10:20.  It is noteworthy that, in Matthew’s Gospel alone, Jesus quotes from the Old Testament at least 39 times.

Examine everything you are taught.  What your church teaches may not be in the Word of God. The Bible is infallible [incapable of making a mistake] and inerrant [no errors or mistakes].  The true mission of the church is to exalt the Savior, equip the saints, and evangelize – share the Good News of Christ.

The Second Temptation of Jesus – vs. 5-7

v.5          “devil” – diablos, slanderer, liar.  “holy city” – Jerusalem.

v.6          “and saith unto Him” – Satan also knows the Scriptures, but he will distort them to his own ends.  Here Satan quotes from Psalm 91:11-12, but takes it out of context, and omits the key phrase, “to keep thee in all thy ways.”  Satan will always pervert and tell his own version of the truth.

The Third Temptation of Jesus – vs. 8-11

v.8-9      Jesus created all things and Satan knows it. Satan desires to displace God and receive the worship due only to God.  This is why Satan was cast out of Heaven in the first place [Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19].  He was able to deceive Adam and Eve and tempt them to sin, but not Jesus.

Jesus Begins His Ministry – v. 12-17

v.12        Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been cast into prison.  As John the Baptist’s ministry is coming to a close, Jesus’ ministry begins.  Read Luke 4:14, 16.

                Luke 4:16, “as His custom was” notes this: Jesus regularly attended the weekly services in the synagogue.  As a boy, His knowledge of the Scriptures had impressed the rabbis in Jerusalem.  It seems probable that He was regularly called on to read and speak in the Nazareth synagogue up until He began His public ministry.  When He returned for a visit, it was natural that He would be called on again.  This time, however, His message was different, and it produced a strong reaction.

v.13        Jesus leaves Nazareth and now dwells in Capernaum.

v.14        The prophecy spoken of in Matthew 4:15-16 is found in Isaiah 9:1-2, which provides the background of the tremendous prophecy of the name of Emmanuel – “Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” [Isaiah 9:6].  Much of Jesus’ early teaching ministry was carried out in Galilee, especially Capernaum, and at least His first six disciples came from there.

v.17        These are the first recorded words of Jesus, which is also the same message that John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:2, brought to the people:

“Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

                Mark 1:15 says, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” 

                Luke 13:20 says, “…Whereunto shall I liken the Kingdom of God?”

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” – This particular phrase occurs 32 times and is found only in Matthew. In Mark and Luke, it is called “the Kingdom of God”.  It has a spiritual aspect, a present aspect and a future aspect but it always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitants. They both mean BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

April 19, 2011 – John 19

Much of our court system is like what happened in Jesus’ time.

Place of Jesus Trial: According to later Church tradition the Praetorium was here at the Antonia Fortress where Pontius Pilate judged Jesus.  Many scholars favor the Antonia Fortress because of the balconies overlooking the Temple Court. There is also mention in John 19:13 of "the pavement" as the site of the trial.  The Via Dolorosa assumes that the Antonia Fortress is the site of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate.

When Pilate brought Jesus before the people, he said, “Behold the Man”.  Latin, “Ecce Homo”.

Tiberius is disappointed with Pilate.  There is much here involving politics and pleasing the Jewish people as well as Caesar.

Pilate brought Jesus out to the Stone Pavement [Gabitha], the Antonia Fortress.

Passover in the Old Testament points to Christ.  The time of the sacrifice at Passover is the same as the time Jesus died.

The lamb at Passover was without blemish, kept until the 14th day, and hyssop was used to spread the blood over the door posts and top – symbol of the Cross.

When sacrificing lamb at Passover, no bones could be broken; at the cross, none of Jesus’ bones were broken, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Jesus, the Lamb, was without blemish; hyssop was used to dip vinegar and give to him when He said, “I Thirst.”

Jesus had had no sleep for 24 hours, He knows what is yet to come [crucifixion].  As God is revolted by sin, Jesus takes on the sins of the world and will have to drink the cup of judgment from past, present and future. 

Aramaic [language Jesus spoke]:  Golgotha.  Latin [language spoken by Romans]:  Calvary.

When suffering on the cross, Jesus sees his mother, Mary, his sister, 2 Marys and John.  Jesus says to Mary, “Behold your son.”  He says to John, “Behold your mother.”  He has John take care of His mother as his own brothers and sisters do not yet believe in Him.

“It is Finished!” – In Aramaic, means your bill is paid in full, there is no more sacrifice for sins.

Darkness was over all the earth when Jesus died.

                God “dimmed” sun – darkness was a sign of judgment

                Earthquake – broke the rocks in two; tore the veil in two from top to bottom in the Holy of Holies;           there is now no more need of a priest – we have open access to God.

                At the resurrection, the graves were opened and people appeared and walked over all Jerusalem.

Four feasts are about Jesus’ first coming; the other three feasts are about his second coming.

John only was at the foot of the cross; no other disciple could be found…they all had run away.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin who voted “no” on the charges of Jesus, came in secret to request the body of Jesus.  Nicodemus, also, came in secret with burial spices according to the burial custom of the time.

 

 

HISTORICAL INFORMATION:

The Antonia Fortress

In ancient Israel during the time of Jesus Christ there were immense valleys surrounding and protecting Jerusalem, on every side except the north. In fact the north side was the only way of approach if an army were to attack Jerusalem. This is one of the reasons why Jerusalem was considered impregnable. Another reason was because the architect king Herod the Great built the mighty Antonia Fortress on the north side of the city, its vulnerable side. It was intended to be a mighty fortress palace overlooking the Temple of Jerusalem and even the entire city.

In 35 B.C. King Herod rebuilt the Baris, a strong fortress to protect the Temple Mount and the primary military fortification of Jerusalem. He must have built it before the defeat of Antony by Octavian in 31 B.C. or else it would have been foolish to name it Antonia, Octavian’s rival.

Name:  King Herod actually rebuilt an existing fortification known as the "Baris" (Heb. Bira "fortress). It was called the Fortress of Antonia and named in honor of Herod the Great’s friend and military associate, the Roman Triumvir Marcus Antonius also known as Mark Antony. Herod had owed his rule over Judea exclusively to Mark Antony, who had requested that the Senate make Herod King of Judea as an eastern boundary to the Empire. The name Antonia was not used in the Bible but referred to as the "barracks" (see Acts 21:32-36). In Greek it was "to anastema tes Antonias".  In Latin it was "turris Antonia".

Location:  The Antonia Fortress was located on the northwest corner of the Temple Mount overlooking the Temple area and the city of Jerusalem. In ancient times there were very deep valleys surrounding Jerusalem on every side except the north. This made it impossible to attack Jerusalem from any direction except the north side. Herod the Great had determined that the north side needed to be heavily protected. The Antonia Fortress was built on the north side of the Temple in order to protect the vulnerable north side of the city.

The Antonia Fortress overlooked the Temple and the city of Jerusalem and became another of Herod's landmarks. Herod had no doubt used this as his palace for many years, since he did not build his new palace on the west side of the city until around 23 B.C. At some point the Romans took over the Antonia Fortress and placed a garrison there.

Size and Description: The Fortress of Antonia was partly surrounded by a deep ravine 165 feet wide. It functioned as headquarters for the Roman soldiers, a palace and a barracks. Herod constructed a secret passage from the fortress to the Temple and Josephus described that this is where Aristobulus was killed.

The Fortress of Antonia was built on a rock hill, which was much higher than the Temple area (75 feet), on the northwest side. The castle’s 4 walls were interesting:  The western wall was built upon the edge of the cliff overlooking the Tyropoeon Valley.  The north wall was directly across the hill Bezetha and there was a deep mote between them. The rock hid the Temple from view on this side according to Josephus.  The southern wall one could see over the entire Temple area.  The eastern wall overlooked the Pool of Bethesda and the Kidron Valley.

Josephus is the authoritative source for the description of the Antonia Fortress and he wrote about its interior. It is described as a small city, a palace for a king and a barracks for many soldiers. There were apartments, cloisters, baths and large courtyards. There were also stairs that led down from the Fortress to the porticoes of the Temple court at the extreme north side. It is also written that there was a deep passageway underground, which went from the fortress to the Court of Israel, mainly for uprisings and emergencies.  When Titus initiated his extreme assault into the Temple area it was from the Antonia Fortress.

Roman Soldier Barracks: While overlooking Jerusalem, the Antonia Fortress was garrisoned with 600 Roman soldiers, who watched over the Temple courts in order to preserve order. The Bible spoke about the Antonia Fortress as a barracks (Acts 21:37), and it was here that Paul gave an address to the people (22:1-21). Paul was held in the fortress in protective custody until a military escort took him to Caesarea (Acts 23:12-24,31-35). 

Acts 21:32-36:  Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out," Away with him!"

History:  An earlier tower constructed on this site may possibly go back to the time of King Solomon. According to Josephus Herod the Great built the Fortress of Antonia upon the site of an earlier Maccabaean fortress that was built by John Hyrcanus I (135-105 B.C.). The Hasmonean rulers had resided at the Baris (fortress) when they were performing priestly duties in the Temple. Pompey destroyed it in 63 B.C. Earlier Nehemiah had built a fortress at this site when he had rebuilt Jerusalem (Neh 2:8) and it was referred to as the "Tower of the Hundred" in Nehemiah’s wall (Neh 3:1). There can be no doubt that king Solomon had also built a fortress at this site, because the northwest corner of the Temple area was the only hill, which rose high above the Temple area.

Place of Jesus Trial? According to later Church tradition the Praetorium was here at the Antonia Fortress where Pontius Pilate judged Jesus, but it is also possible that Jesus was judged at the Herodian fortress on the opposite end (NW) of the city near the modern Jaffa Gate. Herod's palace was the official residence of the Roman procurator's when they came to Jerusalem during the major Jewish festivals.  Many scholars favor the Antonia Fortress because of the balconies overlooking the Temple Court. There is also mention in John 19:13 of "the pavement" as the site of the trial.  The Via Dolorosa assumes that the Antonia Fortress is the site of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate.

The statements of Josephus are very convincing that the headquarters of the Roman procurator were at Herod's palace. See International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.  The Bible also mentions that Paul the Apostle was arrested in the Temple Court where the angry Jewish mob tried to kill him. He asked for permission to speak to the crowd from the steps leading up from the Court of the Gentiles into the barracks of the Antonia Fortress (Acts 21:31-22:29). When Paul stood before the Council the following day he once again needed to be rescued and was taken up the stairs into the barracks (Acts 22:30 23:10). The soldiers later took him secretly at night from the Antonia Fortress to Caesarea (Acts 23:23 35).

High Priest's Robes: The holy ceremonial robes of the High Priest were kept in one of the four guard towers of the Antonia Fortress and were worn only on Passover, Yom Kippur and other important religious feast days. The Romans had realized the tremendous power of the office of the High Priest and had taken custody of the garments as a precautionary measure. In the century before the Roman occupation in 63 BC, the king of Israel had also been the high priest and both offices had been hereditary. The Romans had abolished the kingship and had made the office of high priest appointive, always subject to their approval. Nonetheless, in Jesus' day the high priest remained the most powerful figure in the Jewish nation.

Destroyed in 70 A.D.: Titus Vespasian attacked the city of Jerusalem from the north side in 70 A.D., and overcame it. The legions of Rome slaughtered over a million Jews and 95,000 Jewish captives were taken away as prisoners.  According to Josephus it was the 5th and 7th Roman legions that had destroyed the Antonia Fortress.

Aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, according to Josephus:  " And as for those that are already dead in the war, it is reasonable we should esteem them blessed, for they are dead in defending, and not in betraying their liberty; but as to the multitude of those that are now under the Romans, who would not pity their condition? and who would not make haste to die, before he would suffer the same miseries with them? Some of them have been put upon the rack, and tortured with fire and whippings, and so died. Some have been half devoured by wild beasts, and yet have been reserved alive to be devoured by them a second time, in order to afford laughter and sport to our enemies; and such of those as are alive still are to be looked on as the most miserable, who, being so desirous of death, could not come at it. And where is now that great city, the metropolis of the Jewish nation, which vas fortified by so many walls round about, which had so many fortresses and large towers to defend it, which could hardly contain the instruments prepared for the war, and which had so many ten thousands of men to fight for it? Where is this city that was believed to have God himself inhabiting therein? It is now demolished to the very foundations, and hath nothing but that monument of it preserved, I mean the camp of those that hath destroyed it, which still dwells upon its ruins; some unfortunate old men also lie upon the ashes of the temple, and a few women are there preserved alive by the enemy, for our bitter shame and reproach. Now who is there that revolves these things in his mind, and yet is able to bear the sight of the sun, though he might live out of danger? Who is there so much his country's enemy, or so unmanly, and so desirous of living, as not to repent that he is still alive? And I cannot but wish that we had all died before we had seen that holy city demolished by the hands of our enemies, or the foundations of our holy temple dug up after so profane a manner."  Source: "The Wars of the Jews; Book 7, Chapter 8, Section 7, translated by William Whiston.

Modern Site:  Today in Jerusalem’s old city the street that begins at St. Stephen’s Gate passes directly above the traditional site of the Antonia Fortress. There is a Convent and a Church resting upon the north half of the site.  There is still remaining at the site a large area of the central courtyard of the fortress (165 sq. feet). The original pavements of stones are still in place (about 1 foot thick). Their channels made the rainwater to flow into cisterns as they do today. It is interesting that the soldiers’ scratching from various games into the pavement stones is still visible.

Titus and the Roman legions had completely destroyed the fortress. Later the Temple area and the Antonia Fortress area were the location of two fora in the Emperor Hadrian’s forum (Aelia Capitolina), which was built over the ruins of Jerusalem 100 years after its destruction. Many of the remains on the site of the Antonia Fortress are traced to Hadrian’s forum. The exact location is not conclusive and according to experts some of the remains of columns, capitals, etc. in the area of Antonia come from Herod’s time and some from the time of Hadrian (117-138 A.D.)

Antiquities of the Jews – Flavius Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews, Book 15, Chapter 11, Vs. 4:

"Now on the north side [of the temple] was built a citadel, whose walls were square, and strong, and of extraordinary firmness. This citadel was built by the kings of the Asamonean race, who were also high priests before Herod, and they called it the Tower, in which were reposited the vestments of the high priest, which the high priest only put on at the time when he was to offer sacrifice. These vestments king Herod kept in that place; and after his death they were under the power of the Romans, until the time of Tiberius Caesar; under whose reign Vitellius, the president of Syria, when he once came to Jerusalem, and had been most magnificently received by the multitude, he had a mind to make them some requital for the kindness they had shewn him; so, upon their petition to have those holy vestments in their own power, he wrote about them to Tiberius Caesar, who granted his request: and this their power over the sacerdotal vestments continued with the Jews till the death of king Agrippa; but after that, Cassius Longinus, who was president of Syria, and Cuspius Fadus, who was procurator of Judea, enjoined the Jews to reposit those vestments in the tower of Antonia, for that they ought to have them in their power, as they formerly had. However, the Jews sent ambassadors to Claudius Caesar, to intercede with him for them; upon whose coming, king Agrippa, junior, being then at Rome, asked for and obtained the power over them from the emperor, who gave command to Vitellius, who was then commander in Syria, to give it them accordingly. Before that time they were kept under the seal of the high priest, and of the treasurers of the temple; which treasurers, the day before a festival, went up to the Roman captain of the temple guards, and viewed their own seal, and received the vestments; and again, when the festival was over, they brought it to the same place, and showed the captain of the temple guards their seal, which corresponded with his seal, and reposited them there. And that these things were so, the afflictions that happened to us afterwards [about them] are sufficient evidence. But for the tower itself, when Herod the king of the Jews had fortified it more firmly than before, in order to secure and guard the temple, he gratified Antonius, who was his friend, and the Roman ruler, and then gave it the name of the Tower of Antonia."

Wars Of The Jews – Flavius Josephus – The Wars Of The Jews, Book 5, Chapter 5, Vs. 8:

"Now as to the tower of Antonia, it was situated at the corner of two cloisters of the court of the temple; of that on the west, and that on the north; it was erected upon a rock of fifty cubits in height, and was on a great precipice; it was the work of king Herod, wherein he demonstrated his natural magnanimity. In the first place, the rock itself was covered over with smooth pieces of stone, from its foundation, both for ornament, and that any one who would either try to get up or to go down it might not be able to hold his feet upon it. Next to this, and before you come to the edifice of the tower itself, there was a wall three cubits high; but within that wall all the space of the tower of Antonia itself was built upon, to the height of forty cubits. The inward parts had the largeness and form of a palace, it being parted into all kinds of rooms and other conveniences, such as courts, and places for bathing, and broad spaces for camps; insomuch that, by having all conveniences that cities wanted, it might seem to be composed of several cities, but by its magnificence it seemed a palace. And as the entire structure resembled that of a tower, it contained also four other distinct towers at its four corners; whereof the others were but fifty cubits high; whereas that which lay upon the southeast corner was seventy cubits high, that from thence the whole temple might be viewed; but on the corner where it joined to the two cloisters of the temple, it had passages down to them both, through which the guard (for there always lay in this tower a Roman legion) went several ways among the cloisters, with their arms, on the Jewish festivals, in order to watch the people, that they might not there attempt to make any innovations; for the temple was a fortress that guarded the city, as was the tower of Antonia a guard to the temple; and in that tower were the guards of those three (14). There was also a peculiar fortress belonging to the upper city, which was Herod's palace; but for the hill Bezetha, it was divided from the tower Antonia, as we have already told you; and as that hill on which the tower of Antonia stood was the highest of these three, so did it adjoin to the new city, and was the only place that hindered the sight of the temple on the north. And this shall suffice at present to have spoken about the city and the walls about it, because I have proposed to myself to make a more accurate description of it elsewhere."

 

Pontius Pilate and Jesus

A major socio-political development during the reign of Tiberius and Sejanus was the Judean governorship of Pontius Pilate, and the emergence of Jesus Christ and the Christian religion that followed. Not only would the story grow into the most overwhelming religious force in the western world, but it also provides an important indication of the independent power of Sejanus and the contrasting imperial policy of Tiberius' tenure.

While evidence of Pilate's youth and career prior to Judaea is limited, the historical record indicates that he was appointed in or around 26 AD. Named Prefect (incorrectly called Procurator by Josephus) to replace Valerius Gratus (who had been Tiberius' first appointment) Pilate was very likely named by Sejanus, and not Tiberius, to govern the Jews. At this point Tiberius had very likely already withdrawn to Capri, leaving Sejanus in virtual charge of the empire. Even had Tiberius directly appointed Pilate, its quite clear that Sejanus would've had considerable influence over the selection. This could be of significant importance to the history of early Christianity and Jesus, because Sejanus was oft-accused of anti-Semitism in the ancient sources. Of course, those sources, Josephus and Philo of Alexandria, wrote from a Jewish perspective, but they paint a vivid portrait of Sejanus position towards Jews. Pilate too falls largely under the same accusations, even though there is evidence to the contrary. Coinage issued by Pilate seems to indicate a happy tolerance of both Paganism and Judaism, but the writers tell a different tale.

Sejanus' involvement is important to Pilate's behavior in the discussion of the Jesus mystery because it helps to corroborate at least some parts of the gospels, and other historical evidence. If Sejanus had direct authority over Pilate, which he would've after 26 AD regardless of Tiberius' initial involvement, then his feelings towards the Jews would likely have become part of the imperial policy. Though the Romans were generally smart enough to attempt appeasement, Sejanus was not necessarily a man who worried about appeasing anyone. He was a manipulator whose tactics seem very similar to those of Pilate's in Judaea. According to Philo, Sejanus planned to destroy the Jews completely. It would stand to reason that his governor would follow suit. In part at least, it seemed that he did. Pilate used a methodology of baiting the people to incitement, using their own protests as an excuse to force his will, and likely that of Sejanus.

According to Josephus, Pilate's first major act was that he ordered Roman standards brought within the walls of Jerusalem (a direct violation of the sanctity of the Jewish faith honoring false gods). The Jews reacted expectedly, but on this occasion Pilate only threatened to kill them (assuredly after at least some small punitive actions had been taken), before agreeing to removing the standards. Pilate also used money from the Temple treasury to construct an aqueduct. When the Jews assembled outside his quarters to protest, this time Pilate did not relent. He ordered soldiers to dress like the Jews and mingle among the crowd. When the trap was set Pilate sprung it by signaling his men to draw clubs hidden in their clothes, beating and killing many Jews. Pilate's behavior was largely one of disdain for the people he governed, but events were about to take place which would change that entirely. Under normal circumstances, it seems that Pilate would likely have cared little about instigating violence among the people, and seemed to rather encourage it. Why then would he later give up Jesus in the famed, yet completely unrecorded events (from a Roman perspective) surrounding the trial and crucifixion of Jesus? At a minimum, Pilate's behavior clearly changed after the fall of Sejanus.

In 31 AD, after Tiberius had roused from his deference to Sejanus, and had him executed for treason, the situation all over the empire changed dramatically. Pilate had much to fear from Rome as Tiberius set about eliminating Sejanus' supporters over the next few years. In erasing the attitudes of Sejanus, Tiberius also reversed the general policy of the empire towards the Jews. While under Sejanus the Jews were poorly treated, Tiberius by contrast, and simply to counter Sejanus (as Tiberius was no lover of Judaism himself), ordered that the Jews be tolerated. This imperial policy shift probably caused a great deal of consternation for Pilate. If the gospels are to be believed Pilate was soon faced with a dilemma that would not only challenge his authority, but if not handled correctly, could cost him his life. Despite his own personal feelings towards the Jews, his fear for Roman social status and survival would dictate his behavior. Normally Pilate would've resisted any attempt by the Jewish leadership to influence him, and in fact might have openly opposed their wishes. Had the Jews been incited to violence, this could offer an opportunity to go on the offensive, shrouded in the necessity to maintain order. With Tiberius back in charge, however, Pilate, and everyone else had to tread a very fine line. The Jews, it seems, were also very much aware of this.

Sometime after 32 AD and prior to Tiberius death in 37 AD, Jesus was brought before Pilate for treason against Rome. As the story goes, which is told most importantly in the Gospel of Mark, by Josephus and also by Tacitus, the Jewish leadership wished Jesus killed essentially for being a blasphemer against their faith and against them personally. Jesus and his teachings were subversive to ancient Jewish culture, and they had to have him removed in order to preserve their tradition and authority. However, only Pilate had the authority to address the matter, and Pilate, as has been suggested, was normally in position to oppose Jewish desires at any opportunity. Pilate's attempts to free Jesus, regardless of any numerous false stories regarding divine intervention, likely only stemmed from his desire to boost anyone who opposed the Jewish leadership. Jesus was just such a man to continue stirring the Roman policy of incitement. However, what Pilate was ultimately faced with was the potential for the treason trials of Tiberius back in Rome.

Despite several attempts to resist demands of Jesus death, Caiphas and the Jewish leadership wisely invoke the use of the term 'Amicus Caesaris' against Pilate to get their way. This term 'friend of Caesar' were not just theoretic words of friendship but practically functioned as a title. Losing that title, in Pilate's case by not following Tiberius' new Jew-favorable policies, might not only cause him to lose his job as Prefect, but potentially his social standing, and at worst his life. The Jews with full knowledge of Roman politics, because of Pilate's previous behavior and relation to the known traitor Sejanus, knew exactly how to force their will. Faced with a man accused of being 'King of the Jews', a crime against Tiberius himself, Pilate had no choice but to relent, and crucified Jesus in order to preserve the peace, and his own skin.

Though the facts of the historical Jesus and the life of Pilate are debatable, it is quite clear that had Jesus lived, he would've faced crucifixion after the fall of Sejanus. By late 36 Pilate had been recalled to Rome, though perhaps fortunately for him, Tiberius died while he was en route. By that reasoning the historical Jesus must have been crucified between 32 and 36 AD. Regardless, of the 'truth' of the matter, the story of the Christ spread from this point and throughout the Roman world. Initially under the missions of men such as James and Paul, the fledgling faith spread first among the Jews than into the eastern provinces. Under Peter, Christians began to appear in Rome and within approximately 400 years, the cult that started under mysterious circumstances during the reign of Tiberius, and Sejanus, was the dominate faith of the western world. As for Pilate, after his recall from Rome, virtually no evidence exists of his fate. Stories of his conversion to Christianity, suicide out of guilt or to avoid punishment are completely unverifiable and Pilate disappears from the historical record with the passing of Tiberius.

 

 

PROPHECY OF THE SEVEN JEWISH FEASTS

In Leviticus 23, we find that the Festivals of the Lord were appointed times established as yearly rehearsals that taught both historically and prophetically the whole plan of God concerning the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of man. The first four feasts have been fulfilled and the Jewish community celebrates them historically. They are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. These four Spring Feasts are considered to be an interrelated whole where Pentecost is the completion of the process begun at Passover.

1.            Passover – pictures the Death of Jesus Christ

2.            Feast of Unleavened Bread – pictures the Burial of Jesus Christ

3.            Feast of First Fruits – pictures the Resurrection of Christ

4.            Pentecost – pictures the Descent of the Holy Spirit & the Birth of the Church

While the first four Festivals occur in close proximity, an entire season passes before the Fall Feasts begin. This long period represents the dispensation of grace that we now live in. The last three feasts (Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles) are celebrated in the Fall season and are yet to be fulfilled so they remain prophetic in nature.

5.            Feast of the Trumpets – pictures the Rapture of the Church

6.            Feast of Atonement – pictures the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

7.            Feast of Tabernacles – pictures the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ

The final three feasts are also known as Rosh HaShanah (Feast of the Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Feast of Atonement), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).

The Feast of Trumpets may soon find its prophetic fulfillment. Here are some reasons why the Rapture may occur during this Festival:

All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, and on the exact day of the feast. All the Fall Feasts picture the Second Advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the rapture.  The Feast of Trumpets is when the "last trump" of the rapture of 1st Corinthians 15 is blown.

The Feast of Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah, and the Church is the Bride of Christ, and the rapture is when the Church is caught up to heaven to be wed with Christ.

The Feast of Trumpets happens on the "new moon", which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. "Of that day or hour no man knows" is an expression referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture.

"Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked when his wedding will be. He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time. Again, the wedding pictures the rapture.

The "Open Door" of the rapture in Matthew 25, and Revelation 3, & Revelation 4:1 is a symbol of the Feast of Trumpets. [Ezekiel 46:1] "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened”.   We are told that the new moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Colossians 2:16-17. Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note.

There are seven days of awe in between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These picture the seven years of Tribulation. Atonement pictures Satan being defeated and cast away at the end of the Tribulation. If you add the two-day Trumpets feast, and the Day of Atonement, the 7 days of awe are "ten days of tribulation" which might be referred to in Revelation 2:10.   In the Jewish Wedding, the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night" to take (sieze / rapture) her away and into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the coronation of the Messiah, when He will start reigning as king, thus the beginning of the "Day of the Lord", which includes the Tribulation. God’s plan for humanity is clearly found in Leviticus 23 through the establishment of the Seven Feasts. The number seven throughout the Bible represents completeness. Just as seven days finish a weekly cycle, so could seven festival occasions complete the work of God on Earth.

Further information from Jeffrey Johnson – Israel Today Ministries:

Two thousand years ago it was difficult for many religious Jews to see Jesus on the cross as anything but an execution.  In terms of seeing Jesus as a sacrifice it was problematic as there was no altar, no priest officiating, the cross being away from the Temple (the only place valid for sacrifice), and outside of the city walls. 

 

Paul, understanding the challenge of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18) connected the dots for Jews in the first century.

 

1.  Jesus was "our paschal lamb" who was sacrificed (1 Cor. 5:7).  Here he made the connection between Passover and the crucifixion.

 

2.  Paul retold the story of the Last Supper (the Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples, (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

 

Here Rabbi Shaul (Paul), spoke in sacrificial terms.  He quotes Jesus, "the new covenant in my blood" reminding readers of the words of Moses as he made a sacrificial offering (Ex. 24:8).  The blood ratifies the covenant.

 

Paul also quotes Jesus using the word "remembrance", a technical term used for a special type of Temple sacrifice, the Memorial offering. Paul goes out of his way to drive home the point that a sacrifice of blood creates a communion with either demons or God (1 Cor. 10:16-21).

 

3.  In Ephesians Paul makes further reference to Jesus' sacrifice, "Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" (Eph. 5:2).  This verse also connects Jesus with valid sacrifice (Lev. 1,2,3; Num. 15).

 

Finally, the writer of Hebrews concludes the connecting of the dots in stating that Jesus is the final sacrifice for our sins, and the ultimate expression of God's love (Heb. 7:27; 9:11-12, 26-28; 10:10).

 

As we celebrate the resurrection this Sunday please remember the Passover connection.  Jesus is our Passover Lamb offered upon the altar for our redemption.

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

April 26, 2011 – John 20

Three uses / meanings of “SAW”

John 20:1             First day is Sunday.  Mary Magdalene (Luke 8) is from Magdal at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus cast out 7 demons from her. Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus, very devoted, one of three Marys at the foot of the cross.

There were other Marys: Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary’s sister, Mary, wife of Cleophas and 1 disciple, John.  All the other disciples left.

“SAW”:  Mary Magdalene took notice.  John focuses on encounter Mary Magdalene has coming from the tomb.

v.2          John was the disciple Jesus loved.  Jesus told disciples all that would happen to Him, including He would rise on the third day.  They didn’t get it..

vs. 3-4   Peter and John went together.  John outran Peter.

v.5          John stoops in, looks, but does not go in. Burial cloths are still there.

vs. 6-7   Peter went right in.  “SAW” – observed, saw something unusual – put theory together. Kerchief [face cloth] was not lying there but folded – rolled up and put in a different place.

v.8          John went in and “SAW” – he perceived and understood. Jesus passed through burial clothes. 

John 11:5-44:  in Bethany, Jesus loved visiting with Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  When Lazarus died, Jesus knows, but disciples [v.12] thought he was just sleeping.

v.15        Jesus performed the miracle so you will believe, and it would be authenticated.

v.16        Thomas [Didymus] [twin] was a pessimist, wanted to go and die with Lazarus.

v.35        Jesus could see their sorrow

v.44        Lazarus was bound from head to foot.  Custom was to use linen strips, tied up and one could not be freed, and a napkin on the face.

John 20:8             John saw and believed.  He still didn’t understand Jesus must rise again from the dead. Peter and John went home, not to Galilee like Jesus said, but to Jerusalem.

v.11        “But Mary” [Mary Magdalene] “SAW”, observed intently. The last time she saw Jesus was when He was taken down from the cross.

v.15        “Gardner”.  People suppose a lot about Jesus.  People say He was a teacher, Rabbi, person, not the Son of God, Savior of the world, Lamb of God.  Mary Magdalene was willing and devoted so much; she wanted to take Him away.

v. 16       Mary Magdalene called Jesus “Rabboni”, or Master. Jesus knows His sheep by name. Mary Magdalene knows beyond doubt it is Jesus.  She knows Him.

v.17        Jesus’ earthly ministry is not quite over – in 50 days He will ascend.

v.18        Mary Magdalene is the first one to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, that He rose again from the dead.  Matthew, Mark and Luke – disciples would not believe Mary Magdalene. It seems Thomas was not the only one who doubted.  In Jewish culture you would not choose a woman as a witness.  Here Mary Magdalene was chosen to first give the news about the resurrection.

In His early ministry – Jesus calls people His disciples, followers of the Rabbi.  At the Passover, He calls them friends.  After paying the price for their sins, He calls them brothers.

v.19        Disciples in a locked room – possibly the home of John Mark.  They were fearful – Pharisees may next be after them.  Jesus, in His resurrected body now appears to them but can still be touchable, Jesus eats and drinks.  He says, “Peace be with you” – Jewish term is “Shalom”.  This is a true peace between God and man.  Jesus paid the price, reconciling man to God by His death on the cross.

v.21        “Even so send I you.”  God sent Jesus to do His will.

v.22        “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”  Jesus now sends disciples to do what they are to do – Jesus enlightens them, helps them, and imparts the Holy Spirit to disciples.

v.23        “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained”.  He is not giving disciples power to absolve sins; He is now saying as a Christian, you can go directly to God to forgive you of your sins, no longer having to go to a priest.

vs.24-28               Thomas doubted.  Christ drew out the unbelief of Thomas a certain and sure testimony of His resurrection.

v.26        Eight days later, the disciples were again in a locked room and Jesus appears in the room.

v.27        “Be not faithless, but believing.”

v.28        Thomas answers “My Lord and my God.”

v.29        Jesus gives a special blessing:  “Thomas, because thou has seen me, thou has believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

vs.30-31               Many other signs Jesus did in front of His disciples, which are not written in this book.  Fifty years after Jesus’ death, John wrote his account in 90 AD.

v.31        John’s purpose of what is written:  “That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name.

I Corinthians 15:12-20 – Read the verse, then read the notes to go with the verses:

v.12        The first argument to prove that there is a resurrection from the dead:  Christ is risen again, therefore the dead shall rise again.

v.13        The second argument by an absurdity:  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen again.

v.14        If Christ be not risen again, the preaching of the Gospel is in vain and the credit that you gave to it is vain and we are liars. There is no true Christian faith without the resurrection, and no hope of forgiveness, or salvation, or eternal life. Life would be totally most miserable.

v.16        Faith is in vain if the resurrection of Christ be taken away.

v.17        First:  seeing death is the punishment of sin, in vain should we believe that our sins were forgiven us, if they remain; but they do remain, if Christ did not rise from death.

v.18        Second:  unless this can be certain that Christ rose again, all they which died in Christ, are perished.  So then what profit cometh of faith?

v.19        Third:  Unless there be another life, wherein such as trust and believe in Christ shall be blessed, they were the most miserable of all creatures because in this life they are the most miserable.  But Christ HAS defeated death, our sins ARE forgiven, those asleep in Christ ARE awaiting us, and we also SHALL be resurrected to eternal life, so therefore, of all men, we are most blessed!

v.20        Conclusion:  Therefore Christ is risen again.  We, the faithful, shall rise again. 

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 3, 2011 – John 21

John 21 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible.  John wrote this book so we can:  read and believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus had a supernatural entrance and exit to this world.  Chapter 21 gives us answers to Chapter 20.

v.1          Jesus appeared again in His resurrected body. Jesus had to reveal Himself to people. Sea of Tiberias – Herod Antipas built the City of Tiberius; part of the city is built on graveyard.  Jesus never stopped by Tiberius.

v.2.         Jesus appeared to many disciples.  Nathaniel – Bartholomew of Cana [where the first miracle happened – turning water into wine], sons of Zebedee – James and John and 20 others.  Why were they there?  Matthew 28:16 – the disciples went to the mountain Jesus told them to.

v.3          Peter supposed to be waiting; he goes fishing and others followed.  They fished all night, catching nothing.

v.4          Jesus stood on shore – He had not yet revealed Himself to them – they “didn’t know it was Jesus.”  The disciples followed Peter who decided his own will.  When we obey we are blessed; when we do not obey, we are cursed.

v.5          Jesus calls them “children”

v.6          Jesus told them what to do; they obeyed and could not haul in so many fish.

v.7          John [the disciple Jesus loved] had to tell Peter, “It is the Lord!”  Peter is getting to Jesus by throwing himself into the sea.

v.9          Jesus sets breakfast for them on shore – already had the fire going, fish and bread waiting.

v.11        153 fish, yet the net was not broken.  Peter brought it to shore.

v.12        Jesus said “Come and dine”; the disciples didn’t dare ask who He was.

v.13        Jesus took the bread … [like He did in the Last Supper]

v.14        For the 3rd time Jesus was revealed, capping off v.1.

vs. 15-17   Jesus said, Do you even love [PHILEO] me?”  [Lovest thou me?]  “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus asked Peter twice whether he loved Him with AGAPE love [true selfless devotion to the one loved]. Peter answered that he did love Him, but with PHILEO love [brotherly kindness].  This third time, Jesus also used PHILEO, and Peter was grieved.  He finally recognized that the thrice-repeated question was intended to remind him of his thrice-repeated denial of the Lord. Further, the Lord had not addressed him as Peter [the Rock] but by his old name, Simon.  Jesus wanted to bring him back to the point where he would not just go fishing [21:3] but would “Feed my lambs” and “Feed my sheep” [21:15-17]. Lesson here: on our own, we can’t AGAPE love; when we trust Jesus and Holy Spirit dwells, He creates AGAPE love.

v.18-19   Jesus said in v.18:  “Verily, verily [truly, truly] I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.”

                Peter will be crucified – this foretells his future. Peter was so arrogant.  He said he would die for Jesus; he denied Jesus 3 times; he brought shame on himself; he slept while Jesus prayed.

v.18        There is a great promise in this verse.  Jesus says Peter will have a second chance.  Love me, follow me and die for me.

v.19        “Follow me” – don’t go your own way, go MY way. Abide in Me.  Stay close to Me.

v.22        “What is that to you?  Peter, you follow me.  Stop worrying about others or what my plan will be.

v.24-25     John was always committed to Jesus.  This is the testimony of John.

v.25        The world could not contain the books…, nothing more, nothing less and nothing else!

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 10, 2011 – Matthew 1:1-17

 

Matthew wrote this book primarily to the Jewish audience.  Matthew had been a publican, or tax collector, before Jesus called him. This profession was considered sinful by the Jews, since the publicans [or Publicani] often exacted heavy taxes from Rome’s subjects, keeping the excess for themselves.  Any Jew collecting for the Romans would be hated.

Matthew was different; he would very likely have been a follower of John the Baptist before John told his own disciples to follow Jesus.

The genealogy of Christ is given here.  The Jews had very detailed records of all ancestors.  In 70 AD, all records in the temple were destroyed.

The Abrahamic Covenant: The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant. God made promises to Abraham that required nothing of Abraham: [1] The promise of land; [2] The promise of descendants; and [3] The promise of blessing and redemption.  This covenant  is yet to be totally fulfilled.

The Davidic Covenant: This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever

v.1          Establishes Jesus’ lineage.  The 12 tribes came out of this.  Jesus IS the Christ; anyone after 70 AD can’t be the Messiah.  Jesus is the Christ or no one is!

v.2-16    Beginning of genealogy of Jesus.  He really lived and in addition to the Bible, Jesus is mentioned by Tacitus [a Roman historian], Josephus [a Jewish historian], Pliny the Younger and many others.  Genesis 49:8-10 points to the promised King through the line of Judah.

v.11        Jesus did not come from Joseph, but from the “seed of the woman” [Mary].  Mary had no human seed, but from God.  The legal lineage of Joseph comes through Solomon [Matthew 1:7-15] and Mary through Nathan [Luke 3:23-31].

v.16        Joseph is not called “Father” but the “husband of Mary”.

v.17        All the generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations; from David to the carrying away into Babylon are 14 generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are 14 generations.

TAMAR is the first of four women listed in the kingly genealogy of Jesus Christ – read Genesis 38:1-6. 

The other women we will study will be Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba.  This, among other factors, is a testimony of God’s grace.  Tamar had twin sons, the youngest of which, Phares, was the one in the royal line.

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 17, 2011 – Joshua 2:1-24

THE FAITH OF RAHAB

v.1          Joshua sent out two men to spy, view the land, even Jericho and stayed at Rahab’s house.

•             God had plans for Rahab – providence of God

•             A prostitute would know more about the city and could give information to men.

•             No one would ever think to look in Rahab’s house for the men.

v.2-3      The king was told about the two men then asked Rahab to bring out the men.

v.4-6      Rahab hid the men then told the king the men came [truth] but I don’t know where they are [lie].  Rahab brought the men up to the roof to hide them with the stalks of the flax.

                Flax was the most important plant fiber in Bible times because it was used to make linen. All clothing was made either of linen or wool. While its production has declined in recent years due to the superiority of cotton that is more easily handled by machines, flax remains one of the most important fiber plants in the world because of the long, strong fibers found in the outer layers of the stem. These are removed by a kind of controlled decay called retting. One of the common forms of retting is allowing the cut stalks of flax to remain in the dew until the fiber containing layers separate from the stem. This is probably why Rahab had bundles of flax on her roof. After retting, the fibers are cleaned and then bleached in the sun.

v.11        Rahab acknowledged Jehovah is her God.  [Note] It is remarkable that Rahab, living in a pagan culture all her life, had enough knowledge about the true Creator God to recognize Him as the God of Israel, even exercising saving faith in Him [Hebrews 11:31] which gave her courage to stand alone against her countrymen.

v.12        Rahab is looking for a way to save herself and her family.  Like in Noah’s ark – only inside the ark could you be saved.  Like Christ, only in Him is the only way to be saved.

v.14        Joshua’s men said we will deal kindly with you.

v.18        The men told Rahab to bind this line of scarlet thread in the window and you will be saved.  [Note] this is the only place “line” is used.  This thin scarlet line, the scarlet color perhaps speaking of the blood of sacrifice, was Rahab’s only hope of freedom for herself and her family. All the others in Jericho perished when the children of Israel conquered it several days later [found in Joshua 6:16-27].  Now for the “Rest of the Story” – the Fall of Jericho.

In Joshua 6:17, “Only Rahab shall live”.  In vs. 22-23, Joshua’s two spies were told to get Rahab and her family to safety.  In vs. 25, she dwelt in Israel even unto this day because she hid Joshua’s messengers who spied on Jericho.  There is no more mention of Rahab until Matthew 1 in the genealogy of Christ.

In Joshua 6:22 [Note]: Excavations at Jericho revealed that one portion of the wall remained standing when the other walls fell down. Rahab’s house was built upon a town wall [Joshua 2:15].  Presumably the portion of the wall left standing was that part where Rahab and her family were gathered.

Back to Joshua 2:

v.19        Don’t tip off the king or all bets are off.

v.21        Rahab made a verbal agreement with the two men & she bound the scarlet line in the window.

v.22-25 – The Faith of the Spies – the men returned and told Joshua all that had happened to them.

•             Old Testament:  The Lord is God; New Testament:  Jesus is Lord; Jesus is God.

•             Hebrews 11:30-31 in the “Hall of Faith”:  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

God saved Rahab.  When we are called to Christ, we are called to live a different life.

 

 

 

TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

Sons of Jacob     Meaning of Name           Mother                Birth Verse

1.            Reuben                See, a son           Leah      So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely seen my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me." Gen 29.32

2.            Simeon Hearing                Leah      Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. Gen 29.33

3.            Levi        Joined; attached              Leah      She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. Gen 29.34

4.            Judah    Yah be praised  Leah      And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise Yahweh." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Gen 29.35

5.            Dan        Judge    Bilhah (Rachel's servant)               Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. Gen 30.6

6.            Naphtali               My wrestling      Bilhah (Rachel's servant)               Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called him Naphtali. Gen 30.6

7.            Gad        Troop; invader; good fortune     Zilpah (Leah’s servant)  Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. Gen 30.11

8.            Asher    Happy   Zilpah (Leah's servant)   Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. Gen 30.13

9.            Issachar                Man of hire        Leah      Leah said, "God has given me my hire [wages] because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. Gen 30.18

10.          Zebulun               Dwelling               Leah      Leah said, "...now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. Gen 30.20b

11.          Joseph  Increaser             Rachel   So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son." Gen 30.24

12.          Benjamin             Son of the right hand     Rachel   As her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-Oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Ben-Jamin. Gen 35.18

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 24, 2011 – Ruth – chapters 1 - 4

 

THE STUDY OF RUTH. Ruth was from the land of Moab, descendants of Lot, and whose people were almost perpetual enemies of Israel, the chosen people.  Ruth also appears in the genealogical ancestry of Jesus [Matthew 1:5], having married Boaz, who was the great-grandfather of King David.  Ruth is beautiful and inspiring.

Even in the turbulent time of the judges, God was providentially looking after His people, and yet was also still concerned about those individuals in other nations [even Moab] whose hearts were open to Him.  It also provides a striking type of Christ in the person of Boaz, who became the “kinsman-redeemer” for Ruth [4:1-12].  He brought her into the family of God’s people by paying the price for her redemption, just as Jesus purchased us with the price of His shed blood [Ephesians 1:7] in order that we might become part of the eternal family of God.

Ruth means “friendship”. Orpah means “stubborn”.  Boaz means “in him is strength”.  Naomi means “pleasant”.  Naomi’s sons:  Mahlon means “sick”, and Chilion means “pining.”  Naomi’s new name, “Mara” means “the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me”.

1:16-17 “Thy God my God”.  Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi dearly even after their husbands, Mahlon and Chilion were dead.  Orpah chose to return to her pagan nature-gods; Ruth demonstrated true conversion to the God of creation by taking God as her own Savior and by going with the people of God and entering the family of God’s people.

2:2-3      “gleaned”.  The custom of gleaning [collecting what had been missed by the reapers] was a divinely ordained provision for the poor of the land per Levitical law.  Boaz was considered a relative of Elimelech, the father of Ruth’s first husband.  In Matthew’s genealogy, Boz is from the family of Rahab.

2:17        “ephah”.  An ephah was ten omers, and an omer of manna [bread] was adequate for the daily needs of one man.  Boaz’s generosity is measured by the fact that the “handfuls” [v.16] Boaz left for Ruth were ten times her daily need.

3:1-5      Naomi seeks redemption for Ruth.  Naomi tells Ruth what to do with Boaz … proposing a Levirate marriage between herself and Boaz.  Boaz knew that Ruth was a virtuous woman.  He considered it a blessing that she came to him instead of a younger man [3:10].

3:13        “Kinsman” is described in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Boaz desires to redeem Ruth.

4:1-22    Boaz takes Ruth as a wife.

v.6          “cannot redeem it”.  The redeemer must not only be a kinsman, but must also be willing, free and have the necessary price.  As our great Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ indeed fulfills all the conditions.

v.8          “drew off his shoe”.  This act symbolized the fact that he was no longer able to walk on the tract of land under discussion and was giving up his right as kinsman to claim it for himself.  By doing this, the man was telling Boaz, “Buy the land for you”, therefore obtaining Ruth in the process as well, for his wife.

v.15        Boaz was a restorer of life.  Ruth was no more the “Moabitis” but was now a “daughter in law”.

v.16        Naomi is redeemed and receives a new family.

v.17-22 David is to Descend from the Lineage of Ruth.  Ruth and Boaz had Obed, who had Jesse, who had King David. 

v.20        Salmon married Rahab, the converted harlot, sometime after the fall of Jericho, and Boaz was their son.

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

May 31, 2011 – 2 Samuel 11

 

THE STUDY OF BATHSHEBA. Saul is the 1st King.  David is the 2nd King.  David is descended from Boaz and Ruth.  Jerusalem is now called the City of David; Jerusalem is always in the forefront of God’s eye, the City of Zion.  Saul, a miserable king, had a son, Jonathan, whom David loved. Jonathan had Mephibosheth, crippled in an accident in 2 Samuel 4:4.  Mephibosheth, in a sense, can be considered a type of the helpless sinner, saved by grace, and raised from his helpless condition to sup at the table of the King [David] all because the great King David loved the Friend [Jonathan] who died.

 

Chapter 11 – David Sins with Bathsheba.  War breaks out.  While his men were out fighting, David tarried still in Jerusalem in the Spring of the year.  Kings always stayed with the men in battle, but not this time.  David sent Joab out, the enemy had retreated into Rabbah, and David is in the palace.  David was not where he should have been.

v.2          David sees Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.  Uriah means “Light of the Lord.” the Hittite had been one of David’s “mighty men”, yet Uriah was the man whom David murdered after committing adultery with his wife.  The fact that Uriah’s house was adjacent to the king’s house would indicate that Uriah himself was quite prominent in Israel.  The further fact that his beautiful wife, Bathsheba, must certainly have known that she could be seen bathing from the king’s roof may suggest that she had ambitions to acquire an even more prominent husband than Uriah.

vs.4-5    David acted on his thoughts; Bathsheba is pregnant. According to Leviticus 20:10, David could be stoned for adultery and had to come up with a plan.  This is the downfall of King David – he suffers and his entire family suffers the consequences of this sin.

vs.6-8    Plan A – Coverup.  Plan A fails.

vs. 9-13 Plan B – David pretends to care for Uriah.  Plan B fails.

v.14        Plan C – David commands Uriah’s murder.  Uriah is to take a sealed note [his death sentence] to Joab.  Plan C succeeds.

vs.15-17               Plan D – David plans to kill Uriah and marry Bathsheba; Joab puts David’s plan into action.  Joab is more loyal to David than David is to the Lord.

vs.18-25               David is told of the battle and of Uriah’s death. He tells the messenger to tell Joab not to worry about things, and to encourage him. 

vs. 26-27              David takes Bathsheba as his wife.  After the adultery, Bathsheba is called the “wife of Uriah”.  There was an official period of formal mourning, probably seven days.  David wanted to marry Bathsheba as quickly as possible, so that the coming child would not so obviously be the product of adultery.  One can choose one’s sin; but one cannot choose whom that sin will hurt.  Chapter 12 unfolds this statement:

12:1-12 Prophesy of the Sword.  Nathan, the prophet tells David a story. In v.6, David’s pronouncement of a “fourfold” restoration against Nathan’s hypothetical sinner came back on his own house:  [1] David’s first child dies [12:18]; [2] his son Amnon raped David’s virgin sister, Tamar [13:1, 14]; [3] his son Absalom murdered Amnon [13:28-29]; and [4] Absalom’s treason and death [18:9,14].

vs. 13-14              David repents.  God forgives David; nevertheless, there will be consequences. God will not always take away the consequences.  Psalm 32 – David is clearly in agony.  All sin is ultimately against the Lord, thought many others may be hurt as well. Nevertheless, David’s attitude of confession and repentance is the God-ordained route to forgiveness and restoration [Psalm 32:1-5; 1st John 1:9].

vs.24-25               David’s wife is once again called Bathsheba. Their 2nd son is Solomon.  In Matthew’s genealogy:  Obed  Jesse  David  Solomon by the wife of Uriah. David’s child born of their adultery died, but their sorrow and love and repentance were genuine, and God forgave. Their second son was chosen by God to be David’s successor and the ancestor of the Messiah.

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 7, 2011 – Matthew 1:16-25; 22:41-46

JOSEPH AND MARY

We don’t know much about Joseph or Mary.  Jesus, who is called Christ, comes from the bloodline of Mary.  Joseph is not called the father of Jesus, but the husband of Mary. Jesus comes from a very large family.

v.16        Matthew did not say that Joseph “begat” Christ as he did other ancestors of Jesus.  Jesus had the legal right to the throne of David.

v.18        According to Jewish law, the espousal was almost equivalent to marriage, except for consummation. 

v.19        When Mary was found “with child”, Joseph was a “just man” who loved Mary, and was unwilling to have her humiliated even by a public divorce.

v.20        Joseph was not sure what to do; an angel reminds Joseph of who he is [son of David].

v.21        “bring forth A son” – not Joseph’s son.  Abraham foretold this 1,000 years before Christ; David 1,000 years before; and Isaiah 700 years before [Isaiah 7:14].  The Hebrew for “JESUS” means “Jehovah Saves.” This is the first use of “save” in the New Testament.

vs.22-25   It was rare that an angel communicated messages from God. Joseph is to fulfill prophecy and the angel confirms it.  Joseph immediately claims Mary and takes her home … like Boaz immediately took Ruth.

 

The betrothal and Jewish marriage is like Jesus and His Bride, the Church

Jewish Marriage Components:

1.            Shidduch.  The Shidduch is a contract between a man and a woman where they mutually promise to marry each other at some future time and the terms on which it shall take place. Abraham found a bride for Isaac.

2.            Ketubah.  Before the wedding ceremony begins, a Ketubah (marriage contract) is signed.  The Ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract, was originally formulated to protect a Jewish bride (Kallah) in the event of divorce or her husband's death.

3.            Mohar.  This is sometimes called - the Bride price. It is a gift paid by the groom to the bride's family - but ultimately belongs to the bride. It changed her status and set her free from her parent's household.

4.            Mikveh – or Ritual Immersion.  To prepare for betrothal it was common for the bride and groom to separately take a ritual immersion. This was symbolic of spiritual cleansing.

5.            Kiddushim – “sanctification" or "set apart. The couple are to set side to prepare themselves to enter into the covenant of marriage.

6.            Chuppah – Ceremony.  While the groom builds the new home, the bride waits and wears a veil. This shows she belongs only to the groom. She prepares for her wedding by making blankets, etc. She also shows gratitude to her family for raising her and she mends hurt relationships. No matter what, she had to be ready because he would come at night.  According to Jewish wedding customs at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the bridegroom came at a day and hour that his bride did not know. As he came, the friend of the bridegroom went before him and shouted, “Behold, the bridegroom comes.” This shout would be accompanied by the blowing of a shofar—a trumpet made from a ram’s horn. As the shout was heard, the bridegroom would get his bride and take her back to his father’s house, where the ceremony and celebration would take place.

 

Christ spoke of His return with many Wedding Analogies

Jewish Marriage:              Christ and His Bride, the Church:

The Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and traveling to the home of the prospective bride…         Jesus left his Father's house in heaven and traveled to earth, the home of His prospective Church, over 1900 years ago.

The Jewish bridegroom came to the bride's home for the purpose of obtaining her through the establishment of a marriage covenant…       Jesus came to earth for the purpose of obtaining the Church through the establishment of a covenant.  He would establish a new covenant through the shedding of His blood on the cross.

The Jewish groom paid a price to purchase his bride…     Jesus paid a price to purchase His Bride, the Church. The price that He paid was His own life blood.

The Jewish bride being declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for her groom once the marriage covenant was established…     The Church has been declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ.

A cup of wine served as a symbol of marriage covenant through which the Jewish groom obtained his bride…    The cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the Church.

The Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house after the marriage covenant had been established…     Jesus returned to His Father's house in heaven after He had established the new covenant and risen from the dead.

In correspondence with the period of separation between the Jewish groom and bride….            Christ has remained separate from the Church for over 1900 years. The Church is now living in that period of separation.

The Jewish groom prepared living accommodations for his bride in his father's house during the time of separation…                Christ has been preparing living accommodations for the Church in His Father's house in heaven during His separation from His Bride.

The Jewish groom came to take his bride to live with him at the end of the period of separation…             Christ will come to take the Church to live with Him at the end of His period of separation from the Church.

The taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the groom's father's house to the home of the bride…             The taking of the Church will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from Christ's Father's house in heaven to the home of the Church.

Analogous with the Jewish bride not knowing the exact time of the groom's coming for her…     The Church does not know the exact time of Christ's coming for her.

In the same way that the Jewish groom's arrival was preceded by a shout…         So Christ's arrival to take the Church will be preceded by a shout.

Similar to the Jewish bride's return with the groom to his father' house after her departure from her home…     The Church will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven after she is snatched from the earth to meet Him in the air.

In the same manner as the Jewish wedding party found wedding guests assembled in the groom's father's house when they arrived…    Christ and the Church will find the souls of old Testament saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls will serve as the wedding guests.

The Jewish groom and bride entered into physical union after their arrival at the groom's father's house, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier…               Christ and the Church will experience spiritual union after their arrival at His Father's house in heaven, thereby consummating their relationship that had been covenanted earlier.

In correspondence with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for a period of seven days after arrival at the groom's father's house…      The Church will remain hidden for a period of seven after arrival at Christ's Father's house in heaven. While the seven year Tribulation Period is taking place on the earth, the Church will be in heaven totally hidden from the sight of those living on the earth.

Just as the Jewish groom brought his bride out of the bridal chamber at the conclusion of the seven days with her veil removed, so that all could see who his bride was…           Christ will bring the Church out of heaven in His Second Coming at the conclusion of the seven year Tribulation Period in full view of all who are alive, so that all can see who the true Church is.

 

Matthew 22:41-46 – Confrontation between Jesus and Pharisees:

v.42        Christ has to be the Son of David

v.43        Calls Him Lord [and Quotes Psalm 110:1]

v.44-45   “If David then calls Him Lord, how is he his son?” With a single word [“Lord”} Christ silenced the Pharisees, just as He had said [“I AM”] to refute the Sadducees. David had spoken of Him as “my Lord,” citing Psalm 110:1, written by David and acknowledged by the Jews to be prophetic of the coming Messiah.  The Messiah would be of the see of David [2 Sam. 7:12-16].  The only way such prophecies could be fulfilled was for God to become a man.

                It is clear that, for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Scriptures were God’s Word, having full and final authority.

v.46        No man was able to answer a word.  Jesus is claiming to be God.  “I AM”  “I AM” – The Jews hated the fact that in their eyes He blasphemed.

Jesus’ First Coming          –             Suffering Servant – Humble

Jesus’ Second Coming   –             Sword of Judgment – All People Will Bend the Knee! – Philippians 2:1-11

 

 

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 14, 2011 – Matthew 2:1-23

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

v.1          A more detailed report of Jesus’ birth can be found in Luke 2:1-7.  “Bethlehem of Judea” – this was a very specific area, and this verse fulfills the prophecy of Micah 5:2 given some 700 years earlier.  “Wisemen” – they were actually magi, members of the priesthood in Persia, who were experts in astronomy and astrology, and well-versed in the Old Testament.

v.2          Herod came from the line of Esau and people hated him. He was vicious and cruel.  He didn’t want to hear of another “King of the Jews,” as he considered himself to be King of the Jews.  “His star” – the magi, through study and religious beliefs, knew a new king had been born.

v.3          Herod was troubled – this new King could be a threat. The Jews knew a Messiah was coming; they were troubled too.

v.4          Herod assembled all the religious leaders and legal men, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

vs.5-6    Herod gets his answer, as foretold in Micah 5:2.

v.7          Herod summons the wise men and questions them for the exact time the star appeared.  Evidently, the star appeared to the wise men only while they were still “in the east” (v.2). They probably knew Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, but would travel first to Jerusalem as a courtesy to the king.

v.8          Herod wants to “come and worship him also” – this is a lie – Herod wants to kill the child.

v.9          “the star” – this is a glorious appearing. The star “goes before them”, the same shikina glory as the star the shepherds saw. Paidion means a young child. Mary, Joseph and Jesus had now gone from the stable to a house [oikia].

v.11        “child was with Mary” – Jesus is always mentioned first. “Treasures” – were brought in a box or “casket”.  They are:

Gold      Offering to a King – Christ’s Deity – a spiritual symbol of Kingship on earth

Frankincense     Incense – sweet smelling;  Fragrance of Christ’s Life, a spiritual symbol of priesthood

Myrrh   Burial ointment [embalming] – a spiritual symbol of Christ’s death; this fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 60:3.

The Four Divine Warnings to Joseph – by an Angel of the Lord

1.            Matthew 1:20-21.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph not to fear to take Mary as your wife.

2.            Matthew 2:12.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to take the young child and Mary to Egypt.

3.            Matthew 2:19-20.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph Herod is dead; go to land of Israel.

4.            Matthew 2:22-23.  Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to dwell in a city called Nazareth.

vs.14-15               The whole nation of Israel was called out of Egypt as God’s young “son”.  For a time, they had to leave it and live in the pagan land of Egypt for a while before being brought back home by their Father.  This prophecy is found in Hosea 11:1.

v.16        Herod was made a fool by the magi and was in a rage. He calculated how old Jesus would be and killed all males in Bethlehem two years and under. 

vs.22-23               “by the prophets” – no one prophet is mentioned here by name; this may be a generic summary of the teaching of the prophets that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected of men”.  In the Old Testament, Nazareth is not mentioned by name.  In Hebrew, Nazareth  means “branch”; Nazarene is a term for people of Galilee. Jews – top notch Jews – considered anyone from Galilee, Nazarenes.  Jesus would be called a Nazarene, despised by religious people, fulfilling Isaiah 53:3.

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 21, 2011 – Matthew 3:1-10

STUDY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST – Part 1.  John the Baptist  was called the John the Baptist or John the Baptizer because he baptized the people. He came forth as a preacher and reformer. He was the subject of prophecy (Isa 40:3 Mal 3:1); his birth was announced by an angel; he was of a priestly family, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary. He was now about thirty years old. Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest man ever born up to His day [Matthew 11:11].  He was the first Christian, the first Christian witness, the first Christian preacher, prophet and martyr. He was the first to baptize converts and could even have started the first local church, since the disciples of Christ were already largely organized and ministering together under John the Baptist before they were instructed to follow Christ.

John the Baptist preached two things:  “Repent” – we are to radically change, understand the seriousness of sin.  If we sin, we should feel guilty.  God knows what we have done and we need to ask God’s forgiveness, make a life change and turn from that sin.  ADMIT IT, QUIT IT, AND CHANGE IT!

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” – This particular phrase occurs 32 times and is found only in Matthew. In Mark and Luke, it is called “the Kingdom of God”.  It has a spiritual aspect, a present aspect and a future aspect but it always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitants. They both mean the same thing.

Phases of the Kingdom:

•             Prophesied Kingdom.  In Old Testament there is a Kingdom coming where God will rule.

•             “At Hand” Kingdom.  King of the Kingdom is here [“at hand”]

•             Interim Kingdom.  Because Jews rejected, Jesus is seated in Heaven and because of what He did for us, the church is the Interim Kingdom where God rules over our hearts.

•             Millennial Kingdom – can be found in Revelation 20.

•             Eternal Kingdom – can be found in Revelation 22.

v.3    Prophecy fulfilled.  Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1 – the prophets Isaiah and Malachi both predicted the coming of John, just as they did that of Christ.  John the Baptist is a type of Elijah.  John the Baptist has a mission:  Announce the Kingdom!  No Old Testament prophet saw Jesus – John the Baptist got to see Jesus.

v.4          John the Baptist wore the exact same thing as the prophet Elijah.  2 Kings 1:8: “…he was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins…”  John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey.

vs.5-6    John the Baptist went to Jerusalem, all Judea and all region about Jordan.  “Baptized” in the Greek, is “baptize”, which means to “dip” or “immerse”, symbolizing the death, burial and resurrection.  Read Acts 19:1-7.

v.7          Preaching of John the Baptist.  The Jews do not like this news that John the Baptist is preaching.  They feel they are the chosen of God and were in the Kingdom – not so.  The Pharisees had become legalistic hypocrites; the Sadducees denied the resurrection.  Both John the Baptist and Christ did not speak kindly with them at all.

vs.8-9    John’s baptism was conditioned on repentance – a genuine change of mind and attitude toward God … a washing away of fleshly sins as well as a new life following death to the old life.  Without these things baptism was meaningless.

v.10        John the Baptist gives a warning.  Read Matthew 7:19.

Fruits of Repentance:  [1] Hate sin … Hate what God hates; [2] Have a love of God and a new love for each other;  [3] Love the Word of God, read it and obey it;  [4] Reject evil and embrace good – too many are sold out to Satan;  [5] Be totally humbled by the Cross;  [6] Eagerly await Christ’s return … Christ could come today;  [7] Ability to discern spiritual truth; and [8] Pray and get prayers answered.

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

June 28, 2011 – Matthew 3:11-17

STUDY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST – PART 2

John the Baptist means “Gift of God”

v.11        “baptize you with the Holy Ghost”.  This is the first promise of the Holy Spirit and His baptism.

                “and with fire”.  There are 3 types of baptism:

a.            Baptism of repentance.  John the Baptist immersed.

b.            Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Supernatural transaction, sealing forever.

c.             Baptism of Judgment.  Occurs with fire [Revelation 20, Great White Throne Judgment, thrown into the lake of fire].

When you are baptized, you are identifying with the death, burial and resurrection – an outward sign to an inward change [Romans 10:9-10].

v.12        “wheat and chaff”.  This is a picture of the coming Christ.  Baptism with water for repentance – symbolic for the person repenting and confessing.  John would submerge them into the river, cleansing.

v.13        “Then cometh Jesus”.  Heralding of His public ministry.  When Jesus comes, John the Baptist  begins to diminish.  Jesus only does what God the Father tells Him.  Jesus walks from Nazareth to the Jordan River to John the Baptist.

v.14        John the Baptist asks Jesus, “You’re coming to me?”

v.15        Jesus had no need for repentance or forgiveness, but was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.  It was right for men to be baptized, and Jesus would leave us “an example, that ye should follow His steps [1 Peter 2:21].

v.16        “out of the water”.  The wording here shows clearly that Jesus was immersed in the waters of the river, going up “out of the water,” not out of the river.

“like a dove”      The dove is only a symbol of the Holy Spirit, of course, but it was vital that the people get some confirmation here at the start of Christ’s public ministry, that John’s promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit would surely be fulfilled.  The voice from Heaven would provide this assurance from God Himself.

v.17        “a voice from Heaven”.  With the Father’s voice from Heaven testifying of the Son, and the Spirit testifying through the dove, all three Persons of the Trinity were present at Jesus’ baptism.

“my beloved Son”. Jesus here was proclaimed as the Son of God for the benefit of the world in which He had come to dwell for a time. He did not become the Son of God at His baptism, however, as some have assumed, for the Father had loved the Son “before the foundation of the world” [John 17:24].  This heavenly testimony reflected that of Psalm 2:7:  “the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son.”  His anointing by the Spirit reflected the testimony of Isaiah 42:1 – “Behold my servant, whom I uphold . . . I have put My spirit upon Him.”  He had eternally been the beloved Son, but had not come to be also the suffering Servant.

Definition of Baptism: The New Testament contains four related words; two verbs and two nouns[citation needed]:  baptein – to wash something; baptizein – to wash, often a person in a ritual context; baptismos – Jewish ritual washing; and baptisma – the new Christian rite

John the Baptist adopted baptismal immersion as the central sacrament in his messianic movement, seen as a forerunner of Christianity.

 

Our Triune God

The Trinity is an unfathomable, and yet unmistakable doctrine in Scripture. As Jonathan Edwards noted, after studying the topic extensively, “I think [the doctrine of the Trinity] to be the highest and deepest of all Divine mysteries” (An Unpublished Treatise on the Trinity).

Yet, though the fullness of the Trinity is far beyond human comprehension, it is unquestionably how God has revealed Himself in Scripture—as one God eternally existing in three Persons.

This is not to suggest, of course, that the Bible presents three different gods (cf. Deut. 6:4). Rather, God is three Persons in one essence; the Divine essence subsists wholly and indivisibly, simultaneously and eternally, in the three members of the one Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (We considered the deity of Christ last Thursday, in this post .)

The Scriptures are clear that these three Persons together are one and only one God (Deut. 6:4). John 10:30 and 33 explain that the Father and the Son are one. First Corinthians 3:16 shows that the Father and the Spirit are one. Romans 8:9 makes clear that the Son and the Spirit are one. And John 14:16, 18, and 23 demonstrate that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one.

Yet, in exhibiting the unity between the members of the Trinity, the Word of God in no way denies the simultaneous existence and distinctiveness of each of the three Persons of the Godhead. In other words, the Bible makes it clear that God is one God (not three), but that the one God is a Trinity of Persons.

In the Old Testament, the Bible implies the idea of the Trinity in several ways. The title Elohim (”God”), for instance, is a plural noun which can suggest multiplicity (cf. Gen. 1:26). This corresponds to the fact that the plural pronoun (”us”) is sometimes used of God (Gen. 1:26; Isa. 6:8). More directly, there are places in which God’s name is applied to more than one Person in the same text (Ps. 110:1; cf. Gen. 19:24). And there are also passages where all three divine Persons are seen at work (Is. 48:16; 61:1).

The New Testament builds significantly on these truths, revealing them more explicitly. The baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19 designates all three Persons of the Trinity: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” In his apostolic benediction to the Corinthians, Paul underscored this same reality. He wrote, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14). Other New Testament passages also spell out the glorious truth of the Triune God (Romans 15:16, 30; 2 Cor. 1:21–22; Eph. 2:18).

In describing the Trinity, the New Testament clearly distinguishes three Persons who are all simultaneously active. They are not merely modes or manifestations of the same person (as Oneness theology incorrectly asserts) who sometimes acts as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit. At Christ’s baptism, all three Persons were simultaneously active (Matt. 3:16–17), with the Son being baptized, the Spirit descending, and the Father speaking from Heaven. Jesus Himself prayed to the Father (cf. Matt. 6:9), taught that His will was distinct from His Father’s (Matt. 26:39), promised that He would ask the Father to send the Spirit (John 14:16), and asked the Father to glorify Him (John 17:5). These actions would not make sense unless the Father and the Son were two distinct Persons. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit intercedes before the Father on behalf of believers (Rom. 8:26), as does the Son, who is our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Again, the distinctness of each Person is in view.

The Bible is clear. There is only one God, yet He exists, and always has existed, as a Trinity of Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (cf. John 1:1, 2). To deny or misunderstand the Trinity is to deny or misunderstand the very nature of God Himself.

 

 

Extra Study

 

The Apostles' Creed – circa 300 A.D.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

 

Why does The Apostle's Creed refer to the holy 'catholic' Church? – by Tony Warren

The question is often asked, why did the early Church fathers refer to the Church as Catholic? Particularly, the Apostle's Creed which is truly an ecumenical symbol of faith and is dated to about a century after the New Testament was completed. It is important to understand that the term “catholic Church” simply refers to the universal Church of believers. It is in no way referring to Roman Catholicism.

To fully understand this, we need to look at the original languages.

The word Creed is from the Latin [credo] meaning “I believe”, thus the apostles creed was a statement of Christian beliefs. Some people have the mistaken idea that the word 'catholic' belongs to the Roman Church. But simply because Rome claims to be the catholic church, doesn't make it so.

The word catholic is simply a form of the Greek word [katholikos] which means, "of the whole." Taken from two root words [kata], meaning “pertaining to”, or “about”, and the word [holos], meaning the “whole”. i.e., it means the whole or Universal Church.

Before those grounded in sound Biblical Theology broke away from the dominant Roman Church in protest (thus they were called, protestants) of that Churches slipping into idolatry and unscriptural practices, they were of the one whole (universal) Church. They still are. Rome can claim ownership of the word, but that is mere semantics. For they are not holy, nor catholic, nor in the real sense, the Church. In the false sense, they are a church, but they have long ago left being under authority of God.

The name catholic in our day has come to denote a denomination rather than its true meaning. But in the early Church it was the title denoting its universal nature, and had nothing to do with a denomination in Rome. Denominations are an invention of man. There is only the universal Church, not a Roman Church and a Protestant Church, but one holy universal Church.

In the big picture, this hasn't really changed today. The true Church of God is the Universal (catholic, in Greek) Church, no matter what label man puts upon it by denominational edict. There is one Holy Universal Church fulfilling its commission to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel. And it exists all over the world and has gone by many denominational names. It has nothing to do with what is the Roman Catholic Church today.

The truth is, since we don't speak Greek, we could just as easily translate it: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Holy Universal Church, the communion of saints…”  Every educated scholar of course knows this. But because Reformed Churches are steeped in tradition, and have a high regard for their creeds (nothing inherently wrong with that) it is still rendered (usually) the holy catholic Church. And really, there is no good reason to change it. Why should we? No denomination can usurp a word as exclusively their own. Just so long as we all understand that the word simply means universal.

We should also be aware that it is not called "The Apostles' Creed," because it was written or authored by any of the Apostles, it is called this because it is actually an excellent brief synopsis of what they taught. Moreover, it sets forth the Christian gospel in a concise, though pertinent fashion, with proper reverential and liturgical high regard.

 

BIBLE STUDY – Jack Spencer and John Hunter

July 12, 2011 – Matthew 4:1-17

The First Temptation of Jesus – vs. 1-4.  Jesus has just been baptized and will now be led by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness. Jesus personally told Matthew, Mark and Luke about this – it is first-hand testimony.

v.1          This is the will of God that Jesus needs to be tested. The purpose of the temptation by Satan: [1] it is a test confirming righteousness of Christ.  Jesus proves to us He is the sinless Savior; and [2] He will show the devil a thing or two. Jesus was God incarnate, and “God cannot be tempted with evil” [James 1:13].  Both Father and Son knew that He could not sin, yet He must be “tested” so that the world and the devil would also know.

                “devil”.  The devil had tempted Eve and [indirectly] Adam with a three-fold temptation:  [1] in body “good for food,” [2] soul “pleasant to the eyes,” and [3] spirit “make one wise,” and they both failed the test. Also see I John 2:16 – “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”.  Jesus was subjected to the same three-fold testing and passed the test, believing and applying the resources of Gods Written Word.

v.2          Satan doesn’t tempt during the 40-day fast.

v.3          Jesus is starving and Satan tells Jesus to “...command the stones be made bread.”

v.4          Jesus answers with Scripture – the Word, which was written by Jesus.

The first testing [Mt. 4:4] targeted His urgent physical need – Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, the very words of God, providing also a strong proof of inerrancy of Scriptures.

                The second testing [Mt. 4:6] appealed to His human desire for recognition and approval – Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16.

                The third testing [Mt. 4:9] offered the immediate attainment of His spiritual goal of making the entire world His own kingdom of peace and love, but He again quoted from Deuteronomy 10:20.  It is noteworthy that, in Matthew’s Gospel alone, Jesus quotes from the Old Testament at least 39 times.

Examine everything you are taught.  What your church teaches may not be in the Word of God. The Bible is infallible [incapable of making a mistake] and inerrant [no errors or mistakes].  The true mission of the church is to exalt the Savior, equip the saints, and evangelize – share the Good News of Christ.

The Second Temptation of Jesus – vs. 5-7

v.5          “devil” – diablos, slanderer, liar.  “holy city” – Jerusalem.

v.6          “and saith unto Him” – Satan also knows the Scriptures, but he will distort them to his own ends.  Here Satan quotes from Psalm 91:11-12, but takes it out of context, and omits the key phrase, “to keep thee in all thy ways.”  Satan will always pervert and tell his own version of the truth.

The Third Temptation of Jesus – vs. 8-11

v.8-9      Jesus created all things and Satan knows it. Satan desires to displace God and receive the worship due only to God.  This is why Satan was cast out of Heaven in the first place [Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19].  He was able to deceive Adam and Eve and tempt them to sin, but not Jesus.

Jesus Begins His Ministry – v. 12-17

v.12        Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been cast into prison.  As John the Baptist’s ministry is coming to a close, Jesus’ ministry begins.  Read Luke 4:14, 16.

                Luke 4:16, “as His custom was” notes this: Jesus regularly attended the weekly services in the synagogue.  As a boy, His knowledge of the Scriptures had impressed the rabbis in Jerusalem.  It seems probable that He was regularly called on to read and speak in the Nazareth synagogue up until He began His public ministry.  When He returned for a visit, it was natural that He would be called on again.  This time, however, His message was different, and it produced a strong reaction.

v.13        Jesus leaves Nazareth and now dwells in Capernaum.

v.14        The prophecy spoken of in Matthew 4:15-16 is found in Isaiah 9:1-2, which provides the background of the tremendous prophecy of the name of Emmanuel – “Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” [Isaiah 9:6].  Much of Jesus’ early teaching ministry was carried out in Galilee, especially Capernaum, and at least His first six disciples came from there.

v.17        These are the first recorded words of Jesus, which is also the same message that John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:2, brought to the people:

“Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

                Mark 1:15 says, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” 

                Luke 13:20 says, “…Whereunto shall I liken the Kingdom of God?”

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” – This particular phrase occurs 32 times and is found only in Matthew. In Mark and Luke, it is called “the Kingdom of God”.  It has a spiritual aspect, a present aspect and a future aspect but it always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitants. They both mean the same thing. Often it is called “the Kingdom of the Father” or simply “the Kingdom.”  It has a spiritual aspect, a present physical aspect, and a future eternal aspect, depending on context, but it always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitance.

 

the same thing.  Often it is called “the Kingdom of the Father” or simply “the Kingdom.”  It has a spiritual aspect, a present physical aspect, and a future eternal aspect, depending on context, but it always refers to God’s reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitance.