Bible Study Seattle

“Then he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.  Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.  He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; who has kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’  Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.

“But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.  Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; that Your eye may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive.

“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

“If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.

“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them; then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

“Also concerning the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.”  2 Chronicles 6:12-33

Will this not take place?  Certainly there will be a complete fulfillment of this when Jesus is reigning.  As long as people repent there will be forgiveness.  “The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.”  So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’  Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”  Zechariah 8:21-23

“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.  It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.  “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.  When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”  So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”  John 21:1-14

The third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he rose from the dead, they miraculously caught 153 fish.  3X3X17 is 153.

“Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600.  He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.”  2 Chronicles 2:17-18

After Solomon was made king for the second time, he prayed for wisdom, and set about using the 153,600 foreigners to build the temple.  Does this picture the time after Jesus has revealed himself corporately to the Jews, and they start to build Ezekiel’s temple?  Does this have any relation to catching 153 after Jesus finished his ultimate sacrifice?  Maybe this is a stretch, but it’s fun to consider.

It is amazing to see what were the Messianic expectations of the first century.  Based on the 70 week prophecy of Daniel, many expected the Messiah to show up in the east in the first century.  They weren’t sure when the exact start date of Daniel’s 70 weeks were.  It’s even possible that the Jewish war of 66AD to 73AD was somewhat based on a Messiah that would emerge to throw off the Roman yoke.  Today there are similar expectations, again based on Daniel’s prophecy.  This time it’s that travel and knowledge would increase.  Everybody can see that that’s the case.  But it’s the same wrong idea that a strong man will show up to suddenly zap the bad guys.  That will not happen until Israel is in a desperate way.  It’s amazing how people continuiously want to make God in their own image.  We want to tell God our preferred scenario.  But God is in charge, not us.  Undoubtedly, just as people were severely disappointed that Jesus didn’t prove to be the strong man to boot out the Romans, they will also be dissappointed that he seemingly has shown up a second time and let bad things apparently continue.  For this reason their ideas of prophecy will be badly mistaken, and they will be like the unwise virgins who did not have enough oil when the bridegroom (Jesus) finally showed up.   It takes a great deal of faith and humility to see what most refuse to see.

“Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.  Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned.  The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time.  Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation.  When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected.  He asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?”  Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.  Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”  Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer.  Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.  For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.”

When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”  Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.  He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.  Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”  Genesis 40

What does this mean?  If we take Joseph to represent Jesus, he has already been ‘killed’ by lowering him into a pit, then ‘raised from the dead’ by raising him out of the pit.  He was then taken to a far country (heaven).  He became a servant in a prominent home (God’s).  He does such a good job that Potiphar puts him in charge of his house.  But then he is tempted by Potiphar’s wife.  Here’s where the analogy seems to break down.  Was Jesus tempted in heaven even after he rose from the dead?  We can’t know; it seems a little far fetched.  Or does Joseph at this point represent the church still on earth?  The church was faithful after Jesus left.  But the church was also sorely tempted and tried.  It was in this temptation that Joseph was unjustly thrown in prison.  That matches the experience of the church.  But still the church is faithful.  Here the church comes into contact with two classes of people – the good and the bad.  The church prophecies that the good will be restored to fullness of life within three days – within three thousand years.  Likewise, the bad are prophecied to die within three days – three thousand years.  The feast when this happens is Pharaoh’s birthday.  Does God have a birthday?  Or is it the day he gave birth?  Perhaps the Day of Atonement is that day – the day of the Fall, and the day of Jubilee; complete restoration.  After two years in prison, Jospeh is made ruler of Egypt.  Now the interpretation returns to Joseph as Jesus, but also the church.  Within two thousand years of the crucifixion, Jesus is reigning, but the Israelites know it not.  And so it is now.  His revealing cannot take place until Israel has been returned from the dead, and they completely repent of their betrayal of Jesus.

Some interpret Joseph’s experience in prison with Jesus hanging between the two prisoners.  One is promised paradise, and the other is left for judgment.  This interpretation fits also.

In the previous post, I mentioned that the Fall was at the feast of trumpets.  That is probably not correct.  It was most likely the tenth day of the first most, the Day of Atonement.  This is the opinion of Bishop Ussher.  It is fitting that this day begins the Jubilee, the returning of everything that was lost.  Whereas the Sabbath is a day/year/millennium of rest, the Jubilee is a year or millennium of complete restoration of all family ties and property.  It is likely that in the resurrection, people will find themselves in the most important geographical areas where they lived.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”  Proverbs 25:2

God has concealed his truth in the bible.  It is the glory of the wise to search it out.  we have to weigh scripture against scripture, not ignoring what we don’t like.

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Mark 13:24-32

What is the lesson of the fig tree? “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.” Hosea 9:10

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans.” Jeremiah 24:5

Israel is compared to a fig tree. Jesus says that when its branch becomes tender and it puts forth leaves, we will know that summer is near. But when is summer?

It is surmised that the Fall occurred in the fall. About the same time as the feast of trumpets. It follows then, that the first season is fall, followed by winter, spring, and summer. This seems to match the Hebrew day: sunset begins fall, followed by winter from midnight till 6am. Then in morning starts spring, and finally summer is from noon till sundown. This would also be the seasons of the Millennial Sabbath. Summer would be the final 250 years.

Many people have used Jesus’ statement to prophecy that all that Jesus spoke about should be fulfilled within a generation of 1948. But that cannot be true. If a generation is 120 years, then the church may be complete by 2068, but certainly ‘all these things’ will take much longer to accomplish. We must think in God’s terms, not man’s. The noonday sun will not be shining until 750 years into the Millennium. Jesus will likely come down to fight in an obvious manner right before the Day of Atonement, which is more than 500 years into the Millennium.

“Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2

“but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:48

The kiss of betrayal by Judas is not the type of kiss mentioned in Psalm 2. Will people actually kiss the Son? How can that be if he is a heavenly being? Will King David be Christ’s representative in Jerusalem? He is the prince of Ezekiel, but Jesus is the King.