From the September 10, 2013 eNews issue
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD… Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
— Leviticus 23:34, 42–43
The Feast of Tabernacles, or Succoth, begins on the 15th of Tishri and lasts for eight days. This year Succoth will begin on the evening of September 18th and will run through September 25th. The word Succoth (also spelled Sukkot or Succot) means “booths”, and refers to the temporary dwellings which are built and inhabited during the festival. This feast commemorates the 40 years that the nation of Israel wandered in the desert before entering the Promised Land. The Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths, as it is sometimes called, is a joyous holiday and a time of feasting.
It is fascinating to visit Israel at this time and observe them build their temporary “booths” in the traditional way, leaving deliberate gaps in the branches to view the stars at night, and for the wind to blow through during the day. This is intended to remind them of the wilderness wanderings.
At the end of the eight days, they leave their temporary dwellings to return to their permanent homes. (This is one of the reasons some suspect that this feast, rather than the Feast of Trumpets, is suggestive of the Rapture of the Church.) This day, traditionally, is the day that Solomon dedicated the first Temple.
This feast also involved a daily processional to the Pool of Siloam to fetch water for the Temple. This ceremonial procession is the setting for the events of John 7, where Jesus offers them “living water.” This procession involved four types of branches: the willow, the myrtle, the palm, and a citrus (Leviticus 23:40). The willow has no smell and no fruit. The myrtle has smell, but no fruit. The palm has no smell, but bears fruit.
The citrus has both smell and bears fruit. This sounds reminiscent of the four soils of the first “kingdom parable” of Matthew 13, doesn’t it? The prophetic implications of this climactic feast are many. Most scholars associate it with the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom in Israel. To learn more about this subject, listen to our briefing pack titled The Feasts of Israel.
The Torah—the five books of Moses—describes seven feasts on the Hebrew calendar. Three feasts are in the spring, in the month of Nisan:
Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits. Most Bible scholars believe that the first three feasts are prophetic of the Lord’s First Coming. Then fifty days later there is the Feast of Weeks, Shavout, also known as Pentecost. The feast of Pentecost is predictive of the Church. Pentecost is notably the only feast in which leavened bread is ordained. There are three remaining feasts in the fall, in the month of Tishri: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The fall feasts are prophetic of the Lord’s Second Coming.
The feasts of Israel present numerous prophetic parallels. At times the tasks and rituals described in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Leviticus, may seem laborious or even inapplicable to Christians today. However it is important to remember that every number, every place name, every detail, every jot and tittle found in scripture is there for our learning, our discovery, and our amazement. Truly, our God is an awesome God!
Related Referenes
• The Feasts of Israel - DVD - Koinonia House
• The Fall Feasts: Rosh Hashanah (Part 1 of 3) - eNews Archive
• The Fall Feasts: Yom Kippur (Part 2 of 3) - eNews Archive
• The Coming Temple - Special Offer!
• Jerusalem Terrorist Attack Foiled - Arutz Sheva
• Israeli Travel Advisory Takes Turkey Off Vacation Destination List - The Jerusalem Post
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Matthew 2
Notes from BSF
THE MAGI -- NOT HEROD -- CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS (Matthew 2:1–18)
Many anticipated the birth of Jesus
The Magi
They came to worship Jesus, the King of the Jews, presenting Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
King Herod
He pretended to want to worship Jesus, but in reality, he wanted to kill Him.
Who were the Magi?
There were magi in Nebuchadnezzar's court. There were magi who followed the star to welcome the birth of Jesus. What is the significance of their presence?
Daniel was the Chief of the Magi (Rag-Mag)
The magi were valuable not for their skills in astrology (Jeremiah 39:3, 13). Their primary skill was in the interpretation of dreams. The title for the Chief of the Magi is Rag-Mag. There was such a title in Nebuchadnezzar's court, and he appointed Daniel that position:
Daniel 4:9
When Daniel deciphered Nebuchadnezzar's dream here, Daniel was already the Chief of the Magi.
Magi was a Persian sect, a hereditary Persian priesthood -- And Nebuchadnezzar put a Jew in charge of them! This obviously did not go well with the magi.
After taking over the Babylonian Empire, Darius the Great established the magi as the state religion of Persia. Why? Because the head of them was tied to the inner court -- that head may very well have been Daniel.
The Christmas story: It's not 3 magi on a camel cutely pictured on Christmas cards
The magi that showed up on the day of Jesus's birth were a group of Persian magi in all pomp and circumstance. They came because of political power struggles. Rome and Parthenon (Eastern Roman Empire) were at odds with Judea stuck in the middle.
Near the birth of Christ, political powers started to shift with the old Persian king dying and such. In comes the magi parade to ensure safe entry into Roman territory -- The Persian Empire was strong, and the magi had the power to appoint a king who could push either Rome or Parthenon to power.
When the magi party entered Jerusalem, Herod and the whole city were in uproar. They knew this was a political move, with Jerusalem caught in the middle -- Jerusalem was placed under the rule of Herod, who was appointed by Rome. Herod didn't receive much support from Rome, especially when Rome was fighting off Parthenon. Herod had no idea what was going on and didn't know if the magi came as friend or foe.
Clearly, the magi that arrived on scene weren't just 3 guys on a camel. This was a major military escort.
Understanding the political turmoil during this time, we can see why Herod was nervous. He was given the title, king of the Jews, yet depending on how things were between Rome and Parthenon, he had power or he didn't. He had no real clue what was going on, and His Roman support was essentially non-existent. Augustus was getting old, and Tiberius was retired. There was basically no military leader in Rome -- The Roman Empire was in a transition of power.
The Jews had no sympathy with Rome and thus no sympathy with Herod. They were comfortable with the Parthenon Empire, because they enjoyed more freedom with them. Worse for the Roman Empire, the Jews were ready to revolt. However, not all was peachy with Parthenon. Parthenon was also in turmoil as well.
With Herod caught right in the middle of this and with his declining health, we can empathize with him a bit. What a thankless job he had! He was placed in charge of a state (Jerusalem) that was volatile on its own. Worse, its fate laid between two contending empires! And now, there was this formidable gang of Persian magi coming in with enough forces to destroy the whole city! They were king makers, ready to align with whichever empire was the strongest!
Matthew 2
When the magi met Herod, they asked who the King of the Jews was (Matthew 2:2). This was a pointed insult. Herod was appointed King of Jews. His appointment was given by Rome, a power that was very distant from Jerusalem. Worse, Herod was not BORN of a king of anything.
Herod was confused about the magi's question (Matthew 2:3). He was confused because he was not a Jew (He was an Edomite!) and did not understand what was going on. Why is a bunch of Persian magi asking about the birth of the king? To find some answers, they didn't consult the stars or astrology. They figured out the Persians were looking for the Christ, and so they consulted the Old Testament (Matthew 2:4).
They found the answer in Micah 5:2 -- Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. This verse prophesied Jesus' deity, humanity,and kingship -- Micah 5:2 was written 5 centuries BEFORE Jesus' birth!
Herod pretended to work with the magi (Matthew 2:7-8), but in reality had a plan of his own (Matthew 2:12, where God revealed to them that it was not safe to return to Herod).
Daniel may have passed down the knowledge about the birth of Jesus to a secret sect of the magi
How did the magi know about the birth of Jesus? How did they know to bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh? How did they know about the significance of this baby? (By the way, because they came bearing three gifts, this was why the common misconception is that there were only 3 magi.)
Scholars suspect that when Daniel was placed in charge of the magi, he also established an inside group that he could trust and shared with them Daniel 9 and equivalent prophecies so that they would know the time by counting the days. This selected group of magi stayed true to Daniel's word and when the day had come, they visited Jesus on the day of His birth. They brought 3 items that proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God who had come to bring salvation to mankind: Gold = deity; frankincense = priesthood; myrrh = embalming for death.
It is important to note that this is a THEORY. There is no direct proof of this -- just a lot of supporting circumstantial evidence.
God communicated with the magi with a dream (a language that Daniel had trained them in so that they could understand -- remember, the magi were trained to interpret dreams) and told them not to return to Herod (Matthew 2:12).
Herod's fear that the magi were looking to replace the king was valid. In fact, the magi did replace the king in two years. However, the group of magi that inquired about Christ were the selected group of magi that had been anticipating the birth of the Christ -- They were not here for political gains; they were here for the King of Kings!
We can glean much from the above, but looking forward, it is clear that knowing the times is rewarding. The Magi knew when Christ was going to be born because they followed the wisdom of Daniel. Through the study of Scripture, they knew the birth of Christ was prophesied hundreds of years earlier. And by following the Word closely, they were able to welcome the birth of Christ. We, too, should study the Bible closely and understand the times. Christ will return, and we want to be ready when that happens!
JOSEPH MOVES THE FAMILY TO NAZARETH (Matthew 2:19–23)
Jesus came from a “despised” place, as it has been said of Nazareth:
John 1:46, NKJV
Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
Many of us do not come from a prominent background. Jesus grew up in a small town in absolute obscurity. Worse, because he had no biological father, he grew up a foreigner to his own family, a strange to his half-brothers (Psalm 69:8). Jesus' childhood was far from glorious, to say the least.
We have a God who knows exactly how hard life is because he personally went through it. He was tempted; he was mocked; he suffered. As God of the Universe, the Creator of all, why did God become man to endure all this? To save us from sin. It weren't the nails that kept Jesus on that Cross. It was his love for you and me.
1 Corinthians 1:18, NKJV
For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
God looks at the bigger picture (salvation of mankind) whereas man often looks only at what’s in front of us. We focus on the short-term, losing sight of the big picture for the details -- Hence, foolishness.
God created everything we know -- and then, sacrificed his only Son to save us from eternal damnation. Trust God's wisdom. Depend on his love!
God will never lead us astray. We may not understand why he takes us to certain places, but we should always trust that he is always leading us to the best place for us (Romans 8:28).
THE MAGI -- NOT HEROD -- CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS (Matthew 2:1–18)
Many anticipated the birth of Jesus
The Magi
They came to worship Jesus, the King of the Jews, presenting Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
King Herod
He pretended to want to worship Jesus, but in reality, he wanted to kill Him.
Who were the Magi?
There were magi in Nebuchadnezzar's court. There were magi who followed the star to welcome the birth of Jesus. What is the significance of their presence?
Daniel was the Chief of the Magi (Rag-Mag)
The magi were valuable not for their skills in astrology (Jeremiah 39:3, 13). Their primary skill was in the interpretation of dreams. The title for the Chief of the Magi is Rag-Mag. There was such a title in Nebuchadnezzar's court, and he appointed Daniel that position:
Daniel 4:9
When Daniel deciphered Nebuchadnezzar's dream here, Daniel was already the Chief of the Magi.
Magi was a Persian sect, a hereditary Persian priesthood -- And Nebuchadnezzar put a Jew in charge of them! This obviously did not go well with the magi.
After taking over the Babylonian Empire, Darius the Great established the magi as the state religion of Persia. Why? Because the head of them was tied to the inner court -- that head may very well have been Daniel.
The Christmas story: It's not 3 magi on a camel cutely pictured on Christmas cards
The magi that showed up on the day of Jesus's birth were a group of Persian magi in all pomp and circumstance. They came because of political power struggles. Rome and Parthenon (Eastern Roman Empire) were at odds with Judea stuck in the middle.
Near the birth of Christ, political powers started to shift with the old Persian king dying and such. In comes the magi parade to ensure safe entry into Roman territory -- The Persian Empire was strong, and the magi had the power to appoint a king who could push either Rome or Parthenon to power.
When the magi party entered Jerusalem, Herod and the whole city were in uproar. They knew this was a political move, with Jerusalem caught in the middle -- Jerusalem was placed under the rule of Herod, who was appointed by Rome. Herod didn't receive much support from Rome, especially when Rome was fighting off Parthenon. Herod had no idea what was going on and didn't know if the magi came as friend or foe.
Clearly, the magi that arrived on scene weren't just 3 guys on a camel. This was a major military escort.
Understanding the political turmoil during this time, we can see why Herod was nervous. He was given the title, king of the Jews, yet depending on how things were between Rome and Parthenon, he had power or he didn't. He had no real clue what was going on, and His Roman support was essentially non-existent. Augustus was getting old, and Tiberius was retired. There was basically no military leader in Rome -- The Roman Empire was in a transition of power.
The Jews had no sympathy with Rome and thus no sympathy with Herod. They were comfortable with the Parthenon Empire, because they enjoyed more freedom with them. Worse for the Roman Empire, the Jews were ready to revolt. However, not all was peachy with Parthenon. Parthenon was also in turmoil as well.
With Herod caught right in the middle of this and with his declining health, we can empathize with him a bit. What a thankless job he had! He was placed in charge of a state (Jerusalem) that was volatile on its own. Worse, its fate laid between two contending empires! And now, there was this formidable gang of Persian magi coming in with enough forces to destroy the whole city! They were king makers, ready to align with whichever empire was the strongest!
Matthew 2
When the magi met Herod, they asked who the King of the Jews was (Matthew 2:2). This was a pointed insult. Herod was appointed King of Jews. His appointment was given by Rome, a power that was very distant from Jerusalem. Worse, Herod was not BORN of a king of anything.
Herod was confused about the magi's question (Matthew 2:3). He was confused because he was not a Jew (He was an Edomite!) and did not understand what was going on. Why is a bunch of Persian magi asking about the birth of the king? To find some answers, they didn't consult the stars or astrology. They figured out the Persians were looking for the Christ, and so they consulted the Old Testament (Matthew 2:4).
They found the answer in Micah 5:2 -- Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. This verse prophesied Jesus' deity, humanity,and kingship -- Micah 5:2 was written 5 centuries BEFORE Jesus' birth!
Herod pretended to work with the magi (Matthew 2:7-8), but in reality had a plan of his own (Matthew 2:12, where God revealed to them that it was not safe to return to Herod).
Daniel may have passed down the knowledge about the birth of Jesus to a secret sect of the magi
How did the magi know about the birth of Jesus? How did they know to bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh? How did they know about the significance of this baby? (By the way, because they came bearing three gifts, this was why the common misconception is that there were only 3 magi.)
Scholars suspect that when Daniel was placed in charge of the magi, he also established an inside group that he could trust and shared with them Daniel 9 and equivalent prophecies so that they would know the time by counting the days. This selected group of magi stayed true to Daniel's word and when the day had come, they visited Jesus on the day of His birth. They brought 3 items that proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God who had come to bring salvation to mankind: Gold = deity; frankincense = priesthood; myrrh = embalming for death.
It is important to note that this is a THEORY. There is no direct proof of this -- just a lot of supporting circumstantial evidence.
God communicated with the magi with a dream (a language that Daniel had trained them in so that they could understand -- remember, the magi were trained to interpret dreams) and told them not to return to Herod (Matthew 2:12).
Herod's fear that the magi were looking to replace the king was valid. In fact, the magi did replace the king in two years. However, the group of magi that inquired about Christ were the selected group of magi that had been anticipating the birth of the Christ -- They were not here for political gains; they were here for the King of Kings!
We can glean much from the above, but looking forward, it is clear that knowing the times is rewarding. The Magi knew when Christ was going to be born because they followed the wisdom of Daniel. Through the study of Scripture, they knew the birth of Christ was prophesied hundreds of years earlier. And by following the Word closely, they were able to welcome the birth of Christ. We, too, should study the Bible closely and understand the times. Christ will return, and we want to be ready when that happens!
JOSEPH MOVES THE FAMILY TO NAZARETH (Matthew 2:19–23)
Jesus came from a “despised” place, as it has been said of Nazareth:
John 1:46, NKJV
Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
Many of us do not come from a prominent background. Jesus grew up in a small town in absolute obscurity. Worse, because he had no biological father, he grew up a foreigner to his own family, a strange to his half-brothers (Psalm 69:8). Jesus' childhood was far from glorious, to say the least.
We have a God who knows exactly how hard life is because he personally went through it. He was tempted; he was mocked; he suffered. As God of the Universe, the Creator of all, why did God become man to endure all this? To save us from sin. It weren't the nails that kept Jesus on that Cross. It was his love for you and me.
1 Corinthians 1:18, NKJV
For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
God looks at the bigger picture (salvation of mankind) whereas man often looks only at what’s in front of us. We focus on the short-term, losing sight of the big picture for the details -- Hence, foolishness.
God created everything we know -- and then, sacrificed his only Son to save us from eternal damnation. Trust God's wisdom. Depend on his love!
God will never lead us astray. We may not understand why he takes us to certain places, but we should always trust that he is always leading us to the best place for us (Romans 8:28).
Monday, September 9, 2013
Matthew 1
Notes from BSF
GENEALOGY OF JESUS (Matthew 1:1-17)
Important women are listed in the genealogy
Tamar — Genesis 38
Tamar was the wife of Er, Judah’s firstborn. When Er passed away, Judah promised Tamar that she would be given to his younger son, Shelah to continue his line. She faithfully waited for Judah to fulfill his promise. However, Judah forgot about this promise. Tamar had to disguise herself as a prostitute to remind Judah of his promise.
Rahab — Joshua 2; 6:17
Rahab was a prostitute who became a believer. She helped the spies sent by Joshua escape. She faithfully helped the men of God in accomplishing the Will of God. Rahab was also Boaz’s mother. Boaz was a great man, a kinsman redeemer, detailed in the Book of Ruth – a book that teaches us the relationship between Jesus, Israel, and the Church.
Ruth — Ruth 1; 4:13-17
Ruth became the wife of Boaz. In the book of Ruth, she represented the Church. She was introduced to Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, by Naomi. (Just as how the Church was pointed to Jesus through Israel.) She faithfully followed the instructions of Naomi and followed the guidance of Boaz. The significance of this story is that we learn of the great respectful love of Boaz for Ruth – this is the picture of the great love of Jesus for us, His Church.
“Wife of Uriah” — 2 Samuel 11; 12:15, 18, 24
The Wife of Uriah was Bethsheba. David fell in love with her, even though she was Uriah’s wife. To claim her for himself, David sent Uriah, a warrior loyal to David, to the front line and had him murdered. For this great sin, the first born of David and Bethsheba was taken from them.
Mary — Luke 1:26-56
Mary was the mother of Jesus, who gave virgin birth to Jesus. She faithfully gave birth to Jesus and followed the instructions of God, even when people ridiculed her for becoming pregnant before marriage.
Each of these woman carried the bloodline of Christ, from Abraham down to Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham
God promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations, that his people would be God’s people (Genesis 22:16-18). And to David, God promised that the Messiah will be of the line of David and will rule from the throne of David (Luke 1:31-33).
Christ’s genealogy proves God fulfills His promises. Not all prophecies have been fulfilled: For example, Jesus has yet to reign from the Throne of David. However, because God has shown us how He is faithful, we can know for sure that one day, Jesus will reign from the Throne of David!
Blood Curse on Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24-30)
After David, there were all kinds of bad kings, declining and getting worse spiritually and into idolatry. In Jechoniah (aka, Coniah, Jechoiachin), we see the end.
Jeremiah 22:30
This is what the LORD says: “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.”
This blood curse suggests the Davidic line ended with Jeconiah, that the dynasty ended before the Messiah could be born. But ah, let us not forget the virgin birth!
God pronounced upon Jechoniah a blood curse and said none of his seed would rule any more in Judah. The genealogy in Matthew begins with “the first Jew”: Abraham. Luke begins his with Adam (“Son of God” vs. ourselves, sons of Adam). The next 10 names are familiar from Genesis 5, and from Abraham to David, the two lists are identical.
As the list continues in Matthew, we note that Matthew took the royal line, all the way down to Joseph. Jesus is thus the legal heir of the Davidic covenant through Joseph. Did Jesus also inherit the blood curse? No! Because Jesus is not the blood son of Joseph!
Luke’s account, however, took the genealogy through Nathan, not the royal line, down to Mary. Jesus is the blood son of Mary.
God promised David that the Messiah, Jesus, would be the heir of the House and Lineage of David – And in Jesus’ case, we see that the two are not always synonymous. The legal lineage (House) was through Joseph; the blood lineage was through Mary!
Daughters of Zelophehad
There was a Torah exception on rules of inheritance—requested of Moses (Numbers 27:1-11) and granted by Joshua (Joshua 17:3-6). This was the result of a petition by the daughters of Zelophehad, which provided for inheritance through the daughter, if no sons were available, and if she married within her tribe. The husband would be adopted as a son by father of the bride (Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 7:63; Numbers 32:41; 1 Chronicle 2:21-23, 34-35) and therefore receive the inheritance. This exception anticipated the lineage of Christ: Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli (Luke 3:23), who received inheritance of Heli by his marriage to Mary. As mentioned above, both Joseph and Mary were of the line of David. Joseph came through David’s son, Solomon (and so did Jeconiah), whereas Mary came through David’s other son, Nathan. Hence, the virgin birth of Christ circumvented the blood curse of Jeconiah and allowed Christ to be of the line of David by blood through Mary and by law through Joseph! Every detail—even in the regulations of the Torah—are there by deliberate design and always point to Christ!
GOD COMFORTS JOSEPH ABOUT THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS (Matthew 1:18-25)
Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. This was a wonderful miracle but a difficult burden to bear. To the world, Mary was pregnant prior to marriage, and that was a grave disgrace. Joseph didn't understand the situation either (who would!), until an angel appeared to him and explained to him the wonderful miracle that had taken place.
Jesus is our savior, our deliverer! Flesh gives birth to flesh; spirit gives birth to flesh (John 3:6). This is why Jesus could not be born of the flesh – because he would have also inherited the sins of Adam and Eve. Instead, he was born of the Spirit, born innocent and lived a perfect life. If he had been born of man, he would be born of sin, as we all are. Yet, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit, perfect and pure. And because Jesus was perfect and pure, His blood is the only blood that can wash away our sins once and for all.
Jesus means “Deliverer” or “Savior”
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Immanuel means “God with us”
Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Jesus saves
John 3:17
John 8:24
John 10:14-16
Acts 4:12
Romans 10:9
Ephesians 2:5, 8
We are saved not because we deserve it. On the contrary, we have done nothing to deserve God’s love. We are thus saved by Grace, God’s Grace. We are saved because God loves us. That’s it.
Prophecies about Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)
- Jesus will be conceived through the Holy Spirit
- Jesus will be called Jesus
- Jesus will be great and be the Son of the Most High
- Jesus will be given the throne of David
- Jesus will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever
Mary exhibited great faith
Mary may not have understood how she could be pregnant when she was a virgin, but she simply placed her trust in God and allowed God to lead her through. Given the social pressures, this was not an easy road to walk -- and yet, Mary followed God despite the difficulties because she was faithful.
We may not always understand what is happening in our lives. However, we should always remember that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Like Mary, we need to learn to trust God, even when we don’t understand what is happening. We may have questions, we may even be confused, but one thing we should not do is to start questioning God’s Will. When we start thinking we know better than God, that we know what is better for us than God, that is when we start falling and failing. If we truly know what is best for us, Adam and Eve would not have sinned, and we would not be a fallen race. Every time we think we know better, history has shown us that we know not.
Jesus' birth fulfills biblical prophecies
Genesis 3:15
Enmity is between Satan and the woman, because the woman would bore Jesus, who would ultimately defeat Satan.
It is important to note that Satan is not even close to being Jesus' equal. Satan is a created being. Jesus was, is, and always will be the creator. Satan is a powerful angel, a fallen angel, but as powerful as he is, he is still beneath Jesus.
Genesis 49:8–12
Jesus is of the Tribe of Judah, and with his birth, Jesus took over the Scepter of Judah.
Psalm 2:7
Jesus is the Son of God.
Isaiah 7:14
Jesus was born of a virgin.
Isaiah 9:6–7
Jesus is a child born of a virgin, a son given to us by God. He is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Joseph accepted Mary and Jesus by his faith in God
Joseph was about to divorce Mary, because she became pregnant before they got married. However, an angel explained the situation to Joseph, and the next day, Joseph followed the angel’s directions. Like Mary, Joseph may not have understood what was happening, but he didn’t let doubt get in the way of obeying God’s Will.
SEEK THE APPROVAL OF GOD, NOT MAN
Galatians 1:10, NKJV
Do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ.
When we live by faith, we put aside insecurities about ourselves. We understand the only will that matters is God's will, not our own, nor those of other people. And when we live our lives completely given over to God, then as we stand in front of Him, we will be able to hear from Him, “Job well done, my good and faithful servants.” This will be the best compliment, best award any one of us can receive!
GENEALOGY OF JESUS (Matthew 1:1-17)
Important women are listed in the genealogy
Tamar — Genesis 38
Tamar was the wife of Er, Judah’s firstborn. When Er passed away, Judah promised Tamar that she would be given to his younger son, Shelah to continue his line. She faithfully waited for Judah to fulfill his promise. However, Judah forgot about this promise. Tamar had to disguise herself as a prostitute to remind Judah of his promise.
Rahab — Joshua 2; 6:17
Rahab was a prostitute who became a believer. She helped the spies sent by Joshua escape. She faithfully helped the men of God in accomplishing the Will of God. Rahab was also Boaz’s mother. Boaz was a great man, a kinsman redeemer, detailed in the Book of Ruth – a book that teaches us the relationship between Jesus, Israel, and the Church.
Ruth — Ruth 1; 4:13-17
Ruth became the wife of Boaz. In the book of Ruth, she represented the Church. She was introduced to Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, by Naomi. (Just as how the Church was pointed to Jesus through Israel.) She faithfully followed the instructions of Naomi and followed the guidance of Boaz. The significance of this story is that we learn of the great respectful love of Boaz for Ruth – this is the picture of the great love of Jesus for us, His Church.
“Wife of Uriah” — 2 Samuel 11; 12:15, 18, 24
The Wife of Uriah was Bethsheba. David fell in love with her, even though she was Uriah’s wife. To claim her for himself, David sent Uriah, a warrior loyal to David, to the front line and had him murdered. For this great sin, the first born of David and Bethsheba was taken from them.
Mary — Luke 1:26-56
Mary was the mother of Jesus, who gave virgin birth to Jesus. She faithfully gave birth to Jesus and followed the instructions of God, even when people ridiculed her for becoming pregnant before marriage.
Each of these woman carried the bloodline of Christ, from Abraham down to Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham
God promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations, that his people would be God’s people (Genesis 22:16-18). And to David, God promised that the Messiah will be of the line of David and will rule from the throne of David (Luke 1:31-33).
Christ’s genealogy proves God fulfills His promises. Not all prophecies have been fulfilled: For example, Jesus has yet to reign from the Throne of David. However, because God has shown us how He is faithful, we can know for sure that one day, Jesus will reign from the Throne of David!
Blood Curse on Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24-30)
After David, there were all kinds of bad kings, declining and getting worse spiritually and into idolatry. In Jechoniah (aka, Coniah, Jechoiachin), we see the end.
Jeremiah 22:30
This is what the LORD says: “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.”
This blood curse suggests the Davidic line ended with Jeconiah, that the dynasty ended before the Messiah could be born. But ah, let us not forget the virgin birth!
God pronounced upon Jechoniah a blood curse and said none of his seed would rule any more in Judah. The genealogy in Matthew begins with “the first Jew”: Abraham. Luke begins his with Adam (“Son of God” vs. ourselves, sons of Adam). The next 10 names are familiar from Genesis 5, and from Abraham to David, the two lists are identical.
As the list continues in Matthew, we note that Matthew took the royal line, all the way down to Joseph. Jesus is thus the legal heir of the Davidic covenant through Joseph. Did Jesus also inherit the blood curse? No! Because Jesus is not the blood son of Joseph!
Luke’s account, however, took the genealogy through Nathan, not the royal line, down to Mary. Jesus is the blood son of Mary.
God promised David that the Messiah, Jesus, would be the heir of the House and Lineage of David – And in Jesus’ case, we see that the two are not always synonymous. The legal lineage (House) was through Joseph; the blood lineage was through Mary!
Daughters of Zelophehad
There was a Torah exception on rules of inheritance—requested of Moses (Numbers 27:1-11) and granted by Joshua (Joshua 17:3-6). This was the result of a petition by the daughters of Zelophehad, which provided for inheritance through the daughter, if no sons were available, and if she married within her tribe. The husband would be adopted as a son by father of the bride (Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 7:63; Numbers 32:41; 1 Chronicle 2:21-23, 34-35) and therefore receive the inheritance. This exception anticipated the lineage of Christ: Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli (Luke 3:23), who received inheritance of Heli by his marriage to Mary. As mentioned above, both Joseph and Mary were of the line of David. Joseph came through David’s son, Solomon (and so did Jeconiah), whereas Mary came through David’s other son, Nathan. Hence, the virgin birth of Christ circumvented the blood curse of Jeconiah and allowed Christ to be of the line of David by blood through Mary and by law through Joseph! Every detail—even in the regulations of the Torah—are there by deliberate design and always point to Christ!
GOD COMFORTS JOSEPH ABOUT THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS (Matthew 1:18-25)
Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. This was a wonderful miracle but a difficult burden to bear. To the world, Mary was pregnant prior to marriage, and that was a grave disgrace. Joseph didn't understand the situation either (who would!), until an angel appeared to him and explained to him the wonderful miracle that had taken place.
Jesus is our savior, our deliverer! Flesh gives birth to flesh; spirit gives birth to flesh (John 3:6). This is why Jesus could not be born of the flesh – because he would have also inherited the sins of Adam and Eve. Instead, he was born of the Spirit, born innocent and lived a perfect life. If he had been born of man, he would be born of sin, as we all are. Yet, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit, perfect and pure. And because Jesus was perfect and pure, His blood is the only blood that can wash away our sins once and for all.
Jesus means “Deliverer” or “Savior”
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Immanuel means “God with us”
Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Jesus saves
John 3:17
John 8:24
John 10:14-16
Acts 4:12
Romans 10:9
Ephesians 2:5, 8
We are saved not because we deserve it. On the contrary, we have done nothing to deserve God’s love. We are thus saved by Grace, God’s Grace. We are saved because God loves us. That’s it.
Prophecies about Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)
- Jesus will be conceived through the Holy Spirit
- Jesus will be called Jesus
- Jesus will be great and be the Son of the Most High
- Jesus will be given the throne of David
- Jesus will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever
Mary exhibited great faith
Mary may not have understood how she could be pregnant when she was a virgin, but she simply placed her trust in God and allowed God to lead her through. Given the social pressures, this was not an easy road to walk -- and yet, Mary followed God despite the difficulties because she was faithful.
We may not always understand what is happening in our lives. However, we should always remember that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Like Mary, we need to learn to trust God, even when we don’t understand what is happening. We may have questions, we may even be confused, but one thing we should not do is to start questioning God’s Will. When we start thinking we know better than God, that we know what is better for us than God, that is when we start falling and failing. If we truly know what is best for us, Adam and Eve would not have sinned, and we would not be a fallen race. Every time we think we know better, history has shown us that we know not.
Jesus' birth fulfills biblical prophecies
Genesis 3:15
Enmity is between Satan and the woman, because the woman would bore Jesus, who would ultimately defeat Satan.
It is important to note that Satan is not even close to being Jesus' equal. Satan is a created being. Jesus was, is, and always will be the creator. Satan is a powerful angel, a fallen angel, but as powerful as he is, he is still beneath Jesus.
Genesis 49:8–12
Jesus is of the Tribe of Judah, and with his birth, Jesus took over the Scepter of Judah.
Psalm 2:7
Jesus is the Son of God.
Isaiah 7:14
Jesus was born of a virgin.
Isaiah 9:6–7
Jesus is a child born of a virgin, a son given to us by God. He is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Joseph accepted Mary and Jesus by his faith in God
Joseph was about to divorce Mary, because she became pregnant before they got married. However, an angel explained the situation to Joseph, and the next day, Joseph followed the angel’s directions. Like Mary, Joseph may not have understood what was happening, but he didn’t let doubt get in the way of obeying God’s Will.
SEEK THE APPROVAL OF GOD, NOT MAN
Galatians 1:10, NKJV
Do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ.
When we live by faith, we put aside insecurities about ourselves. We understand the only will that matters is God's will, not our own, nor those of other people. And when we live our lives completely given over to God, then as we stand in front of Him, we will be able to hear from Him, “Job well done, my good and faithful servants.” This will be the best compliment, best award any one of us can receive!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Isaiah and Cyrus the Great
From the July 09, 2013 eNews issue
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
”Hereupon the Persians who had been left for the purpose at Babylon by the, river-side, entered the stream, which had now sunk so as to reach about midway up a man’s thigh, and thus got into the town.”
— Herodotus
In 539 BC, Cyrus son of Cambyses took Babylon without a struggle. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Cyrus diverted the course of the Euphrates river, making the river level drop and giving the invading forces the ability to enter into the city that night through the river bed.
Nobody noticed them coming in, and the city gates that opened up onto the river were not closed; the Persians were able to just walk into town. Within a year, Cyrus declared that all the Jews captive in Babylon were free to return home to Jerusalem, as described in Ezra 1.
These two events—the taking of Babylon the Great without a battle and the magnanimous freeing of the Jews soon after—are both remarkable historical events in themselves. What makes them even more notable is the fact that God told about them in Isaiah 44:26–45:1, 13, appointing Cyrus by name 100 years before this son of Cambyses was born.
The Book of Isaiah is one of the most greatly admired and beloved books of the Bible. The New Testament writers quote Isaiah more than all the other Old Testament prophets combined. From a literary point of view, the writing of Isaiah is superb, full of parallelism and euphony; scholars savor Isaiah’s obvious attention to the literary art of his writing.
Beyond his writing skill, Isaiah’s book is filled with prophecies about Judah and the surrounding lands. It also contains a host of very important Messianic prophecies (7:14–16; 9:1–7; 11:1–16; 32:1ff; 42:1–7; 50:5–8; 52:13–15; 53:1–12; 61:1–3; 65:17), even describing in detail Jesus’ crucifixion 700 years before it happened.
In Isaiah 44 and 45, God not only describes the ease with which Cyrus would enter the city with the “two leaved gates” (gates that were not even shut against the invaders!) but also notes that He would “loose the loins of kings” before Cyrus – a euphemism regarding the fear these kings would feel and the mess in their pants they’d make as a result. As a matter of fact, about the time Cyrus’ men were entering the city, King Belshazzar, co-regent with his father Nabonidus, was being interrupted in his feast. A hand began to write on the wall to tell Belshazzar that his time was up. Daniel 5:6 puts in not-so-delicate terms how greatly the fear of this sight affected Belshazzar, saying, “his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” Who says God isn’t detailed!
In circles of modern liberal criticism, though, it has become popular to dismiss the idea, held for some 2500 years, that Isaiah son of Amoz wrote the entire book credited to his name. Old Testament scholars have found it fashionable to argue that there were at least two “Isaiahs”, perhaps even three or more, and have separated the book into two sections. Chapters 1–39 are credited to Proto-Isaiah, and chapters 40–66 to Deutero-Isaiah. These critics argue that it makes no sense for God to have foretold events that would not have taken place during the life of the prophet. They say that the character of God in Isaiah 1–39 is far fiercer than the gentle God of Isaiah 40–66, that the language is different in the two sections, and that there are two different views of the Messiah between the first part of Isaiah and that written by the alleged Deutero-Isaiah. Ultimately, they do not believe that Isaiah could have written about Cyrus the Great in 700 BC. They cannot believe that the precise information in that prophecy could have been penned 150 years before it came to pass.
These criticisms can sound scholarly on the surface, but they depend far less on evidence than on a bias against predictive prophecy. While these scholars may believe that a bias against the supernatural—and the power of God to speak through His prophets centuries in advance—is scientific in this modern world, the truth is, it’s still a bias. It’s still just their opinion based on a humanistic worldview. Honest scholarship strongly supports the historical view that Isaiah ben Amoz wrote the entire book with his name on it.
HISTORICALLY, ISAIAH HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS THE AUTHOR OF ALL 66 CHAPTERS
The Septuagint
When the Septuagint was translated in the 3rd century BC, merely two centuries after Deutero-Isaiah was supposed to
have been written, there was no indication that the book had more than one author.
The New Testament
The New Testament writers treat the entire book of Isaiah as one book belonging to one author and quote him more
than all the other prophets combined. In fact, in John 12:37–41, John quotes from Isaiah chapter 53 and chapter 6 back to back, giving Isaiah credit for both sections.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
An entire copy of the book of Isaiah was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is no separation between Chapters
1–39 and 40–66. In fact, chapter 40 starts on the last line of the same column that ends chapter 39. As Oswald Allis notes, “Obviously the scribe was not conscious of the alleged fact that an important change of situation, involving an entire change of authorship, begins with chapter 40.”
INTERNALLY, ISAIAH OFFERS EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE OF ONE AUTHOR
Isaiah’s Hebrew
Throughout all 66 chapters, Isaiah uses pure Hebrew. Unlike Ezra and Nehemiah, which use terminology adopted from Babylon, Isaiah’s Hebrew is free from the vocabulary that the Jews gained during the exile.
Jerusalem and the land
The destruction and future healing of Jerusalem are described in chapters 1–39, and Jerusalem is described as
still standing in chapters 40–66, demonstrating distant prophecy in the first part of Isaiah and an early date for the end of Isaiah. For instance, in 3:8, Isaiah speaks of Jerusalem as already fallen and destroyed in the context of a prophecy about the future. In 6:11–13, which all agree is a passage by Isaiah son of Amoz, God describes the future destruction of the land followed by the return of the remnant.
On the other hand, passages like 40:9 and 62:6 treat Jerusalem and the cities of Judah as still standing, as they were before the Babylonian invasion.
Topography
The description of the topography in Isaiah 40–66 is the rocky mountainous land of Judah and not the flat alluvial Fertile Crescent. For instance, 57:5–6 describes the “clifts of the rocks” and the smooth stones of the streams.
Themes
Certain themes and terminology are repeated throughout the book. The “highway” theme comes up repeatedly (11:16; 19:23; 35:8; 40:3; 62:10). Isaiah refers to God as “Lord of hosts” repeatedly throughout the entire book. “The Holy One of Israel” is Isaiah’s distinctive name for God used 12 times in chapters 1–39 and 14 times in chapters 40–66. The phrase is only used six other times in the Bible outside of Isaiah.
The significance of idolatry
Idolatry was a major problem in Judah before the exile, but the post-exilic writers Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi do not mention idolatry even while discussing the nation’s other sins. Yet, in the latter end of his book, Isaiah continues to speak strongly against idolatry (41:29; 44:9–20; 57:4ff; 65:2–7), indicating an early authorship.
The by-line
Only Isaiah, son of Amoz, is named as the author throughout the book of Isaiah, at the beginnings of chapters 2, 7, 13, 20, 38, and 39. No other author is mentioned at all. Even when Ezra and Nehemiah were bound together, those two books did not get confused and lumped together under Ezra. Yet, “Deutero-Isaiah” was allegedly lost to history. Chapters 40–66 contain some of the highest quality literature in all of written history, yet we are expected to believe that this writer went mysteriously unrecognized until he was “discovered” by recent scholarship.
As Gleason Archer Jr. declared, “There is not a shred of internal evidence to support the theory of a Second Isaiah, apart from a philosophical prejudice against the possibility of predictive prophecy.”
Isaiah is an amazing book, filled with the power and passion of God. In it He declares, “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isaiah 46:9–10).
Related Links
• The Book of Isaiah: Authorship Analysis - Scribd.com
• The ACU Commentary and the Unity of the Book of Isaiah - ChristianCourier.com
• The Unity Of Isaiah - Carelinks Ministries
• How Many Isaiahs? - Koinonia House
• Cyrus Captures Babylon Account in 539 B.C. - Bible-History.com
• Isaiah Commentary Online - Koinonia House
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
”Hereupon the Persians who had been left for the purpose at Babylon by the, river-side, entered the stream, which had now sunk so as to reach about midway up a man’s thigh, and thus got into the town.”
— Herodotus
In 539 BC, Cyrus son of Cambyses took Babylon without a struggle. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Cyrus diverted the course of the Euphrates river, making the river level drop and giving the invading forces the ability to enter into the city that night through the river bed.
Nobody noticed them coming in, and the city gates that opened up onto the river were not closed; the Persians were able to just walk into town. Within a year, Cyrus declared that all the Jews captive in Babylon were free to return home to Jerusalem, as described in Ezra 1.
These two events—the taking of Babylon the Great without a battle and the magnanimous freeing of the Jews soon after—are both remarkable historical events in themselves. What makes them even more notable is the fact that God told about them in Isaiah 44:26–45:1, 13, appointing Cyrus by name 100 years before this son of Cambyses was born.
The Book of Isaiah is one of the most greatly admired and beloved books of the Bible. The New Testament writers quote Isaiah more than all the other Old Testament prophets combined. From a literary point of view, the writing of Isaiah is superb, full of parallelism and euphony; scholars savor Isaiah’s obvious attention to the literary art of his writing.
Beyond his writing skill, Isaiah’s book is filled with prophecies about Judah and the surrounding lands. It also contains a host of very important Messianic prophecies (7:14–16; 9:1–7; 11:1–16; 32:1ff; 42:1–7; 50:5–8; 52:13–15; 53:1–12; 61:1–3; 65:17), even describing in detail Jesus’ crucifixion 700 years before it happened.
In Isaiah 44 and 45, God not only describes the ease with which Cyrus would enter the city with the “two leaved gates” (gates that were not even shut against the invaders!) but also notes that He would “loose the loins of kings” before Cyrus – a euphemism regarding the fear these kings would feel and the mess in their pants they’d make as a result. As a matter of fact, about the time Cyrus’ men were entering the city, King Belshazzar, co-regent with his father Nabonidus, was being interrupted in his feast. A hand began to write on the wall to tell Belshazzar that his time was up. Daniel 5:6 puts in not-so-delicate terms how greatly the fear of this sight affected Belshazzar, saying, “his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” Who says God isn’t detailed!
In circles of modern liberal criticism, though, it has become popular to dismiss the idea, held for some 2500 years, that Isaiah son of Amoz wrote the entire book credited to his name. Old Testament scholars have found it fashionable to argue that there were at least two “Isaiahs”, perhaps even three or more, and have separated the book into two sections. Chapters 1–39 are credited to Proto-Isaiah, and chapters 40–66 to Deutero-Isaiah. These critics argue that it makes no sense for God to have foretold events that would not have taken place during the life of the prophet. They say that the character of God in Isaiah 1–39 is far fiercer than the gentle God of Isaiah 40–66, that the language is different in the two sections, and that there are two different views of the Messiah between the first part of Isaiah and that written by the alleged Deutero-Isaiah. Ultimately, they do not believe that Isaiah could have written about Cyrus the Great in 700 BC. They cannot believe that the precise information in that prophecy could have been penned 150 years before it came to pass.
These criticisms can sound scholarly on the surface, but they depend far less on evidence than on a bias against predictive prophecy. While these scholars may believe that a bias against the supernatural—and the power of God to speak through His prophets centuries in advance—is scientific in this modern world, the truth is, it’s still a bias. It’s still just their opinion based on a humanistic worldview. Honest scholarship strongly supports the historical view that Isaiah ben Amoz wrote the entire book with his name on it.
HISTORICALLY, ISAIAH HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS THE AUTHOR OF ALL 66 CHAPTERS
The Septuagint
When the Septuagint was translated in the 3rd century BC, merely two centuries after Deutero-Isaiah was supposed to
have been written, there was no indication that the book had more than one author.
The New Testament
The New Testament writers treat the entire book of Isaiah as one book belonging to one author and quote him more
than all the other prophets combined. In fact, in John 12:37–41, John quotes from Isaiah chapter 53 and chapter 6 back to back, giving Isaiah credit for both sections.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
An entire copy of the book of Isaiah was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is no separation between Chapters
1–39 and 40–66. In fact, chapter 40 starts on the last line of the same column that ends chapter 39. As Oswald Allis notes, “Obviously the scribe was not conscious of the alleged fact that an important change of situation, involving an entire change of authorship, begins with chapter 40.”
INTERNALLY, ISAIAH OFFERS EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE OF ONE AUTHOR
Isaiah’s Hebrew
Throughout all 66 chapters, Isaiah uses pure Hebrew. Unlike Ezra and Nehemiah, which use terminology adopted from Babylon, Isaiah’s Hebrew is free from the vocabulary that the Jews gained during the exile.
Jerusalem and the land
The destruction and future healing of Jerusalem are described in chapters 1–39, and Jerusalem is described as
still standing in chapters 40–66, demonstrating distant prophecy in the first part of Isaiah and an early date for the end of Isaiah. For instance, in 3:8, Isaiah speaks of Jerusalem as already fallen and destroyed in the context of a prophecy about the future. In 6:11–13, which all agree is a passage by Isaiah son of Amoz, God describes the future destruction of the land followed by the return of the remnant.
On the other hand, passages like 40:9 and 62:6 treat Jerusalem and the cities of Judah as still standing, as they were before the Babylonian invasion.
Topography
The description of the topography in Isaiah 40–66 is the rocky mountainous land of Judah and not the flat alluvial Fertile Crescent. For instance, 57:5–6 describes the “clifts of the rocks” and the smooth stones of the streams.
Themes
Certain themes and terminology are repeated throughout the book. The “highway” theme comes up repeatedly (11:16; 19:23; 35:8; 40:3; 62:10). Isaiah refers to God as “Lord of hosts” repeatedly throughout the entire book. “The Holy One of Israel” is Isaiah’s distinctive name for God used 12 times in chapters 1–39 and 14 times in chapters 40–66. The phrase is only used six other times in the Bible outside of Isaiah.
The significance of idolatry
Idolatry was a major problem in Judah before the exile, but the post-exilic writers Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi do not mention idolatry even while discussing the nation’s other sins. Yet, in the latter end of his book, Isaiah continues to speak strongly against idolatry (41:29; 44:9–20; 57:4ff; 65:2–7), indicating an early authorship.
The by-line
Only Isaiah, son of Amoz, is named as the author throughout the book of Isaiah, at the beginnings of chapters 2, 7, 13, 20, 38, and 39. No other author is mentioned at all. Even when Ezra and Nehemiah were bound together, those two books did not get confused and lumped together under Ezra. Yet, “Deutero-Isaiah” was allegedly lost to history. Chapters 40–66 contain some of the highest quality literature in all of written history, yet we are expected to believe that this writer went mysteriously unrecognized until he was “discovered” by recent scholarship.
As Gleason Archer Jr. declared, “There is not a shred of internal evidence to support the theory of a Second Isaiah, apart from a philosophical prejudice against the possibility of predictive prophecy.”
Isaiah is an amazing book, filled with the power and passion of God. In it He declares, “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isaiah 46:9–10).
Related Links
• The Book of Isaiah: Authorship Analysis - Scribd.com
• The ACU Commentary and the Unity of the Book of Isaiah - ChristianCourier.com
• The Unity Of Isaiah - Carelinks Ministries
• How Many Isaiahs? - Koinonia House
• Cyrus Captures Babylon Account in 539 B.C. - Bible-History.com
• Isaiah Commentary Online - Koinonia House
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Tisha b'Av and The Coming Temple
From the July 02, 2013 eNews issue
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
The Hebrew month of Av begins Sunday night, July 7th, and Jews will mourn through the final nine day of The Three Weeks of grief that began with the Fast of Tammuz and end with Tisha b’Av—the day commemorating the destruction of the Jewish temples.
All public transportation will be silenced, all restaurants will remain closed in Jerusalem the evening of July 15th as the sun sets. The Hebrew day of great tragedies, Tisha b’Av, will begin at sundown. In remembrance of the destruction of both the First and Second Temple on the 9th of Av hundreds of years apart, tens of thousands of Jews will gather at the Western Wall to pray and petition the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Jewish hearts around the world will long in unison for the future Temple, the one to be established when the Messiah comes.
The Temple Mount
These next weeks, Jews look toward the Temple Mount with even more longing than normal. Israel has technically controlled the Temple Mount since the Six-Day War in 1967, but the Waqf, a Muslim council, manages the site. The Temple Mount is noticeably dominated by the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Israeli law is supposed to protect free access to the site, but the Israeli government enforces a ban on any non-Muslim prayer on the site in order to avoid Muslim riots.
Many Jews look forward to the day when the Messiah will come, when the Temple will once again rise up on the Temple Mount. A video by The Temple Institute shows a little boy and girl playing on the beach and building a replica of the Temple in the sand. The end caption reads, “The Children Are Ready.” The video had more than 400,000 views on YouTube after it was released last year.
Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute has long promoted this as a time of expectation for the Temple, rather than a time of mourning.
This year in an article on the Fast of Tammuz and the beginning of the Three Weeks of mourning, Rabbi Richman wrote recently in The Jerusalem Post:
The fabricated tears of Tamuz are the romanticization of pain; being comfortable with the pain because it is what we are used to. This is what Maimonides alludes to. We can become so stuck in a place, so part of the cycle, that there is no way out of it.
But the whole idea of Tamuz is for us to confront those idolatrous forces within our own psyche. Parts of the Jewish mindset have been taken over. We have been lobotomized by the pagan mindset of weeping over Tamuz. The verse in Ezekiel [8:14] alludes to the weeping over our own lives, the tragic aspects of our lives, because self-pity feels so good. So we do it again and again, year after year.
Mourning for the Temple is not about crying over the past, or obsessing about something we cannot change; it is about becoming motivated to rise up from mourning, to transform this world into a place for the Divine Presence.
Holy Ground
While many patiently anticipate the coming Temple, not all Jews want worshipers, Jewish or Muslim, flooding the Temple Mount. Nobody is certain exactly where the Holy of Holies in the Temple was located, and these faithful Jews do not want the unwitting visitor to tread on that spot. Worshipers must first be cleansed with the ashes of the red heifer as required in Numbers 19 before Jews can worship freely in the Temple area.
East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount have been points of major contention in past efforts to negotiate a two-state agreement. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, and the Jews do not want to give up this location that is so precious to Judaism. The world would never expect the Muslims to hand over control of the Kaaba in Mecca in order to keep peace, but the Jews are not free to worship on their holiest site because they fear Muslim violence.
Tisha b’Av
Many disasters have befallen the Jews on the 9th of Av throughout history. According to Jewish tradition, this was the day that God told the Children of Israel they were prohibited from entering the Promised Land because of disbelief. They were forced to wander in the desert forty more years until that adult generation had died out. That tragic day was just the beginning…
On the 9th of Av in:
586 BC, Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the Babylonian captivity began;
AD 70, the Second Temple, which stood during Christ’s ministry, was destroyed by the Romans precisely as Jesus predicted in Luke 19;
AD 135, the famous Bar Kokhba revolt was squelched when Bethar, the last Jewish stronghold, fell to the Romans;
AD 136, the Roman Emperor Hadrian established a heathen temple to Jupiter on the site of the Jewish Temple. Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city, and renamed the land as Palestina, to distance its Jewish heritage. The date when the Temple area was plowed under by the Romans was the 9th of Av.
The day has continued to be associated with grief for the Jewish people throughout history. For example, Pope Urban II declared the Crusades on the 9th of Av in 1242. According to the Alhambra Decree, the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 on this day (the same day that Columbus left on his westward route to the Indies). On the 9th of Av in 1942, the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto were mass deported to the Treblinka extermination camp in Poland. Thus the 9th of Av, Tisha B’Av, has become a symbol of all the persecutions and misfortunes of the Jewish people, for the loss of their national independence and their sufferings in exile. Above all, it is a day of intense mourning for the destruction of the Temple.
A Day of Mourning… And Future Joy
Tisha b’Av is marked with sadness and fasting from food and drink. Observant Jews avoid bathing or washing clothes or enjoying entertainment like music or movies. On this day the Jews are reminded of their tragic history.
Yet, this day is also expressly linked with Israel’s glorious destiny. The Jews also look forward to the ultimate rebuilding of the Temple, to a time when Tisha b’Av will become a day of joy and gladness (as it was foretold in Zechariah 8:19).
We do know that the Temple will be rebuilt because Jesus, John, and Paul all make reference to it (Matt 24:15; Rev 11:1, 2; 2 Thess 2:4). We also know that a future Temple will be desecrated by the Coming World Leader when he sets himself up to be worshiped (2 Thess 2:3–4). It is possible this prophetic event will also take place on Tisha b’Av—and may happen in the not-too-distant future.
Related References
• Temple Institute Tisha B’Av Video - Arutz Sheva
• The Nine Days - Laws and Customs - Chabad.org
• A Day Like Any Other? Tisha b’Av - Koinonia House
• The Coming Temple Update: MP3 Download - Koinonia House Store
• Pedigree of the Coming World Leader? The Genealogy of the Antichrist - Koinonia House
• Tisha b’Av - Judaism 101
• The Cult of Tragedy - The Jerusalem Post
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
The Hebrew month of Av begins Sunday night, July 7th, and Jews will mourn through the final nine day of The Three Weeks of grief that began with the Fast of Tammuz and end with Tisha b’Av—the day commemorating the destruction of the Jewish temples.
All public transportation will be silenced, all restaurants will remain closed in Jerusalem the evening of July 15th as the sun sets. The Hebrew day of great tragedies, Tisha b’Av, will begin at sundown. In remembrance of the destruction of both the First and Second Temple on the 9th of Av hundreds of years apart, tens of thousands of Jews will gather at the Western Wall to pray and petition the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Jewish hearts around the world will long in unison for the future Temple, the one to be established when the Messiah comes.
The Temple Mount
These next weeks, Jews look toward the Temple Mount with even more longing than normal. Israel has technically controlled the Temple Mount since the Six-Day War in 1967, but the Waqf, a Muslim council, manages the site. The Temple Mount is noticeably dominated by the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Israeli law is supposed to protect free access to the site, but the Israeli government enforces a ban on any non-Muslim prayer on the site in order to avoid Muslim riots.
Many Jews look forward to the day when the Messiah will come, when the Temple will once again rise up on the Temple Mount. A video by The Temple Institute shows a little boy and girl playing on the beach and building a replica of the Temple in the sand. The end caption reads, “The Children Are Ready.” The video had more than 400,000 views on YouTube after it was released last year.
Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute has long promoted this as a time of expectation for the Temple, rather than a time of mourning.
This year in an article on the Fast of Tammuz and the beginning of the Three Weeks of mourning, Rabbi Richman wrote recently in The Jerusalem Post:
The fabricated tears of Tamuz are the romanticization of pain; being comfortable with the pain because it is what we are used to. This is what Maimonides alludes to. We can become so stuck in a place, so part of the cycle, that there is no way out of it.
But the whole idea of Tamuz is for us to confront those idolatrous forces within our own psyche. Parts of the Jewish mindset have been taken over. We have been lobotomized by the pagan mindset of weeping over Tamuz. The verse in Ezekiel [8:14] alludes to the weeping over our own lives, the tragic aspects of our lives, because self-pity feels so good. So we do it again and again, year after year.
Mourning for the Temple is not about crying over the past, or obsessing about something we cannot change; it is about becoming motivated to rise up from mourning, to transform this world into a place for the Divine Presence.
Holy Ground
While many patiently anticipate the coming Temple, not all Jews want worshipers, Jewish or Muslim, flooding the Temple Mount. Nobody is certain exactly where the Holy of Holies in the Temple was located, and these faithful Jews do not want the unwitting visitor to tread on that spot. Worshipers must first be cleansed with the ashes of the red heifer as required in Numbers 19 before Jews can worship freely in the Temple area.
East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount have been points of major contention in past efforts to negotiate a two-state agreement. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, and the Jews do not want to give up this location that is so precious to Judaism. The world would never expect the Muslims to hand over control of the Kaaba in Mecca in order to keep peace, but the Jews are not free to worship on their holiest site because they fear Muslim violence.
Tisha b’Av
Many disasters have befallen the Jews on the 9th of Av throughout history. According to Jewish tradition, this was the day that God told the Children of Israel they were prohibited from entering the Promised Land because of disbelief. They were forced to wander in the desert forty more years until that adult generation had died out. That tragic day was just the beginning…
On the 9th of Av in:
586 BC, Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the Babylonian captivity began;
AD 70, the Second Temple, which stood during Christ’s ministry, was destroyed by the Romans precisely as Jesus predicted in Luke 19;
AD 135, the famous Bar Kokhba revolt was squelched when Bethar, the last Jewish stronghold, fell to the Romans;
AD 136, the Roman Emperor Hadrian established a heathen temple to Jupiter on the site of the Jewish Temple. Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city, and renamed the land as Palestina, to distance its Jewish heritage. The date when the Temple area was plowed under by the Romans was the 9th of Av.
The day has continued to be associated with grief for the Jewish people throughout history. For example, Pope Urban II declared the Crusades on the 9th of Av in 1242. According to the Alhambra Decree, the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 on this day (the same day that Columbus left on his westward route to the Indies). On the 9th of Av in 1942, the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto were mass deported to the Treblinka extermination camp in Poland. Thus the 9th of Av, Tisha B’Av, has become a symbol of all the persecutions and misfortunes of the Jewish people, for the loss of their national independence and their sufferings in exile. Above all, it is a day of intense mourning for the destruction of the Temple.
A Day of Mourning… And Future Joy
Tisha b’Av is marked with sadness and fasting from food and drink. Observant Jews avoid bathing or washing clothes or enjoying entertainment like music or movies. On this day the Jews are reminded of their tragic history.
Yet, this day is also expressly linked with Israel’s glorious destiny. The Jews also look forward to the ultimate rebuilding of the Temple, to a time when Tisha b’Av will become a day of joy and gladness (as it was foretold in Zechariah 8:19).
We do know that the Temple will be rebuilt because Jesus, John, and Paul all make reference to it (Matt 24:15; Rev 11:1, 2; 2 Thess 2:4). We also know that a future Temple will be desecrated by the Coming World Leader when he sets himself up to be worshiped (2 Thess 2:3–4). It is possible this prophetic event will also take place on Tisha b’Av—and may happen in the not-too-distant future.
Related References
• Temple Institute Tisha B’Av Video - Arutz Sheva
• The Nine Days - Laws and Customs - Chabad.org
• A Day Like Any Other? Tisha b’Av - Koinonia House
• The Coming Temple Update: MP3 Download - Koinonia House Store
• Pedigree of the Coming World Leader? The Genealogy of the Antichrist - Koinonia House
• Tisha b’Av - Judaism 101
• The Cult of Tragedy - The Jerusalem Post
Sunday, August 11, 2013
A Piece of the "True Cross" Unearthed in Turkey?
From the August 06, 2013 eNews issue
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
Turkish archaeologists have announced that they have found a stone chest in a 1,350-year-old church that may have implications for the Christian Church. The archaeologists claim that inside the chest is a relic that may contain a piece of the Cross of Jesus.
The artifacts were unearthed under the Balatlar Church in the Sinop Province in north-central Turkey. Excavation team leader Gülgün Köroğlu said, “We have found a holy thing in a chest. It is a piece of a cross,” the Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News quoted her as saying.
Köroğlu, an archaeologist at Turkey’s Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, said the chest is typical of other artifacts of its type. Chests at one time not only contained the bones of a person, but also items closely associated with that person’s life. In this case, the artifacts contained in this chest were believed to be associated with Jesus’ crucifixion.
The chest has been taken to a laboratory for further examination. Köroğlu said her team has been working at the Byzantine-era church for the last four years. She said that besides the chest, they have foundthe ruins of an ancient Roman bath as well as more than 1,000 human skeletons.
According to tradition, in 325 A.D., Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, believed she discovered the true cross of Jesus at a site outside of Jerusalem. Three crosses were found at the site, including the cross that Jesus supposedly was crucified on along with the crosses of the two thieves. A healing of a crippled woman attributed to stretching her out on the cross was said to reveal the identity of Jesus’ Cross.
The main part of the cross was deposited by Helena in a church erected over the spot. Of the remainder, one portion was sent to Byzantium and inserted into the head of a statue of Constantine, and another was placed in a new church in Rome, specially erected and named for it, Santa Croce (“Holy Cross”).
Pieces linked to Jesus’ cross were spread around the world and can be found in as diverse places outside of the Holy Land as Italy, India, France, and even the Shrine of the True Cross in Dickerson, TX.
Small fragments of the wood of the cross were also encrusted with gold and jewels and sold as souvenirs. Later in the 4th century, Cyril of Jerusalem said the whole world “has been filled with pieces of the wood of the cross.”
Since many early Christian churches and wealthy believers wanted to have a piece of the cross, the miracle of the “multiplication of the cross” was devised so that any relic of the cross was “preserved,” even though pieces were taken from it.
Pundits have commented that there are so many pieces of the cross housed in churches and private collections that one could build a threebedroom house from all the fragments. In fact, in the 1,500s John Calvin was to have said “if all the pieces linked to the ‘true cross’ were assembled in one place, they would make a big shipload.”
The legend of Helena’s find of the cross was widely accepted as true, but the discovery of a 5th-century apocryphal work titled Doctrina Addai has made it evident that the entire story of Helena’s discovery is only a version of an old Mesopotamian legend.
[The Doctrina Addai tells of an identical discovery of the cross, under the very same circumstances, during the reign of Tiberius, by Protonice (wife of Claudius, who became emperor), who had been converted to Christianity by the preaching of Peter.]
Throughout time, many artifacts have been sought after or claimed to be found. The Shroud of Turin, the Ark of the Covenant, the True Cross…. All these items could easily turn into a modern-day variant of the Brazen Serpent. (In many cases they have.)
During Israel’s flight from Egypt, the Israelites began to murmur against God (Number 21:4–5). For this, they were punished by fiery serpents (Numbers 21:6–7). Moses was instructed to make a brass serpent and hang it on a pole, to which the people bitten were to look and become healed. That serpent prefigures Christ “made … sin for us” (John 3:14–15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), hanging on the tree the judgment of our sin (Romans 8:3).
However, people lost sight of the real reason for the Brazen Serpent and began to use it as an object of idolatry (2 Kings 18:4). Because of this perversion, King Hezekiah destroyed it about 700 B.C.
There is a danger that many people will look to other artifacts from the past as they did the brazen serpent and become “snake worshippers” today. To them the power is in believing in a thing rather than in God.
It is faith in God, not faith in things that has power. Without the promises of God’s Word we can have all the faith in the world and not have redemption.
Is that piece of wood part of the cross Jesus hanged from?
Does it really matter?
References
• A piece of Jesus’ cross? Relics unearthed in Turkey - NBC News
• Archeologists claim to have found ‘piece of Jesus’ cross’ at church excavations in Turkey - Hurriyet Daily News
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
Turkish archaeologists have announced that they have found a stone chest in a 1,350-year-old church that may have implications for the Christian Church. The archaeologists claim that inside the chest is a relic that may contain a piece of the Cross of Jesus.
The artifacts were unearthed under the Balatlar Church in the Sinop Province in north-central Turkey. Excavation team leader Gülgün Köroğlu said, “We have found a holy thing in a chest. It is a piece of a cross,” the Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News quoted her as saying.
Köroğlu, an archaeologist at Turkey’s Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, said the chest is typical of other artifacts of its type. Chests at one time not only contained the bones of a person, but also items closely associated with that person’s life. In this case, the artifacts contained in this chest were believed to be associated with Jesus’ crucifixion.
The chest has been taken to a laboratory for further examination. Köroğlu said her team has been working at the Byzantine-era church for the last four years. She said that besides the chest, they have foundthe ruins of an ancient Roman bath as well as more than 1,000 human skeletons.
According to tradition, in 325 A.D., Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, believed she discovered the true cross of Jesus at a site outside of Jerusalem. Three crosses were found at the site, including the cross that Jesus supposedly was crucified on along with the crosses of the two thieves. A healing of a crippled woman attributed to stretching her out on the cross was said to reveal the identity of Jesus’ Cross.
The main part of the cross was deposited by Helena in a church erected over the spot. Of the remainder, one portion was sent to Byzantium and inserted into the head of a statue of Constantine, and another was placed in a new church in Rome, specially erected and named for it, Santa Croce (“Holy Cross”).
Pieces linked to Jesus’ cross were spread around the world and can be found in as diverse places outside of the Holy Land as Italy, India, France, and even the Shrine of the True Cross in Dickerson, TX.
Small fragments of the wood of the cross were also encrusted with gold and jewels and sold as souvenirs. Later in the 4th century, Cyril of Jerusalem said the whole world “has been filled with pieces of the wood of the cross.”
Since many early Christian churches and wealthy believers wanted to have a piece of the cross, the miracle of the “multiplication of the cross” was devised so that any relic of the cross was “preserved,” even though pieces were taken from it.
Pundits have commented that there are so many pieces of the cross housed in churches and private collections that one could build a threebedroom house from all the fragments. In fact, in the 1,500s John Calvin was to have said “if all the pieces linked to the ‘true cross’ were assembled in one place, they would make a big shipload.”
The legend of Helena’s find of the cross was widely accepted as true, but the discovery of a 5th-century apocryphal work titled Doctrina Addai has made it evident that the entire story of Helena’s discovery is only a version of an old Mesopotamian legend.
[The Doctrina Addai tells of an identical discovery of the cross, under the very same circumstances, during the reign of Tiberius, by Protonice (wife of Claudius, who became emperor), who had been converted to Christianity by the preaching of Peter.]
Throughout time, many artifacts have been sought after or claimed to be found. The Shroud of Turin, the Ark of the Covenant, the True Cross…. All these items could easily turn into a modern-day variant of the Brazen Serpent. (In many cases they have.)
During Israel’s flight from Egypt, the Israelites began to murmur against God (Number 21:4–5). For this, they were punished by fiery serpents (Numbers 21:6–7). Moses was instructed to make a brass serpent and hang it on a pole, to which the people bitten were to look and become healed. That serpent prefigures Christ “made … sin for us” (John 3:14–15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), hanging on the tree the judgment of our sin (Romans 8:3).
However, people lost sight of the real reason for the Brazen Serpent and began to use it as an object of idolatry (2 Kings 18:4). Because of this perversion, King Hezekiah destroyed it about 700 B.C.
There is a danger that many people will look to other artifacts from the past as they did the brazen serpent and become “snake worshippers” today. To them the power is in believing in a thing rather than in God.
It is faith in God, not faith in things that has power. Without the promises of God’s Word we can have all the faith in the world and not have redemption.
Is that piece of wood part of the cross Jesus hanged from?
Does it really matter?
References
• A piece of Jesus’ cross? Relics unearthed in Turkey - NBC News
• Archeologists claim to have found ‘piece of Jesus’ cross’ at church excavations in Turkey - Hurriyet Daily News
Do Parts of Herod's Temple Still Exist?
From the May 21, 2013 eNews issue
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
The Romans destroyed Herod’s Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE. Is it possible that some of the wooden beams from his Temple Mount have survived—and may be identified?
Some archeologists believe this may be the case.
In their May/June Edition of Biblical Archaeology Review, archaeologist Peretz Reuven studied beams removed from the Al-Aqsa Mosque and concluded that some of the beams may date back to the Temple.
Wooden beams of the quality that would have been used to build the temple—especially Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) and cypress (Cypressus sempervirens)—were extremely valuable and would have been used and reused, again and again.
Known to archaeologists as “secondary use,” the occurrence of reuse is known to be a widely accepted practice both today and in ancient times. Stone building blocks as well as columns and wood elements of buildings have been found to have been reused from previous building projects.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a prime example. While the Dome of the Rock (the other major building on the Temple Mount) has survived essentially intact since it was built in the 7th Century, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been rebuilt several times.
Why the difference? In short, the Dome on the Rock was built on a rock foundation while the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on land fill. The Mosque is located on the southern end of the Temple Mount on dirt fill material.
What happened on the Temple Mount between the Roman destruction in 70 CE and the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a bit unclear. One view is that it remained empty, essentially a garbage dump in fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction that “not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2; Luke 21:6).
There is some evidence of building on the Temple Mount after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, but nothing definitive. What is definitely known is that there is no report of a building on the Mount when the Muslims erected the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the late seventh and early eighth centuries.
Were some wooden beams from Herod’s Temple or other Temple Mount buildings still lying around at this time, and then used and reused in the construction and various reconstructions of Al-Aqsa Mosque?
Examination of the timbers salvaged (and reused) from the Mosque following the 1927 & 1928 earthquakes indicate most of the Mosque’s Cedar of Lebanon and cypress wood was in secondary use after having been used in an earlier construction (or constructions).
The beams often display depressions and protrusions intended to hold them in place from their earlier use.
Carvings of rosettes on the underside of one of the main support beams look very similar to rosettes in the sixth-century Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, indicating that the Al-Aqsa beam probably came from a Byzantine church and its earlier use should be dated to the same period as the church.
Other cypress beams have been carbon-14 dated back to the first century BC and probably came from a nearby structure on the Temple Mount that existed at that time.
Other logs that were removed from Al-Aqsa in the early 1960s were dated to the ninth–second centuries BCE, according to archeologists who have examined the beams.
One beam found was dated back to 884 BC +/- 180 years. Given that there is building material that old on the site and materials of construction were reused on site, it is possible that some of the timbers originally used in the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque survived from the First Temple Period.
Some of the support beams that had been used in earlier reconstructions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque were often left lying around on the Temple Mount if they were not used in later reconstructions. Gradually they disappeared, being carried away for other projects, probably homes and shops as well as souvenirs. This process sped up in recent years, especially during the recent Muslim excavation of a large stairway leading down to an underground mosque in Solomon’s Stables on the southern end of the Temple Mount.
One of the beams that has survived is carved with decorations common in the Roman period, including a rope pattern, various kinds of leaves and pomegranates. This Roman-period beam could be from Herod’s time.
Another intriguing fact about the beam is that there are markings on the beam that indicate it rested on columns that were spaced at intervals of 10.8 feet. This is a similar interval to the columns in Herod’s Royal Stoa, a basilica that stood on the southern end of the Temple Mount.
Cedar of Lebanon is an extremely valuable wood and durable enough for it to survive and be in use to the present day.
While we may never know for sure if any of these beams came from Herod’s temple, it is a distinct possibility.
References
• What Joins Jews and Muslims? - Archaeology & Arts
• Temple of Herod - JewishEncyclopedia.com
• Ancient Wooden Beams May Be from Herod’s Temple, According to Biblical Archaeology Review - PRLog
• Wooden Beams from Herod’s Temple Mount: Do They Still Exist? - Biblical Archaeology Society
Visit Koinonia House for a FREE subscription
The Romans destroyed Herod’s Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE. Is it possible that some of the wooden beams from his Temple Mount have survived—and may be identified?
Some archeologists believe this may be the case.
In their May/June Edition of Biblical Archaeology Review, archaeologist Peretz Reuven studied beams removed from the Al-Aqsa Mosque and concluded that some of the beams may date back to the Temple.
Wooden beams of the quality that would have been used to build the temple—especially Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) and cypress (Cypressus sempervirens)—were extremely valuable and would have been used and reused, again and again.
Known to archaeologists as “secondary use,” the occurrence of reuse is known to be a widely accepted practice both today and in ancient times. Stone building blocks as well as columns and wood elements of buildings have been found to have been reused from previous building projects.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a prime example. While the Dome of the Rock (the other major building on the Temple Mount) has survived essentially intact since it was built in the 7th Century, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been rebuilt several times.
Why the difference? In short, the Dome on the Rock was built on a rock foundation while the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on land fill. The Mosque is located on the southern end of the Temple Mount on dirt fill material.
What happened on the Temple Mount between the Roman destruction in 70 CE and the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a bit unclear. One view is that it remained empty, essentially a garbage dump in fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction that “not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2; Luke 21:6).
There is some evidence of building on the Temple Mount after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, but nothing definitive. What is definitely known is that there is no report of a building on the Mount when the Muslims erected the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the late seventh and early eighth centuries.
Were some wooden beams from Herod’s Temple or other Temple Mount buildings still lying around at this time, and then used and reused in the construction and various reconstructions of Al-Aqsa Mosque?
Examination of the timbers salvaged (and reused) from the Mosque following the 1927 & 1928 earthquakes indicate most of the Mosque’s Cedar of Lebanon and cypress wood was in secondary use after having been used in an earlier construction (or constructions).
The beams often display depressions and protrusions intended to hold them in place from their earlier use.
Carvings of rosettes on the underside of one of the main support beams look very similar to rosettes in the sixth-century Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, indicating that the Al-Aqsa beam probably came from a Byzantine church and its earlier use should be dated to the same period as the church.
Other cypress beams have been carbon-14 dated back to the first century BC and probably came from a nearby structure on the Temple Mount that existed at that time.
Other logs that were removed from Al-Aqsa in the early 1960s were dated to the ninth–second centuries BCE, according to archeologists who have examined the beams.
One beam found was dated back to 884 BC +/- 180 years. Given that there is building material that old on the site and materials of construction were reused on site, it is possible that some of the timbers originally used in the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque survived from the First Temple Period.
Some of the support beams that had been used in earlier reconstructions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque were often left lying around on the Temple Mount if they were not used in later reconstructions. Gradually they disappeared, being carried away for other projects, probably homes and shops as well as souvenirs. This process sped up in recent years, especially during the recent Muslim excavation of a large stairway leading down to an underground mosque in Solomon’s Stables on the southern end of the Temple Mount.
One of the beams that has survived is carved with decorations common in the Roman period, including a rope pattern, various kinds of leaves and pomegranates. This Roman-period beam could be from Herod’s time.
Another intriguing fact about the beam is that there are markings on the beam that indicate it rested on columns that were spaced at intervals of 10.8 feet. This is a similar interval to the columns in Herod’s Royal Stoa, a basilica that stood on the southern end of the Temple Mount.
Cedar of Lebanon is an extremely valuable wood and durable enough for it to survive and be in use to the present day.
While we may never know for sure if any of these beams came from Herod’s temple, it is a distinct possibility.
References
• What Joins Jews and Muslims? - Archaeology & Arts
• Temple of Herod - JewishEncyclopedia.com
• Ancient Wooden Beams May Be from Herod’s Temple, According to Biblical Archaeology Review - PRLog
• Wooden Beams from Herod’s Temple Mount: Do They Still Exist? - Biblical Archaeology Society
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)