Bible Study Seattle

The first two years of the Exodus contain a lot of details.  Actually, a person reading the full Exodus account probably is thinking Why all this detail?  The first time reading reading through Leviticus can seem quite tedious.  Does God really want us to know these arcane rituals of some ethnic group 3600 years ago!?

The Exodus out of Egypt started the with preparations on the 14th of Abib (Nisan).  The Israelites had understood this as the seventh month, but now God instructed them that this would be their first month of the year.  Around midnight of the 15th (days started and ended at sundown), God struck dead every firstborn of the Egyptians, but not of the Israelites.  Presumably there were some Egyptians who heeded God’s call to put lamb’s blood over their doorposts.  That night the Israelites got moving out of Egypt.  It is not clear when the Egyptians caught up with the Israelites at the Red Sea.  Some say the seventh day of Unleavened bread.  But nevertheless, there was a great deliverance.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies.”  Numbers 1:1-3

“The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe.  For the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel.  But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle.  So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”  Numbers 1:47-51

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, “Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.”  Numbers 3:14-15

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.”  Numbers 4:1-3

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.”  Numbers 4:21-23

“As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers’ households; from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tent of meeting.”  Numbers 4:29-30

Isn’t it interesting that the Israelites were numbered from those twenty years and older, whereas the Levites were numbered from those one month old and older, and those thirty to fifty years?  This possibly shows that those twenty years are ordinary people, while those thirty years are of a more elevated rank.  Indeed, those of the ruling church in that Day will be of higher rank than those on earth.  Additionally, Levites a month old compared to those thirty years old possibly speak to immature Christians verses mature ones(?)

One of the great puzzles of the bible is the chronology.  The writers of scripture were very meticulous about keeping dates and length of lives.  God must have had a reason.  As you work through the numbers, some hangups occur.  One is Exodus 12:40: “The time the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.”  Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt when Joseph was 39 or 40.  Levi was older than Joseph, so he must have been at least 40.  He then lived at most 97 more years. (Exodus 6:16) His daughter was Kohath’s sister, and Moses’ mother.  Moses was 80 at the Exodus (Exodus 7:7).  Therefore Jochebed, Moses’ mother, must have been at least 253 years old when Moses was born!  The reality is she was much younger.  The 430 years counts from God’s covenant with Abraham.  “Now the Lord said to Abram,

So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.  Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.”  Genesis 12:1-5

The LXX Septuagint is more accurate in this case: “And the sojourning of the children of Israel, while they sojourned in the land of Egypt and the land of Chanaan, was four hundred and thirty years. ”  Exodus 12:40

430 years sojourning in Egypt and Canaan.

Moses’ Ten Commandments:

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

“You shall not murder.

“You shall not commit adultery.

“You shall not steal.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”  Exodus 20:3-17

Jesus expands on these:  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:36-40

“But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”  But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?  And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”  Luke 13:14-16

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.”  Matthew 5:21-22

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into Gehenna.”  Matthew 5:27-30

“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”  Matthew 19:16-19

“Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”  Matthew 5:36-37

Jesus had a strong attitude toward the Law:  “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:17-20

So much for Jesus nailing the Law to the cross!  He nailed our transgressions against the Law to the cross!

“After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.  “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them?  For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)  He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them.  For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”  Mark 7:17-23 NIV

“And when Y’shua entered into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about that saying.  He said to them, “You are likewise slow to understand.  You do not know that everything which enters into a man from the outside is not able to defile him.  Because it does not enter into his heart, rather into his belly and is cast out by excretion, which purifies all the food.  But anything that goes out from a man is that which defiles a man.  For from the inside, from the heart of the sons of men proceeds evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, theft, murder, Extortion, wickedness, deceit, lust, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these things, they do proceed from within a man and defile him.”  Mark 7:17-23 AENT

Commentary from the AENT: A major misunderstanding of this verse found its way into the modern translations with the parenthetical comment “in so doing Y’shua declared all foods clean”.  It does not occur in any Aramaic MSS or in early Greek MSS, apparently an attempt was made by Gentile or Christian editors to abandon Torah’s dietary laws.

In support of these comments are prophecies from the old testament.  “And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman but shall take virgins from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.  Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.  In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My Sabbaths.”  Ezekiel 44:22-24

This is a prophecy about the days of the Millennium.  Clean and unclean refer to foods among other things.

There is a lot of misunderstanding regarding faith & works.  No one is saved by works, yet he who has no works will not be saved.  Was the thief on the cross saved?  Yes and no.  He was saved from first death, but not necessarily from second death.  The misunderstanding is that resurrection and eternal life are not the same event.  Some will disagree citing Paul: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ”  1 Corinthians 15:51-53

Many assume that the above verses talk about a single event that happens in a flash.  Yet it only says that we will be changed in a flash.  It doesn’t necessarily say that the perishable will clothed with the imperishable in that same flash.  Of course it could be referring to instant resurrection/immortality at the same instant.  The problem is other verses.

“I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,  which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see;”  1 Timothy 6:13-16

He alone has immortality whom no one has ever seen?  People saw Jesus.  That means Jesus is not immortal.  Only YHWH.  Yet every sect I’m aware of teaches that Jesus is immortal, at least as a result of leading a perfect human life.  The scriptures are clear that Jesus will rule forever; that his reign will not end.  That does not mean that he is necessarily immortal.  Jesus will always be subject to YHWH and lower than him, even though, “God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.   And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,”  Ephesians 1:20-22

As goes Jesus, so goes the church.  Our work is not done when we die.  We will be raised from the dead, then we will live again to help Jesus in the work of the Kingdom of Heaven to help others live righteously, else we die the second death.  And the last enemy to be destroyed is death itself.  Then we may live eternally, yet still in subjection to YHWH.  Regarding works, Ezekiel points out: “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.  Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?”  Ezekiel 18:21-23

If the wicked man turns he won’t die?   Do not all die?  Yes; therefore this must be talking about the second life.  This is describing the repentant in the Millennium.  An interesting commentary from a Catholic site: http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/FAWORKS.HTM

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:23-26 NIV

“Y’shua then said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you that it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  And again I say to you that it is easier for a rope to enter into the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Elohim.  And when the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed and were saying, “Who indeed is able to gain life?’  Y’Shua looked at them and said to them, “With men this is not possible, but with Elohim everything is possible.”  Matthew 19:23-26 AENT

Commentary from the Aramaic English New Testament:  Gamala refers to a “heavy rope” rather than a “camel” which is also spelled gimel-meem-lamed-alap.  Greek scholars puzzled over a camel passing through the eye of a needle, which is a physical impossibility.  Y’shua is clearly not saying a rich man can’t enter, or he would not “love” this one!  The “heavy rope” lesson teaches about a rich man entering into heaven, after he “unravels” his fortune strand by strand as Y’shua instructs.  If his wealth was bound tightly and strong like a rope, it is to be unwound like threads which will pass through the eye of the needle.  Careful attention is required to thread a needle; so are the rich obligated unto YHWH for how their wealth is acquired and dispersed.  Theological attempts to “prove” the eye of the needle to be a geographical location have utterly failed.

Giants Sequoias are amazing.  They have never been known to die, unless they fall over and are cut off from their roots.  “You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; every one who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.”  Exodus 31:14

The bible refers to “Cutting off” numerous times, always meaning death.  Giant Sequoias take about 800 years to reach maturity.  Will that be the case with us in the Millennium?  “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.”  Isaiah 65:20

A further link to corroborate these points:  “They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.”. Isaiah 65:22

Giant Sequoias

“In the beginning was the Miltha.”  John 1:1  Aramaic English NT

“B’resheet aytohi hwa miltha” in Aramaic.  Commentary from the AENT:  This phrase breaks a most basic rule of Aramaic grammar by combining a feminine noun (miltha) with two masculine verbs for “to be” (aytohi, hwa).  This is unheard of in Aramaic literature other than right here in this passage and in 1 John.  This shows YHWH has male and female “images/spirits” even though YHWH remains a He.  It may also be a midrash on Isaiah 11:1-2, which describes the Spirit of YHWH descending on Mashiyach using both masculine and feminine suffixes.  This is not something easily translated, let alone when it occurs within the first four words.

From a Billy Graham tract:

“Jesus is coming back!  God’s Book, the Bible, promises that Jesus will return to take his faithful followers to live with him in his glorious presence forever (John 14:3).  Everyone else will be left behind to face the most difficult times mankind has known.”

Believe or else!  The last line above is wrong.  The faithful will go through the most difficult times mankind has known, some from heaven, some on earth.

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”  Matthew 24:22

In other words, those awful days must be shortened or the faithful would not survive!  Continuing in the Billy Graham tract:

“When will that happen?  The Bible made clear predictions about the times leading up to Christ’s coming for his own.  It says that in those days people will be lovers of pleasure instead of God, truce-breakers, blasphemers, unthankful, heartless, without self-control (2 Timothy 3:1-5)  Clearly the evidence of those predictions being fulfilled is all around us.  The news is filled with reports of greed, murders, robberies, immorality as well as a worldwide convulsion of violence and terrorism.  All the sign seem to indicate that something will happen soon.”

Have there not always been robberies, murders, blasphemers, etc?  How do we know that it’s so much worse today than 500 years ago?  In fact, if you look at look term homicide data, it could be that things were much worse centuries ago.

Graph above from Claude Fischer.  Europe:

But perhaps there are other vices that make up for this?  Certainly, if abortion were included in the above data, there might be higher rates in the last couple decades.  But life is notably better today than it was centuries ago.  This may reverse, but it will probably take more than just a few years.  Here is an article on violence through the centuries:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/22/world-less-violent-stats_n_1026723.html

Further in the tract:  “After Jesus comes for his own ‘there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations…people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world’ (Luke 21:25-26).  Everything will be in upheaval, and there will be earthquakes, wars, violence, and people betraying one another.  It all leads up to the ultimate rebellion against God – Armageddon.”

The reader is lead to believe that this will happen soon.  It will not.  Many other things are prophesied to happen.  They have not occurred yet.  The church must be completed (it is not yet), and then the Israelites must be resurrected.  It’s funny that of all the groups crying The End Is Near!, they never mention this resurrection.  There’s a reason Jews leave a chair for Elijah at Passover.  “The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”  Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.”  Matthew 17:10-11

When those most horrible days since the beginning of man come, other notable people will be on the scene.

“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.”  Daniel 12:1

“Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.  It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.  In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.  Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the Lord of hosts, their God.’”  Zechariah 12:2-5

“ The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.  In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them.  And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”  Zechariah 12:7-9

King David will be alive in those days!  In those days, Israel will be even more prominent than it is today(2016).  The promise of God is that he will be with us even in our afflictions.   No one will be left behind.  Jesus shows this in his parable:  “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying.”  Matthew 18:12

No one will be left behind.  Everyone will be resurrected.  That doesn’t mean salvation will be a cake walk.  Resurrection is solely God’s work.  But salvation involves our repentance and forgiveness.  Salvation comes after resurrection; they are not the same.