With so many disappearing all at once with the occurrence of the Rapture, there will likely be fear, panic, terror, chaos, and disinformation occurring. Therefore, Satan works in an individual who exudes charisma, is confident, wants power, and is one whom he can control. This one, the Antichrist, comes on the scene, likely working behind the scenes for many years prior to this time, and now surfaces as the one with the answers, the one everyone turns toward. His actions, his words, make sense and begin to calm fears. Many on the earth will feel putting him in charge will make sense and solve many of their problems. Satan has always desired to rule the world and have subjects who will worship him. He, therefore, works through this individual toward that end.

This period of time has become known as the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jr 30:7) or the Tribulation Period (Rv 7:14). It is a seven-year period of time between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ; also known as Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Dn 9:27). It is also part of what Old Testament prophets called the Day of the Lord (Is 13:6; Ek 30:3; Jl 1:15; Am 5:20; Ob 1:15; Zp 1:14; Zc 14:1; Ml 4:5). The term ‘Day of the Lord’ includes this period of time, but also includes the individual judgment that will occur at the time of Christ’s second coming (Mt 25:31-46).

God has always stated Israel as a nation could know if they are in God’s favor. This statement is found back in Deuteronomy (Dt 27-28). God stated He would bless Israel if they were obedient: plenty of rain, plenty of crops, no enemies could overtake them, and they would be the ones taking care of other nations financially and provisionally. However, if the nation of Israel did not obey God, then a series of misfortunes would follow suit getting progressively worse and worse: disease, lack of rain, failed crops, overtaken by enemies, taken into captivity, and those in the land that are non-Israelites would overtake those living there. In ancient times, Israel as a nation was confined to a geographic region. However, today, Jews are everywhere around the globe and not in one geographical region. God could only get their attention if He acted where all Jews live. Therefore, today, this would involve the whole world.

As the Antichrist starts out on the heels of the great disappearances, the world is in chaos, and he seems to be the savior with answers for the nations of earth. He makes a treaty with Israel (Dn 9:27) and promises their protection. However, not everyone is in agreement with this, and a league of nations come against Israel. Likely, nations between and above the Caspian and Black Seas and northeastern Turkey, along with Georgia and Russia, will align with Iran, Sudan, and Libya to attack Israel (Ek 38:1-12). Peoples from the north, south, and east of Israel will attack. These nations have a 4-fold agenda: (1) obtain the wealth of Israel (Ek 38:11-12), (2) control the Middle East, (3) destroy Israel, and (4) challenge the authority of the Antichrist (Dn 11:40-44). The Antichrist as well as the nations in southern Arabia and Western Europe are against this invasion (Ek 38:13).

God intervenes and uses several natural disasters to hinder the invasion: (1) a great earthquake, (2) infighting among the troops of the various nations doing the invading, (3) disease, and (4) torrential rain, hailstones, fire and burning sulfur (Ek 38:19-22). There are four key events which follow this invasion: (1) birds and beasts are called to gorge on the dead bodies (Ek 39:4-5, 17-20), (2) burying of the dead takes seven months to complete (Ek 39:11-12, 14-16), (3) the weapons left from the invasion of the dead army provide enough fuel to last seven years (Ek 39:9-10), and (4) blessings, restoration, and salvation are provided to Israel (Ek 39:21-29). Although it is God Himself who actually saves Israel (Ek 38:21-23), the Antichrist claims credit and gets further respect from the other nations of the world and they see him as one dedicated to peace.

As the Antichrist is trying to set up his world-wide domination, there are natural disasters of epic proportion that also occur (Rv 6:12-14). There are four earthquakes that occur - each one more impactful than the previous: (1) the first marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation, i.e., the last half of the seven-year period (Rv 8:5); (2) God will send two witnesses who will preach from Jerusalem and be able to withhold rain and cause all sorts of plagues to occur on the earth as a way to get people’s attention. However, the Antichrist will be set against them and will eventually have them destroyed after three and a half years and will institute a celebration of their demise. However, after three and a half days, these two will be resurrected and ascend to heaven. At that point, a severe earthquake will occur. It will destroy a tenth of the city of Jerusalem, and seven thousand people will be killed (Rv 11:13). (3) Another earthquake occurs, along with a great hailstorm, not long thereafter (Rv 11:19). (4) The fourth earthquake is so severe that it breaks the city of Jerusalem into three parts and collapses cities all around the world. Mountains are leveled and islands submerged, or both are relocated and/or re-sculpted (Rv 16:18-21). This is likely the same earthquake that occurs at Christ’s second coming when he touches down on the Mount of Olives (Zc 14:4).

Many scientists proclaim today that space debris hitting the earth is not a matter of if it will happen but when it will happen. Apparently, the when is during the Tribulation period. The frequency and intensity of meteor showers will increase drastically (Rv 6:13). A massive hail and lightning storm occur which damages and burns a third of the earth’s vegetation (Rv 8:7). The removal of crop prosperity was one of the curses provided in Deuteronomy (Dt 28:18). Then come two large asteroids that land in the sea and on land which causes a third of the earth’s seas to become toxic so fish die and cause the fresh water supply to become too toxic to drink (Rv 8:8-11).

God then allows even more evil to be released on the earth. There will be a plague that lasts for five months on those who have not put their faith in Christ where the pain of their infliction will be excruciating but will not lead to death (Rv 9:1-6). Then there is another type of plague that kills one-third of mankind (Rv 9:13-15). However, even after all of this, most do not see a connection between these events and God’s wrath. By the end of the seven-year period almost one-half of the earth’s population will have been destroyed (Rv 6:8, 9:15). During the second half of the Tribulation the judgments intensify (Rv 16). Painful sores will break out on individuals. The seas become like blood causing the sea creatures to die. This then spreads to the fresh waters, the rivers, and springs. The sun becomes intense, and its heat kills many, and this is then followed by total darkness. The Euphrates River also dries up. This could be tied to the fourth great earthquake which could divert the flow of the Euphrates River.

Despite all of these events, the main purpose is a spiritual one. We’ll look at that aspect next time.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It was not the difference between being Jewish and Gentile and how to combine these cultures under the umbrella of Christianity that caused the final division between the two, but the expression of anti-Semitism that developed. Probably one of the earliest writings that set this tone was the Epistle of Barnabas (80-120 AD):

…give heed to yourselves now, and not to liken yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin, saying that our covenant remains to them also. Ours it is; but they lost it in this way for ever, when Moses had just received it. (Barnabas 4:6, 7)

The main tenet of this author was that the Jews did not receive the covenant from God as they claimed because Moses broke the stone tablets that contained that covenant; therefore, it was not received until Jesus Christ came and it was received by the Gentiles who believed in Him. This thought pattern may have been the genesis to many other writers who went even further into these anti-Semitic beliefs and teachings.

While many of the early church fathers had very good Biblical teaching for which we all have benefitted, they could not seem to get over the stumbling block of Jews and their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah. However, they did not seem to distinguish the difference between individual Jews and the Jewish nation. The national leaders rejected Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah; individual Jews, however, were accepting Him as their Savior. Yet, this distinction seems to be missed in their writings. Here are just a few:

• Ignatius of Antioch was a disciple of the apostle John and was bishop of the church in Antioch, Syria, when Trajan was Emperor and sentenced him to a martyr’s death by beast in the arena. This is an excerpt from one of his writings to Magnesia, one of the regional units, or territories, in Greece (writing between 105-115 AD):

It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus, and to Judaize. For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity, that so every tongue which believeth might be gathered together to God. (Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians, Chapter X)

• Justin Martyr was a second century Christian apologist. He also wrote against Marcion who held that Christianity was in discontinuity with Judaism. This is an excerpt from his third apology (writing between 150-160 AD):

For the circumcision according to the flesh, which is from Abraham, was given for a sign; that you may be separated from other nations, and from us; and that you alone may suffer that which you now justly suffer; and that your land may be desolate, and your cities burned with fire; and that strangers may eat your fruit in your presence, and not one of you may go up to Jerusalem. (St. Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter XVI)

• Origen was a theologian in Alexandria, Egypt. He refuted Gnosticism and was a critic of many pagan philosophies of his day. He is noted for developing Christian Neoplatonism which combined many of the philosophies of Plato with those of Old Testament scripture. This is an excerpt from one of his responses to the pagan philosopher Celsus’ attack on Christianity (writing between 203-250 AD):

…on account of their unbelief, and the other insults which they heaped upon Jesus, the Jews will not only suffer more than others in that judgment, which is believed to impend over the world, but have even already endured such sufferings. For what nation is in exile from their own metropolis, and from the place sacred to the worship of their fathers, save the Jews alone? And these calamities they have suffered, because they were a most wicked nation, which, although guilty of many other sins, yet has been punished so severely for none, as for those that were committed against our Jesus. (Origen Against Celsus: Book II, Chapter VIII)

• John Chrysostom (344-407 AD) was a priest at Antioch in Syria as well as archbishop in Constantinople and was noted as the early church’s greatest preacher. He was blunt in his preaching which won him notoriety as well as got him into trouble. He was later falsely accused of heresy, deposed, and sentenced to exile. However, his health was so poor he died on the journey. The following are excerpts from some of his sermons:

The synagogues of the Jews are the homes of idolatry and devils, even though they have no images in them [Sermon I:3; based on Jer. vii:11]. They are worse even than heathen circuses [Sermon I:3]. The very idea of going from a church to a synagogue is blasphemous [Sermon II:3]; and to attend the Jewish Passover is to insult Christ. To be with the Jews on the very day they murdered Jesus is to ensure that on the Day of Judgment He will say 'Depart from Me: for you have had intercourse with my murderers' [Sermon III:5 and VI:8]. The Jews do not worship God but devils [Sermon I:3, based on John 8:19], so that all their feasts are unclean [Sermon I:6]. God hates them, and indeed has always hated them. But since their murder of Jesus, He allows them no time for repentance [Sermon VI:1]. It was of set purpose that He concentrated all their worship in Jerusalem that He might more easily destroy it [Sermon IV:6].

It is likely that most of these early theologians would state that they were not condoning the systematic killing of Jewish people and their words have been taken out of context. While that may be true, they also likely did not consider how much weight their words would be taken by those who would come after them or how long-lasting their statements would endure and be such a catalyst for a much more aggressive form of anti-Semitism which still persists today. While their intentions may have been pure and slated at non-Christian Jews and not wanting their congregation to be confused with non-Christian Jewish thinking, it became the focal part of the wedge that started to drive the separation of the church from all Jews and not just those who had not accepted Jesus as their Messiah.

During this time of church history through the teachings of Origen, Clement, and others who were influenced by Greek philosophy and allegorical scripture interpretation like the Jewish scholar Philo, was the use of allegory to explain scripture from a Christian perspective. This method of interpretation allowed them to make leaps that the Christian church was now the continuation of God’s covenant with Israel in the Old Testament. This in itself is not anti-Semitism, but does lay the groundwork for that to develop: if indeed true, then how would, or could, Israel fit into God’s future plans?

This sentiment has continued over the centuries by many. Under the rise of Constantine and the Counsel of Nicaea, further separations were made. As one example, Easter was made the official Christian holiday for celebrating the resurrection of Christ rather than Passover week (Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits). Also, the rights of Jews were severely reduced, and the Jews were later treated very severely, were blamed for plagues that occurred, and were harassed relentlessly. This anti-Semitism was a catalyst for the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and much persecution. Unfortunately, Paul’s statement that salvation had come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious (Ro 11:11) was not considered, but rather the Jews were made to hate instead. Even Martin Luther in the fifteenth century had disparaging remarks against the Jews. So much so that Hitler stated his atrocities against the Jews were simply finishing what Luther had started.

The separation between Jew and Christian has become so far removed that it is likely any mainstream Jew or Christian today would be unable to express any connection between their two faiths. Most Christians today have no real understanding that Jewish holidays have a Christian relevance.

Because of this separation, there is now also a separation between Christian Gentiles and Christian Jews (usually called Messianic Jews) which is unfortunate since they both are followers of Jesus Christ. It seems that these Messianic Jews are the only ones who currently blend the messages of the Old and New Testaments into their liturgical church operations. As an example, there are very few Gentile Christian churches that even mention Communion comes from the last Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples. Even if this aspect is mentioned, the symbolism of the bread and cup within the Passover meal are usually not explained. The argument continues in that Messianic Jews can get too legalistic as did the Jews in the days of old while Gentile Christians can be accused of not understanding the Old Testament meaning in their New Testament practices. It seems everyone can get caught up in tradition rather than understanding. All Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, should remember Paul’s words to the Colossians that whatever one does, it should all be done in the name of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God the Father (Cl 3:17). Praise and recognition should also not be the motivators as that can instead hinder the gospel message (3Jn 1:5, 10), and one’s thought pattern must change to recognize the worth in others that God sees (Pm 1:15-16).

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The Parthian Empire extended from India in the east to Turkey in the west, with its western border being the Euphrates River, and from the Persian Gulf in the south to the Caspian and Black Seas in the north. The following modern-day countries would have been encompassed within Parthia: all modern Iran, Iraq and Armenia, parts of Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. During the New Testament era it was well known that there were Jews who existed within Parthian territory, and it seems they were also aware of their fellow Israeli descendants who lived in Armenia.

Likely because of Christ’s earlier command to his disciples to go to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 10:5-6) and to “teach all nations” (Mt 28:19), many of them went to the Jews in Parthian territories to spread the gospel, just as Paul reached the Gentiles within the Roman sphere of influence (Ga 2:8). One such evidence of this is that Peter wrote his first epistle from Babylon (1Pt 5:13). Some claim that this is a code word used for Rome which was done similarly by the apostle John when he wrote the book of Revelation (Rv 17:5; 18:2). However, this type of analogical comparison was not prominent until many years later. In addition, Peter was writing to those in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1Pt 1:1) – all places in the northern part of Asia Minor near the Black Sea whose territory today is in the country of Turkey. There was a large contingent of Jews in this Gentile territory. It also seems that Peter was stating that those from where he was writing from had similar connections to those to whom he was writing, i.e., “elected together with you” (1Pt 5:13). This could suggest that Peter was with other Jews or those of Israeli descent since he was in Parthian territory and therefore had a connection to those in Asia Minor who were of Jewish descent. There was a synagogue in Babylon all the way through the middle of the first century AD. Therefore, it is likely that Peter was indeed within Parthian territory when he wrote his epistle. Since Peter was a leader of the Jerusalem church and of the apostles, it would seem logical that the other apostles would follow his example. The apostles reached out to Jews in what today are the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Parts of Russia, Tajikistan, parts of Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Parts of Ukraine.

There were at least three main areas visited by these apostles most often: Babylon, Armenia/Scythia, and India. This would suggest there must have been a large group of Jews and/or Israelis who lived in these areas, although there were other areas visited. It has already been stated that many people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel migrated to the area in and surrounding Armenia. It is not surprising there would be a large contingent of Israeli descendants here as God had prophesied through Hosea they would increase to great numbers after they left their homeland (Ho 1:6-10). This also indicates that the Jews in Judaea knew they were Israeli descendants and never considered them “lost.”

It would also not be surprising to find pockets of Jews in Babylon and throughout the Parthian Empire as this was where Judah was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, and most Jews did not return to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, Ezra, or Nehemiah. While the Jews in Judaea had a sense of nationality, they never lost connection with those who had not returned to their native homeland.

It would also seem that these peoples were not considered Gentile at this point in history. The disciples had to have started their missionary efforts outside Judea soon after Christ’s ascension since James was an early martyr and yet he was noted to have visited areas at the extremes of both the Parthian and Roman Empires before his untimely death. This would mean that these people were practicing Judaism since the debate over how Gentiles were becoming Christians did not occur until later after Paul started his ministry. However, going forward in history, it appears that these Israeli descendants blended into the nationalities into which they migrated when the Parthian Empire fell in the early third century AD. After that point, they became indistinguishable from the Gentile people into which they settled. From that point on they were considered Gentiles as there were no longer any distinguishing ethnic characteristics that could identify them as being of Israeli descent, even though it may be true. In contrast, it seems the Jews were able to keep their ethnic identity throughout the centuries by not blending into the societies into which they migrated.

Since God’s prophecies always come true, it will be quite miraculous how He will one day bring together both Jews and Israelis into one nation again and they will have a heart to serve the Lord (Ek 36:24-28). How this will come about is not yet known but is a topic of much debate. It will be so miraculous when Israel will no longer talk about how God brought them up out of Egypt but how God brought them together from all of the countries of the world where they had been scattered (Jr 16:14-15). It sounds like there will be many surprised Gentiles to know they are of Israeli descent and will not be considered Gentile going forward.

Aren’t you glad you serve a God that can do impossible?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We have been talking about some of Jesus’ unique claims. However, there were many things about Christ that were unique. One of those things was how he healed. The Mosaic Law stated that those who were impure due to illness and/or disease were to come to the high priest after they were cured for pronouncement of being cleansed (Lv 14). This is because the high priest could not be near a diseased person without becoming impure himself (Lv 21).

However, if that which was holy touched something it became holy (Lv 6). Holiness was more powerful than the unclean. Now let’s look at how Jesus healed.

 Matthew 9:25 – Jesus touched the girl before bringing her back to life.

 Mark 6:5 – Jesus laid his hands on the sick and they were healed.

 Luke 4:40 – Jesus laid his hands on them, and they were healed.

 Luke 8:44 – A woman touched Jesus and was healed.

 Luke 8:54 – Jesus took the hand of a dead woman before he said, “Arise.”

 Luke 22:51 – Jesus touched a man’s ear to heal it.

These are just a few examples, but they tell an interesting story. Why did Jesus not wait to touch these people until after they were healed? Didn’t he become unclean in the process? Later on, we read about Peter healing, and he did what any law abiding citizen would do, he touched the person after they were healed so as to not contaminate himself.

This was not the case with Jesus. On the contrary, since these afflicted people were healed there was no impurity present. Why, because the holy had touched the unclean and so the unclean became clean. I thought this concept was brilliantly displayed in one of the episodes of the first season of The Chosen. A leper came to Jesus and the program showed Jesus full of love and compassion for this one in such a hideous state. With no repulsion whatsoever Jesus placed his hands on the cheeks of this one whose flesh was basically falling off his face. Jesus’ touch however changed all of that. The man’s face went from being rotting flesh to pure unblemished skin. It was an amazing scene. Just as the sin offering made those who touched it clean even so our sin offering made those he touched clean. Isn’t that amazing? Does this not also prove Jesus’ superiority over man and his sin problem?

Jesus continues to do that for us. When we accept him by faith our unworthiness is covered by his blood and God s acceptance to us is now because of Jesus Christ. Isn’t it a beautiful plan God has instituted? All praise be to Him!

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Jesus stated in Matthew 20:18-19, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priest and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

The picture today perhaps should be of Superman. See if you don’t agree after reading the information below that Jesus Christ is our Superman. No one else could have accomplished what He accomplished.

Many people believe Jesus died but not why he died. As we saw in our last two posts, Jesus claimed to be equal with God. Either he was delusional, or this was an important point he wanted us to understand. As it turns out, it is extremely important and critical to the reason for his coming in the first place. Because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Gn 3), sin was passed upon all mankind (Ro 5:12). This severed the relationship mankind had with God. It could not be repaired. God’s standard is perfection; mankind is not, so there is nothing we can do that will be good enough for God to accept us (Is 64:6). Therefore, the only thing God could do was to repair the damage for us. Well, that seems a little ironic, you say? God makes the standard of perfection for the payment for sin which no human can make but then makes the payment Himself. Well, that is because God is both a God of justice as well as love. He cannot go against His justice, and He will not go against His love.

Therefore, Jesus being equal with God was crucial to the whole concept of reconciliation. Jesus, who was the original second person of the Trinity, came to be born in human form so he could identify with humanity in order to be the sacrifice of perfection God required. God had laid out the groundwork with the Israelites, so they understood the sacrificial system and the necessity of a sacrifice. However, these sacrifices had to be done repeatedly and atonement done yearly. All of this pointed to the inadequacy of this system and to a sacrifice in their future where the perfect sacrifice would be accomplished. That is what Jesus Christ came to do: to appease God’s wrath against sin and to pay the sin debt God required. Because of Christ’s death on the cross, our sin debt is paid, and if we accept this payment and recognize that only by His death on the cross can we be perfect before God, we become an adopted child of His, and, because He rose again conquering death, we can one day live with Him forever. That is one of the important reasons for His first coming. All you need to do is avail yourself to what He has already done for you. It is free to you (not to Him) but you have to accept it. He will not force it upon you. It is a simple act of faith—a choice for each to make, but a choice that will change your life forever—both here and now and into eternity.

That is why Jesus Christ is the Lord of Easter. What about Passover, you say? Well, Passover began yesterday at sundown. Today, Passover combines three festivals provided by God to the Israelites: Passover (Pesach), Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzah), and First Fruits (Bikkurim) (Lv 23). All of these are important to what Jesus Christ did for our sin payment. He died on the cross at the beginning of Passover, was in the ground during Feast of Unleavened Bread, and rose again on First Fruits. If we accept Him as our Savior, the consequences of our sins are passed over by God because of the blood of Christ shed for them (like the blood on the doorposts of that first Passover – Ex 12); his sacrifice was sinless and perfect as bread without leaven (or yeast) signifies, and by conquering death and rising again makes His resurrection the first fruit of our resurrection; because He rose, we too will rise to be with Him forever. Isn’t it amazing how all of this works out as prophesied by these Jewish festivals?

So where does Easter come in? Well, that is another long story that was previously explained. However, the bottom line is that it is still about Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Whether you celebrate Easter for that reason or First Fruit for that reason, it is God who still gets all of the credit. We owe a great deal of debt to our Savior Jesus Christ. He is worthy of being our Lord as well. After all, He is the Lord of Easter, why not make Him Lord of your life as well?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Jesus stated, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). This is quite a claim for Jesus to make. In my last post, we studied how Jesus claimed to be equal with God. In that light, maybe this is not such a remarkable claim. However, if we think about what He is saying here, it is that He is God, and He is the only way to Himself. Is that just too much? I think what He is really saying is that He is part of the Trinity and in that since He and God are the same. Also, as the second person of the Trinity, He is the one who has always been the face of God to the human race. He was the one who walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gn 3:8), He is the one who appeared to Abraham (Gn 18:1), to the Israelites (Ex 24:10), to Joshua (Js 5:13-15), to Manoah (Jd 13:22), Samson’s father, and to others. He came to earth to pave the way for all to find their way to God and to restore the relationship He had with mankind before Adam and Eve sinned and brought sin to all (Ro 5:12).

Some claim this is being very narrow minded and exclusionary. However, is it really? It is only exclusionary if people are excluded from accepting, like a country club. Although the cost was high and no human could afford the payment, God made the payment Himself so that it could be offered to everyone (Jn 3:16). It is very accepting: free to all and all are invited. One only has to come as they are. There is no special condition, no specific act, no payment, no good deed, or requirement needed for one to come freely and accept the price that has already been paid. It only takes faith: a belief that Jesus Christ came, died for sin’s payment, and rose again conquering death. Then one’s ability to be with Christ forever is that their sins are covered with His blood. Simple? Yes, for us. However, the act itself took planning by God from the beginning of time and required Jesus to leave all the riches of heaven to come to earth in the form of a man. Not only that, but he also remains in the form of man for all eternity so He can identify with us forever. Now that is a God I want to follow. He is definitely worthy of being the God of Easter.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Some claim Jesus never claimed to be equal with God during his ministry on earth. However, when closely examined, it seems there are a couple of verses which tell us otherwise. One of these is John 8:58—"I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” There are a couple of things that Jesus is implying here. First, he states he existed before Abraham. That claim in itself would seem to suggest he was not any ordinary human. In fact, it would imply, if he was human, he was unique from any other human who had ever existed. He was not claiming he had been born before Abraham. After all, many of those there knew him or knew Mary and/or his brothers and/or sisters. Therefore, this claim was not that he was born centuries earlier. He was claiming that before his physical birth on earth he had existed which is only a quality God could possess. Second, it would seem he is claiming the name of God: “I Am” or in Greek ἐγώ εἰμι (transliterated ego eimi). We only have to look at the next verse to see the Jewish leaders’ reaction: they thought it blasphemy! Now, if they were only reacting to Jesus stating he existed before Abraham, they would merely have stated, in their opinion, Jesus was crazy. However, to claim to be God, now that was something different. To them, that was blasphemy.

James White makes an exceptionally good connection of this term, ego eimi, to the term “I am” (ani hu transliterated from Hebrew) used by Isaiah (Is 41:4; 43:10; 46:4). Isaiah used this term, ani hu, as a euphemism to connect with the name of God Himself. Then in Isaiah 45:18, this term is then tied to the act of creating which the New Testament attributes to Jesus Christ (Jn 1:3, Cl 1:16-17; Hb 1:2-3). White then states that the connection between these passages in Isaiah and Exodus 3:14 (where God stated to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”) is undeniable. The Jewish leaders understood this connection Jesus was making and is the reason they were so upset. They understood what Jesus was saying but refused to accept it, and accused him of blasphemy. John 8:59 states they were so upset they were willing to stone him on the spot. Remember, this was a time in Jewish history when the Romans had taken capital punishment away from the Jewish leaders. This shows how really upset they were. They were willing to go against the commands of Rome to silence Jesus making such a claim.

This is not the only verse where Jesus made this claim. In John 10:30, Jesus stated, “I and the Father are one.” And in John 14:9, Jesus told Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Therefore, Jesus was not passive in making a claim to not only be equal with God but to be God as well. Jesus was stating he was part of the Trinity and we see scripture supports this doctrine of God being Trinity.

This is really an important message because we need to stop and think about the significance of Jesus’ death. If he was not God, then His death has no real meaning for us. God demanded a perfect sacrifice. That was not possible up until the time of Jesus Christ, and so the sacrifices had to be done repeatedly. Jesus had to be 100% God for the sacrifice to meet God’s perfection criterion. Jesus had to be 100% human for his sacrifice to count for mankind’s payment. Since he was part of the Trinity (and therefore equal to God as well as a part of God) Jesus was able to appease the wrath of God that was headed toward each of us. We now count on his payment for our sins and by no other means of effort. We can only stand before a holy God because of what Jesus Christ did for us. After all, scripture also states that salvation can only come through Jesus Christ (Ac 4:12). No wonder no one else was qualified to meet the high expectation of a sin payment that God required. Only Jesus Christ met the criteria God established. How amazing! God established the criteria because of His justice and, knowing we could never pay the requirement, did so on our behalf to show His love and mercy. Don’t you want a God like that? Doesn’t that make Him a God of Easter?

James White, “Purpose and Meaning of "Ego Eimi" in the Gospel of John In Reference to the Deity of Christ,” Alpha and Omego Ministries, https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/general-apologetics/purpose-and-meaning-of-ego-eimi-in-the-gospel-of-john/

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Since Easter is just around the corner, I thought we should look at some things Christ said about himself that supports him being the God of Easter. However, before we do that, I think we should visit a few of the past posts to remind ourselves of what we already know so we can go forward. In the post Easter vs First Fruits we saw there is a difference between Easter and First Fruits (Bikkurim); but today, Easter for Christians is the same as First Fruits (Bikkurim) to the first century Christians. For the reason why, review the post. Therefore, for Christians, both are referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We also need to understand the character of God to help us understand the role of Jesus Christ. Review the post entitled Son of God to understand this more. This will help us understand the concept of the term “Son of God” and what that means. Does this mean they are two separate beings? Or does this term support the idea of Trinity? Reviewing that post will help you see that terminology sometimes yields to a connotation that was not the original intent.

Our understanding of the Godhead is especially important for us understanding how Jesus Christ can be the God of Easter. See the post entitled Biblical Conundrum: Trinity to review how God is an enigma to us and is very hard to understand from a human viewpoint. However, understanding that He is unique and above our understanding helps us to better understand how Jesus Christ can be the God of Easter. The idea of Trinity, although difficult, is key to our moving forward in understanding how Jesus could be the God of Easter.

Now that we have some background information for our discussion, we will begin to understand what Christ said about himself while here on earth. Many have claimed that while he was a great teacher and showed how to live a good life, he did not claim to be God. Others say he did not claim to have any qualities that would be considered equal to God. As we go forward from here toward Easter, we will explore some of Christ’s sayings and see what he really claimed. I look forward to hearing your feedback.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

With Paul being so against Gentiles becoming Jewish proselytes in order to become Christians, we have to wonder if the apostle Paul became a Gentile. Although Paul was adamant about what made one a follower of Jesus Christ, it is not that he threw away his Jewish heritage. He was actually quite proud of it (Ro 11:1). At times, however, he did set aside his Jewishness, for he did not want it to be a stumbling block to others and confuse them (1Co 9:20-22). But for the most part, he kept a lot of the Jewish customs. On his second missionary journey, he hurried back to Jerusalem to keep the Passover (Ac 18:21). On this journey he also seemed to have kept a Nazarite vow (Ac 18:18). On his third missionary journey, he observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Philippi (Ac 20:6) and wanted to get to Jerusalem in time for Shavuot [Pentecost] (Ac 20:16). Paul, therefore, did not live like a Gentile in every aspect. Yet, he was not bothered by blending the two. Paul’s main emphasis was that Jesus Christ came and died for the sins of mankind and everyone needed to hear about Him, accept Him, receive salvation through Him, and receive the Holy Spirit in order to live a life pleasing to God. Everything else was just tradition. The Law of Moses had shown them their sin (Ro 3:20); keeping it did not save them (Ro 3:23, 28). Salvation through Jesus Christ is for all, both Jew and Gentile (Ro 3:21-31).

Paul saw no problem with keeping the Jewish traditions/customs or even the Law itself as long as it was kept in its proper context. It is something one chooses volitionally to do but not committed to do. Therefore, there was no need to impose this on Gentiles as it was not necessary for salvation. However, anyone, either Jew or Gentile could decide to keep the Jewish feasts and any other customs as long as they knew this was not making them any better than anyone else (1Co 8:8). After all, the Jewish feasts were just as important to Gentile Christians as to Jewish Christians: Pesach (Passover) was a reminder of the crucifixion of Jesus and thereby forgiveness of sins (1Co 5:7), Matzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread) was a reminder that Jesus Christ was a sinless sacrifice for them and that accepting Him they were now also dead to the power of sin (Ro 6:3), Bikkurim (First Fruits) was a reminder of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and thereby a promise for their future resurrection (Ro 6:4), and Shavuot (Pentecost) was a reminder of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the union of both Jewish and Gentile believers (Ro 10:12). Even the other feasts would be an important reminder for their future: Rosh Hashanah (New Years’ or Feast of Trumpets) would represent God not forgetting the nation of Israel as He remembers His covenant with them (Ro 11:25-26) and demonstrating that God always remembers His promises; Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) would represent the promise of Christ’s Second Coming and the salvation of the nation of Israel (Zc 13:1; Ro 11:27); and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) would represent the promise of Jesus Christ, their Messiah and Savior, setting up His earthly reign on David’s throne and dwelling with His people (both Jewish and Gentile Christians) on earth (Zc 8:3, 14:9; Rv 20:4).

While Paul was mainly focused on Gentiles, he did not forget about the Jews and would often first preach in their synagogues wherever he went (Ac 14:1, 17:2). The other disciples focused more on the Jews but also did not forget about Gentiles entirely. Much of this information is not found in the scriptures but from the Roman historian Eusebius, the Christian theologian Clement, as well as others. From these sources we find the other places that the disciples preached the gospel message. These places are countries we know today as Albania, Algeria, Crete, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Gavdos, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Sicily, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

The apostles, other than Paul, concentrated their gospel message to the Jews who lived in Jewish colonies throughout the Roman Empire. Many of the places overlap with where Paul preached, which is not really that remarkable when one finds even in the New Testament scripture that the churches were composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

It is interesting to note that one of the main areas where there is no overlap is northern Africa. However, it makes sense for the apostles to concentrate here as this was once part of the Israeli-spawned Carthaginian Empire before being defeated by Rome at least a century earlier. Shortly before Israel was taken by Assyria, many of the Israelites fled to Carthage, which was then known as Kirjath-Hadeschath, and became a significant part of Carthage’s rise to power. Therefore, it is likely that a large contingent of Jews still lived in these areas of North Africa. This is just part of the total Jewish/Israeli population that existed in the first century AD.

From this we see that God has always cared for both Jews and Gentiles and has a plan for both.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

There were two empires which existed in New Testament times: Roman Empire and Parthian Empire. More is known about the Roman Empire from a Biblical perspective because much of the New Testament comes from Paul’s writings, and he did his traveling within the confines of the Roman Empire. However, although Judaea was part of the Roman Empire, it seems this did not preclude travel between these two empires. There is evidence of this fact in Acts 2 where Jews and Jewish proselytes from Parthia were present in Jerusalem for Shavuot, or Pentecost (Ac 2:9).

In addition, the Bible states that while Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, Peter was an apostle to the Jews (Ga 2:8). There is evidence that many of the original apostles took many trips into Parthian territory to spread the gospel by ministering to those of Jewish and Israeli descent.

The end of Paul’s first missionary journey within the confines of the Roman Empire marked the first big controversy. It seems Paul and Barnabas were not the only ones going throughout Asia Minor (Turkey today) teaching about Jesus Christ. However, these other groups were stating that one had to first become a Jewish proselyte before becoming a Christian and had to keep the Law of Moses as a perquisite for salvation (Ga 2:16). Paul wrote the book of Galatians to address this issue as well as to defend his authority and credibility. Indeed, there were those coming from Jerusalem to Antioch preaching this same doctrine (Ac 15:1). Paul and Barnabas strongly admonished them which then led to a trip to Jerusalem for a discussion with what has become known as the Jerusalem Council (Ac 15:2). Titus also accompanied Paul and Barnabas He was used as an example of a Gentile being a Christian but not being circumcised (Ga 2:1-3). There were believers from the Pharisee sect which strongly believed in keeping the Law of Moses for salvation and so, again, much debate ensued. However, Peter got up and told of his encounter of how God accepted Gentiles without circumcision and so everyone was then more willing to hear of Paul and Barnabas’ account (Ac 15:7-12).

Afterward, James reminded everyone of the prophecy in Amos (Am 9:11-12) which speaks of the temple of David being restored and even Gentiles worshipping God with Israel (Ac 15:13-18). It seems James recognized the current age would focus on the Gentiles. However, God would not forsake Israel, but would return and fulfill all his promises to them. The council and all those present then wrote a letter to the believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia to admonish them to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood and things strangled, and to be sexually pure (Ac 15:29).

Although the Jerusalem Council made this statement, this did not end the debate. Paul had to deal with this issue continually. Paul consistently taught that keeping the Law did not lead to salvation; therefore, Gentiles did not need to be circumcised or follow other outward manifestations of being a Jew to be saved (Ro 8:1-4; 1Co 15:56; Ga 2:16; Pp 3:9; 1Tm 1:8-11). Paul also taught that from a spiritual point of view, there was no longer any difference between Jews and Gentiles (Ro 10:12) because God had now brought the two together spiritually as one body (Ep 2:14-18). He taught that the mark of a Christian is the circumcision of the sin nature and not anything physical (1Co 7:19; Cl 2:11). Teaching otherwise was ruinous to one’s faith (Tt 1:10-11).

Although this was an area of controversy in the early church, it really was not the major divisive force which drove Christian Jew and Christian Gentile apart. There is evidence that many Jews (Christian or not) and Gentile Christians were living together as late as the fourth century. This implies there was a blended culture which developed between the orthodox Jew and the Christian Jew. These Jewish believers were called “minim” by the orthodox Jews. Its Hebrew meaning is “believers,” but has been translated as “heretic” by later Jewish authorities. Owen Chadwick, a historian who has extensively studied early church history, as well as others, have often used the Jewish liturgy, “May the Nazarenes and the heretics be suddenly destroyed and removed from the Book of Life,” as evidence of the final separation of the orthodox and Christian Jews. However, it is likely that this was evidence of a resurgence of the Christian Jew and not the reverse.  Both Christian and orthodox Jews fought together in 132 AD to fight Emperor Hadrian’s push to abolish circumcision. However, the Christian Jews abandoned their support when Rabbi Akiva declared their military leader, Bar Kochba, to be the Messiah.

It’s always interesting how man is the one to create the derision which God never intended. We can’t seem to keep our biases at bay. If only we could look at everyone else as God sees them. It would change not only our lives, but those of the entire world. One day, it will happen. Are you looking forward to it?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It’s a surprise to many, both Gentiles and Jews, that the Church was originally Jewish, composed of only Jews and Jewish proselytes. When the Holy Spirit descended on that first Shavuot (Pentecost) after Christ’s ascension, all who believed and received the Holy Spirit were either Jews or Jewish proselytes (Ac 2:1-4, 41, 47). This continued as more and more people believed. It seems that the Christian Jews were very accepting of Jewish proselytes becoming Christians and were treated as equals. Nicholas, a Gentile and Jewish proselyte, was made a deacon of the church in Jerusalem (Ac 6:5). Philip preached to many in Samaria who accepted Christ as their Savior (Ac 8:12-17). Normally, Samaritans were not accepted by the Jews because they were considered half-breeds. Therefore, these were either Samaritans who had become Jewish proselytes prior to their acceptance, or the current Christian Jews were willing to accept them because of the similarity in their religious beliefs since no one challenged their becoming Christians. Even Philip preaching to the Ethiopian eunuch was not challenged since this eunuch was already a Jewish proselyte (Ac 8:26-39).

When God, through a vision, lead Peter to preach to a Roman Centurion and his household and they believed and received the Holy Spirit, it caused quite a stir. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem had a hard time accepting that true Gentiles – not proselytes – had received the Holy Spirit. However, when Peter explained how God had orchestrated the whole thing, they accepted it and rejoiced (Ac 11:1-18). After that, other Jewish believers started telling other Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews) about Jesus Christ and they believed (Ac 11:19-21). During this time, Saul, who was a very zealous Pharisee, had received permission from the Sanhedrin to charge and arrest any Jew who had converted to what was then called “The Way” so they could be brought to trial for conviction of heresy (Ac 8:3, 9:1-3). This persecution first started with the stoning of Stephen. Stephen had been a deacon of the Jerusalem church and very outspoken about Jesus Christ (Ac 6:8-15, 7:57-58). Saul was adamant about finishing the job. This persecution caused many Christians to flee Jerusalem to other nearby areas – one being Damascus. Word got to Saul that The Way was spreading its teachings in that area. There has been much criticism of this passage of scripture with some saying that neither Saul, the high priest, nor the Sanhedrin would have any clout in Damascus to carry this out. However, since the letters from the high priest were to the synagogues, it is likely Saul would solicit their help in finding the correct suspects, ask their help with getting judicial authority or going under the radar of judicial authority, or help in securing the necessary means for carrying out the arrest. Also, the letters would carry the weight of the high priest’s authority and may have had financial implication to their synagogue for not helping. In addition, Jerusalem and Damascus would both have been considered part of Syria at this time of history. However, on the way to Damascus, Saul encountered Jesus Christ, had a change of heart, became part of The Way, and then poured his zeal into spreading the gospel (Ac 9:1-22). Later Saul’s name was changed to Paul (Ac 13:9).

Barnabas was part of the delegation from Jerusalem to go and investigate what was going on in Antioch where Gentiles were becoming believers. He saw that it was a good thing and of the Holy Spirit. He later went and got Paul from Tarsus where he was staying at that time and brought him to Antioch (Ac 11:22-26). From there, Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey (Ac 13:1-3). This started many debates about how one should become a Christian, and how Jews and Gentiles could be part of the same group identifying with Jesus Christ.

For some reason, debate has always been a part of the Church – probably because we don’t all look at things from God’s point of view. Unity only comes from a single point of view, and that point of view must be God’s. Let us all strive to find and keep that unity.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Jesus had come to his people, the Jews, but how did Jesus respond to Gentiles he encountered. There are several passages where Gentiles came to Jesus that on the surface looks like he was not very receptive of them. However, he turned these seemingly awkward encounters into teaching opportunities:

Jesus traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon (Mt 15:21). These are cities in Phoenicia which was considered part of Syria at that time. Therefore, Jesus was in Gentile territory. It would be uncommon for a Gentile woman to approach him. However, the woman was quite desperate. Jesus at first did not speak to her and ignored her. The English translation of scripture sounds as if He was being rude. Yet, He was likely forcing an awkward situation to draw attention to it so that it could be a teachable moment. His words seem harsh, but the woman is persistent and seemed to understand his point. Jesus stated that his current mission was to Israel. The woman replied that she understood that and sticking to Jesus’ analogy stated that even dogs get to eat crumbs. Jesus commended her on her faith and, as requested, her daughter was healed (Mt 15:22-28).

Surprisingly, it seems the Gentiles were more anxious to receive the message Jesus had come to preach to his own people. Christ’s gospel message at this time was to repent because the Kingdom of God was nigh, meaning their acceptance of him would usher in His reign on earth with them which many of the Old Testament prophets spoke about and which all Jews were looking forward to. They believed in the prophecy, just not that it would come true in their lifetime. That would mean they had to decide to change; many were not prepared to do so. It is likely Jesus was using these Gentile conversions at this time to bring his own people to be envious and see the truth (Mt 11:20; Ro 10:19, 11:11).

To understand why the Gentiles were eager to accept, one needs to understand why the Jewish leaders were not. The Jewish leaders were at odds with Jesus because, to them, Jesus' teachings were radical. They may at first seem opposed to the Jewish laws of the day, but upon closer inspection they were not as radical as one may think. Jesus spoke about the heart; the Jewish leaders spoke about action and deed. Many of the Jewish leaders would tithe not only what the Law required but also tithed from the very spices they had (Lk 11:42). Jesus taught that getting the heart right gets the deed right. Jesus criticized them of neglecting justice and love when they obeyed the letter of the law (Lk 11:42). The Jewish leaders ignored the heart and focused on the deed. Jesus understood that getting the deed right does not necessarily get the heart right. Many Old Testament prophets had also taught similarly:

• to obey is better than sacrifice (1Sa 15:22);

• the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit (Ps 51:17)

• rend your heart and not your garments (Jl 2:13)

• I hate, I despise your feast days (Am 5:21)

• Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you (Ml 1:10).

The truth stung because it meant they had to change their world view and how they measured their own righteousness. They had a hard time with that. The Gentiles, however, did not have a pre-established sense of righteousness and so Christ’s words rang true to them, and many were ready for its acceptance. That is likely why the gospel spread so quickly once it reached the Gentiles.

However, this is not to say that Christ ignored the Gentiles. He loved them. After all, he told Nicodemus that he came because God loved the world (Jn 3:16). He often visited the predominant Gentile areas: in Gadara he healed demoniacs (Mt 8:28-34; Mk 5:1-16), he went through the Decapolis healing and teaching (Mk 7:31-35), as well as in Syria (Mt 15:21-28). People from these regions also sought him out for healing and listened to him speak (Mt 4:24-25; Mk 3:8).

I think this shows how inclusive Christ was of everyone. The Jews believed themselves to be God’s people, and rightly so, but they believed it to the exclusion of everyone else. Christ came for the Jews but did not reject the Gentiles. His true mission was our heart. Changing the heart changes everything. It still does.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Chaos ruled as the New Testament opened. Everyone missed the calm which passed through their midst. When chaos becomes ordinary, calm seems too out of character to be pleasing. Having Roman control in Jerusalem had an effect on Jewish worship, thereby changing many things from a religious point of view. While the priests, temple, and Sanhedrin functioned almost the same as always, there were major differences. For one, the high priest became a political position, and a distraction. When Herod Archelaus was deposed, Quirinius, the Syrian governor, appointed Annas as high priest. However, the newly appointed prefect Coponius held the vestments of the high priest in his quarters at the Antonia Fortress which was next to the temple. The prefect then held the power of when the high priest could perform his official duties. In addition, the act of capital punishment was given to the prefect and taken from the Sanhedrin (Jn 18:31).

Annas was able to maintain his position as high priest for approximately ten years. Within the next three years, the prefect Valerius Gratus instituted and deposed three high priests before instituting Annas’ son-in-law Caiaphas as high priest who maintained the position for the next eighteen years. Caiaphas was high priest during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Mt 26:57). Yet Annas still had much power and persuasion on how things went (Lk 3:2) and why he could hold an audience with Jesus even though not being the high priest (Jn 18:13). Because the position of high priest could be bought, this could be why Annas was able to get seven family members to become high priests in future years as well. He and his family had a corner of the market, so to speak. They had money changing stalls on the Mount of Olives to turn pilgrims’ money into temple shekels since that was the only coinage the temple would take. This allowed him to charge high exchange rates. They also had these stations in the temple courtyard as well as stations where people could buy animals for sacrifice rather than carry them great distances when they traveled – again at high prices. This allowed his family to become very rich, very influential, as well as very corrupt. They were also very much disliked by the common people. However, this affluence allowed them to be better known in society circles. While this did not necessarily endear them to the Romans, or vice versa, it allowed them to play the political game to stay in power and maintain their social prestige.

Therefore, many of the Sadducees embraced the Greek, or Hellenized, lifestyle and pandered to the Romans as needed. This kept them aligned with the aristocracy of the day and enabled them to maintain their accustomed status. The Pharisees, on the other hand, liked neither the actions of the Sadducees nor the Romans. They identified more with the common people and were the ones who taught at the synagogues. The Sadducees served only at the temple in Jerusalem and so were somewhat out of touch with the common people. Although the Sadducees outnumbered the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees spoke for the people, so the Sadducees had to listen to them or suffer the reprisal of the people. It was a delicate balance. The Pharisees brought the ear of the common Jew while the Sadducees brought the ear of Rome to which they were held accountable. Therefore, the Sanhedrin had to find the middle ground that would not be too unfavorable for both sides. Not an easy task.

Therefore, all eyes were diverted from what was really important. The people’s eyes were on Rome and their oppression. The priests’ eyes were on their position and stature, and how to maintain it. The Jewish leaders were trying to preserve their heritage and way of life at the very time the one to whom their heritage and way of life pointed was already in their midst. May we not follow suit but keep our eyes focused on the one who really matters.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Today marks the beginning of Purim (which will begin at sundown ). This is probably one of the most joyous of Jewish holidays. It celebrates the book of Esther, the one who saved all the Jews living in the Persian Empire during her time. You can see why it is such a joyous occasion. If you haven’t read the book of Esther, please do so; it is a good read. It is traditionally thought that the life and story of Esther occurs between the 6th and 7th chapter of Ezra: between the time of Zerubbabel, who led the first return of Jews from Persia to Jerusalem at the degree of King Cyrus, and the return of a second wave of Jews under the leadership of Ezra.

Esther was a Jewess orphaned in early childhood and raised by her uncle Mordecai. Through a series of events, Esther was made part of a beauty pageant, so to speak, and became the one whom King Xerxes chose as his next wife. The villain in the story, Haman, despised the Jews and schemed to have them all destroyed. However, he did not calculate that the Queen herself was a Jew. Although no one, not even the Queen, could enter the presence of the king uninvited, Mordecai stated that Esther being Queen was likely the reason God had allowed her to have this position of authority. With time running out, and not being invited by the King to see her, Esther took her life in her hands and went to the king uninvited.  God was gracious and moved the king to extendd his scepter towards her indicating his acceptance of her presence. Esther invited her king and Haman to a dinner party and they both accepted. That night, she invited them to a second dinner at which time Esther announced the scheme of Haman and the king became angry. As the king left the room in his anger to think, Haman pleaded with Esther for his life; however, when the king returned it appeared to him that Haman was making advances toward Esther. This made him even angrier; so angry that he immediately ordered guards to take Haman away and kill him. Haman was executed on the very gallows which he had earlier prepared for Mordecai.

Previously, Haman had tricked Xerxes to allow him to announce that all Persians could kill Jews on a certain day and be protected from retaliation. Although Xerxes could not rescind his decree, he allowed Mordecai to send out another decree with his signet ring announcing to everyone in his kingdom that the Jews would be allowed to retaliate and defend their lives with the Jews being protected from retaliation for their actions.

Because the actions of Esther and Mordecai saved the lives of many Jews throughout Persia, a joyous festival was held and then commemorated each year thereafter. You can see why it is such a joyous holiday: so many lives were saved because Esther was willing to put her life on the line for her people. It became known as Purim because the word pur means ‘to cast one’s lot’ which Haman had done against the Jews, and God had turned it into a victory.

The book of Esther is unique in other ways as well. God is nowhere mentioned in the book and prayer is not mentioned. Esther asked Mordecai and her people to fast, but prayer is not specifically mentioned. However, I find it hard to believe that fasting would not involve prayer; they are tightly linked. Although God is not mentioned, it is quite clear that God controlled the events and circumstances for Esther’s actions to be fruitful and profitable. It points to God’s divine grace and providence.

Although most Christians do not celebrate Purim, we have a lot to learn from the event. Has God called you to do something that is hard and difficult? If so, He also will see you through it. Esther is a testimony to God’s faithfulness and to our faith in His promises.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As the New Testament opens, chaos ruled with not just one dominant force in the world, but two: Rome and Parthia. They were considered equal in strength and as much as Rome tried, it never took Parthia. A détente had been established between the two, but this was always tenuous. As stated earlier, the border between the two was the Euphrates River and Syria was the Roman border state to help keep that peace.

It is interesting that these tenuous times was when God decided to fulfill his promise to Adam and Eve (Gn 3:15). There was always potential war between Rome and Parthia. If war had broken out, then Jesus would not have been able to accomplish what he did. Also, there was much tension between Rome and the Jews in Judaea. The prefect in Jerusalem had to be on high alert during Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) as there was a large influx of Jews during these feast times. This was a time when Jewish Zealots would often try to incite the crowds against Rome. Then there was the clash between the Greek/Roman and Jewish cultures which was like mixing oil and water – they did not mix well. The Jewish culture was very conservative, modest and would display no images as that was considered against the Law of Moses (Lv 26:1). However, the Roman and Greek cultures had no issues with public displays of nudity at athletic events and believed their gods wanted public displays of images to show their devotion. Therefore, the Romans had a very tough time keeping peace and order in such an environment.

By New Testament times, there were congregated Jews not only in Judaea but also in Egypt, Syria, Greece, Rome, and other prominent cities throughout the Roman Empire. Their religion was protected by Roman law, but they usually formed tight-knit groups because they did not blend in well with the surrounding cultures. Also, because an orthodox Jew could only travel certain distances on the Sabbath, they had to be close to their synagogue which almost invariably created “Jewish Quarters” in whatever city they lived. Many of the synagogues were treated as colleges so as to get around the Roman law that forbade secret societies. Unless in large cities, many Jews probably did not see Roman soldiers that often, yet the presence of Roman authority was known and ever present. This was especially true at the time of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot when many Jews and Jewish proselytes would attend in person in Jerusalem for these pilgrimage feasts. Then Rome’s present was quite evident. Rome made it quite clear who was in charge.

Although Herod the Great had his flaws and his agendas, he probably was one of the last rulers who really understood the Jews’ actions and thought process. It became very apparent that his son, Archelaus, did not since the Jews in both Judea and Samaria demanded he be removed from office. The prefects who ruled Judaea were also not often sympathetic to the Jews and considered them irritating. Most of the prefects did not reside in Jerusalem but in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast in northern Samaria which had more of a Roman atmosphere. They would usually come to Jerusalem only during feasts times as they knew they would need an extra vigilant watch for the potential of a Jewish insurrection. There were often anti-Semitic attitudes that prevailed. Some of them were the following:

• Worshipping one God was often held against the Jews. Because the Jews worshipped only one God and not the pantheon of gods as did the Greeks and Romans, they were often considered responsible for any disasters that befell a community. However, at the same time, many Greeks and Romans were fascinated by the radical idea of monotheism which they found philosophically elegant.

• The privacy of the temple was held against the Jews. Because what went on inside the temple in Jerusalem could only be observed by the priests, rumors started that the Jews sacrificed human beings. For example, it was widely believed that when the Roman general Pompey took the city and entered the temple, he liberated a Greek prisoner who was being fattened for the sacrifice.

• Keeping the Sabbath was held against the Jews. Because the Jews maintained that no work was to be done on the Sabbath, Jews were considered to be lazy by many Greeks and Romans. This thought can be found in the Fourteenth satire of the Roman poet Juvenal (c.67-c.145).

• Jewish customs were held against the Jews. The customs, laws and dietary restrictions of the Jews were regarded as strange and often led many Greeks and Romans to make jokes, sometimes good-natured, but usually not.

• Keeping the Law of Moses was held against the Jews. Many considered them to be ignoring the laws of the state in which they resided. Of all accusations against the Jews, this one is the oldest; this is what Haman accused the Jews of in the story of Esther (Es 3:8).

• Jewish society was held against the Jews. Jews were believed to be antisocial. Most Jews lived in close proximity to each other and to their synagogue. However, orthodox Jews could only travel certain distances on the Sabbath and so they had to be sure they were in walking distance to their synagogue. This did not mean they were antisocial, but likely became so when received with anti-Semitic attitudes from the surrounding peoples.

• The practice of circumcision was held against the Jews. It was considered “mutilation of genitals” and barbarous. The Greeks and Romans thought the Jews circumcised their boys to prevent them from assimilating into society. Greek philosophy considered the body the vehicle of the soul and so many Greeks and Romans could not understand this “lack of integrity” of one’s body.

Pontius Pilate was one such prefect who had these views. He was appointed prefect of Judaea about the same time that Tiberius Caesar let Lucius Aelius Sejanus rule as his regent. Sejanus was very anti-Semitic in his policies. Pontius Pilate ruled with the same attitude. No previous prefect had brought images into Jerusalem because of the Jews’ beliefs. However, Pilate brought effigies of Tiberius Caesar on ensigns into the city of Jerusalem under the cover of darkness and created quite an uproar of opposition. Pilate threatened to have all the complainers killed, but rather than back down they bared their throats and stated they would gladly die for the cause. This caused Pilate to rethink the situation and he backed down instead.

On another occasion, Pilate had votive shields bearing the emperor’s image on them attached to his palace in Jerusalem. After much complaining, the Jews finally appealed to Tiberius Caesar in Rome who then requested Pilate to remove them and take them to his palace in Caesarea.

A third occasion was when Pilate used money from the temple to fund the construction of an aqueduct. Many Jews were again outraged about this. However, this time, Pilate had his soldiers dress like, and scatter throughout, the thousands of protestors who had gathered to complain to him. At his signal, the soldiers drew knives and killed as many as they could before the others fled. These may have been the ones killed whose blood Pilate had mingled with the temple sacrifices (Lk 13:1-2) to further infuriate the Jews.

So, this was the world into which Christ came. Seems strange, doesn’t it? But isn’t that when we need him the most? Don’t we need someone in the midst of our confusion, chaos, and turmoil to bring perspective and right thinking? Isn’t that why we still need him today?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Over time the Jewish mindset and word view changed. In our last post, we discussed how there were many different cultures within what the Romans called Syria, their border state between themselves and the Parthian Empire. Rome was used to parceling out areas of one state into another to gain favors, to increase revenue, and to gain tighter power. The areas which the rulers of the Hasmonean Dynasty had gained for Israel were now just areas for Rome to use as favors. What those who Rome allowed to rule these areas didn’t realize were that Jews were different from other cultures. In their mind, a Jew was a Jew. They didn’t try to understand their, to them, nuisance differences. Yet these differences led to many clashes, both within Israel and between Israel and Rome. The Jewish leaders at the time had to work hard to keep Rome from removing their positions and wiping them out of existence. Unfortunately, to do that, many compromises were made. Let’s see how Israel got to this point in the first place.

Rome didn’t occupy Judea until the mid-first century BC – and by invitation. Prior to the Maccabean Revolt, Antiochus Epiphanes deposed the high priest Onias in 174 BC and installed Jason, the brother of Onias, as the high priest which broke the tradition of the first-born becoming the succeeding high priest. Onias fled to Egypt. In 171 BC Menelaus bought the high priesthood from Antiochus and became high priest. Up until this point, all high priests from the time of Solomon were descendants of Zadok’s line (1Ki 2:35). Therefore, the Zadok high priest lineage ceased from 171 BC until 23 BC when Herod the Great appointed Simon son of Boethus (a descendant of Onias V from Zadok’s lineage) as high priest due his love for Simon’s sister Mariamne II. Simon rules as high priest from 23-4 BC. Menelaus was determined to bring Judaism into the modern world and helped Antiochus to Hellenize the Jews: bringing in athletic games (where competitors competed nude) to Jerusalem and established an idol of Zeus in the temple. Conservatives were in an uproar and led to the Maccabean Revolt which we have discussed previously.

The priests started to fall into two camps: (1) those who favored and adopted Greek ways – Hellenizers – who became the Sadducees, although they were not as extreme as the Hellenizers themselves. These were also more of the aristocratic group who usually held the high priesthood; (2) those who wanted to stay loyal to Judaism – called Hassidim, or “Pious ones.” These had strict observance of the law and were called Separatists and later came to be the Pharisees.

Simon Maccabee became high priest in 141 BC when Parthia overcame Seleucid control and gave autonomy back to Judea. Simon was recognized by the priests and elders as high priest, military commander, and ruler of Israel. He began the Hasmonean dynasty but was assassinated in 135 BC. John Hyrcanus became high priest and ruler after his father Simon Maccabee from 135-104 BC. He forced Idumea, or Edom, south of the Dead Sea, to become Jewish proselytes. Herod’s grandparents were of this forced conversion – they outwardly portrayed to be Jewish but did not live that way. John Hyrcanus also destroyed the temple in Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. The Qumran settlement (northwest shore of Dead Sea) began at this time. The Essenes were of the line of Zadok and formed as a group to study scripture because they wanted no part in the secularization of the high priest role by the Hasmoneans.

Aristobulus I (Jewish name Judah and son of Hyrcanus) reigned for one year. He pushed Judah’s borders to include Galilee. He was the first to assume the title of king. His brother, Alexander Jannaeus ruled from 103-76 BC. He brought the Golan Heights (east and northeast of the Sea of Galilee) to be within the Judean borders. He established Gamla which became a town of zealot activity (where five-thousand Jews committed suicide rather than being taken by the Roman army). He hated Pharisees, was immoral, and not well liked. He once had eight-hundred Pharisees crucified at a banquet and he massacred six thousand Jews at a Feast of Tabernacles because they pelted him with citron leaves to show their disfavor of him when he attended the feast.

Salome Alexandra (76-67), the wife of Alexander Jannaeus, was the antithesis of her husband. After his death in 76 BC, education and peace spread – called the Golden Age. She died in 67 BC.

Hyrcanus II was the son of Alexander and Salome and was favored by the Pharisees. Aristobulus II, also the son of Alexander and Salome, was favored by the Sadducees. Civil war broke out between the two sons. They both went to Pompey, a Roman military leader to seek assistance. Pompey favored Hyrcanus II. For a price of giving up the independence of the Judean kingdom to Rome, Pompey helped Hyrcanus II overcome his brother, and Aristobulus II was put into Roman prison. Judea then became a Roman province attached to Syria, and Hyrcanus II became the high priest from 63 to 40 BC.

Antipater, the father of Herod, was governor in Idumea. He supported Hyrcanus II and became procurator In Judea. He made his son Phasael the military head of Judea and made Herod the military governor of Galilee. When Aristobulus II was released from prison, his son Antigonus overthrew Hyrcanus II and cut off Hyrcanus’ ears. Therefore, Hyrcanus II was no longer able to be high priest because the Law forbade a priest with a physical deformity to serve (Lv 21:16-21).

Antigonus had genealogical right to be high priest. He got Parthia to dislodge all power of Hyrcanus II and Herod. Herod fled to Masada and later went to Rome to seek assistance. Parthia ruled Palestine for three years (40 BC to 37 BC). Herod got the Roman senate to make him officially “king of the Jews” and allowed to take the land back by force. With Roman forces, Mark Antony led an invasion to drive the Parthians back east of the Euphrates River. Antigonus was captured, taken to Rome, and executed. Mark Antony tried to drive the Parthians back further and attacked them in Armenia; however, he was severely defeated and barely escaped with his life. Détente lasted between Rome and Parthia from 36 BC to 58 AD.

Herod the Great was the son of a Jewish proselyte and a Gentile mother who was Nabataean. His religion was Jewish, his race was Idumean (Edomite), culturally he was Greek, and politically he was Roman. This is where things stood as the New Testament opened. Although Herod had his faults, many of them, he was probably the last one who understood the Jews. After him, clashes only escalated, and Rome became even more brutal. As you can see, a King of Peace was really needed. Odd how we often reject the very thing we really need. We haven’t really changed as human beings, have we?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As the New Testament opens, Judaea is pretty much a chaotic place. There are a lot of cultures in a small area. All areas would be considered Gentile except for Judea and Galilee. Yet, there were pockets of Jews in the other geographical areas as well. Let’s examine some of these areas.

Nabataea: Nabataeans were once a nomadic people and later settled in the ancient area of Edom south of the Dead Sea and had close connections with the Edomites (Idumeans). One of their more notable cities was Petra. They had a big influence on the trade routes between Egypt and the Far East. Herod the Great’s mother was Nabataean. As a nomadic people, they had been around for centuries and were sometimes called Arabs. It is possible that the Shulamite woman described by Solomon (SS 1:5-6) may also have been Nabataean. During early New Testament times, they also occupied the area east of the Dead Sea south of Perea. This area was ruled by Aretas IV whose daughter was given to Herod Antipas whom he later divorced and for which John the Baptist reprimanded him (Mk 6:17-29). Later Herod Antipas had John beheaded at Machaerus in Perea (Mk 6:21-27). By the end of his reign, Aretas had influence as far north as Damascus (2Co 11:32), likely because his army attacked and defeated Herod Antipas, who governed Perea east of the Jordan River, because he divorced his daughter.  He also seemed to have disputes with Philip the Tetrarch who governed Ituraea and Trachonitis. Some believe Paul went to Petra after his conversion to Christ (Ga 1:17).

Judaea: This term was used to describe the area that was composed of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria. Herod was originally made governor of Galilee by his father. Herod later married the Hasmonean princess Mariamne, got Rome to name him “King of the Jews,” and found a way to always be in Rome’s favor. This got him control over all of Judaea. Then to endear himself to the Jewish people, he upgraded and beautified their temple and its court. Herod seemed to know how to always play both sides of the street, so to speak. He became known as Herod the Great because of his spectacular building projects: the Jewish temple as well as other buildings in Jerusalem, the building of Caesarea Maritima, Herodium, Masada, Machaerus in Perea, a winter palace in Jericho, and the rebuilding of Sebaste (former Samaria), as well as other projects. By the end of his reign, he governed Idumea, Judea, Samaria, Perea, Galilee, Ituraea and Trachonitis. These territories were divided among his sons after his death in 1 BC. The territories of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria went to his son Archelaus, although the emperor downgraded his position from king to ethnarch. This decision to give these areas to Herod’s sons was so unpopular with the people that the Syrian governor Publius Quinctilius Varus had to bring no less than three legions of Roman soldiers to put down the uprising. There were so many riots and unrest under Archelaus’ rule that Joseph and Mary decided to head back to Galilee rather than to Judea when they left Egypt (Mt 2:22). Complaints of his rule from both Judea and Samaria were so great the Roman emperor exiled him. About this same time the next Syrian governor Publius Sulpicius Quirinius had to intervene and put down a tax revolt that had resulted. The emperor decided to rule these territories via Roman prefects instead of replacing Archelaus’ position. Pontius Pilate served as such starting in 26 AD (Lk 3:1).

Idumea: Once Judah was taken captive by Babylon, many Edomites moved farther north in the more fertile area of the Negev than the rocky and mountainous regions which had previously been their home. This area became known as Idumea. John Hyrcanus of the Hasmonean dynasty forced the Idumeans to be circumcised and follow Jewish customs. Although many did so, they all did not strictly follow them. One of the wealthy, Antipater, who had become governor of Idumea supported one of the later Hasmonean king rivals, Hyrcanus II, and also supported the Roman general Pompey when Rome entered the area. He later was a supporter of Julius Caesar when he came to power which earned him becoming procurator in Judea with the right to levy taxes. He made his two sons Phasael and Herod governors in Jerusalem and Galilee, respectively.

Judea: This was the area of strongest and most consecrated Jewish worship since Jerusalem and the temple were in this territory. However, even that was not without issues. There were now two prominent sects of Jewish leaders: Sadducees and Pharisees. They did not get along very well. The Sadducees were more Hellenized, endeared to Greek influence, and were more supportive of Rome because the position of High Priest had become a politically appointed position rather than a father to son position as by Jewish tradition. Yet in spite of their more liberal lifestyle, they were much more conservative in their view of the Scriptures and did not believe in the Oral Law of Moses but just the Written Law which they interpreted very conservatively. The Pharisees were more conservative in their lifestyle, were more attuned to the people, and believed in both the Written Law and the Oral Law of Moses. Both groups were part of the Sanhedrin which officiated the Law to the general populace and set the spiritual direction for the nation. There was a third faction, the Essenes, who had become disgusted with both groups and formed a group among themselves to study the scriptures at Qumran near the Dead Sea. They kept out of normal day-to-day interactions. Jesus was born in Judea (Mt 2:1), and he spent a great deal of time teaching at the temple (Mt 21:13, 23; Mk 12:35; Lk 19:47, 21:38; Jn 10:25-30), healing (Mt 21:14; Jn 2:23, 5:8-9), as well as being crucified there (Mt 27:35; Mk 15:25; Lk 24:20; Jn 19:18). Judea was ruled first by Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, for a short time and then by prefects.

Samaria: The Samaritans were descendants from the Jewish remnant that had been left in the land of Israel after Assyrian captivity and had intermarried with the local inhabitants who were not of Jewish descent. Since that time, they were never allowed to participate in Jewish culture again (Er 4:2-3). Many followed the style of Jewish worship using the temple at Mt. Gerizim which had been built by Sanballat, a Persian governor several centuries earlier. Although destroyed earlier by the Hasmonean John Hyrcanus, it seems many Samaritans of the New Testament Day still went to the temple ruins to pray, or at least still considered the place holy (Jn 4:20). The Samaritans were despised by most Jews of the day and would even cross over the Jordan River to go north to Galilee and thereby by-pass even traveling through Samaria itself. Jews would rather travel through the land of the Decapolis rather than through Samaria. They were considered by many as worse than Gentiles because they were considered half-breeds. Jesus often went through Samaria during his travels between Jerusalem and Galilee. He healed lepers (Lk 17:11-14), taught people, and many believed on him (Jn 4:4, 39-42).

Decapolis: The Decapolis was an area composed of ten Greek cities that had been established after the time of Alexander the Great’s conquest of the area. The Romans gave them their own political entity. Nine of the cities were east of the Jordan River (Damascus, Canatha, Dion, Raphana, Hippus, Gadara, Pella, Gerasa, and Philadelphia) and one west of the Jordan (Scythopolis). The Decapolis had their own courts, army, and coinage. They were an advanced people, but Hellenized and polytheistic. Jesus did visit many of these cities during his ministry and many asked to be healed (Mt 4:25; Mk 5:20, 7:31).

Perea: Perea was usually described as the “land beyond the Jordan” (Mt 19:1; Jn 1:28, 3:26) and was opposite the Jordan River from Judea and Samaria. There was a large Jewish population that lived there. This area was ruled by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. Jesus had many followers from here (Mt 4:25; Mk 3:8), healed many here (Mt 19:1-2), and taught them (Mk 10:1; Jn 10:40-42). John the Baptist baptized here (Jn 1:28) and was beheaded in this region as well (Mk 6:21-27).

Galilee: Galilee was located north of Samaria and south of Phoenicia. The Sea of Galilee was its eastern border with the Jordan River also the eastern border for Upper Galilee and the Decapolis the eastern border for Lower Galilee. This was the second largest area with a Jewish population. This area was also governed by Herod Antipas (Lk 3:1). Jesus grew up in Galilee in Nazareth (Mt 2:23) and stayed in Capernaum on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee for much of his ministry (Mt 4:13).

Ituraea and Trachonitis: These areas were to the east and north of Galilee, east of the Jordan River and encompassed Bashan, the Golan Heights, and parts of what are today Syria. This area was sometimes broken down further into more discrete areas, including Gaulinitis (Golan Heights) and Batanaea (Bashan). These areas were ruled by Philip the Tetrarch (Lk 3:1), son of Herod the Great and brother of Herod Antipas (same father but different mothers). This area was probably one with the least Jewish residents. However, Jesus did take his disciples to this region at Caesarea Philippi where he began in earnest to teach them about his coming crucifixion (Mt 16:13, 21). Bethsaida, on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee was part of this territory, was the home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (Jn 1:44), and the place where Jesus taught and did several miracles (Mk 8:22; Lk 9:10-11). He also criticized the city because of their unbelief (Mt 11:21; Lk 10:13).

Syria: This territory was north of Galilee and north of Caesarea Philippi, reaching to the Euphrates River and was the Roman border territory to Parthia. It included the city of Damascus as well as all of Phoenicia. The city of Damascus, although considered one of the cities of the Decapolis, was not physically in the territory of the Decapolis. However, in another sense, Syria during Roman times included all the area in the Middle East under Roman domain and Rome would parcel pieces of Syria up into autonomous areas. Therefore, it seems the Syrian governor, Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, had much power and helped Rome keep the peace in both the Jewish hotbeds of revolt in Judea as well as be the front line of defense at the Parthian border in the north. He had four legions of Roman soldiers at his disposal. This is likely why Syrian forces came to help keep the peace when riots were so bad in Judea when Herod Archelaus reigned. To prevent further revolts, the emperor had Archelaus exiled and established prefects to rule that area. The fame of Jesus Christ and his miracles spread to Syria and many were brought to Jesus for healing (Mt 4:24; Mk 3:8; Lk 6:17-18). Also, Jesus made statements that the Gentiles in Tyre and Sidon, part of Phoenicia Syria at the time, would have already repented if what was observed in Korazin and Bethsaida (i.e., cities with a large Jewish contingent) had been observed (Mt 11:21). Jesus also healed the daughter of a Gentile woman in Sidon because of her faith (Mt 15:21-28).

Now, keep in mind that all these divisions were within an area about the size of New Jersey or the island of Taiwan. Romans, Jews, Samaritans, and other differences in such a small area provided a constant clash of cultures, ideas, and beliefs. In our next post, we’ll discuss more about these differences.

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

How did God reach out to Gentiles before New Testament times? First, we need to understand the succession of Gentile powers which occurred millennia before. How did these Gentile powers influence Israel? And how did God use these Gentile powers to his advantage – and to theirs?

Previous posts have discussed how the kingdom of Assyria took the Northern Kingdom of Israel captive in 722 BC, Babylon conquered Assyria in 606 BC, and then took the Southern Kingdom of Judah captive in 586 BC. Yet, there were a series of sieges of Jerusalem before this final destruction. The first siege occurred in 605 BC, just a year after defeating Assyria. Daniel was one of those taken captive during this first siege (Dn 1:1-7). God gives King Nebuchadnezzar a dream about a statue (Dn 2), and he later builds an actual statue of his vision demanding all to worship it (Dn 3:1-6). Daniel’s four friends refused to bow down to the statue and are thrown in a fiery furnace, but no harm comes to them (Dn 3:7-27). Nebuchadnezzar then proclaims no one in his realm should say anything derogatory against the God of Daniel or they would be destroyed (Dn 3:28-29). God used the arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar to display His power and God received glory throughout his entire kingdom. No one knows how many proselytes were achieved because of this, but I’m sure it gave the Jews throughout the kingdom an opportunity to proclaim their God to many Gentiles in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

Later, God struck Nebuchadnezzar with boanthropy because of his arrogance (Dn 4:32). This is a mental disease where a person thinks of himself as an ox and where one’s hair lengthens and one’s fingernails become very coarse and thickened. When Nebuchadnezzar’s senses returned to him, he admitted God was the Most High (Dn 4:34, 37). This is the second time, recorded anyway, that God made the citizens of the Babylonian Empire hear about God. The Jews throughout the kingdom could then help their Gentile neighbors understand more about their God.

Next, once the Persian Empire conquered Babylon, Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. This occurred in the first year Cyrus conquered Babylon. This was actually prophesied by Isaiah over one-hundred and fifty years prior to the event (Is 44:24-45:13). Through a series of circumstances, God allowed Daniel to be thrown into a lion’s den because of his worship of God. Yet, God preserved Daniel (Dn 6:22). Cyaxares II (Darius) then gave a proclamation to the entire kingdom that everyone should respect the God of Daniel (Dn 6:26-27). God was now proclaimed to an even larger Gentile audience, as the Persian Empire was much larger than the Babylonian Empire. It stretched from India to the west coast of Turkey.

Then, once King Xerxes I ruled the kingdom, a prominent person within the kingdom, named Haman, was embittered against the Jews and made a plot to achieve their destruction. His deception was found out by a Jew named Mordecai whose niece, named Esther, who had recently been named Queen, told of his plot to Xerxes (Es 4:7-8, 7:3-6, 8:3-4). Xerxes allowed Mordecai and Esther to draft a letter with his seal which was sent to all of the provinces of the Persian Empire. It allowed the Jews to fight back without restraint against any who would attack them as Haman had ordered (Es 8:9-10). If nothing else, this caused many within the empire to at least fear or have a respect for the God of the Jews. I’m sure it made many question who this God the Jews served was and wanted to know more about him.

Many years later, Alexander the Great came on the scene and conquered all the land from Greece all the way to India, including all the land of the Persian Empire. When he approached Jerusalem, Jaddua, the priest in Jerusalem, showed Alexander the prophecy about him in the book of Daniel (Dn 11:1-3). Alexander believed this confirmed a vision he had received earlier. Alexander then allowed Jerusalem to be saved from attack, and the Jews were allowed to abide by their own laws. Many Jews went with him on his campaign. This further allowed many within Alexander the Great’s army, and many throughout the kingdom, to hear about the God of the Jews.

We can know many proselytes were created because in Acts 2 many of all these areas, now part of the Roman and Parthian Empires, were present in Jerusalem for Shavuot (i.e., Pentecost). This again helps us see how God has always been inclusive of everyone. Isn’t our God wonderful!

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We mentioned in our last post that most times God presented a prophecy of hope to the very same nations about which he prophesied a prophecy of doom. When the Old Testament prophets prophesied about future events they were not necessarily concerned about the chronology of those events. Their main message was to help the people understand the seriousness of the coming destruction and captivity God had prophesied and encourage the people to repent.

The prophecy of future prosperity was a message of hope and an answer to the concerns the various prophets had at the time as well as to help the faithful have and maintain their hope. For example, God showed Ezekiel His presence leaving the temple in Jerusalem (Ek 10-11) because He was going to remove His protection and allow the city to be conquered by the Babylonians. Of course, Ezekiel would be concerned and wonder if God’s presence would remain removed forever. So, God revealed to Ezekiel His presence would one day return and He helped Ezekiel to know that by the specifics which were provided (Ek 43:1-12). The point of this vision to Ezekiel was not to put it into a historical timeline; it was to provide the answer to his questions and to provide the hope he needed to hear.

The earth will always have nations, so many of these prophecies in the Old Testament will continue or be realized even in our future. Once Christ returns the second time to earth and sets up His Theocracy, the earth will still be divided into many nations (Rv 20:3). However, nations will no longer serve themselves but serve the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although Israel has suffered much ridicule and abuse over the centuries, she will then be the one nation which all other nations will revere (Is 60:14-15). Many of the nations mentioned earlier which have received God’s judgment will now seek to come to Jerusalem to worship the Messiah, now their King (Is 11:10-16). Members of these nations will help to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, but the gates will never need to be shut again (Is 60:3-16).

God’s promises are not bound by time. One day, God will restore the tribes of Jacob and they will be a light to the Gentiles (Is 42:6, 49:6). The mission which God gave the children of Israel at Sinai to be priests to the nations (Ex 19:6) will come to fruition. Israel will be the one to proclaim to all the nations how to worship their God. They will be known as priests and ministers to all the nations (Is 61:3) and those who proclaim the glory of God (Is 66:19). The members of all the nations, as well as the rulers of these nations, will revere every Israelite (Is 62:12). Members of nations will be eager to worship the King and will even carry children of Israelites in their arms and on their shoulders with reverence and joy so they can travel with them to Jerusalem to worship the Lord (Is 49:22-23).

These prophecies still have meaning for us today just as they will for our future. It is a constant reminder to us that God’s word is truth. What God says will come to pass because time is irrelevant to the fulfillment of these prophecies. At the end of God’s longsuffering comes justice (usually interpreted as wrath). Our current age will end with the Tribulation. It’s a matter of when and not if.

We have seen God has a plan for nations. The Bible speaks of those nations in the Middle East because they are the most associated with Israel. Yet, it has always been true that nations who bless Israel are blessed and those who curse Israel are cursed.

We have also seen God has a plan for individuals. An individual‘s response to God trumps God’s plan for a nation. We have seen many examples of this in scripture which have been presented here and in previous posts. God’s words of doom always come with a word of hope. Our hope today is in Jesus Christ who will save us from God’s wrath to come. Aren’t you glad we have a God who plans for us like that?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

While an individual’s response to God is primary, God also has plans for nations. God can bless a nation for its obedience, destroy that nation for disobedience, and can even use that nation for His own purposes whether that nation is obedient to His commands or not.

The nations mentioned in the Bible are mainly around the Middle East because that is where most of the “action” in the Bible is occurring since the main focus is on the nation of Israel, their response to God, and how these other nations respond to both Israel and to God’s plan.

Through Noah, God stated, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant” (Gn 9:25-27). In a previous post, we stated that the descendants of Ham settled in the Middle East, south into Africa, and then to other parts of the world. The descendants of Shem also settled in the Middle East and further east. The descendants of Japheth settled mostly in Europe. We also saw that many of the Canaanites did become servants of Shem (i.e., the Israelites), and their land will one day be given back to the Israelites (Ek 48). This prophecy through Noah is completed when this occurs and when, in the future, the Israelites are brought back from the four corners of the earth (Is 11:12) back to their homeland (i.e., back from the land of Japheth to dwell back in the home of Shem).

Most of the prophetic books in the Old Testament contain words of destruction for these nations because of their treatment of Israel and for their rejection of God. Yet, many of these countries will have a future and be supportive of both the Messiah and of Israel (Is 49:22-23; 62:12). Here are the countries and what we know them as today.

Amos (Am 2:7-8; 4:1; 6:8), Isaiah (Is 1:3-4), and Micah (Mi 1:6-7) prophesied Assyria would take Israel of their land because of continual disobedience. Zephaniah (Zp 1:4-12; 3:2-4), Joel (Jl 2:1-11), Habakkuk (Hk 1:5-6; 2:2-10), and Jeremiah (Jr 32:1-5) prophesied the same fate awaited Judah if they did not repent.

Although God used the animosity of these nations to carry out his plan, they were still held accountable for their treatment of Israel. Such cases included Edom (Ek 25:12; Am 1:9; Ob 1:4), Moab (Ek 25:6-7; Jr 48:29; Am 2:1; Is 16:6-7), Ammon (Jr 49:2, Ek 25:6-7; Am 1:13), Elam (Ek 25:3; Jr 49:35-37), Assyria (Na 2:1, 6), Damascus (Is 17:1-14; Jr 49:23-27), Philistia (Ek 25:15), Phoenicia (Ek 26:2; Is 23:13-15), Babylon (Is 13:3, 14:11, 15-19; 17; Jr 50:31-32; 51:9-11, 28), Egypt (Ek 32:28; J 46:11-12, 25-26), Ethiopia (Is 18:1-7), and Arabia (Is 21:13-17; Jr 49:20-32-33).

Yet, despite the prophecy of doom, God almost always provided a word of mercy and hope. Despite one’s nationality or the original curse that had been placed upon a person’s descendants, God still provided hope for individuals regardless of ancestry. We’ll explore this prophecy of hope next time.

From this we see how God has a plan for everyone and every nation. We can be a part of his plan and blessing or be a part of his plan and cursing. A nation has a choice. An individual has a choice. God always puts the individual’s response above that of a nation. Isn’t our God wonderful?

____________

Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens