Bible Study Seattle

“You have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shall not kill; and whoever shall kill, will be amenable to the judges. But I say to you, that everyone being angry with his brother, shall be amenable to the judges: and whoever shall say to his brother, Fool! will be subject to the high council; but whoever shall say, Apostate Wretch! will be obnoxious to the burning of Gehenna. If therefore, thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there recollect that thy brother has ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother, then come, and present thy gift. Agree quickly with thy prosecutor, while thou art on the road with him; lest the prosecutor deliver thee to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Indeed, I say to thee, thou will by no means be released, till thou has paid the last Farthing.” Matthew 5:21-26

This is from the Emphatic Diaglott translation. It is essential to have the most accurate translation possible, otherwise it is easy to get the wrong ideas.

Notice how this sermon starts out. There is an escalation in sin between brothers that results in escalating correction. The brother who is angry with his brother is subject to the judges. He who is even more angry is subject to the high council, and lastly, he who is hopelessly livid will be cast to the fires of Gehenna. Whatever cannot be refined in that fire is consumed: the second death. This is how it will be after the resurrection.

When most Christians read this passage in the NIV, they assume that anyone who has ever been angry with his brother (that’s all of us!), is in danger of burning in hell forever! That’s not the case!! This is foreshadowing the trip to the feast of Tabernacles in the Millennium. Will not the scriptures be available to us in the Millennium? Yes! Even the teaching of the great pyramid will be available in the Millennium. “In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border. It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt;”. Isaiah 19:19-20.

“While thou art on the road with him.”? This is referring to everyone going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. We must have a clear conscience or our offerings will be polluted. The gist of this passage is that the most important thing in the world is to be on good terms with everyone. How else can there be peace and harmony? Is this not why Jesus commands all who would follow him to forgive his brother? Yes! We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven until we are clean of all impure thoughts.