The previous blog posts have talked about the Mosaic Law requiring eight sacrifices and each dealing with a specific heart or relational issue. Only through Christ can we be transferred from Satan’s kingdom into which we are all born and be able to enter Christ’s kingdom. This is the fulfilled symbolism of the burnt offering. By partaking and learning from him we can grow in him which is called the process of sanctification. This is the fulfillment of the grain offering. Christ’s sacrifice has restored the fellowship with God which was severed due to Adam’s sin. And this is the fulfillment of the peace or fellowship offering. And because we now have fellowship with him, our communication with him has been resorted—representing the need for the sin offering. And not only between God and us, but with each other with the guilt we suffered removed as symbolized by the guilt offering. God is pleased with being able to do this for us, which is represented by the drink offering, and he can be joyful because he no longer remembers any of our sins any longer, as the scapegoat represents. Even though he has paid for all our sins, past, present, and future, we still become unclean by living in a sinful world and because of our human nature, so he provides us continual cleansing if we only confess to him thereby making us clean again as symbolized by the ashes of the red heifer.

While the sacrificial system under the Mosaic Law was quite cumbersome, we can see through this that each was necessary because sin entraps us in more ways than one. Yet, Jesus Christ was able to untangle us completely, declaring us righteous, and thereby fit to be with him forever with the approval of the Father and with the enablement of the Holy Spirit.

So, what does all this mean for us? Christ is now fulfilling his second role for coming. We find this in Hebrews: “Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’ But in fact, the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises (Hb 8:1-7).”

What are these better promises? Let’s compare the promises from the Old and New Covenants. We could likely make a litany of promises to list, but here are a few key ones:

Old Covenant: Holy Spirit was not permanent; New Covenant: Holy Spirit is permanent. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come and go. This is one reason David prayed for the LORD to not take his Spirit from him. Today, once we accept Christ as our Savior, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us forever.

Old Covenant: justice was required by the Law because of one’s actions; New Covenant: mercy is applied instead. Because Christ paid for our sins, we can receive mercy rather than justice because Christ’s blood paid what justice required.

Old Covenant: there was no victory over death (all went to Sheol whether they were just or unjust, although there were different places within Sheol for each category); Yet neither were with Christ, their Messiah. Satan still controlled the keys to death and Sheol. New Covenant: we have received victory over death because, once we die, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we will be with Christ our Messiah at that moment and forever. Christ took the righteous to heaven and gained back the keys to death and Sheol.

Old Covenant: no power over sin; sacrifices were required and had to be repeated often; New Covenant: we have power over sin because Christ paid for our past, present, and future sins. We can have the mind of Christ and can operate within the same power that raised Christ from the dead because we have the Holy Spirit within us.

Old Covenant: people lived with a hope of their coming Messiah; New Covenant: we have an assurance of an eternity with Christ, our Messiah, forever.

What is Required? Romans 10:10 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and be saved.”

We must first realize something. What does that mean? It means to become aware of something as a fact. What is that fact? That we are wicked at heart. Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jr 17:9).

We then need to believe. What does that really mean? It means we accept something as true. What do we need to accept? That Christ died on the cross for our sins and has freed us from the power of sin over us.

That leads us to confess. Meaning what? We must admit we are at fault in some way. We confess what we just realized: that we are a sinner and cannot change that fact on our own. Then we confess our belief in what Christ did for us knowing there is no other way or no other hope for us.

Next, we accept. And that means to take something offered to you. Christ paid the debt required for our sin and did so as a gift to us, but that does us no good unless we accept this gift. While it is free to us, it was quite costly for Christ. How can we not accept something so preciously obtained? By doing so, we receive the Holy Spirit which dwells within us, guides us, and helps us to be more like Christ as we walk with Him.

Then, we live with assurance. How is that done? One makes one’s home in a particular place with a particular person. By accepting this precious but free gift of salvation, we can know with certainty that our home will be with Christ forever. His presence dwells with us now and forever.

It has always been about the heart. The real question is: to whom does yours belong?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

There are three places where Christ’s crucifixion was possible. There are pros and cons to each of them. Some are quite adamant about one of these three. Yet I don’t think there is hard-fast evidence of either one. Each has merit. Let’s see where they are located.

One of the most-held beliefs of where Christ was crucified is at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Its location is outside the western city gate of Old Jerusalem and would have been on a main thoroughfare which led traffic to and from Damascus. This is probably the place most Catholics and many Protestants revere and celebrate as the place of Christ’s crucifixion. It receives thousands of visitors each year. It is located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City and close to both the Jaffa and Damascus Gates.

The second most-held belief of the place of Christ’s crucifixion is the Garden Tomb. It is located not far from the Damascus Gate on the north side of the city. Its location would have been near a main thoroughfare going into the city. It is quite peaceful and beautiful there. Probably more Protestants than Catholics revere this site as the place of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. The city’s bus depot is just on the other side of the garden wall and adjacent to it is a place that looks somewhat like a skull and the main reason it is thought to be the place of Calvary where Jesus was crucified.

Some people believe that neither of these places are correct. If Christ was to fulfill all eight of the sacrifices mentioned in the Mosaic Law, then he would need to be crucified near where the red heifer was sacrificed and that would be on the Mount of Olives near the Garden of Gethsemane. Near the base of the mount is the Church of Nations (Basilica of the Agony) and the Garden of Gethsemane is right next to it. This would also be near a main road to get to Jerusalem coming in from Jericho, through Bethany, and then through Bethphage at the top of the Mount of Olives (although that town is not there today). Jewish graves would be below the bridge and could be a potential place for Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Many Jews clamored to be buried here. Therefore, typically, only the wealthy could afford the price to be buried here. Most Jews believed their Messiah would enter Jerusalem from the east when he came to set up his kingdom and resurrect the faithful. Then they would be among the first resurrected so they would then be able to enter the Eastern Gate with him.

No matter which of these places you believe is the place of Christ’s crucifixion, it is important to know that this was an actual event of history and set the stage for his New Covenant. But was this the only role that Christ needed to fulfill when he came? Join me next time and we’ll discuss that subject.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

A required drink offering was required for several of the sacrifices that were made. This offering was made of strong wine (Nu 28:7). It was not to be diluted, which speaks of the purity and perfection of the offering, as well as of its preciousness (costlier than what was normally drank). All of it was poured out onto the sacrifice. Wine is a symbol of joy for both man and God (Jd 9:13; Ps 104:15). It was to be instituted only after they dwelt in the Promised Land (Nu 15:1) – because only then would they have vineyards to obtain the grapes to make wine. It was only offered with the “sweet savor” offerings (Nu 15:1-16): i.e., burnt offering, meal offering, and peace offering. It was not used with a sin offering or guilt offering because God has no joy in our sin.

The drink offering was instituted as a symbol of completion and pointed to a future completion. This was done by God who takes joy in doing this for us. Matthew said this about Jesus: “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:27).

Christ’s blood was a drink offering, meaning it was a completion of something which had been started earlier. His death was the completion of what the sacrifices in Leviticus pointed toward—i.e., the payment for mankind’s sin. Even in the New Testament it is a symbol of joy and completion and the initiation of new beginnings: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hb 12:2). The cross wasn’t the joy but what he endured to get to the joy, i.e., being with us forever. This offering therefore represents the joy of our restoration.

So, you see, God was intimately involved with us coming to him. After all, it was all his idea to restore us to himself. Us coming back to him gives him great joy. When we’re forgiven of our sin, what happens to that sin? Join me next time for that discussion.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

At Christ’s second coming, He will remove all sin from the land of Israel, including idolatry, evil spirits and false prophets (Zc 13:1-2). Yom Kippur is the prophetic Jewish holiday of this event. Those false prophets who continue will be turned over for destruction and even if they feign to be otherwise, the evidence of their true nature will give them away (Zc 13:3-6). However, only one-third of the Jews will even live to see this day (Zc 13:7-9) because when the entire world turns against them (Zc 12:3), most will be killed but when the remnant calls upon the name of the Lord, he will answer (Zc 12:9) just as Jesus promised (Mt 23:39).

Christ will first touch down on the Mount of Olives (Zc 14:4), the same place of his ascension (Ac 1:11-12). The mount will split forming a valley east and west (Zc 14:4) which forms a way of escape for those fleeing Jerusalem (Zc 14:5). This day of Christ’s return will be a unique day (Zc 14:6-7) with it being neither a day of light nor dark but something in between.

It has been found that the Arabian fault extends from the Afar Triangle (where the Arabian, African, and Somalian plates meet) up to the Gulf of Aqaba and through the Jordan River basin (called the Great Rift Valley) northward. In addition, there is a fault zone, called the Palmyra Belt of Faults and Folds extending from the Jordan River north of the Sea of Galilee to the Euphrates River. All throughout this area are subterranean riverbeds. When Christ returns to the Mount of Olives, it triggers a massive earthquake which causes all these faults in this area to separate. A fault scarp between Geba (about 5 miles north of Jerusalem) to Rimmon (about 35 miles south of Jerusalem) is formed which causes the area east to become a plain (Zc 14:10). The rift in the mount of Olives will go westward to the Tyropoean Valley in Jerusalem (Zc 14:10-11) and eastward also forming a scarp face and allow a subterranean river to flow from beneath the temple mount in Jerusalem toward the Dead Sea (Zc 14:8; Ek 47:1-12). Also, the Palmyra Belt of Faults will separate causing the Euphrates River to then flow into the Jordan River causing the remainder of the Euphrates River to dry up (Rv 16:12). Therefore, even more fresh water will flow into the Jordan River from the Euphrates and from other subterranean rivers now exposed from the scarp face and will flow into the Dead Sea making it vibrant for fish and vegetation (Ek 47:9-10) and water will then flow out of the Dead Sea to the sea of Aqaba and another part of the Jordan will then flow along the newly developed scarp face into the Mediterranean Sea (Zc 14:8).

Christ immediately goes to the Petra area to save the people there and then goes up to Jerusalem destroying the enemy as he goes. Christ will fight all the enemies of Israel that have come against them, and God will cause a plague to strike them and they will fight among each other, and in the end, Jerusalem will be victorious (Zc 14:12-15). He banishes the Antichrist and Satan who has possessed him to the Abyss (Rv 20:2-3), and then begins the process of setting up his kingdom, which will be a 45-day period (Dn 12:11-12). During this time several events will occur: the angels will be judged. ( 1Co 6:3, Mt 25:41), the survivors will be judged (Mt 25:31-46), assignments for the saints will set in motion (Dn  12:13, Jr 30:9, Mt 19:28), nations, property, and laws will be established for the next 1000 years (Zc 14:17-21), and the temple will be built (Ek 43:6-7; Zc 6:12-13).

Our future will be a glorious one. This is something you don’t want to miss. I hope you don’t. Join us. He is waiting for you. It is just a simple decision of faith on your part, but it opens up so much to a glorious future.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

God had not spoken prophetically to Israel for nearly 400 years! Then he showed up in a big way fulfilling many prophetic announcements of his arrival. Was Israel ready? No, not really. It’s hard to realize you are living through fulfilled prophecy. Doing so tests all your preconceived ideas of what it would be like if you were to do so. But now, it’s not a thought process. It’s real. It tests the mettle of your beliefs. We find this awesome time of God becoming human in Matthew Chapter 1 and Luke Chapter 2.

His coming was on the heels of the Hasmonean Dynasty. Around 168 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire of Persia suppressed the Jews greatly and went so far as to desecrate their temple in Jerusalem, and a priest by the name of Judas Maccabeus initiated a seven-year rebellion which gained momentum very quickly, known as the Maccabean Revolt. During this time, Jerusalem and the temple was regained with the temple being rededicated. This time became known as the celebration of Hanukkah where the amount of oil for the temple menorah was just enough to last a day, but it lasted for eight days giving time for more of the sacred oil to be prepared. After a seven-year battle, Judas was killed in battle and his brother, Jonathan, led the Jews to an eventual defeat of their enemies and was made not only High Priest, but king as well, initiating the Hasmonean Dynasty where the priesthood and kingship were merged for almost twenty-two years. Rivalry between sons for kingship brought Rome into their midst due to these siblings’ thirst for power, and Rome never left. Eventually, Rome took over the position of power and even controlled the power of the high priest by housing the ephod worn by the high priest within the Roman Tower of Antonia built adjacent to the temple.

Various religious sects emerged which diluted the truth of scripture even through the tradition of scripture became even stronger in their culture. While Scripture became a nationalistic symbol of the Jews, it became less about personal belief in God and more about the celebration of tradition surrounding those beliefs. Israel had lost their way both as a nation physically and spiritually. Now, God decided to step in and show the error of their interpretation of scripture as well as reveal to them how they had come to serve the Law rather than having the Law serve them and point them to God.

God revealed himself as El Hakavod, God of Glory. God revealed his glory to mankind through the birth of Jesus Christ just as the ancient prophets had foretold. He was Jehovah Ori, the Lord my Light. Jesus illuminated the way to the proper way to God. He was El Tamim, Perfect God. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for mankind. He was El Nasah, God who Forgives. His action on the cross gives us forgiveness. He was Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness. We are declared righteous because of him taking our place. Christ, as our Messiah, restored what Satan took from Adam and gave us power to be the Children of God and joint heirs with Christ.

From this example presented today and all the examples presented in previous posts we have discussed, I think we can conclude that God is predictably unpredictable. He always showed up, and while he presented a side of himself that fit the occasion, he did not typically present himself as people expected or desired. Let’s do a quick recap:

Flood – God was decisive, appeared malicious at first glance, but we find him extremely gracious once we understand what was at stake and what Satan had actually done. We must see the why and not just the what.

Tower of Babel – Here God appears lenient—just the opposite of what we observed from him showing up at the Flood. Here, he let people continue but with new confinements. We see here that God wants the best for us.

Red Sea – God made the Israelites sweat it out to get them to realize their dependence on him. Our battle is not with those we can see but with those forces we can’t see.

Hezekiah – God even let others get destroyed to teach a valuable lesson to those who remained. God let Hezekiah help preserve his people but made him realize only through dependence on him would their victory be assured. Turning to God is not insurance but assurance. Through this example we see the powerful weapon prayer actually is for us.

Birth of Christ – Jesus did not come as the religious leaders had expected their Messiah to come and reveal himself. Jesus taught what they did not expect. He seemed practically anti-Scripture to them because they had applied their own desires to Scripture and not let Scripture formulate their ideas. We need to be on the same page as God and not vice versa.

Today – Do we have an expectation of how God will show up? Do we expect him to show up? Are we willing to be surprised and willing to change and adapt to how he decides to show up? We do not want to be like the Pharisees and miss the blessings that are in store for us.

Join me next time when we take these examples and apply them to our situation today. You may even be surprised at our findings. Please join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Have you ever noticed that God usually deals with us with a light touch, but our neglect of his promptings can come with heavy consequences? He wants the best for us, but our stubbornness is what gives us second best. This was the same with those Ezekiel was trying to get to follow God’s promptings.

God gave them several parables to try and get their attention (Ek 17:1-21). Let’s see what he told them. First, God gave them a parable of two eagles. The first eagle takes the highest branch of a cedar of Lebanon and carries it off. It is planted in the soil and grows into a healthy vine. In this instance, Nebuchadnezzar is the eagle and king Jehoiachin of Judah is the vine. He was a very wicked king and God had him removed from being king after he reigned for only three months. Jeremiah even prophesied against his wickedness. He was taken to Babylon and placed in prison. Yet, a future king of Babylon took him out of prison and placed him in a place of prominence (2Ki 25:27-30).

Ezekiel then talked about a second eagle. This second eagle also took a branch, but this branch did not prosper. Those who remained in Judah reached out to this second eagle who represented king Hophra of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar’s forces reached as far south as Egypt. When Nebuchadnezzar deposed Jehoiachin, he put Zedekiah on the throne in Jerusalem. Because Zedekiah looked to king Hophra of Egypt for help and defied paying taxes to Babylon (2Ch 36:13), Nebuchadnezzar had Jerusalem captured, the temple burned, put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and brought him to Babylon where he later died (2Ki 25:1-21).

God then contrasts what he will do as opposed to what these human kings have done for the Israelites (Ek 17:22-24). He stated he would take the highest branch of the cedar, plant it on the heights of Israel, and it will become a large cedar bearing much fruit where all kinds of birds will use it as a habitat and find shade within its branches. This represents the prosperous reign of the coming Messiah. God stated this was his promise to Israel. This shows us two things: God’s way is always superior to ours, and he always provides a message of hope during his prophecies of destruction.

God went further. The people quoted the following proverb: The parents eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge (Ek 18:2). The people used this as an excuse not to change as they stated their circumstances were not their fault. They were just reaping the judgment of the acts of their ancestors. Ezekiel stated God was now going to hold each individual accountable for their own actions and it would not matter what one’s ancestors had or had not done. It would only matter what an individual did, and an individual would stand or fall on his own merit. While they then stated that was not fair, God stated he was offering them a new heart for their positive response to him (Ek 18:31-21). This brings us to the point that God has never claimed to be fair. This is not a concept you find in scripture. Remember Christ’s parable of the talents (Mt 25)? It was the one who had the most that got the talent of the foolish servant. It was not about being fair but about doing what the master required of his servants.

Ezekiel then proclaimed a lament for the two kings of Judah who each reigned only three months and were taken captive (Ek 19). The first was king Jehoahaz who was the successor and son of Josiah. After reigning for only three months, king Necho of Egypt deposed him and took him to Egypt. The second was king Jehoiachin who we talked about earlier. After reigning for three months, Nebuchadnezzar had him deposed and took him to Babylon.

Despite reigning for only three months, Jehoiachin was so wicked Jeremiah prophesied against him stating no descendent of him would sit on the throne of David (Jr 22:30). Yet, Jeremiah also stated there would never cease to be a king on the throne of Israel (Jr 33:17). Hosea also prophesied that Israel would be innumerable in the land where they were not his people (Ho 1:10). So, it is likely that once Jehoiachin was taken out of prison, he was made ruler over the Israelites who had been taken into Babylonia, although his job would be to make them remain loyal to the throne of Babylon. Yet, history tells us that it is likely these Israelites were the genesis of the Parthian empire since it has been found to have Semitic origins and language.

This also set the stage for Christ being able to fulfill such a convoluted prophecy, as only he could fulfill such a prophecy where he would have legal rights to the throne of David and not be a descendent of Jehoiachin through whom the bloodline of the throne resides. You see, Christ was not the son of Joseph who was a direct descendent of Jehoiachin, as Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit. Mary was his mother, and she was a descendent of David through Nathan and not through Solomon, and thereby not a descendent of Jehoiachin. When Joseph took Mary as his wife, he claimed Jesus as his own son which then gave Jesus the legal inheritance of the throne of David even though he was not a direct descendent of Jehoiachin. Only God could have choregraphed such a deed.

So, let’s take notice of this. We may balk at what God is trying to get us to do, yet what we can’t see at the time is that his plans are so much more wonderful that we could ever imagine them to be. Let’s let go and let God. It is truly the best way.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We all know Christ was born on Christmas, right? Well, that’s when we celebrate his birth, but chances are, this was not his actual birth date. When was it? Let’s see if we can discover.

Rick Larson has done a lot of research about the star of Bethlehem. There are several significant points of time we need to consider:

1.      When did the sign in the sky first appear? It seems to have been in September of 3 BC near the time of Rosh Hashanah when the king planet (Jupiter) came into a conjunction with the king star (Regulus). Yet, over the next few months, it did this three times—all within Leo (the lion constellation). In other words, Jupiter went into retrograde motion three times over a period of a few months. The lion has always been a symbol of the tribe of Judah.

2.      In June of 2 BC, Jupiter had a conjunction with Venus (the mother planet) within Virgo (the virgin constellation).

3.      Then on December 25, 2 BC, the planet Jupiter went into retrograde motion and seemed to stand over the town of Bethlehem. This was when the Magi visited Mary and Joseph to see the king who had been born.

Before we go further, we also need to understand something about the Feast of Israel which occurred around September and June and what they represented:

1.      Feast of Weeks (Pentecost; Shavuot): This is a feast about paradigm changes. Israel became a chosen nation before God when they stood around Mount Sinai on Shavuot (Ex 24:1-8). The incorporation of Rahab and Ruth (both Gentiles) into the nation of Israel occurred on or near Shavuot (Js 6:25; Ru 4:13). This is what the two loaves (Lv 23:17) made on this feast, both containing leaven, represented: the inclusion of everyone into God’s plan. This was a mystery to Israel until Shavuot in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was given, and the birth of the Church began. This was the mystery to which Paul referred and of which he preached (Ep 3:6).

2.      Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah): This was a feast to request God to remember his covenant with the nation of Israel (Lv 23:24). You see, Yom Kippur would soon come where they would be judged. They, just as we, had no righteousness on their own. Therefore, they needed God’s mercy and requested he remember his covenant where they would be his people forever. We have evidence of this when Solomon dedicated his temple (2Ch 5:3, 7:8-10), when the altar of the temple was rebuilt (Er 3:1, 6), and when the wall of Jerusalem was completed (Ne 8:1-2).

3.      Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): This feast was to represent God dwelling with his people. Yet, this is more representative of Christ’s second coming than his first. We’ll revisit this later.

So, what can we put together from all these pieces of information? We see that the New Testament opens with the birth of Christ. The time from Malachi to Christ’s birth has often been referred to as the Four Hundred Years of Silence. God remembered his covenant with his chosen people Israel, and did so in a big way. God appeared to Mary and stated she would have a child. If Larson is right, Christ’s conception occurred in September of 3 BC, on Rosh Hashanah. From what we have seen about this feast, it would be consistent with God remembering his covenant.

Nine months later puts us into June. What occurred around this time period? Well, Shavuot is typically around this time, but Shavuot is not typically nine months from Rosh Hashanah. From Tishri 1 of 3 BC (Rosh Hashanah) to Sivan 6 (Shavuot) would typically be just a little over eight months (243 days)—not quite enough time for a normal gestation period (average time: 280 days). Yet, something interesting happened this year. In 3 BC an extra month, Adar II, was added to the Jewish calendar. This was periodically added to realign the Jewish feasts with the seasons of the year since the Jewish calendar was a lunar calendar, not a solar calendar. Adding this extra month allowed the two calendars to realign. This added 29 more days to the time between these two feasts. Now, the time between the two feasts was 272 days—very close to the average normal gestation period. After all, it’s an average, with some babies born a little earlier and some born a little later. It seems appropriate he could come a little early. After all, he had an important job to fulfill! This would mean Christ’s conception was likely on September 10th of 3 BC, and his birth was likely on June 8th of 2 BC (although, some say June 2nd). The angels appeared to the Shepherds at Midgal Eder, the Watchtower of the Flock, to announce Christ’s birth. These Shepherds who watched over the sheep for sacrifice were trained in rabbinical law of the requirements for sacrifice and had to ensure all lambs were without blemish. The angels appeared to them to let them know their job was now obsolete. The sacrificial lamb for which they had long awaited was now lying in their manger wrapped in the swaddling cloths they use to wrap newborn lambs to keep them calm for their inspection to ensure they were without blemish.

Therefore, what Rick Larson has discovered in the stars seems to align with these Jewish feasts and the meaning behind them. I just think that is fascinating. Yet, I know many feel Christ was born on Sukkot. After all, isn’t that what his prophesied name, Immanuel (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23), was supposed to mean: God with us? Yet, although Christ did offer his kingdom upon his first coming (Mt 4:17), that was rejected (Mt 16:21). In addition, Matthew records the angel Gabriel stated to name him Jesus (Mt 1:21), meaning, “he will save his people from their sins,” which is what he did by paying our sin debt, fulfilling the mystery of how the whole world would get incorporated into his Kingdom, and setting the stage for the time when he will come again and truly dwell with his people as the King of kings (Rv 17:14, 19:16).

There is one other supportive piece of information which this timing seems to support. Why was Jesus brought to the temple when he was twelve rather than being the normal thirteen years of age? According to the Mishnah, even in the first century, thirteen was the age of questioning in the Commandments for a male. It seems this is what was going on and he amazed them all in his answers to their questions (Lk 2:47). If he had been born on Sukkot, he would have been almost fourteen years of age when he visited the temple at that Passover. Yet, Scripture reports he was twelve (Lk 2:42), because his birthday would have been just a couple of months later.

Isn’t it amazing how Scripture and events go together like hand in glove? God is not a God of accidents. He has a purposeful plan. It helps to also know he has a purposeful plan for us as well. Are you listening to what he has planned for you? More than likely, it will be pretty special.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

What does God’s fingerprint look like? The names of God help us to understand God’s character, but not God’s basic essence. So, what is God’s basic essence? Hashilush Hakadosh – Holy Trinity

Why is this important? It’s the foundation of who God is. It’s how he is unique. It’s how he is able to do what he does. It’s how he relates to us. This is why Lucifer became Satan, the Adversary, because he claimed to be as God. But God is holy – unique – no one can be like him.

So, there it is, his fingerprint, his uniqueness. Who else can claim to be Three-in-One? One part of holiness is being pure and righteous. Yet, the other meaning is that of uniqueness – being like none other. This certainly puts him into a category all by himself. God, the 1st part of the Trinity, became known as God the Father, the 2nd part of the Trinity became God the Son because he came to earth as a child to identify with mankind and pay the ransom for their sin, and the 3rd part of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. They each have a job to do yet cannot be fully separated from each other.

So, does the Bible really support such a uniqueness to God? It is not explicitly stated. Why? I think because it is his essence, his fingerprint. You don’t have to state a certain fingerprint is yours, do you? It identifies you as you. You don’t have to claim it, it claims you.

In Genesis 1:1-2, it states that God (i.e., Elohim, a plural noun and a unique form in Hebrew) created (i.e., bara, a singular verb, utilizing the qal stem of Hebrew grammar and this form of the word is used exclusively for the activity of God in which he fashions something new and pristine). Then, in verse 2, the Spirit of God is mentioned. In addition, we find the words “us” and “our” in verse 26. These verses support the idea of God being Trinity.

If this was the only place in scripture which supported this, then we could debate, but there are others. In Exodus, we also find the Trinity of God revealed to Israel. “And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death’” (Ex 19:10-12). Here we see the justice of God being revealed.

“On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him (Ex 19:16-19). Here, we see the 1st Person of the Trinity being revealed to Israel.

We then find something very unusual. “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something, like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank” (Ex 24:9-11). Here, we see the love of God being revealed, and we meet the 2nd Person of the Trinity.

In an account in Numbers, we find more. “The LORD said to Moses: ‘Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone’” (Nu 11:16-17). Here, we see the omnipresence of God is revealed by the 3rd Person of the Trinity.

Then, in the New Testament, we see a culmination of all the components of the Trinity. “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’” (Mk 1:9-11). This is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person of the Trinity working in concert.

Therefore, God can have pure justice and pure love co-exist together. They could exist no other way. Yet, that doesn’t mean God the Father is all justice and God the Son is all love. They are the same, yet different. The Bible tells us that one day God the Son, who has bestowed upon us the love of God, will one day bestow God’s justice to everyone who has not accepted him as their Savior. For those who have accepted him as their Savior, their ransom has been paid so God’s justice will not impact them.

How do we grasp the concept of Trinity? Why do we try to ignore the concept of Trinity? Why do we try to make it out as something impossible? Is there anything in nature that supports such a concept? The Answer is YES. God’s fingerprint is found is the very essence of matter itself. Isn’t that where you would expect it to be?

We’ll further explore this aspect next time, but don’t wait. God is unique so you can rely upon him. It’s hard to believe someone ordinary can so the impossible, but someone unique, like no other . . . now, that’s a different story. He’s waiting. Just talk to him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We are getting close to the Christmas season, so I thought we would look at items associated with the Christmas story. “Son of God” is one such term. I’m sure you’ve heard this term many times. What does it mean to you? Is that what it really means?

First, let’s look at some terms similar to this: sons of God, children of God, Son of Man.

Sons of God: this term refers to angels (Gn 6:2, 4).

Children of God: believe it or not, the Bible does not claim that we are all children of God. Even though we are all subject to God, he states that only those who accept him by faith are considered his children (Ro 8:14). This term is used 13 times in the NIV New Testament and not in the Old Testament. In each case, it refers to those who are Christians, or followers of Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.

Son of Man: this term is used in both the NIV Old Testament and NIV New Testament 178 times and can refer to men in general with 93 times referring to the prophet Ezekiel and 2 times to other men. Then, it refers to Christ 83 times in both the Old and New Testaments. Christ used this term many times to refer to himself. He likely did this because this term is referring to the miracle of his birth. He was both 100% God and 100% human. His humanity was the miracle. His body was pure human – no divine DNA. Otherwise, he would not be the sin of atonement needed. The other miracle was that while he was human, he was also sinless.

Some have suggested that Christ was like Adam since Adam was created with perfect human DNA without father or mother. It is likely the Holy Spirit did the same here, but as an embryo within Mary. This may also be why Paul compared Christ to the first Adam (1Co 15). While their human components were similar, their spirits were different. While Adam’s spirit gave him life, Christ’s spirit not only gave his human frame life, it has given eternal life to everyone who trusts in him (1Co 15:45). Christ is unique and has always been unique. He is equal with God since he is part of the Trinity, as the second part of the Godhead.

We know that the term Son of God means something different that the normal definition of son: a male descendant; a male offspring; a male heir. After all, Christ existed before his earthly birth (Jn 1:1; 8:58), and even before creation (Hb 1:2). He is therefore superior to all beings created (Hb 1:4).

We also know that before Christ was born as an infant, he existed as a spirit (Jn 4:24). However, all three parts of the Godhead can show themselves in visible forms. God the Father showed himself in smoke, fire, and lightning at Sinai (Ex 19:18), Christ revealed himself in human form to Adam and Eve (Gn 3:8), to Moses (Ex 24:9-10), Joshua (Js 5:13-14), Manoah (Jd 13:21-22), and others. The Holy Spirit revealed himself as a dove at Christ’s baptism (Mt 3:16).

Once born, Christ’s body was totally human in every way (Jn 1:14, Pp 2:7-8, Hb 2:17). Although human, he was also perfect: sinless and unblemished having perfect DNA. He was indeed the only human who could be the perfect sacrifice for all mankind to pay the justice which God required.

Christ’s body, though, was different after his resurrection. How do we know this? Christ is described as the firstfruit of the resurrection (1Co 15:20). How is he the firstfruit when others had been resurrected before he had been (Lk 7:11-15, Jn 11:43-44) and were resurrected when he was resurrected (Mt 27:51-53)? Of all of these, only Christ was the one resurrected in a glorified body. These others were resurrected human; Christ’s body was now different. It is likely his body and spirit were fused forever together. Every cell of his body was both physical and spiritual. Therefore, he was unique. One day we will also have glorified bodies similar to his (1Jn 3:2).

Our spirits are within us and is what makes us alive and eternal beings (Jn 6:63, 2Co 1:22). Without our spirit, our bodies would not be alive (Ja 2:26). Our physical bodies are the shells for our spirit.

It seems that our physical bodies and spiritual bodies are fused together as one. These scriptures seem to suggest that our physical bodies are necessary to achieve our glorified bodies (1Th 4:16, 1Co 15:50-51). Otherwise, why would our physical bodies be needed to rise from the dead? It seems our spirits need to fuse to our physical bodies to make them glorified.

Christ was still a man after his resurrection (1Tm 2:5). He did not go back to his original state to be spirit. While still a man, his body is now glorified and fused within his Spirit—something unique. Even scars given to his physical body are still present (Zc 12:10). Yet, this does not mean we will keep our scars and blemishes. When the curse is lifted, the Refreshing (Ac 3:19), all will be made perfect again—including us. Christ keeping his scars was his decision to forever remind us of his love for us and what he did for us.

In his glorified body, Christ could be seen, but act as a spirit (Lk 24:31, Jn 20:19, 26). He appeared and disappeared at will. While Christ was able to teleport himself and others before being glorified (Jn 6:21), it seems this was stressed more after receiving his glorified body to show us what we can expect once we become like him.

This likely also explains the ominous verse about Tartarus (2Pt 2:4). This is a very strange verse without much explanation. However, the verse implies these angels did something very heinous. They had already rebelled, so it is not referring to that. Not all demons are in Tartarus, but only a select group. Why?

Back in Genesis is a potential clue (Gn 6:1-4). These angels, devoted to Satan, intermarried with human women. Their children became men of renown, likely large in stature and similar to the Greek gods we read about in literature. People revered them and maybe even worshipped them. Sound like a myth? Yes, but myths have a start in truth even though they gets distorted over time.

Some theologians, like Renald Showers in his book, What on Earth is God Doing?, state this was an attempt by Satan to thwart God’s plan of redemption by introducing angel DNA into the human genome. But, did Satan go even further?

Could this have been Satan’s attempt to make humans glorified for his purpose? He was making mankind different by infusing angel DNA into every cell of their body. This is somewhat similar to what we were talking about with God having our spirit infused into every cell of our body. Again, Satan is trying to counterfeit being God.

Christ’s physical body was completely human. It was not divine. It has to be completely human for him to identify with us; yet, he had to be without sin in order to pay the penalty God’s justice demanded. Only he could fulfill this. His spirit was divine; his body was human, but perfect: 100% God, 100% human. His glorified body was a fusion of some sort with his physical body so he can continue to identify with us for eternity. We will have a physical body, but it will perform like a spiritual body—the best of both worlds.

Why is this important? This shows the uniqueness of God. No one else could have accomplish this. It shows the love of God. Christ was willing to change himself forever to identify with us forever. It shows the mercy of God. Only Christ offers us a chance to be like him and with him. It shows his jealousy for us and he being willing to do anything for us to one day dwell with him forever. He did it all for us at his own sacrifice and his own willingness to change his relationship within the Trinity forever. It demonstrates he was both Son of God and Son of man: totally God, totally man, totally awesome!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens