Son of God

Is Jesus really fully human and fully divine (God)?

Symbolism

"A picture is worth a thousand words." What is the point of a phrase like that? As an example, it can be very difficult to explain a complex machine to someone using only words, but if you can show them a photo of the machine or, better yet, show them the machine itself, they will have a much better understanding of it.

Another common phrase is "word picture". What is a word picture? We experience this when we read a novel and the author describes a scene in such a way that we can close our eyes and picture that scene in detail in our minds. And that contributes to our understanding and enjoyment of the novel.

God, as our creator, understands that we human beings think in terms of "word pictures", and that if a spiritual concept is described in that way we will be better able to understand and retain it. Therefore, God often uses symbolism or "word pictures" when he speaks to us through prophets in the Bible. Another example is Jesus' use of parables, which are really word pictures, to illustrate spiritual truths.

Heavenly Scene

Daniel chapter 7 is an example of God's use of symbolic language, "word pictures", to speak to us. He sends an angel to describe to Daniel some events that will take place on the earth and in Heaven in Daniel's future. He uses the symbolism of four large beasts, which are described in some detail, to describe four kingdoms and several rulers that will arise on the earth over time. Then the angel's message turns toward Heaven and he describes something that will happen there (verses 9-10):

While I was watching, thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame.
A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.
The court convened
and the books were opened.

Then in verses 13-14 the description continues:

I was watching in the night visions,
And with the clouds of the sky
one like a son of man was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before him.
To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.
His kingdom will not be destroyed.

Son of Man

Who are these two that are described here: the "Ancient of Days" and "one like a son of man"? I don't think there is any doubt that the "Ancient of Days" is Jehovah God, the creator.  Other English Bibles have translated it "the Ancient one", "One who has been living forever", and "the Eternal God". In our modern vernacular you might say "the one who has been around longer than anyone else".

But who is "one like a son of man"? In the Old Testament the phrase "son of man" is used over 100 times. It is used 93 times in the book of Ezekiel, and in every instance it is the title God uses to describe Ezekiel. So we have God speaking to a human being, the prophet Ezekiel, and calling him "son of man". In the few places the phrase is used other than Daniel and Ezekiel, it is in reference to human beings.¹

In the New Testament the phrase "son of man" is used 85 times. In all but five of those instances, Jesus uses the phrase to describe himself. I want to site two example in particular. In the first example Jesus is responding to his disciples who are arguing about who will be greatest in the coming kingdom. He says:

It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”²

Here Jesus seems to use the phrase to demonstrate the human connection between himself and the other human beings around him. Then when Jesus is on trial before the Sanhedrin, the High Priest asks him, "I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus' answer connects his position as the Son of God with the Son of Man title:

“You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”³

By his response, "You have said it yourself", Jesus is acknowledging under oath that he is the Son of God. In our modern time, the equivalent phrase would be, "You said it!" Further, by alluding to phrases from Daniel 7:13, Jesus is identifying himself with the divine Son of Man ruling at the right hand of God.The phrase "Son of God" emphasizes his divine nature and the phrase "Son of Man" emphasizes his human nature, first as a suffering servant and then as a sovereign ruler.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, emphasizes how Christianity is different from all other "religions". The one and only God who created us was willing to come down and live among us as one of us, serving us, sacrificing for us, so that he could identify with us and communicate with us on our level, and save us from our own failures.

The apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 2:5-11:

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

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1. Examples would be Numbers 23:19, Job 25:6, and Job 35:8.

2. Matthew 20:26-28

3. Matthew 26:63-64

Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

New Covenant

What advantages do Christians have under the New Covenant?

Even though separated by over 500 years, the writings of Jeremiah have a close connection to the life of Jesus while he was here on earth.

The Weeping Prophet

For hundreds of years the leaders of Israel had been taking advantage of and stealing from the people they were supposed to serve and protect. Many of the people had deserted God and followed after other “gods”, both supposedly spiritual gods and earthly “gods”. Israel was filled with greed, selfishness, and rebellion against God.

It is 587 BC and Jeremiah has warned for 30 years that there will be consequences for this behavior, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Over the years Jeremiah is so moved by the failure of his people to listen to his message from God and their refusal to turn back to God that his writings in the Old Testament books of Jeremiah and Lamentations sometimes describe his personal shedding of tears for his people.

Oh that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!
(Jeremiah 9:1)

My eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eyes pour down unceasingly,
Without stopping,

Until the Lord looks down
And sees from heaven.

My eyes bring pain to my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.
(Lamentations 3:48-51)

Hope Through a New Covenant

Then in Jeremiah chapter 31 the weeping ends, and an expression of hope begins. Through Jeremiah, God promises a New Covenant with the people of Israel.

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

What is new and different about this covenant?

“I will put my Law within them and on their heart I will write it.”

• The “Old” Covenant
• The first covenant was written first on stone tablets and then on scrolls.¹
• That kind of material could be lost, forgotten, ignored, or altered.¹
• They had the Law in front of them, but they had failed to internalize it.¹
• The “New” Covenant
• The New Covenant, in contrast, would be written on their hearts.¹
• The content of the Law is essentially the same.¹
• What changes is their inner commitment to keep it.¹

“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."

• The word “know” here means more than just a casual acquaintance.
• It has the meaning of an "intimate personal knowledge which arises between two persons who are committed wholly to one another in a relationship that touches mind, emotion, and will."²
• Your brothers and neighbors will no longer have to encourage you to be faithful to God, because you will already have a close personal relationship with him.

“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

• The trust and faith that exist in the close, intimate, personal relationship described above makes forgiveness possible.

After 40 years of speaking out warning messages to the people of Israel as they continued to ignore his warnings while at the same time persecuting him, Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem that God had described through his message.

The Weeping Messiah

Now fast forward over 500 years. It is 30 AD and Jesus has spent over three years calling his people to come to God, and yet most of them have rejected him and his message. In addition to that, the “religious leaders” of Israel are actively plotting to put him to death.

It is five days before Jesus’ crucifixion and the Passover, and it is time for the final confrontation. In fulfillment of prophecy and tradition, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey as many are lining the road and honoring Jesus as if he were their king.  They are mistakenly looking for an earthly Messiah, who will kick out the corrupt “religious leaders” and the Romans, but this is not his mission or his message. The Gospel of Luke records that, as he approached, Jesus wept over the city, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:41-42) He is crying for his people who are struggling instead of trusting, who are not understanding his message. He knows that another destruction of Jerusalem is coming. In fact, in a couple of days he publicly prophetically announces to them that it is coming. His tears are tears of concern for them.

Meanwhile, at the temple, in advance of the coming Passover feast and ceremonies, the merchants have set up shop. They are hoping to make a killing selling the Passover necessities at a nice profit to all the travelers who are in town for the Passover festivities. Jesus dismounts the donkey, enters the temple, and proceeds to run all the merchants out of the temple. He says, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."

What is the significance of that comment?

• “And my house shall be a house of prayer.”
• Here Jesus quotes a line from Isaiah 56:7 where Isaiah is writing words spoken by God. By calling the temple “My House”, Jesus is claiming to be God.
• “You have made it a robber’s den.”
• Here Jesus quotes from Jeremiah 7:11, again quoting words spoken by God.

“Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, ” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 7:11)

In his statement Jesus connects himself to the prophet Isaiah who described the Messiah as a lowly suffering servant who would be despised and then put to death, and he connects himself to the prophet Jeremiah who spoke of a coming “New Covenant” between God and his people.

The New Covenant Personified

A few days beyond those events, on the night of his arrest, Jesus is eating the Passover meal with his disciples. During the meal, he makes a personal connection between the New Covenant described in Jeremiah.

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. (Luke 22:19-20)

The New Covenant described in Jeremiah 31:31-34 is initiated through the person of Jesus.

• “I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Verse 33) Jesus is God in human form living and walking among us.
• “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”  The death of Jesus made possible the forgiveness of the New Covenant, and his resurrection give us hope of resurrection.

Mark Moore sums this up well in his Core 52³ book:

There are three things promised in the new covenant: personal relationship with the Father, forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of the Son, and the law of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.³

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1. Jeremiah 31:33 Study Note 80, quoted by permission, taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

2. Dr Constable's Expository Notes, copyright ©2010 Dr. Thomas R. Constable, quoted from the NET Bible notes, https://bible.org/

3. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)
Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7
ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible

Atonement

He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that resulted in our peace;
because of his wounds we have been healed.
(Isaiah 53:5) ¹

How does Jesus' death cover my sins?

Atonement

In his Core 52² book Mark Moore says, "Atonement basically means that you owe a debt and somebody else pays it for you." While the word itself may not be familiar, I'm sure almost everyone has experienced what it describes. Have you ever owed a debt of some kind and someone else stepped up and  took care of it for you? Or perhaps you yourself have helped out someone by taking care of a debt that they owe.

Blood Atonement

Lets talk about the Biblical concept of "sin". God has established a standard by which people can live their lives that would lead to peaceful person to person relationships as well as a peaceful relationship between a person and God. The key to that relationship is love, but God also gave us the freedom to make our own life decisions and to control our own actions. Why did he do that? Because love is based on free choice. One cannot exist without the other. So human beings have the choice to love or to hate, as well as a whole range of choices between those two.

But what about the blood thing? It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has lived in this world that sometimes human failure to live up to God's standard of love leads to bloodshed. Within one generation of the beginning of human life on earth with Adam and Eve, a man murdered his brother out of jealousy and hatred (Cain and Abel, Genesis chapter 4). And we see this pattern repeated throughout Biblical history as well as secular history as people continue to ignore God’s standard.
There is, however, another side to the shedding of blood throughout history and right up to our present day as soldiers, police officers, first responders, and even ordinary citizens sacrifice their lives to protect others. So blood is shed out of hatred, jealousy, and a rejection of God's standard, but the living out of love and concern for others also leads to bloodshed.

Even though it seems strange to us today, it should not be a surprise that, from the beginning of human history, the shedding of the blood of animals would become a means of "paying the debt" for the human failures that led to human bloodshed. Lets take a look at the progression of this concept through the Old Testament period.

Adam and Eve - Sin leads to death and the shedding of blood

Apparently Adam and Eve did not consider it appropriate to kill animals. When they sinned by eating from the forbidden tree, they made clothing for themselves from plants - fig leaves. When God confronted them about their failure, he killed an animal and made garments of skin for them (Genesis 3:21). The lesson here is that sin leads to death and the shedding of blood.

Abraham - God will provide a substitute

God told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation and that he would be a blessing to everyone on earth through his son Isaac, and then God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac by shedding his blood. By the way, before you criticize God for even suggesting such a thing, or criticize Abraham for even thinking about doing such a thing, keep in mind that this was a lesson, a learning experience for Abraham and us. The Bible suggests that Abraham fully expected that he would not have to complete this sacrifice (Genesis 22:8, Hebrews 11:17-19). Just as Abraham was raising the knife, God stopped him and showed him a ram (sheep) which he then used for the sacrifice. The lesson here is that God will provide a substitute.

The Passover - The shedding of blood can save

As God prepared to bring the last plague on Egypt, the death of the firstborn son, he told the Hebrews through his spokesperson Moses that they would be protected from the plague if they killed a lamb and placed the blood on their doorposts. This Passover was observed through the shedding of a lamb's blood as an annual ritual throughout the history of the Children of Israel from Moses and the tabernacle through the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. The lesson here is that God can save through the shedding of blood.

Jesus - The Lamb of God

A couple of years before his crucifixion Jesus began to prepare his disciples for what was coming. Then on the night of his arrest, as he was celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples, he made it clear that he was the final and ultimate Passover lamb:

"Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:19-20)¹

With this comment Jesus is identifying himself as the "Passover Lamb". Later in the the same conversation Jesus identified himself with the prophesies of Isaiah chapters 52 and 53:

"For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” (Luke 22:37, quoting Isaiah 53:12)¹

Look at how these prophesies line up with the life of Jesus in this table adapted from Mark Moore's Core 52² book.

Isaiah and Jesus’ Life Compared
Isaiah 52-53 (NET)	Jesus’ life
“he was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man; his form was so marred he no longer looked human.” (52:14)	Jesus was brutally beaten.
"he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him." (53:2)	By trade Jesus was a “blue collar” peasant carpenter.
“He was despised and rejected by people.” (53:3)	This happened during his execution.
"But he lifted up our illnesses...he carried our pain...He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds...because of his wounds we have been healed...but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him...Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block...He was led away after an unjust trial...because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.” (53:4-8)	Descriptions of his death on the cross
“They intended to  bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb.” (53:9)	Jesus was crucified between two criminals but was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea who was a well known and well connected man of means.
"Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him." (53:10)	This predicts the resurrection of Jesus.
“Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins.” (53:11)	This describes Jesus suffering and dying in our place.

During this Easter season we should note that Isaiah 53 also speaks of his resurrection and, therefore, of the hope of resurrection that we have in him.

Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made,
he will see descendants and enjoy long life,
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
(Isaiah 53:10)¹

The phrases "he will see his descendants" and "the Lord's purpose will be accomplished through him" indicate he is alive.

While some cultures may still practice blood sacrifices, in God’s eyes this is no longer necessary because the final sacrifice has been made “once for all” by his son Jesus.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:8-11)¹

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1. Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

2. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)
Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7
ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Wisdom

How do I become wise?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines wisdom as "the ability to make good judgments based on what you have learned from your experience, or the knowledge and understanding that gives you this ability."¹ We probably all know someone whom we consider to be wise by that definition, but what is the source of that wisdom?

Image of God

Certainly we see human beings who have no connection or commitment to God exhibiting wisdom by that definition. I would suggest that, even for them, wisdom ultimately comes from God. In an earlier chapter of the Core 52⁴ book we saw that people are created in "the image of God". Looking at the definition above, certainly God possessed good judgement, experience knowledge, and understanding to a level of perfection that no human being can match. But because people are created in God's image, they can also possess wisdom at a lesser, imperfect level.

Word of God

In Deuteronomy 4:5-6 Moses is reminding the people of Israel of God's Laws which have been taught to them. He says:

"See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"²

This scripture seems to suggest that one can increase in wisdom by studying, understanding, and living out God's written Word.

Gift of God

Solomon had just taken over as King of Israel and had given his "inauguration  speech", after which he and the entire assembly went to worship God at the tabernacle (tent) that had been used for worship until this point (the brick and mortar temple was not completed yet). There they prayed and offered burnt offerings to God.

That night God revealed himself to Solomon and said, "Ask for what you would like me to give you."

Here is Solomon's response (2 Chronicles 1:8-10):

“You demonstrated great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. Now, LORD God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise who would be able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours?”³

And God's response to Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:11-12):

“Because you desire this, and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, you are granted wisdom and discernment."³

So in this case wisdom was a gift from God to Solomon because of his specific request.

Emmanuel - God with us

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 Paul says this:

"Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption."³

 Jesus is the ultimate source and embodiment of God’s wisdom:

• He revealed God in human form that we can see and understand.
• Yet He is also fully God.
• In the Bible we have God’s wisdom in the written word (because it reveals Jesus).
• In Jesus we have God’s Wisdom in the living word (John 1:1)

Can human beings exhibit wisdom without a commitment to God? Yes, to a degree. But the best, most complete wisdom comes from God and commitment to him through his written word and his living word, Jesus. Gain wisdom by seeking God through Jesus and living by his guidance.

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1. (Definition of wisdom from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

2. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible


3. Scripture quoted by permission, the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

4. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Jesus Rejected

If Jesus was rejected by his own people, why should I accept him?

Who is in charge here? (Matthew 21:23-27)

Jesus is teaching in the temple, which in itself is an affront to the chief priests and elders because they consider themselves to be the leaders of the people and the authority in the temple.
So they confront him.
“Who gave you the authority to teach here?”
The implication here is that they don’t want Jesus teaching here because he is usurping their authority.
But Jesus, knowing that the people were sympathetic to him, wasn’t going to give in to these guys that easily:

“If you answer my question, I will answer yours. Where did John the Baptist get his authority, from heaven or from men?”

Now the chief priests and elders find themselves in a predicament:

“If we say ‘from heaven’, he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say ‘from men’, the people won’t respect us because they think John was a prophet.”

So they answered, “We don’t know.”  To which Jesus said, “Then I’m not going to answer your question.” The fact is, however, They knew what Jesus would have answered; he had said it many times before; he would have said his authority came from God his Father.

The Moral of the Story (Mathew 21:28-41)

Now Jesus, still speaking in the presence of the chief priests and elders, tells two stories (we call them “parables”) to illustrate the unwillingness of Israel’s leaders to believe him. First, here is an explanation of the symbolism. In the Old Testament the nation of Israel is often described symbolically as a vineyard, and the people of Israel are the workers in the vineyard. Second, understand the attitude of the self-righteous religious leaders of the time: They saw themselves as the good guys who always obeyed God and they saw the “tax collectors and prostitutes” as the evil, worthless bad guys. Jesus purposely chose two of the most despised groups in their culture to make his point.

Here is Jesus’ first story (parable):

A man owns a vineyard and has two sons. He goes to both sons and asks them to go work in the vineyard.

• One son says, “I won’t go”, but later he has a change of heart and goes to work.
• One son says, “I will, sir”, but then did not go to work.

Jesus then asks those around him, including the elders, “Which of the two sons did what the father wanted? The chief priests and elders responded, “The first one”, that is, the one who at first said "no" but then changed his attitude and went.

Jesus then responds to them:

"I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him." (NET)

Here is a summary and explanation of Jesus’ response.

• The father represents God.
• The son who said “no” at first but then went represents the “tax collectors and prostitutes”.
• They had, at first, rejected God but then, when Jesus came, they had a change of heart and embraced Jesus and God’s way.
• They are more likely to get into the kingdom of God than the religious leaders.
• The son who said “yes” but then did not go represents the religious leaders.
• They think they are following God’s way but they are not.
• God sent Jesus to them and yet they refuse to acknowledge him.
• Jesus then uses John the Baptist to further illustrate his point.
• John the Baptist came as God’s representative teaching repentance and righteousness.
• The “tax collectors and prostitutes” changed their minds, believed John, and turned to God.
• The religious leaders refused to change their hearts and minds when they heard John.

We are all children of God. Will we be the children who, even though we may have at first rebelled, turn and embrace God’s son?

Here is Jesus’ second story (parable):

A landowner planted a vineyard, complete with all the necessary components: a fence, A pit for the winepress, and a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went off on extended leave. When harvest time came he sent some of his employees to collect his percentage of the crop. The tenants grabbed the employees and beat them and killed them. When the owner didn’t hear from his employees, he sent another larger group of employees but the tenants treated them the same as the first. Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking that the tenants would respect his own son. When the tenants saw that the owner’s son was coming, they thought, “This is the heir. If we kill him we can get the inheritance - the vineyard will be ours!” So they grabbed his son and killed him.

Then Jesus asked them, “When the owner himself comes, what will he do with those tenants?” The religious leaders answered, “He will execute those evil murderers and lease the vineyard to other more honest, trustworthy tenants.”

Before we look at Jesus’ response to them, let’s explore the symbolism of this parable.

• The landowner represents God.
• The vineyard represents Israel.
• The tenants represent the civil and religious leaders of Israel who were supposed to watch over and care for the vineyard.
• The employees represent the prophets of the Old Testament whom God sent to Israel with his message to be faithful to Him. Many of them were persecuted and killed because the people, particularly the leaders, did not want to listen and accept what they said.
• The son represents Jesus, whom the religious leaders are already plotting to kill, and in fact, will be executed in just a few days.

The Rejected Stone (Matthew 21:42-44)

For his final comments on this parable, Jesus goes to their scriptures and quotes Psalm 118:22-23, applying it to himself.

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (ESV)

Then he adds, speaking of the religious,civic leaders of Israel:

• “For this reason I tell you that the kingdom will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
• “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Jesus is the cornerstone, the foundation of this new people, this new “nation”,  that will carry on the banner of the kingdom of God. The old self righteous, self serving leaders are out; the new self-sacrificing servant leader is coming in.

If Jesus was rejected by his own people, why should I accept him?

Note that Matthew remarks here (verses 45-46) that, as they were listening to Jesus, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest Jesus but they were afraid of the common people who regarded Jesus as a prophet of God. So while it is true that the religious leaders rejected him, many of the other people accepted him as being sent by God.

Did the religious leaders reject Jesus? Yes they did. They rejected him in the face of overwhelming evidence. Their own self-centered attitude blinded them to the truth. Many others saw the truth and believed Jesus: “...because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.”

A “tax collector” named Matthew who, because of his profession, was despised and rejected by most of the citizens of Israel, accepted and followed Jesus. As a result, he wrote down many events of Jesus life and many of the words Jesus spoke. Matthew is known and respected today because of his humble service to Jesus and to the kingdom of God.

 About 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter, a small business man, stood up and gave an inspiring speech in front of thousands of people in Jerusalem defending Jesus as the Son of God. He concluded his speech with these words, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” As a result, over 3000 people chose to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and to turn to God through baptism.

So, yes, a few hundred self righteous religious leaders rejected Jesus, but within two months of their rejection thousands of people embraced Jesus as coming from God.

Have you ever noticed that rejection seems to be part of life? Have you ever felt rejection? We all have. Jesus has been there. He has experienced rejection just like we have, so maybe he can help us get through it. Sometimes rejection can be debilitating, but sometimes it can lead to new opportunities. Let Jesus help you discover those opportunities.

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Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, designated by NET are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations designated ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Messiah

Is there proof that Jesus is the Messiah?

A theme runs throughout the Hebrew scriptures, what we call the Old Testament. That theme is something like this: “Someone is coming; he will be a great and powerful leader and he will make us a great nation again.” It also says of him:

• He will be a human being, a descendant of David.
• He will also be the Son of God.
• He is often called “the anointed one”.

Defining terms: Messiah and Christ

• English “Messiah” from the Hebrew masiah, means “anointed one”.
• English “Christ” from Greek christos, means “anointed one”.

When you see words like this in an English Bible translation, they are “transliterations” of the original language word. That is, rather than “translate” the original word with an already existing English word or phrase (“anointed one”), they created a new English word that “sounds like” the original word (“Messiah”, “Christ”).

Defining terms: LORD and Lord

• The English LORD (with all capital letters) is used to translate the original Hebrew word ehyeh, the official name of God which he explained to Moses in Exodus 3:14-15.
• When God says it speaking of himself, it would be ehyeh, English “I AM”.
• When the people said it speaking of God, they said yahweh, English transliteration “Jehovah”, which means “he is”.
• The English word “lord” or “Lord” in lower-case letters is a translation of the Hebrew adonai which means “Lord, Lord” in English. It comes from the Hebrew adon which means “lord”, or “master”, or “boss”.

Confrontation - Matthew 22:15-46

We are in Jerusalem three days before Jesus is crucified and he is teaching in the temple area. The religious leaders are already plotting to kill him, but they want to discredit him so they can justify their actions to the people. they come to Jesus and confront him with "trick" questions that they hope will trip him up. Matthew 23:15 says,"Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap him in what he said."

First, they ask him about paying taxes: "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" If he says they should not pay taxes, he would be violating Roman law and they could use that to have him arrested. If he says they should pay taxes the people would not like the response because they all hated the Roman taxes and tax collectors. So Jesus gave a very careful, clever answer, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's.

Next, the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection, came and asked him another trick question, which was really meant to mock the idea of resurrection. Here is a simplified summary of their question:

A woman's husband dies before they have any children. She remarries and that husband also dies before they have any children. This happens seven times. After the resurrection, when they are all raised from the dead, which one of them will be her husband?

Jesus answers, "You are mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. After the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."

Next, they send a lawyer, an expert in the Law of Moses, to ask him a question: "Which commandment in the Law of Moses is the greatest?" Jesus gives an answer that summarizes the Law completely and perfectly:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

Now Jesus turns the tables and asks them a question: "What do you think about the Christ [Messiah, anointed one]? Whose son is he?

They know what their scripture says, so they answer: "The son [descendant] of David."

Jesus asks them a couple of  followup questions using Psalm 110:1

• Then how does David in the Spirit call him 'Lord', saying, 'the LORD said to my Lord, "sit and my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet"'? 
• If David calls him 'Lord", how can he be his son?

The Pharisees were not able to answer the question without contradicting their cultural and religious beliefs.

Explanation

In order to understand what Jesus did here, we need to understand some cultural beliefs of the time.

• A father was always considered to be greater than a son.
• A descendant many generations later was still considered to be a "son".
• They believed that Psalm 110 was speaking of the coming Messiah King.
• They saw in their scripture that the coming Messiah (anointed one) would be a great human ruler
• They missed the part in their scripture about the Messiah being the "Son of God".

They were unable to answer Jesus because they could not accept that the one David was speaking about was more than just a man. In their minds, David would never have called this person "Lord" (master) if he were just a human descendant.

Psalm 110 and Jesus

In this Psalm, God says two things to the person who is the subject of the Psalm. First, he says:

"The LORD (Jehovah God) said to my Lord (master): Sit at my right hand..."

• David acknowledged that this person was greater than himself.
• To sit at the right hand of God means being equal to God.
• Then in verses 2 and 3 this person is described as being a ruler or king.

About fifty days after Jesus' resurrection Peter was speaking about Jesus to a large crowd in Jerusalem. He spoke about his crucifixion and his resurrection, and then he said Jesus had been exalted to the "right hand of God". Peter quotes Psalm 110:1 and then says, "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ."  (Acts 2:36)

The second thing God says about this person is this:

"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

• In the Jewish mind, it would be unusual, even unacceptable, for the same person to be both priest and king.

Jesus, descendant of David and Son of God, uniquely fits the description of the person in Psalm 110. He completed the role of the priest once and for all by humbling himself and sacrificing his life for us, he has been raised from the dead, and he is now at the right hand of God ruling over his spiritual kingdom.

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This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Finding Happiness

[NOTE: this post is late and not in the same order as the chapter in the Core 52  book.]

Does God want you to be happy?

This topic really startled me the first time I saw it. I have to say that "happiness" is not a concept that has value and meaning to me. In fact, as I thought about this topic after reading the essay, I found that I am more likely to use the word happy in a negative sense:

• "I am not happy with this Bible study outline that I spent hours preparing."
• "I am not happy with the outcome of the equipment repair I just completed."

And yet "happiness", whatever that is, seems to be a near universal human desire. I think we could certainly answer the above question with a "Yes", but that just raises other questions:

• What is happiness?
• Should happiness be our highest priority?
• Can happiness deceive us and pull us away from God's will?

Blessed vs. Happiness

In his Core 52... book, Mark Moore begins his essay on "Finding Happiness" with Psalm 1:1-3:

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Then later in his essay while referring to this Psalm Mr. Moore says this:

"Psalm 1 is the single most important passage in he Bible on happiness. It opens with the word blessed - the Bible's term for 'happy'..."

Considering our modern cultural understanding of "happiness", I just cannot agree with that statement. Let me explain why. In the Old Testament there is a Hebrew word group that is usually translated into English as 'blessed'; and in the New Testament there is a Greek word that is usually translated into English as "blessed". The English Bible translations, however, are somewhat inconsistent in this regard; usually the words are translated as "blessed" but sometimes they are translated as "happy". In their defense, translators may use different English words for the same original language word because they believe the context leads to a different meaning. In most instances, however, I just do not think "happy" represents the appropriate meaning. Particularly, in Psalm 1, I believe "blessed" represents the appropriate meaning and "happy' does not.

Here is my understanding of there two concepts:

• Blessed is our status or our condition, based on our relationship to God and His work in our lives.
• Happiness is a feeling, an emotion, that may or may not result from a blessing.

In other words, blessed is what we are; happy is how we may feel as a result. There are certainly circumstances in which we are blessed by God, but we do not in that moment, or even for some time, feel happy about our circumstance.

I would like to point to Matthew 5:1-12, known as the "Beatitudes", where "blessed" is a key concept. Look carefully at these statements. Every one of them describes the person's status or condition based on God's work in their lives, not some feeling that they may or may not be experiencing at the moment.

I have had many moments when I did not feel "happy" about my circumstances, but in that moment I was able to turn to God in prayer and thank him for the many blessings I have from Him and my blessed condition through Him. What about you?

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Scripture quotations labeled as NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

The Good Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; what does that mean for me?

My Grandfather Quaintance was a farmer in the 1940's and 1950's. He had several different farm animals on his farm - horses, cows, hogs, chickens, and sheep. I learned from spending time on his farm that the sheep were the most fragile of those animals, requiring more care and attention than the others. It doesn't surprise me, therefore, to see that the imagery of the shepherd and sheep is  used throughout the Bible to represent God and human beings respectively. People, like sheep, are fragile, needing care and attention.

Shepherd Theme

As we look at the history of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament we can see that the concept of a shepherd watching over his sheep was of central importance to the formation of the nation. The "father" of the nation, Abraham, was a nomad farmer who was noted for his large herds of animals, many of them sheep and goats. Moses worked for 40 years as a shepherd before he led the people of Israel out of Egypt. When Moses spoke to God about the appointment of his successor he said,

“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all humankind, appoint a man over the community, who will go out before them, and who will come in before them, and who will lead them out, and who will bring them in, so that the community of the Lord may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”  (Numbers 27:16-17 NET

God chose David, a shepherd, to be the second king of the nation of Israel. This concept of sheep and shepherding was a central part of their culture from the beginning.

Spiritual Shepherds

It is no surprise, then, that this concept began to be used symbolically to describe the relationship between God, the human leaders of Israel, and the people. I would like to look at an example of this symbolism. The prophet Ezekiel was active during the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon and spoke of the failure of the human leaders of Israel that led to the conquest and destruction of the city. He spoke also of a future time when the people would again have a good shepherd. Consider Ezekiel chapter 34:1-6 which describes the failure of those leaders:

The Lord’s message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them." (NET)

Note how the symbolism of shepherds and sheep is used to describe how the human leaders of Israel exploited the people for their own self interest instead of serving them and caring for them. Then in verse 11, speaking of a future time of restoration, God says, "Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out." Then in verses 23-24 God explains how he will accomplish this restoration:

I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—namely, my servant David. He will feed them and will be their shepherd. I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken! (NET)

God will provide a new leader, like the great king David, who will serve God and the people and lead them to spiritual restoration.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

This theme continues into the New Testament where Jesus takes on the title and responsibility of the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-14:

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep." (NET)

Jesus led them and served them. As a descendant of David, Jesus fulfilled God’s statement in Ezekiel 34:23 that he would provide a human shepherd-leader like David. As the Son of God, Jesus also fulfilled God’s statement in Ezekiel 34:11, “I myself will search for my sheep…”

Jesus leads us and serves us. He is our Good Shepherd.
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Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Prophesy

Is there proof that Jesus is God's Son?

Most people in the developed world today live in a urban environment, and in a scientific and technological culture. Even so, what kind of things do we believe?  If the popularity of television shows is any measure, a lot of people believe in things they cannot see and things from "another world". How about these?

• Ghost hunters
• Long Island Medium
• Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry

Or how about these things?

• People held captive by extra-terrestrial beings
• The government hiding UFO's in Roswell New Mexico
• Anything posted on Facebook must be true

Prophecy

The Judaeo-Christian Bible (particularly the Old Testament) records a lot of the spoken words and writings of human beings called "prophets". They claimed to be speaking or writing words that God had given to them. When we look at their words we can generally conclude two things:

• They were delivering a message from God to the people around them.
• Sometimes those messages included a description, sometimes in detail, of future events that we now know occurred hundreds of years after the prophet spoke the words.

In his book, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, Mark Moore mentions several of these prophesies. One of these prophesies states that a descendant of King David would be known as the anointed one (Messiah),  "the Son of God", and that he would rule the nations (Psalm 2). Other prophesies, written down more that 400 years before Jesus was born, give details of the life of Jesus:

• He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
• He would be preceded by a forerunner (Malachi 3:1)
• He would enter Jerusalem riding a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
• He would be betrayed by a friend, which would result in his hands being wounded (Zechariah 13:6)
• He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver, which would be given to a potter (Zechariah 11:12-13)
• He would stand silent before his oppressors (Isaiah 53:7)
• He would die by crucifixion (Psalm 22:16)

I want to tell you about an amazing, detailed prophesy that was written 500 years before Jesus was born. This is found in the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 9. First, I want to put this prophesy in its historical context.

• In 605 BC, some key events occur.
• The prophet Jeremiah, in Jerusalem, predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the captivity of the people for 70 years.
• Babylon invades Judah but leaves Jerusalem intact
• Some Jewish people are carried away in captivity to Babylon. Daniel is one of those who is taken to Babylon. He is a young man, perhaps even a teenager, when he is taken.
• From 605 to 603 BC Daniel and some other young men are trained to be servants in the royal palace of King Nebuchadnezzar.
• In 588 BC, Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, writes a letter to the Jewish captives in Babylon, again describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the 70 years of captivity; but also describing a coming restoration.
• In 586 BC, Babylon attacks and destroys Jerusalem and the temple.
• Many years later in 539 BC, Daniel, now an elderly man, is reminded of Jeremiah's writings from many years earlier.

Daniel 9:1-3 describes how Daniel looked at Jeremiah's writings, and how that led him to turn to God in prayer for his people and for Jerusalem. Verses 4-19 record his prayer. Verses 20-23 describe how, as a result of Daniel's prayer, he has a vision in which God gives him a message describing the future of his people, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple through the angel Gabriel. Verses 24-27 are the message:

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 

25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 

26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 

27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (NASB)

We will first look at the timeline for this prophesy and then we will look at the purposes for and the significance of the prophesy. The message speaks of "seventy weeks" or "seventy 'sevens'". Some English Bibles translate this as "weeks" and some as "sevens". The original Hebrew word simply means "group of seven". Where did these numbers come from? Remember that Daniel was led to pray when he read Jeremiah's writing which describes 70 years of destruction and oppression. We might paraphrase the message from God to Daniel like this: "Jeremiah spoke of seventy years; now I am telling you what will happen over the next seventy-times-seven years." So we are looking at a prophesy that will take place over 490 years (70 x 7 = 490).

Next, verse 25 further defines the 70 'sevens' as "seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens'", but what is the significance of this division? We have a hint of an explanation there in verse 25. The message is speaking of restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem, saying, "... it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress." So we can conclude that the seven 'sevens', 49 years, is the period when the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and that is historically accurate. But what about the sixty-two 'sevens'? This section of the message is defining the combined period of seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens' with a starting event and an ending event:

• The starting event is the "decree" to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.
• The ending event is the appearing of the anointed one [Messiah], the prince.

So to summarize the math:

• 7 X 7 = 49 years
• 62 X 7 = 434 years
• 49 + 434 = 483 years
• Therefore, the prophetic message is defining a period of 483 years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one is revealed.

Now we need to identify the starting event for the 483 years. I believe it is Ezra's command to begin work on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem in 457 BC. Please see my previous post "Daniel 9 Timeline" for a detailed explanation of the reason for choosing that date.

Next we need to identify the ending event. Throughout the Old Testament period prophets and the Jewish scriptures spoke of a coming anointed one, a Messiah, who would be a caretaker and ruler of the people. This is the person identified in verse 25 as "the anointed one, the prince." The Hebrew word that is translated into English as "Messiah" simply means "anointed one". Further, the New Testament scriptures identify Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the anointed one. In fact, Jesus himself claimed to be the Messiah.

Now we begin to transition from timing to purpose. This prophetic message defines the purpose for the 483 and 490 years as well as the timing. Does Jesus fit the profile of the Messiah as defined by this prophetic message? Let's look at timing and purpose:

Timing: 483 years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the anointed one (Messiah)

• 457 BC - The beginning event: the decree to rebuild Jerusalem
• -457 BC + 483 years = 26 AD
• Jesus was born about 4 BC (see the previous post  "Daniel 9 Timeline"  for details)
• In Luke 3:23 Luke says Jesus was "about thirty years old" when he was baptized and began his public ministry.
• -4 BC + 30 = 26 AD

If Jesus was born in 4 BC, and he was 30 years of age when he was baptized and began his ministry, he fits the time line of the prophesy. Thus, we can say that one of the purposes for this prophesy was to identify the Messiah.

There are some other purposes and events identified by this prophesy. Verse 24 states six purposes for the 490 years (seventy 'sevens'). I have listed them here along with an explanation of how Jesus fulfills or completes them:

• to finish the transgression
• to make an end of sin
• These first two are resolved by Jesus' presence here on earth, his Crucifixion, and his resurrection. Sin is still present here on earth, but God took the action that will ultimately deal with the problem of human sin (falling short of God's standard).
• to make atonement for iniquity
• Through his death, Jesus paid the penalty we should have paid, received the sentence we should have received.
• to bring in everlasting righteousness
• Through his death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to be declared righteous, declared innocent, even though we are guilty of missing God's standard
• to seal up vision and prophecy
• Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17 NASB) 
• to anoint the most holy place
• The word "place" does not occur in the original language and was added by the translators. It could as easily be "the most holy one". It could be said that Jesus was "anointed" at his baptism.

We have looked at verses 24 and 25 and their description of the first 483 years; now we will consider the events described in the second half of the prophesy, verses 26 and 27.

Verse 26 describes two events that will occur "after" the 483 years, but it does not say how long after.

• "The Messiah will be cut off and have nothing..."
• I believe this is speaking of Jesus arrest and execution about three
• "The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
• A coming ruler will destroy the city of Jerusalem and the temple again. 
• Roman armies did this in 70 AD.

I want to make a brief comment about a phrase in verse 26 that may be misunderstood. "And its end will come with a flood." This does not mean a flood of water; it means a flood, or overwhelming number, of soldiers. Although not common usage, even in English we sometimes use the word flood to describe some overwhelming mass of something other than water.

Now we need to look at verse 27. It is actually dealing with two different things.

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering..."

The meaning of this phrase hinges on a determination of who the pronoun "he" refers to. There are two possibilities from the previous verse: The Messiah or the ruler who will come and destroy Jerusalem. I think it is clear that Jesus the Messiah is the intended subject for the following reasons:

• "He will make a firm covenant..." 
• During his time here on earth, Jesus never left Palestine and only preached to and served the Jewish people. He was completing his covenant with the Jewish people before his disciples later took the message of the gospel to the "Gentiles" (the rest of us).
• "...in the middle of the week..." 
• Jesus ministry on earth (from baptism to resurrection) was about three and one half years and that fits this description.
• "...he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering..."
• Although sacrifices and offerings continued until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the PURPOSE or REASON for the sacrifices ended with the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• "He will make a firm covenant for one 'seven'..." (seven years)
• Jesus' disciples continued to preach the gospel to only Jews in Palestine for a few years after his resurrection and departure to Heaven, until the Holy Spirit guided them to preach to the Gentiles as well.
• Possible end points for the last seven years:
• Stephen’s hearing before the ruling council in Jerusalem, explaining in detail how Jesus fulfilled their scriptures as the Messiah, after which he was executed.
• Peter converts Cornelius
• Conversion of Paul

Finally, I think the final phrase of verse 27 is again describing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

This is an amazing prophesy written hundreds of years before Jesus' time on earth and describing details of his life and purpose.

Scripture quotations labeled as NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7

ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4

Daniel 9 Timeline

In Daniel's vision of the seventy 'sevens' God's message through the angel Gabriel says this (Daniel 9:25 NASB):

So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

In this post I am going to explain why I believe the beginning point for this prophesy given in Daniel 9:24-27 is 457 BC.

First, I want to clarify some things about calendars and year designations. I will be using the traditional means of distinguishing years - BC (Before Christ) to designate years counting back from the supposed year Jesus was born; and AD (Anno Domini / Year of our Lord) to designate years since the supposed year Jesus was born. Note I said, "the supposed year Jesus was born". In about 500 AD a Christian monk scholar attempted to device a calendar based on his calculation of the year of Jesus' birth. His calendar became the basis for the modern year designations we use. With the help of modern astronomy and other scientific and historic means, however, modern scholars have established that the monk's calculations were off by about four years. Scholars now believe that Jesus was born in about 4 BC. Here are the traditional and the modern designations that are used today:

• Traditional:
• BC (Before Christ)
• AD (Anno Domini / Year of our Lord)
• Modern:
• BCE (Before the Common Era)
• CE (Common Era)
• Modern Scholars believe Jesus was born in about 4 BC.

   Second, I want to provide a timeline for the period during which Jerusalem was under threat, under attack, then destroyed, then rebuilt. The prophets Jeremiah and Daniel were active during this period.

The period of destruction and captivity

• 627-587 BC - Jeremiah speaks out in Jerusalem
• 605-536 BC - Daniel speaks out in Babylon
• 605 BC - Jeremiah first prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem and 70 years of captivity and oppression for the Jewish people.
• 605 BC - Babylon invades Judah the first time and takes prisoners captive back to Babylon.
• 605 BC - Daniel as a young man, possibly a teenager, is one of those taken to Babylon.
• 605-603 BC - Daniel, among others, is taken into the royal palace in Babylon and trained to be  a servant of King Nebuchadnezzar.
• 603-550 BC - Daniel has several visions from God.
• 588 BC - In Jerusalem, Jeremiah sends a letter to the Jewish captives in Babylon explaining again the 70 years of captivity, but also talking about a restoration of the people to their home land and a rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.
• 586 BC - Babylon's final attack on Jerusalem leads to the destruction of the city and the temple and a scattering of the Jewish people.
• 539 BC - Daniel is reminded of Jeremiah's letter from many years ago and prays for his people, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple.
• 539 BC - As a result of Daniel's prayer, God gives him the vision of the seventy 'sevens'.

The period of return and restoration

• 538 BC - Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian empire, decrees that some Jewish exiles can return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the temple. Zerubbabel was the Jewish leader of the effort.
• 517 BC - Darius, then the King, reaffirms the decree of Cyrus.
• 458 BC - Artaxerxes, then the King, authorizes Ezra, a priest and scribe (scholar of the Jewish scriptures), and others to return to Jerusalem for sacrifice and worship at the temple.
• 458 BC - Ezra arrives at Jerusalem, realizes that many there have intermarried with people from surrounding non-Jewish areas, and are worshiping false gods as a result. For several months Ezra instructs the people in the Law of God and resolves the issue of intermarriage and worship of false gods
• 457 BC - Ezra goes beyond what Artaxerxes authorized, and gave the word (command, decree) to begin rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem.
• 445 BC - Artaxerxes authorizes Nehemiah and others to return to Jerusalem and continue rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

Finally, I want to deal with the problem of the chronology of the book of Ezra. There is no direct mention of working on the walls of Jerusalem in the last half of the book of Ezra where it is describing his efforts to deal with the problems of intermarriage and the worship of false gods. Ezra does, however, indirectly suggests that he is planning the rebuilding of the city wall in his prayer recorded in Ezra chapter 9*:

For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
(Ezra 9:9 NASB)

Further, work on the wall of the city is mentioned in Ezra chapter four as being attempted during the reign of Artaxerxes, which matches the time that Ezra is leading the people of Jerusalem. It appears that the author of Ezra did not intend for the events of chapter four to be in chronological order . He seems to be summarizing  specific types of events through the reigns of several Persian kings.

• Verses 1-5 mention people from the first phase of the return to Jerusalem: Zerubbabel, King Cyrus, and King Darius; the subject is the rebuilding of the temple.
• Verses 6-23 mention two kings of Persia, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes, who followed King Darius; the subject of this section is the rebuilding of the walls and the city. Ezra was the active leader of the Jewish people in Jerusalem during the reign of Artaxerxes.
• Verse 24 again mentions King Darius, who reigned before Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus; the subject again is the work on the temple.

Thus it appears that Chapter four is not chronological and verses 6-23 seem to be describing events that fit with the later parts of the book, during the time of Ezra's leadership.** It seems reasonable to conclude that "the decree [word, command] to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" was made in 457 BC by Ezra.

*Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology (Princeton: University Press, 1964)

**James E. Smith, Ph.D., DANIEL A Christian Interpretation, Second Edition ©2015 James E. Smith, All Rights Reserved
www.lulu.com

**The Chronology of Ezra 4, Copyright (c) 2010 by Frank W. Hardy, Ph.D.  http://www.historicism.org/Documents/Jrnl/Ezra04.pdf

Scripture quotations labeled as NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible

Three Superstars

The people of Israel recognized three "superstars" from the time of David through the time Jesus was here on earth and even right up to today: Abraham, Moses, and David. Each of these three men played a key roll in the formation and history of the nation of Israel and each one was involved in a "covenant" with God that points to and identifies their descendant Jesus as the Messiah.

Abraham: Covenant of Faith

Abram (God later changed his name to Abraham) lived with his father and extended family in an area of Asia Minor that was in the southern part of what we call Turkey today. He received a message from God:

“Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you.
Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you,
and I will make your name great,
so that you will exemplify divine blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
but the one who treats you lightly I must curse,
so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

So Abram took all his possessions and servants as well as his nephew Lot, left his home and family, and began a journey as God directed him. Eventually Abraham (formerly Abram) reached the land that God had promised him but, since he did not have any children, he was questioning how God would be able to deliver on the promise of making him into a great nation. God  assured Abraham that he would have a son of his own as an heir. In Genesis 15:6 the Bible says:

Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.

Following the tradition of the time, God had Abraham kill some animals, cut them in half, and lay the pieces opposite each other. The Bible puts it this way in Genesis 15:17-18:

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch passed between the animal parts. That day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: “To your descendants I give this land...

The smoking firepot and the flaming torch passing between the animal parts represented God's sealing of the covenant with Abraham.  In this covenant God made a promise to Abraham and Abraham trusted (believed) God to deliver. You can read the details of Abraham's encounter with God in Genesis 15:1-20.

Moses: Covenant of Law

With the passage of over 400 years Abraham's family did grow into a "nation", estimated at about 2 million people when Moses led them out of Egypt and out of slavery. After they left Egypt and as they moved toward the land that God had promised to Abraham (and them), God made a covenant with all the people of the nation with Moses serving as a "mediator". This covenant differed from the covenant with Abraham:

• God made a promise to Abraham but Abraham did not make any promise to God; he simply trusted God to deliver on the promise.
• In the giving of the "Law", God promised the people blessings if they obeyed and curses if they disobeyed; and the people agreed to keep and obey the Law.

A significant part of the Old Testament in the Bible describes how the people of Israel failed to live up to their commitment to the covenant. 

David: Covenant for an eternal King and Kingdom

Hundreds more years pass and the people are not content to have just God as their "King". They want to have a powerful human "king" to rule them and to fight their battles for them "like all the other nations around them".  So God gave them the kind of human king they wanted: a physically strong, attractive, charismatic man. Unfortunately, King Saul was more interested in his own personal well being than in serving the people or upholding God's standard.

As a result, God sent the prophet Samuel to find and anoint another king, one who would be a better servant of  God and his people. God's choice was not what human beings would have expected. He selected David, the youngest son of a sheep farmer who spent his days tending his father's sheep. Some of David's early life experiences remind us of what Jesus experienced during his time here on earth:

• His father left him out in the field with the sheep when the prophet Samuel came to visit.
• He was seen as just a kid
• His brothers did not respect him
• Over 20 years pass from his anointing by Samuel until he becomes king, much of it spent in exile fleeing for his life

Compare this to Jesus:

• His family thought he was crazy
• People of his home town rejected him
• Jewish authorities plotted to kill him

Unfortunately, David was a flawed human being just like the rest of us and in many ways he fell short of God's standard, but God showed compassion to him and provided forgiveness to him. Looking to David's descendants and the future of the people of Israel, and indeed all future inhabitants of the earth, God made a covenant with David: that one of his descendants would be the king of an eternal kingdom.

The Lord said,
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
‘I will give you an eternal dynasty
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’”

Jesus: Humble Servant, King of Kings

Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, is the continuation of the Covenant of Faith established with Abraham. God promises a place for us in his kingdom if we will believe in and trust Jesus.

Jesus, as the only human being to ever perfectly obey the Law of God given when Moses was the "mediator"and perfectly live up to God's standard, has "fulfilled"  or completed the Law. Then, as a humble servant, he sacrificed himself to pay the price for our failure to live up to God's standard.

Jesus, as the Son of God and as a descendant of David, is the King of an eternal Kingdom that exists right now and that we can be a part of.

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Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)

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