Bible Study Seattle

One of my favorite passages is a little mysterious:

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to him

Nightmares are somewhat common in children.  This author remembers an authority saying that nightmares decline after age seven.  (I couldn’t find a reference quickly).  If that’s true, it may be another way YHWH communicates his plan.  After seven days (thousand years), sin and death should be massively reduced.

Was the transfiguration a prophecy?

“Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.  As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.  Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”  The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”  And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready,”  Matthew 17:1-11

There’s a very heavy hint that this probably took place immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles.  Tabernacles starts five days after the Day of Atonement, which also doubles as the start of the Jubilee.  This author thinks that this scene of heavenly transformation is a foretaste of our heavenly condition in the Jubilee that starts just past half way through the Millennial reign of Christ.

“Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.”  So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land.  As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, “Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done.”  And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land.

“Look, my lord the king!” Gehazi exclaimed. “Here is the woman now, and this is her son—the very one Elisha brought back to life!”

“Is this true?” the king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence.”  2 Kings 8:1-6

This is a picture of what YHWH will do.  In the seventh year he will completely restore us.  The seventh year is within the 7,000th year.

All sin is evil, but not all evil is sin.  Evil is anything harmful, say lightning striking a person dead.  As long as there is no creature that caused it, we can call it evil but not a sin.  (It’s possible a demon or YHWH caused it, but we have no way of knowing).  If I kill a chicken to eat it, it is not sin, but we could say it is evil (certainly from the chicken’s viewpoint).  In that regard, it is interesting to think about Jesus preparing fish for the disciples.  Same thing – no sin, but evil from the fish’s point of view.  In fact, it seems that the whole carnivorous state of the world is evil, and not how YHWH intends it.  The bible prophecy’s this:  “The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Isaiah 65:25

The 2016 U. S. elections and political climate surrounding the new president remind this author of some scenes in the bible.  The first is in 1 Samuel.  “As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.  But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.  “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”  1 Samuel 8:1-5

The leaders of Israel wanted prestige.  They wanted to be like other nations.

“So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.  The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.  He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.  He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.  He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use.  He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.  When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.  “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.”  1 Samuel 8:10-21

This is exactly how leaders are today.  They don’t care about increased taxes and regulations, because they plan to profit from it.  Who cares about the little guy that will shoulder the burden; they care only for themselves.  When a leader comes along that threatens large constituencies, say the $2.5 trillion medical field, they cry for blood.  Not unlike what Jesus faced.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.  The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.  Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.  They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.  Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.  If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father.  This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’”  John 15:18-25

It is amazing to see ‘Christians’ going ballistic over such proposals as abolishing the Department of Education.  When Jesus is in power, he will not have pointless $73 Billion per year bureaucracies.  The United States became the greatest nation on earth without a public school system!  And no teachers union (let’s call it a monopoly).  Shouldn’t we applaud the breakup of monopolies by competition?  If someone wants to teach for less money than me, what right do I have to declare that illegal?!  Jesus was the lowest paid preacher ever.  $0!  He didn’t go to seminary.  Didn’t wear ornamental pastor’s robes.  Built no cathedrals.  Yet he will come to power.  By force.  In fact, he will kill millions.  But only out of the clearest equity and justice.  There will be no miscarriage of justice.  And no taxes.  Only the tithe, which will support the most benevolent government ever experienced by mankind.

If God is good, why is there evil?  Interestingly, the bible does not answer this question.  The closest we get is the book of Job.  Job asks why are all these horrible things happening to me?  YHWH talks to him, but never answers the question.  However, he does reassure Job, and he blesses him.  In fact, he doubles the blessing Job had before his misfortune.

If parents love their children, why do they allow harm?  Every parent must allow their children to fall as they learn to walk.  They let their children fall as they learn to ride a bike.  Not because the parents are evil, but because that limited evil is a very good teacher.  But the analogy may fail in that parents will not let their children die if they can help it.  A cinic will ask why God allows some to die.  But the answer is that he has promised to raise them from the dead.  All have a chance at eternal life if they will follow YHWH’s ways.  All Adam & Eve had to do was not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  And now we have our knowledge of good and evil!  Ultimately, YHWH will prove to be a very good parent.

Recently I saw piles and piles of stuff someone was hoarding.  It included unopened junk mail and receipts from oil changes 14 years ago.  I also talked to someone who was discarding cancelled checks from 35 years ago.  Why do people hoard junk?  Because they believe this life is it, and they don’t want the memory of anything to be lost.  Many of these people are even ‘christians’.  But their faith is about as strong as a lottery ticket holder has in winning the lottery.  They hope its true.  Boy, I’d sure like a free, easy ticket to heaven.  After all, didn’t Jesus do all the hard work?  All we need is simple belief and faith, and an eternity of floating around praising God awaits us.  But wait,

“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.  Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.  How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”  James 2:19-20

Real faith comes with works.  Not sit ups or Hail Mary’s, but –

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”  Hebrew 10:24

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”  James 3:13

And, let’s not forget the works of forgiveness and repentance.  These are the fruits of true faith – faith in a God who will bring us back to life, even eternal life.

Having purpose is very important in life.  Here are some verses on purpose:

“But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.”  Exodus 9:16

“I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”  Job 42:2

“Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the Lord will stand.”  Proverbs 19:21

“A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding draws it out.” Proverbs 20:5

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

Since the miracle of technology arrived 150 years or so ago, man’s lack of higher purpose has brought interesting changes.  We have enough technology that most women could stay home and the men could work 25 hour weeks.  The curse on Adam has been partially lifted:

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.
“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;
By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”  Genesis 3:17-19

Instead of enjoying the freedom that technology could bring, millions of people commute to cubicles (cue Dilbert), where they toil doing endless, pointless paperwork.  Millions of laws have been passed in restraint of trade and production, to protect giant monopolies.  A very small group of people control an enormous percentage of the world’s wealth.  This will not stand forever.  But what would people do if they only had to work 10 hours per week?  Many would probably wallow, watching endless hours of TV.   In any case, YHWH’s purposes are being worked out whether we perceive them or not.  We should strive to be part of God’s plans to bring about the salvation of mankind.  It will take time (lot’s of time!), but it will be glorious.

According to Guttmacher, in 2014 there were 926,000 abortions in the U.S.  That’s down from a high of 1.6 million in 1990.  That’s good news.  But many of the would be moms will be surprised when they come back from the dead and their pregnancy is restarted by YHWH.

“But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,

Thus says the Lord ^[God,